Toshiba Satellite S50a Manual

							91Mobile Computing
Changing the main battery
If the battery is leaking or its case is cracked, put on 
protective gloves to handle it, and discard it immediately. 
Always dispose of used battery packs in compliance with 
all applicable laws and regulations. Put insulating tape, 
such as cellophane tape, on the electrode during 
transportation to avoid a possible short circuit, fire or 
electric shock. Failure to do so could possibly result in 
serious injury.
Inserting a charged battery
To insert a battery:
1Wipe the terminals of the charged battery with a clean 
cloth to ensure a good connection.
2Insert the charged battery into the slot until the latch 
clicks.
The battery pack has been designed so that you cannot 
install it with reverse polarity.
If the battery does not slide into the slot easily, move the 
battery release lock to the unlocked position and try 
again. Do not force the battery into position.
   
(Sample Illustration) Inserting the battery
3Slide the battery release lock to the locked position (if 
applicable), or replace the battery and secure it using the 
screw(s).
Model with latches Model with screws 
						

							92Mobile Computing
Taking care of your battery
   
(Sample Illustration) Locking the battery
4Turn the computer right side up.
5Reconnect any cables that were removed in step 3 of 
“Removing the battery from the computer” on page 90.
6Restart the computer.
Taking care of your battery
The following sections offer tips on how to take care of your 
battery and prolong its life.
Safety precautions
Always immediately turn the power off and disconnect 
the power cable/cord plug from the plug socket and stop 
using the computer if you observe any of the following 
conditions:
❖Offensive or unusual odor
❖Excessive heat
❖Discoloration
❖Deformation, cracks, or leaks
❖Smoke
❖Other unusual events during use, such as 
abnormal sound
Do not expose the computer to fire. The battery could 
explode
Do not turn on the computer’s power again until an 
authorized Toshiba service provider has checked it for 
safety. Continued use could cause a fire or rupture 
possibly resulting in serious injury or computer failure 
including but not limited to the loss of data.
Battery screws
Model with latches Model with screws 
						

							93Mobile Computing
Disposing of used batteries
Maintaining your battery
Fully discharging your battery pack will allow better accuracy 
of the battery meter.
To fully discharge your battery pack:
❖Periodically, disconnect the computer from a power 
source and operate it on battery power until the battery 
pack fully discharges.
❖If you have extra battery packs, rotate their use (for 
models with an accessible battery only).
❖If you will not be using the system for an extended 
period, more than one month, remove the battery pack 
(for models with an accessible battery only).
❖Store spare battery packs in a cool dry place out of 
direct sunlight (for models with an accessible battery 
only).
Disposing of used batteries
The life of a battery pack depends on usage. When the 
battery pack needs replacing, the main battery light flashes 
amber shortly after you have fully recharged the battery. 
You must discard a battery if it becomes damaged.
Never attempt to dispose of a battery pack by burning or 
by throwing it into a fire, and never allow exposure to a 
heating apparatus (e.g., microwave oven). Heat can 
cause a battery pack to explode and/or release caustic 
liquid, both which may possibly cause serious injury.
Always dispose of used battery packs in compliance with 
all applicable laws and regulations. Put insulating tape, 
such as cellophane tape, on the electrode during 
transportation to avoid a possible short circuit, fire or 
electric shock. Failure to do so could possibly result in 
serious injury. 
						

							94Mobile Computing
Traveling tips
Always use the battery pack supplied as an accessory or 
an equivalent battery pack specified in the User's 
Manual. Other battery packs have different voltage and 
terminal polarities. Use of non-conforming battery packs 
could generate smoke or cause fire or rupture, possibly 
resulting in serious injury.
After repeated use, the batteries will finally lose their ability 
to hold a charge and you will need to replace them. Under 
certain applicable laws and regulations, it may be illegal to 
dispose of old batteries by placing them in the trash.
Please be kind to our shared environment. Check with your 
local government authority for details regarding where to 
recycle old batteries or how to dispose of them properly.
In addition, Toshiba’s recycling initiatives include recycling 
programs, events and consumer promotions. For details, 
please visit toshiba.com/recycle.
Toshiba is dedicated to preserving the environment by 
sponsoring 
Call2Recycle™, a program of the 
Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation, so you can 
easily recycle accessible rechargeable batteries. For more 
information and for free drop-off locations, visit 
http://www.call2recycle.org/locator/ or call 1-800-822-8837.
Notice regarding CR coin cell batteries, applicable to 
California, U.S.A. only:
Perchlorate Material - special handling may apply. See 
http://www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate/
Traveling tips
The environmental precautions listed in “Selecting a place to 
work” on page 31, also apply while traveling.
❖Never leave your computer on a sunny ledge or in a 
place where it could get wet or covered in dust.
❖Always travel with the computer in a carrying case. 
Toshiba offers a choice of carrying cases for the 
computer. They all provide plenty of extra space for 
manuals, power cords, and compact discs. Contact your 
authorized Toshiba representative for more information 
or visit Toshiba’s Web site at accessories.toshiba.com. 
						

