Acer AcerPower F3 User manual

AcerPower F3
User’s Guide

Changes may be made periodically to the information in this publication without obligation
to notify any person of such revision or changes. Such changes will be incorporated in new
editions of this manual or supplementary documents and publications. This company makes
no representations or warranties, either expressed or implied, with respect to the contents
hereof and specifically disclaims the implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a
particular purpose.
Record the model number, serial number, purchase date, and place of purchase information in
the space provided below. The serial number and model number are recorded on the label
affixed to your computer. All correspondense concerning your unit should include the serial
number, model number, and purchase information.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in
any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise,
without the prior written permission of Acer Incorporated.
Model Number :__________________________________
Serial Number:___________________________________
Purchase Date: ___________________________________
Place of Purchase: ________________________________
Copyright© 2005 Acer Incorporated
All Rights Reserved
AcerPower F3
User’s Guide
Acer and the Acer Logo are registered trademarks of Acer Inc. Other company's product
names or trademarks are used herein for identification purposes only and belong to their
respective companies.

Contents
System Tour 1
Front panel 1
Rear Panel 3
System Features 4
Performance 4
Multimedia 4
Connectivity 4
System peripherals 5
Mouse (PS/2 or USB, manufacturing option) 5
Keyboard (PS/2 or USB, manufacturing option) 5
Speakers 6
System upgrade 6
Opening the computer 6
Setting up new components 7
Acer eRecovery 8
Create backup 8
Restore from backup 9
Create factory default image CD 9
Re-install bundled software without CD 9
Change password 10
Acer disc-to-disc recovery 11
Restore without a Recovery CD 11
Multilingual operating system installation 11
Setting up your computer 13
Before commencing setup 13
Selecting location 13
Opening the package 13
Connecting the peripherals 14
Starting your computer 14
Shutting down your computer 14
Troubleshooting 15
Taking Care of your computer 17
Important tips 17
Cleaning and servicing 17
To clean your computer and keyboard 17
To clean your pointing device 18
To clean your optical mouse 18

To clean your monitor 18
When to contact a service technician 18
Asking for technical assistance 18
Energy Star Guidelines Compliance 19
Declaration of Conformity for EU countries 19
Modem notices 19
TBR 21 19
Important safety instructions 19
Lithium battery statement 21
Laser compliance statement 22
Declaration of conformity for CE marking 23
Federal Communications Comission
Declaration of Conformity 25
Remark: All the drawings in the Guide are diagrams. About
components’s quantity and style, substances shall take precedence.

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System Tour
Your computer’s front panel consists of the following:
Front panel
No. Description No. Description
1 Optical drive (optional) 2 Floppy drive (optional)
3 Card reader (optional) 4 Power button
5 Microphone jack 6 Speaker or headphone jack
7 USB ports 8 Indicator

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Note: The specifications above are for reference only. The exact
configuration of your PC depends on the model purchased.
No. Description No. Description
1 Optical drive (optional) 2 Floppy drive (optional)
3 Indicator 4 Power button
5 Speaker or headphone jack 6 Microphone jack
7USBports

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Rear Panel
No. Description No. Description
1 Power cord socket 2 Voltage selector switch
3 Fan aperture 4 PS/2 keyboard connector
5 PS/2 mouse connector 6 Serial port
7 Printer connector 8 Monitor connector
9 USB 2.0 ports 10 RJ-45 Ethernet connector
11 Microphone jack 12 Line-out jack
13 Line-in jack 14 Extension card slots

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System Features
Your computer features:
Performance
• Intel® Pentium® 4 Socket LGA775 CPU
• System Memory DDRII 400/533 DIMM, 4 DDR DIMM Slots,
expandable to 4GB
• Power management functions
• 3.5 inch floppy drive / card reader (optional)
• CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, CD-RW (52X/24X), DVD/CD-RW combo or
DVD writer (optional)
• High-capacity, Enhanced-IDE drive / SATA
• Support for USB 2.0 high performance peripherals
Multimedia
• 3D quality audio system via onboard audio controller
• Audio-in/line-in, audio-out/line-out, headphone out and external
microphone in jacks
Note: the system has two microphone-in Jacks (front and rear)
Connectivity
• Two PS/2 ports for keyboard and mouse
• One parallel port
• One serial port
• One VGA port
• 6 USB 2.0 ports (two on the front, four on the rear panel and two
reserved )
• 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet network
• Speaker out (front, rear)

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System peripherals
The AcerPower F3 computer consists of the system itself, and system
peripherals, like a mouse, a keyboard and a set of speakers (optional).
This section provides a brief description of the basic system peripherals.
Mouse (PS/2 or USB, manufacturing option)
The included mouse is a standard two-button wheel mouse. Connect
the mouse to the PS/2 mouse port or USB port on the back panel of the
system.
Keyboard (PS/2 or USB, manufacturing option)
Connect the keyboard to the PS/2 keyboard port or USB port on the
back panel of the system.

