Acer Aspire 3030 User manual

Aspire 3030/5030 Series
User's Guide

Changes may be made periodically to the information in this publication without obligation
to notify any person of such revisions 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 correspondence 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, electronically, mechanically, by photocopy, recording or otherwise,
without the prior written permission of Acer Incorporated.
Model number: __________________________________
Serial number: ___________________________________
Date of purchase: ________________________________
Place of purchase: ________________________________
Copyright © 2005. Acer Incorporated.
All Rights Reserved.
Aspire 3030/5030 Series User's Guide
Original Issue: September 2005
Aspire 3030/5030 Series Notebook PC
Acer and the Acer logo are registered trademarks of Acer Incorporated. Other companies'
product names or trademarks are used herein for identification purposes only and belong to
their respective companies.

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Disposal instructions
Do not throw this electronic device into the trash when discarding. To minimize
pollution and ensure utmost protection of the global environment, please
recycle.
USA
For electronic products containing an LCD/CRT monitor or display:
Lamp(s) inside this product contain mercury and must be recycled or disposed of
according to local, state or federal laws. For more information, contact the
Electronic Industries Alliance at www.eiae.org. For lamp-specific disposal
information, check www.lamprecycle.org.

iv
First things first
We would like to thank you for making the Aspire series of notebook PC your
choice for meeting your mobile computing needs.
Your guides
To help you use your Aspire, we have designed a set of guides:
Basic care and tips for using your computer
Turning your computer on and off
To turn on the computer, simply press and release the power button below the
LCD screen beside the easy-launch buttons. See "Front view" on page 1 for the
location of the power button.
First off, the Just for Starters... poster helps you get started with
setting up your computer.
The printed User's Guide introduces you to the basic features and
functions of your new computer. For more on how your computer
can help you to be more productive, please refer to the
AcerSystem User's Guide. This guide contains detailed
information on such subjects as system utilities, data recovery,
expansion options and troubleshooting. In addition it contains
warranty information and the general regulations and safety
notices for your notebook. It is available in Portable Document
Format (PDF) and comes preloaded on your notebook. Follow
these steps to access it:
1 Click on Start, All Programs, AcerSystem.
2 Click on AcerSystem User's Guide.
Note: Viewing the file requires Adobe Reader. If Adobe Reader is
not installed on your computer, clicking on AcerSystem User's
Guide will run the Adobe Reader setup program first. Follow the
instructions on the screen to complete the installation. For
instructions on how to use Adobe Reader, access the Help and
Support menu.

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To turn the power off, do any of the following:
•Use the Windows shutdown command
Click on Start, Turn Off Computer, then click on Turn Off.
•Use the power button
You can also shut down the computer by closing the display cover, or by
pressing the sleep hotkey <Fn> + <F4>.
Note: If you cannot power off the computer normally, press and
hold the power button for more than four seconds to shut down
the computer. If you turn off the computer and want to turn it on
again, wait at least two seconds before powering up.
Taking care of your computer
Your computer will serve you well if you take care of it.
•Do not expose the computer to direct sunlight. Do not place it near sources
of heat, such as a radiator.
•Do not expose the computer to temperatures below 0 ºC (32 ºF) or above
50 ºC (122 ºF).
•Do not subject the computer to magnetic fields.
•Do not expose the computer to rain or moisture.
•Do not spill water or any liquid on the computer.
•Do not subject the computer to heavy shock or vibration.
•Do not expose the computer to dust or dirt.
•Never place objects on top of the computer.
•Do not slam the computer display when you close it.
•Never place the computer on uneven surfaces.
Taking care of your AC adapter
Here are some ways to take care of your AC adapter:
•Do not connect the adapter to any other device.
•Do not step on the power cord or place heavy objects on top of it.
Carefully route the power cord and any cables away from foot traffic.
•When unplugging the power cord, do not pull on the cord itself but pull
on the plug.
•The total ampere ratings of the equipment plugged in should not exceed
the ampere rating of the cord if you are using an extension cord. Also, the
total current rating of all equipment plugged into a single wall outlet
should not exceed the fuse rating.

