Acer AcerNote 950 User manual

AcerNote 950
User’s Manual

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Copyright
Copyright © 1995 by Acer Incorporated. All rights reserved. No part of this
publication may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval
system, or translated into any language or computer language, in any form
or by any means, electronic, mechanical, magnetic, optical, chemical,
manual or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Acer
Incorporated.
Disclaimer
Acer Incorporated makes no representations or warranties, either expressed
or implied, with respect to the contents hereof and specifically disclaims any
warranties, merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose. Any Acer
Incorporated software described in this manual is sold or licensed “as is”.
Should the programs prove defective following their purchase, the buyer
(and not Acer Incorporated, its distributor, or its dealer) assumes the entire
cost of all necessary servicing, repair, and any incidental or consequential
damages resulting from any defect in the software. Further, Acer
Incorporated reserves the right to revise this publication and to make
changes from time to time in the contents hereof without obligation of Acer
Incorporated to notify any person of such revision or changes.
Acer is a registered trademark of Acer Incorporated. Microsoft, MS-DOS and Windows are
registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. IBM and OS/2 are registered trademarks of
IBM Corporation. Intel and Pentium are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation. Other
brand and product names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective
companies.

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IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
1. Read these instructions carefully. Save these instructions for future
reference.
2. Follow all warnings and instructions marked on the product.
3. Unplug this product from the wall outlet before cleaning. Do not use
liquid cleaners or aerosol cleaners. Use a damp cloth for cleaning.
4. Do not use this product near water.
5. Do not place this product on an unstable cart, stand, or table. The
product may fall, causing serious damage to the product.
6. 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.
7. This product should be operated from the type of power indicated on the
marking label. If you are not sure of the type of power available, consult
your dealer or local power company.
8. Do not allow anything to rest on the power cord. Do not locate this
product where persons will walk on the cord.
9. 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
the fuse rating.
10. 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. Never spill liquid of any kind on the
product.

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11. Do not attempt to service this product yourself, as opening or removing
covers may expose you to dangerous voltage points or other risks.
Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel.
12. 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
13. 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 a qualified serviceman.
14. 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.
15. Use only the proper type of power supply cord set (provided in your
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 equivalent. Maximum length is 15 feet (4.6 meters).

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Canadian Department of Communications
Regulatory Statement
This digital apparatus does not exceed Class B limits for radio noise
emissions from digital apparatus set out in the Radio Interference
Regulations of the Canadian Department of Communications.
Le présent appareil numérique n'émet pas de bruits radio-électriques
dépassant les limites applicables aux appareils numériques de la classe B
prescrites dans le Réglement sur le brouillage radioélectrique édicté par le
ministère des Communications du Canada.

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FCC Class B Radio Frequency Interference Statement
Note:
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a
Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of FCC Rules. These limits are
designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a
residential installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate
radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the
instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications.
However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular
installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or
television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off
and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or
more of the following measures:
1. Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
2. Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
3. Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to
which the receiver is connected.
4. Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/television technician for
help.
Notice 1:
The changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party
responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to operate the
equipment.
Notice 2:
Shielded interface cables and A.C. power cord, if any, must be used in order
to comply with the emission limits.

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About This Manual
Purpose
This manual discusses the features of the notebook and tells how to use and
configure it.
Manual Structure
This manual consists of six chapters and four appendices:
Chapter 1,
Getting Started
, discusses the features of the notebook and first-
time operating instructions.
Chapter 2,
Operating on Battery Power
, tells how to properly use and
maintain battery packs.
Chapter 3,
Hardware Options
, tells how to connect and install hardware
options.
Chapter 4,
Setup
, explains how to configure the system with the Setup utility.
Chapter 5,
Travel and Maintenance
, tells how to take care of and maintain
the notebook.
Chapter 6,
Troubleshooting
, lists the steps you can take to resolve a problem
in the event that you have trouble.
Appendix A,
Specifications
, lists the specifications of the notebook.
Appendix B,
Hard Disk Types
, is a list of hard disk drive types recognized by
the system BIOS. It also lists hard disk upgrade options.
Appendix C,
Address and Interrupt Tables
, shows the address and interrupt
tables.
Appendix D,
System Utilities
, tells how to install and configure the system
utilities.