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Speakers
For systems bundled with speakers, before powering on the system,
connect the speaker cable to the audio out (external speaker) port on
the back panel of the system.
For more detailed information about the speakers, please refer to the
included operating instructions.
Note: speakers are optional and the appearance might be
different depending on the actual product.
System upgrade
You can expand your AcerPower F3 system quickly and easily by adding
components. You can also upgrade the components of your AcerPower
F3 system.
Opening the computer
Before removing any panels or covers, please make sure to shut off the
computer and unplug the power cord from the outlet.
• Remove the two screws on the side panel.
• Slide the panel back and off.

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Setting up new components
You can only use components compatible with AcerPower F3
computers. Before you choose new components, please ask your
authorized Acer dealer whether the part is compatible with your
AcerPower F3 system.
In order to ensure proper setup and installation, please consult the
instructions provided with your new components.
Possible upgrades include:
• Upgrade to High Capacity HDD
• Expand high-level memory
• Upgrade from a CD-ROM drive to CD-RW, DVD-ROM, DVD/CD-RW
combo or DVD writer
• Install additional interface cards in empty PCI slots e.g., PCI fax/
modem card

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Acer eRecovery
Acer eRecovery is a tool to quickly backup and restore the system.
Users can create and save a backup of the current system configuration
to hard drive, CD, or DVD.
Acer eRecovery consists of the following functions:
1 Create backup
2 Restore from backup
3 Create factory default image CD
4 Re-install bundled software without CD
5 Change Acer eRecovery password
This chapter will guide you through each process.
Note: This feature is only available on certain models.
Create backup
Users can create and save backup images to hard drive, CD, or DVD.
1 Boot to Windows XP
2 Press <Alt>+<F10> to open the Acer eRecovery utility.
3 Enter the password to proceed. The default password is six zeros.
4 In the Acer eRecovery window, select Recovery settings and click
Next.
5 In the Recovery settings window, select Backup snapshot image
and click Next.
6 Select the backup method.
aUse Backup to HDD to store the backup disc image on drive D:.
bBackup to optical device to store the backup disc image on CD
or DVD (only available on systems that include an optical disc
burner).
7 After choosing the backup method, click Next.
Follow the instruction on screen to complete the process.

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Restore from backup
Users can restore backup previously created (as stated in the Create
backup section) from hard drive, CD, or DVD.
1 Boot to Windows XP.
2 Press <Alt>+<F10> to open the Acer eRecovery utility.
3 Enter the password to proceed. The default password is six zeros.
4 In the Acer eRecovery window, select Recovery actions and click
Next.
5 Select the desired restore action and follow the onscreen
instructions to complete the restore process.
Note: The "Restore C:" item is enabled only if there is a user
backup stored on the hard drive (D:\). Please refer to the Create
backup section.
Create factory default image CD
When the System CD and Recovery CD are not available, you can create
them by using this feature.
1 Boot to Windows XP.
2 Press <Alt>+<F10> to open the Acer eRecovery utility.
3 Enter the password to proceed. The default password is six zeros.
4 In the Acer eRecovery window, select Recovery settings and click
Next.
5 In the Recovery settings window, select Burn image to disc and
click Next.
6 In the Burn image to disc window, select 01. Factory default image
and click Next.
7 Follow the instructions on screen to complete the process.
Re-install bundled software without CD
Acer eRecovery stores pre-loaded software internally for easy driver
and application re-installation.
1 Boot to Windows XP.

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2 Press <Alt>+<F10> to open the Acer eRecovery utility.
3 Enter the password to proceed. The default password is six zeros.
4 In the Acer eRecovery window, select Recovery actions and click
Next.
5 In the Recovery settings window, select Reinstall applications/
drivers and click Next.
6 Select the desired driver/application and follow the instructions on
screen to re-install.
At first launch, Acer eRecovery prepares all the needed software and
may take few seconds to bring up the software content window.
Change password
Acer eRecovery and Acer disc-to-disc recovery are protected by a
password that can be changed by the user. Follow the steps below to
change the password in Acer eRecovery.
1 Boot to Windows XP.
2 Press <Alt>+<F10> to open the Acer eRecovery utility.
3 Enter the password to proceed. The default password is six zeros.
4 In the Acer eRecovery window, select Recovery settings and click
Next.
5 In the Recovery settings window, select Password: Change Acer
eRecovery password and click Next.
6 Follow the instructions on screen to complete the process.
Note: If the system crashes, and will not boot to Windows, you can
run Acer disc-to-disc recovery to restore the factory default image
under DOS mode.

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Acer disc-to-disc recovery
Note: This feature is only available on certain models.
Restore without a Recovery CD
This recovery process helps you restore the C: drive with the original
software content that is installed when you purchase your notebook.
Follow the steps below to rebuild your C: drive. (Your C: drive will be
reformatted and all data will be erased.) It is important to back up all
data files before you use this option.
1 Restart the system.
2 While the Acer logo is showing, press <Alt>+<F10> at the same
time to enter the recovery process.
3 The message "The system has password protection. Please enter
000000:" is displayed.
4 Enter six zeros and continue.
5 The Acer Recovery main page appears.
6 Use the arrow keys to scroll through the items (operating system
versions) and press <Enter> to select.
Important: This feature occupies 2-3 GB in a hidden partition on
your hard drive.
Multilingual operating system installation
Follow the instructions to choose the operating system and language
you prefer when you first power-on the system.
1 Turn on the system.
2 Acer's multilingual operating system selection menu will pop-up
automatically.
3 Use the arrow keys to scroll to the language version you want.
Press <Enter> to confirm your selection.
4 The operating system and language you choose now will be the
only option for future recovery operations.
5 The system will install the operating system and language you
choose.