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Taking care of your battery pack
Here are some ways to take care of your battery pack:
•Use only batteries of the same kind as replacements. Turn the power off
before removing or replacing batteries.
•Do not tamper with batteries. Keep them away from children.
•Dispose of used batteries according to local regulations. Recycle if possible.
Cleaning and servicing
When cleaning the computer, follow these steps:
1 Turn off the computer and remove the battery pack.
2 Disconnect the AC adapter.
3 Use a soft, moist cloth. Do not use liquid or aerosol cleaners.
If either of the following occurs:
•the computer has been dropped or the body has been damaged;
•the computer does not operate normally
please refer to "Frequently asked questions" on page 22.
Caution
Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the manufacturer could
void the user's authority, which is granted by the Federal Communications
Commission, to operate this computer.
Operation conditions
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference,
and (2) This device must accept any interference received, including
interference that may cause undesired operation.
Users are requested to follow the RF safety instructions for wireless option
devices that are included in the user's manual of each RF option device.
An improper installation or unauthorized use may cause harmful interference
to radio communications. Also, any tampering of the internal antenna will void
the FCC certification and your warranty.
To prevent radio interference to the licensed service, this device is intended to
be operated indoors, and installation outdoors is subject to licensing.
For more information about our products, services, and support information,
please visit our website: http://global.acer.com.

Disposal instructions iii
First things first iv
Your guides iv
Basic care and tips for using your computer iv
Turning your computer on and off iv
Taking care of your computer v
Taking care of your AC adapter v
Taking care of your battery pack vi
Cleaning and servicing vi
An Aspire tour 1
Front view 1
Closed front view 2
Left view 3
Right view 4
Rear view 4
Base view 5
Specifications 6
Indicators 9
Easy-launch buttons 10
Touchpad 11
Touchpad basics 11
Using the keyboard 13
Lock keys and embedded numeric keypad 13
Windows keys 14
Hotkeys 14
Special keys 16
Ejecting the optical (CD or DVD) drive tray 17
Using a computer security lock 17
Audio 18
Adjusting the volume 18
Using the system utilities 19
Acer eManager 19
Acer GridVista (dual-display compatible) 20
Launch Manager 21
Frequently asked questions 22
Requesting service 25
International Travelers Warranty (ITW) 25
Before you call 25
Contents

Acer Arcade 26
Arcade hotkeys 27
Finding and playing content 28
Settings 28
Arcade controls 28
Navigation controls 29
Player controls 29
Cinema 29
DVD settings 30
Album 31
Slideshow settings 32
Video 32
Playing a video file 32
Video authoring 33
Music 33
Burner 34
Copy — Back up your CD/DVD collection 34
Audio — Create your own greatest hits CDs 34
Data — Store files simply and easily 34
Video — Your world in pictures 34
Taking your notebook PC with you 36
Disconnecting from the desktop 36
Moving around 36
Preparing the computer 36
What to bring to meetings 37
Taking the computer home 37
Preparing the computer 37
What to take with you 37
Special considerations 38
Setting up a home office 38
Traveling with the computer 38
Preparing the computer 38
What to take with you 38
Special considerations 39
Traveling internationally with the computer 39
Preparing the computer 39
What to bring with you 39
Special considerations 39

Securing your computer 40
Using a computer security lock 40
Using passwords 40
Entering passwords 41
Setting passwords 41
Expanding through options 42
Connectivity options 42
Fax/data modem 42
Built-in network feature 43
Fast Infrared (FIR) 43
Universal Serial Bus (USB) 44
IEEE 1394 port 44
PC Card slot 45
Installing memory 46
BIOS utility 46
Boot sequence 46
Enable disk-to-disk recovery 47
Password 47
Using software 47
Playing DVD movies 47
Power management 48
Acer eRecovery 49
Create backup 49
Restore from backup 50
Create factory default image CD 50
Re-install bundled software without CD 50
Change password 51
Troubleshooting 52
Troubleshooting tips 52
Error messages 52
Regulations and safety notices 54
ENERGY STAR guidelines compliance 54
FCC notice 54
Modem notices 55
Important safety instructions 58
Laser compliance statement 60
LCD pixel statement 60
Macrovision copyright protection notice 60