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Conventions
The following conventions are used in this manual:
C:\setup,
[Enabled], etc. Represent text input by the user, default settings
and recommended selections
message displayed Denotes actual messages that appear on screen
E
,H ,U, etc Represent the actual keys that you have to press
on the keyboard
NOTE
Gives bits and pieces of additional information
related to the current topic
WARNING
Alerts you if damage may result from doing or not
doing specific actions
CAUTION
Gives precautionary measures to avoid possible
hardware or software problems
IMPORTANT
Reminds you to take action relevant to the
accomplishment of the procedure at hand
TIP
Tells how to complete a procedure with minimum
steps through little shortcuts

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Table of Contents
1 Getting Started
1.1 Overview....................................................................................................1-1
1.2 Item Checklist............................................................................................1-3
1.3 LCD Display...............................................................................................1-4
1.4 Front Panel................................................................................................1-6
1.5 Rear Panel ................................................................................................1-9
1.6 Left Panel ................................................................................................1-11
1.7 Right Panel..............................................................................................1-13
1.8 AC Adapter..............................................................................................1-14
1.9 Starting the System.................................................................................1-18
1.10 Interior Features......................................................................................1-19
1.11 Keyboard.................................................................................................1-21
1.12 Touchpad ................................................................................................1-25
1.13 Using the Notebook for the First Time ....................................................1-27
2 Operating on Battery Power
2.1 Battery Pack..............................................................................................2-1
2.1.1 Battery Pack Characteristics........................................................2-2
2.1.2 Installing a Secondary Battery Pack.............................................2-3
2.2 Charging the Battery..................................................................................2-5
2.3 Checking the Battery Level........................................................................2-6

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2.4 Optimizing Battery Life..............................................................................2-8
2.4.1 Maximizing Battery Power ...........................................................2-8
2.4.2 Conditioning the Battery Pack......................................................2-9
2.5 Power Management................................................................................2-12
2.5.1 LCD Standby Mode....................................................................2-12
2.5.2 Hard Disk Standby Mode...........................................................2-12
2.5.3 System Standby Mode...............................................................2-13
2.5.4 Suspend Mode...........................................................................2-14
2.6 Advanced Power Management (APM) ...................................................2-15
2.7 Battery-low Warning ...............................................................................2-16
3 Hardware Options
3.1 Additional Memory....................................................................................3-1
3.2 Hard Disk Drive Upgrade and Swapping..................................................3-3
3.3 Removable CD-ROM Drive ......................................................................3-5
3.4 External Keyboard or Keypad...................................................................3-9
3.5 External Monitor......................................................................................3-10
3.6 Printer .....................................................................................................3-10
3.7 External Mouse.......................................................................................3-11
3.8 Port Replicator........................................................................................3-12
3.9 Docking Station.......................................................................................3-14

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4Setup
4.1 When to Use Setup...................................................................................4-1
4.2 Entering Setup...........................................................................................4-2
4.3 Main...........................................................................................................4-3
4.3.1 System Time and Date.................................................................4-4
4.3.2 Language .....................................................................................4-4
4.3.3 Diskette Drives.............................................................................4-4
4.3.4 IDE Adapter 0 Master...................................................................4-5
4.3.5 IDE Adapter 0 Slave.....................................................................4-8
4.3.6 IDE Adapter 1 Master...................................................................4-9
4.3.7 IDE Adapter 1 Slave.....................................................................4-9
4.3.8 Boot Sequence.............................................................................4-9
4.3.9 Numlock .....................................................................................4-10
4.3.10 Memory Configuration................................................................4-12
4.3.11 External Cache...........................................................................4-12
4.4 Advanced ................................................................................................4-13
4.4.1 Integrated Peripherals................................................................4-14
4.4.2 Plug & Play O/S..........................................................................4-17
4.4.3 Reset Configuration Data...........................................................4-17
4.4.4 Large Disk Access Mode ...........................................................4-17
4.5 Security....................................................................................................4-18
4.5.1 Supervisor and User Passwords................................................4-18
4.5.2 Set Passwords ...........................................................................4-19
4.5.3 Password On Boot .....................................................................4-21
4.5.4 Diskette Access..........................................................................4-21
4.5.5 Fixed Disk Boot Sector...............................................................4-21

