Acer Aspire 6400 User manual

My
Guide
…the printed companion to the way more fun and handy on-screen experience of My Aspire Guide
Introducing
the not nearly as exciting
ink on paper version of…

Did you know your Acer Aspire comes with incredible multimedia software that was desigend to show you all the cool stuff your computer can do? This book can be a handy desktop reference, but you’ll receive much more in- depth information and instruction by firing up My Aspire Guide software. (It’s located on your Windows 98 desktop and in the Tools ‘N Stuff folder in Ace.) We’re pretty sure you’ll have more fun with the software, too. (P.S. - If you’re reading this because you’re having trouble with your computer, check the Troubleshooting section in My Aspire Guide software or the “Need Help?” section in this book.)
Hey!
Wait
a minute!

Table of Contents iii
ii
Copyright Acer and the Acer logo are registered trademarks and Aspire is a trademark of Acer Inc. and Acer America Corporation. Microsoft Windows and the Windows Logo are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Intel and Pentium are registered trademarks of Intel Corp. All other brands/product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. © 1999 by Acer Incorporated. All rights reserved. Printed in Taiwan First printing July 1999
Table of
Contents
Welcome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Before You Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Safety Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Proper Setup and Placement Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 An Introduction to Your Aspire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 The System: Aspire Microtower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Setting Up Your Aspire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Turning Your Aspire On and Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 The Mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 The Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 The Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 The Speakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Drives on Your Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Using Your Floppy Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Formatting a Floppy Diskette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Using Your CD-ROM/DVD-ROM Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Your Data/Fax Modem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Accessing the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Connecting an Optional Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Printer Driver Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Connecting an Optional Serial Device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Connecting an Optional Joystick or MIDI Device . . . . . . . . . . 21 Getting the Most from Your Acer Audio System . . . . . . . . 22 Playing an Audio CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Adjusting the Volume . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 The Electronic Mixing Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Adding Options to Your Aspire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Opening/Closing Your Aspire Microtower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Need Help? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 My Aspire Guide–Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Troubleshooting–General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Troubleshooting–Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Additional Acer Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

iv Welcome 1
Disclaimer of Warranties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Standard End User License Agreement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 System Warranty Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Limited Product Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 FCC Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Acer Year 2000 Compliance Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 CD-ROM Safety Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Caution on Lithium Batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Welcome and thank you for
purchasing an Aspire computer. You are now the owner of a multimedia computer system! Already installed on your system and ready to go are software programs designed to enable you to:
Create personal documents
Access the Internet and send and receive e-mail
Use your computer as a fax machine
Play audio CDs while you’re working
and tons more!
Whether you’ve owned a computer before or not, your Aspire was designed to improve the way you work and to serve your needs now and into the future.

3
2Before You Start...
• Never spill liquid of any kind on the product. • Do not attempt to service this product yourself; opening or removing covers may expose you to dangerous voltage points or other risks. Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Service by persons other than Acer authorized service providers may void your warranty. • Unplug this product from the wall outlet and refer servicing to qualified service personnel under the following conditions:
a • When the power cord or plug is damaged or frayed. b • If liquid has been spilled into the product. c • If the product has been exposed to rain or water. d • If the product does not operate normally when the
operating instructions are followed. Adjust only those controls that are covered by the operating instructions since improper adjustment of other controls may result in damage and will often require extensive work by a qualified technician to restore the product to normal condition.
e • If the product has been dropped or the cabinet has been
damaged.
f • If the product exhibits a distinct change in performance,
indicating a need for service. • Replace battery with the same type as the product’s battery we recommend. Use of another battery may present a risk of fire or explosion. Refer battery replacement to qualified service personnel. • Warning! Battery may explode if not handled properly. Do not recharge, disassemble or dispose of in fire. Keep away from children and dispose of used battery promptly. • Use only the proper type of power supply cord set (provided in your keyboard/manual accessories box) for this unit. It should be a detachable type: UL listed/CSA certified, type SVT/SJT, rated 6A 125V minimum, VDE approved or its equiva- lent. Maximum length is 15 feet (4.6 meters). • Always unplug the computer and monitor before opening the housing or adjusting connections or cables. • Use power strips with surge protection to protect your com- puter in the event of a power surge, due to severe weather such as a thunderstorm.
Before You Start . . . Make sure you read this section carefully for proper placement and important Safety Instructions on the use and care of your new computer. Please save these instructions for future reference. Safety Instructions • Follow all warnings and instructions marked on the product. • Unplug this product from the wall outlet before cleaning. Do not use liquid cleaners or aerosol cleaners. Use a cloth mildly dampened with water for cleaning. • Do not use this product in or near water. • Do not place this product on an unstable cart, stand, or table. The product may fall, causing serious damage to the product. • Slots and openings in the cabinet and the back or bottom are provided for ventilation; to ensure reliable operation of the product and to protect it from overheating, these openings must not be blocked or covered. The openings should never be blocked by placing the product on a bed, sofa, rug, or other similar surface. This product should never be placed near or over a radiator or heat register, or in a built-in installation unless proper ventilation is provided. • This product should be operated from the type of power indi- cated on the marking label. If you are not sure of the type of power available, consult your dealer or local power company. • This product is equipped with a 3-wire grounding-type plug, a plug having a third (grounding) pin. This plug will only fit into a grounding-type power outlet. This is a safety feature. If you are unable to insert the plug into the outlet, contact your elec- trician to replace your obsolete outlet. Do not defeat the pur- pose of the grounding-type plug. • Do not allow anything to rest on the power cord. Do not locate this product where persons will walk on the cord. • If an extension cord is used with this product, make sure that the total ampere rating of the equipment plugged into the extension cord does not exceed the extension cord ampere rating. Also, make sure that the total rating of all products plugged into the wall outlet does not exceed 15 amperes. • Never push objects of any kind into this product through cabinet slots as they may touch dangerous voltage points or short out parts that could result in a fire or electric shock.