							95Mobile Computing
Traveling tips
TECHNICAL NOTE: When traveling by air, you may be 
required to pass your computer through airport security 
equipment. The X-ray equipment will not harm your 
computer.
Before using your computer aboard an aircraft, make 
sure the Wireless antenna is OFF (Airplane mode is ON) if 
your computer has wireless LAN capability.
To enable or disable wireless communication, use the 
F12 key. For more information see “TOSHIBA Function 
Keys” on page 152.
NOTE
NOTE 
						

							96
Chapter 4
Exploring Your 
Computer’s Features
In this chapter, you will explore some of the special features 
of your computer.
Exploring the Start screen
The Start screen is the launching pad for everything you can 
do in the Windows® operating system, providing new and 
easy ways to access everything from your favorite apps and 
Web sites to your contacts and other important information.
When you move your pointer to the upper-right corner of the 
screen or swipe in from the right edge, a list of Windows
® 
charms will slide out from the right. These Windows® charms 
perform various commands, including basics tasks like 
turning off the power and advanced PC settings.
You can go to the Start screen by clicking or touching the 
Start charm, see “Charms” on page 97. You can also use 
the 
Windows® key ( ) on your keyboard or on the LCD 
screen to go to the Start screen or to toggle back to the 
Desktop screen. For detailed information, please refer to the 
Windows
® Help and Support.
By clicking on or touching the 
Desktop tile from the Start 
screen, you will find the Windows® settings and features you 
are most familiar with. 
						

							97Exploring Your Computer’s Features
Exploring the Start screen
For detailed information on the new functionality, refer to the 
Windows® Help and Support.
   
 
(Sample Image) Windows® Start screen
Charms
Use the Windows® charms to start apps, find documents, 
set up system components, and perform most other 
computing tasks. 
By moving your pointer to the upper-right corner of the 
screen or swiping in from the right edge of your screen, you 
will find a list of charms: 
Search, Share, Start, Devices, 
and 
Settings.
You may also access the 
Power and Search icons in the 
upper-right corner of the Start screen.
Search—This charm allows you to search for most anything 
you need to locate on your computer. It can help you find 
apps, documents, photos, and your favorite music.
Share—This charm allows you to share music and photos 
with your favorite social Web sites.
Start—This charm allows you to view all of the available 
apps downloaded to your system.
Devices—This charm allows you to manage your hardware 
devices.
Settings—This charm allows you to manage your system 
settings.
App tiles
Power icon
Search icon
Apps
page icon 
						

							98Exploring Your Computer’s Features
Exploring the desktop
Tiles
Tiles can be accessed and launched from the Start screen. 
Typical Start screen tiles are the Desktop tile and Mail tile, as 
well as tiles representing all other applications downloaded 
to your system.
Exploring the desktop
You can use its features to start applications, find 
documents, set up system components, and perform most 
other computing tasks.
HINT: The illustrated examples in this guide may appear 
slightly different from the screens displayed by your 
system. The differences are not significant and do not 
indicate any change in the functionality of your system.
Finding your way around the desktop
Your computer’s desktop includes several standard features: 
icons, taskbar, notification area, notifications, and 
background pattern.
   
 
 
 
 
(Sample Image) Windows® Desktop screen
Ta s k b a r Icons
Notification area
Notifications 
						

							99Exploring Your Computer’s Features
Exploring the desktop
Icons
An icon represents a folder, file, or program that can be 
quickly activated by double-clicking or touching the icon.
You can create a new desktop icon for any folder, file, or 
program by dragging the element’s icon from its location in a 
window to the desktop area.
You may see various icons displayed on your system 
desktop, for example:
Recycle Bin—Holds files you have deleted. You may be able 
to retrieve these files until you empty the Recycle Bin.
❖TECHNICAL NOTE: If you delete a large number of 
files or very large files from the internal storage drive, 
there may be insufficient space available in the 
Recycle Bin to hold these files. In this case, 
Windows
® will prompt you to either permanently 
delete the file(s) or cancel the deletion.
❖If you delete a file (of any size) from an external 
media or flash media, it does not go into the 
Recycle Bin. The file is permanently deleted.
❖Permanently deleted files cannot be recovered 
from the Recycle Bin. 
For more information on the Recycle Bin, see Windows
® 
online Help.
If you place the pointer over an icon, a popup description 
of the file contents appears.
Your desktop may contain other icons depending on your 
configuration. See Windows
® online Help for more specific 
information on each icon and how to use it, or see “Help file” 
on page 153.
Ta s k b a r
Each time you open a program, a button associated with 
that program appears on the taskbar. With some programs, 
a button appears on the taskbar for each document or 
window you open. You can use these buttons to quickly 
switch between the programs or windows.
To make a program or window the currently active one, click 
or touch the associated taskbar button.
NOTE 
						

							100Exploring Your Computer’s Features
Windows® Store
Notification area
The notification area displays icons of tasks or programs that 
run continuously in the background and displays 
notifications. To learn more about each task, position the 
pointer over the icon for a few moments and a short 
description of the task appears.
Typical tasks in the notification area are Current time, Power 
usage mode, network connectivity status, and speaker 
volume.
To activate a specific task, click or touch the appropriate 
notification area icon.
Notifications
There are many types of notifications you can employ to help 
you with the many tasks you perform every day.
User experience notifications can be set for toast, tile, 
badge, and raw notifications.
Toast notifications—Designed for time-sensitive delivery 
of personalized content, such as an instant message from a 
friend.
Tile notifications—Used by applications that are not 
currently running with an at-a-glance characteristic, giving 
you a quick preview of the subject line of your latest email or 
the current weather conditions.
Badge notifications—A specialized type of tile notification 
(shown on the Start screen tile) using glyphs to indicate the 
number of applications that have updates available or the 
status of a running application.
Raw notifications—These run a background task on behalf 
of an application while that application is not running in order 
to make available the latest content, such as an online 
newspaper.
Windows® Store
Although many applications will be pre-installed or built-in to 
your computer, you will also have the ability to download 
many other applications with a touch or the click of your 
mouse.
While in the Desktop screen, locate the 
Windows® Store 
( ) icon in the taskbar.