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4.6 Power Saving..........................................................................................4-22
4.6.1 Power Management Mode.........................................................4-24
4.6.2 Hard Disk Standby Timer...........................................................4-24
4.6.3 Display Standby Timer...............................................................4-24
4.6.4 System Standby/Suspend Timeout ...........................................4-25
4.6.5 Battery-Low Warning Beep........................................................4-25
4.6.6 Standby/Suspend upon Battery-low...........................................4-26
4.6.7 Password Checking During Resume.........................................4-26
4.6.8 Display Device...........................................................................4-26
4.6.9 LCD Expanded Mode ................................................................4-27
4.7 Exit..........................................................................................................4-28
4.7.1 Save Changes & Exit.................................................................4-28
4.7.2 Discard Changes & Exit.............................................................4-29
4.7.3 Get Default Values.....................................................................4-29
4.7.4 Load Previous Values................................................................4-30
4.7.5 Save Changes ........................................................................... 4-30
5 Maintaining the System
5.1 Traveling with the System.........................................................................5-1
5.2 Caring for the System...............................................................................5-3
5.2.1 System Hardware ........................................................................5-3
5.2.2 AC Adapter..................................................................................5-3
5.2.3 Battery Pack ................................................................................5-3
5.2.4 Diskettes......................................................................................5-4
5.2.5 Cleaning and Servicing................................................................5-5

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6 Troubleshooting
6.1 A Checklist ................................................................................................6-1
6.2 Error Messages.........................................................................................6-4
A Specifications
B Hard Disk Types
C Address and Interrupt Tables
C.1 System Memory Map ...............................................................................C-1
C.2 I/O Address Map ......................................................................................C-2
C.3 Interrupt Levels.........................................................................................C-3
C.4 DMA Channels .........................................................................................C-4
D System Utilities
D.1 Zero-Volt (Hibernation) Suspend Utility....................................................D-2
D.2 PCMCIA Utility..........................................................................................D-4
D.3 HDFORM Utility........................................................................................D-5
D.4 SVGA Drivers and Utilities .......................................................................D-5
D.5 Touchpad Driver Setup ............................................................................D-6
D.5.1 Installing the Touchpad Driver.....................................................D-6
D.5.2 Configuring the Touchpad...........................................................D-6
D.6 Enhanced IDE Driver Setup .....................................................................D-8
D.7 Audio Driver Setup ...................................................................................D-8
D.8 CD-ROM Driver Setup..............................................................................D-9

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D.9 Puma TranXit Quick Reference Guide...................................................D-10
D.9.1 Introducing TranXit ....................................................................D-10
D.9.2 Installing TranXit........................................................................D-10
D.9.3 Connecting the Two Computers................................................D-11
D.9.4 Synchronization .........................................................................D-15
D.9.5 Working with Files .....................................................................D-16
D.9.6 Clipboard ...................................................................................D-19
D.9.7 Troubleshooting.........................................................................D-20
D.9.8 TranXit Information....................................................................D-22

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List of Figures
1-1 Opening the Display..................................................................................1-4
1-2 The LCD Display.......................................................................................1-5
1-3 Front Panel................................................................................................1-6
1-4 Bay Modules..............................................................................................1-7
1-5 Rear Panel ................................................................................................1-9
1-6 Serial Infrared Communication................................................................1-10
1-7 Left Panel ................................................................................................1-11
1-8 Speakers and Microphones.....................................................................1-12
1-9 Right Panel..............................................................................................1-13
1-10 AC Adapter..............................................................................................1-14
1-11 On/Off Switch and Power Icon................................................................1-18
1-12 Control Buttons and Status LCD .............................................................1-19
1-13 Keyboard — U.S. Keyboard....................................................................1-21
1-14 Keyboard — U.K. Version .......................................................................1-21
1-15 Embedded Keypad..................................................................................1-23
1-16 Palm Rest................................................................................................1-24
1-17 Foot Supports..........................................................................................1-24
1-18 Touchpad ................................................................................................1-25
2-1 Removing the Battery Pack.......................................................................2-1
3-1 Removable Hard Disk Drive Module.........................................................3-3

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3-2 Removable CD-ROM Drive Module..........................................................3-5
3-3 Connecting an External Keyboard or Keypad...........................................3-9
3-4 Connecting a Monitor, a Parallel Printer and a Serial Mouse.................3-11
3-5 Connecting a Port Replicator..................................................................3-12
3-6 Docking Station.......................................................................................3-14
5-1 Write-Protecting a 3.5-inch Diskette.........................................................5-3
List of Tables
1-1 LCD Display Configurations......................................................................1-4
1-2 Module-Bay Combinations........................................................................1-8
1-3 Using the Embedded Keypad.................................................................1-23
1-4 Touchpad Functions...............................................................................1-26
2-1 Battery Level Chart ...................................................................................2-7
2-2 Course of Action for Battery-low Condition.............................................2-17
3-1 Memory Configurations.............................................................................3-1
4-1 Boot Sequence Settings ...........................................................................4-9
4-2 Internal Audio Settings............................................................................4-16
4-3 Display Parameter Settings .................................................................... 4-26
6-1 Error Messages ........................................................................................6-4
D-1 PHDISK Option Descriptions....................................................................D-3