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Setting up your computer
AcerPower F3 is a versatile, high-power system, supporting Intel®
Socket LGA775 CPUs. The computer uses Peripheral Component
Interface Express (PCI Express). This improves system efficiency and
helps the system support varied multimedia and software applications.
Your AcerPower F3 has standard I/O (Input/Output) interfaces such as a
parallel port, PS/2 keyboard and mouse ports, USB ports, two
microphone ports and stereo line-out jacks (one at the front and one
on the rear panel) and a stereo line-in jack. The system can
accommodate extra peripheral equipment through those I/O ports.
Support for an ethernet LAN is included as standard. In addition your
system can also support an optional high-speed fax/data modem.
Furthermore, the system is compatible with Windows® XP operating
systems.
Before commencing setup
Prior to setting up your AcerPower F3 System:
• Select a location
• Open the package
Selecting location
Selecting the optimum location for your computer:
• Don't place the system too close to other electrical equipment.
• Don't place the system in high traffic areas or where the power
cord or other cords may be stepped on.
• Avoid placing the system in any location that is excessively dusty or
damp.
Opening the package
Open the package carefully and keep all packing materials for later
use.
Ensure that all items are present and in good condition. If any of the
following items are missing or appear damaged, contact your dealer
immediately.

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• AcerPower F3 Series
• PS/2 or USB keyboard (manufacturing option)
• PS/2 or USB mouse (manufacturing option)
• Speakers ( for selected models only)
• User's Guide and Starter poster
Other user documentation and third party software.
Connecting the peripherals
Note: Don't connect the system power cord before connecting all
peripherals to the system.
After everything is connected, plug the power cord into the system and
insert the other end into a power outlet.
Starting your computer
After connecting all the peripheral equipment, start your computer
according to the below steps:
1 Power on all peripheral equipment, such as monitor, printer, fax,
speakers etc.
2 Turn on the system. Once the start-up process is complete, you can
begin to use the computer.
Shutting down your computer
From the "Start" Menu, select "Shut Down" and click OK.
In the event of a system crash, press and hold the power button on the
front of the system for four seconds. After the system has shut down,
turn off all peripheral devices.

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Troubleshooting
The following questions are possible situations that may arise during
the use of your computer and each is followed by simple answers and
solutions to the situation.
Q: I pressed the power switch but the system did not boot up.
A: Check the LED located above the power switch.
If the LED is not lit, no power is being applied to the system. Do any of
the following:
• Check if the voltage selector switch located on the rear panel of
the computer is set to the correct voltage.
• Check if you properly plugged the power cable into an electrical
outlet.
• If you are using a power strip or AVR, make sure that it is plugged
in and turned on.
If the LED is lit, check the following:
• Is a non bootable (non system) diskette in the floppy drive? If yes,
remove or replace it with a system diskette and press Ctrl + Alt +
Del to restart your computer.
Q: Nothing appears on the screen.
A: Your computer's power management function automatically blanks
the screen to save power. Press any key to turn the display back on.
If pressing a key does not work, try restarting your computer. If
restarting your computer does not work, contact your dealer or the
technical support center for assistance.
Q: The printer does not work.
A: Do the following:
• Make sure that the printer is connected to a power outlet and that
it is turned on.
• Make sure that the printer cable is connected securely to the
system's parallel port and the corresponding port on the printer.
• For additional information concerning the printer, refer to the
printer's documentation.

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Q: No sound comes out from the speakers.
A: Check the following:
• The volume may be muted. Look for the Volume icon on the
taskbar. If it is crossed-out, click on the icon and deselect the Mute
option. You can also press the volume control/mute knob on your
USB keyboard to toggle the mute function.
• If headphones, earphones, or external speakers are connected to
the line-out jack of your computer, the internal or built-in
speakers are automatically turned off.
Q: System cannot read a diskette, hard disk, CD or DVD information.
A: Check the following:
• Make sure that you are using the correct type of media.
• Check if the diskette is formatted correctly. If not, format it again.
Caution: If you reformat a diskette, you will lose any data on it.
Make sure the diskette, CD or DVD is inserted into the drive correctly.
• Check if the CD or DVD is clean and not scratched.
• Check your drive by using a good (i.e., undamaged) diskette or a
good disc. If your floppy drive, CD or DVD drive can not read the
information on the good diskette, CD or DVD there may be a
problem with the drive. Contact your dealer or technical support
center for assistance.
Q: System cannot write to diskette, hard disk or disc.
A: Check the following:
• Make sure the media is not write-protected.
• Make sure that you are using the correct type of diskette. Check if
the diskette is formatted correctly. If not, format it again.
Caution: If you reformat a diskette, you will lose any data on it.