Radio device regulatory notice 61
General 61
European Union (EU) 61
The FCC RF safety requirement 62
Canada — Low-power license-exempt radio
communication devices (RSS-210) 63
Federal Communications Comission
Declaration of Conformity 64
Declaration of Conformity for CE Marking 65
Index 66

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English
An Aspire tour
After setting up your computer as illustrated in the Just for Starters... poster,
let us show you around your new Aspire computer.
Front view
#Item Description
1 Display screen Also called Liquid-Crystal Display (LCD), displays computer
output.
2 Power button Turns the computer on and off.
3 Easy-launch
buttons Buttons for launching frequently used programs. See "Easy-launch buttons" on page 10 for more details.
4 Microphone Internal microphone for sound recording.
5 Status
indicators Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) that turn on and off to show the status of the computer's functions and components.

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English
Closed front view
6 Palmrest Comfortable support area for your hands when you use
the computer.
7 Click buttons
(Left, center,
and right)
The left and right buttons function like the left and right
mouse buttons, the center button serves as a 4-way scroll
button.
8 Touchpad Touch-sensitive pointing device which functions like a
computer mouse.
9 Keyboard For entering data into your computer.
#Icon Item Description
1 Headphones/speaker/
line-out jack Connects to audio line-out devices (e.g., speakers, headphones).
2 Microphone/
line-in jack Accepts audio line-in devices (e.g., audio CD player, stereo walkman).
3 Speakers Left and right speakers deliver stereo
audio output.
4Bluetooth
communication
button/indicator
Press to enable/disable the Bluetooth
function. Indicates the status of
Bluetooth communication (optional).
5 Wireless
communication
button/indicator
Press to enable/disable the wireless
function. Indicates the status of wireless
LAN communication (optional).
6 Power indicator Lights up when the computer is on.
7 Battery indicator Lights up when the battery is being
charged.
#Item Description

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English
Left view
#Icon Item Description
1 External display
(VGA) port Connects to a display device (e.g., external monitor, LCD projector).
2 S-video/TV-out
port Connects to a television or display device with S-video input.
3 Ethernet (RJ-45)
port Connects to an Ethernet 10/100-based network.
4 Modem (RJ-11)
port Connects to a phone line.
5 Two USB 2.0 ports Connect to USB 2.0 devices (e.g., USB mouse,
USB camera).
6 IEEE 1394 port Connects to IEEE 1394 devices.
7 PC Card slot Accepts one Type II PC Card.
8 5-in-1 card reader Accepts Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro,
MultiMediaCard (MMC), Secure Digital (SD)
and xD-Picture Card (for selected models).
Note: Only one card can operate at any
given time.
9 Infrared port Interfaces with infrared devices
(e.g., infrared printer and IR-aware
computer).
10 PC Card slot eject
button Ejects the PC Card from the slot.

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English
Right view
Rear view
#Icon Item Description
1 Optical drive Internal optical drive; accepts CDs or DVDs
depending on the optical drive type (slot-load
or tray-load depending on model).
2 LED indicator Lights up when the optical drive is active.
3 Optical drive
eject button Ejects the optical drive tray from the drive.
4 Emergency eject
hole Ejects the optical drive tray when the computer is turned off.
5 Ventilation slots Enable the computer to stay cool, even after
prolonged use.
6 Kensington lock
slot Connects to a Kensington-compatible computer security lock.
#Icon Item Description
1 Battery Powers the computer.
2 DC-in jack Connects to an AC adapter.

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English
Base view
3 USB 2.0 port Connects to USB 2.0 devices (e.g., USB
mouse, USB camera).
#Item Description
1 Battery bay Houses the computer's battery pack.
2 Battery lock Locks the battery in position.
3 Cooling fan Helps keep the computer cool.
Note: Do not cover or obstruct the opening of the fan.
4Memory
compartment Houses the computer's main memory.
5 Hard disk bay Houses the computer's hard disk (secured by screws).
6 Battery release
latch Releases the battery for removal.
#Icon Item Description

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English
Specifications
Operating
system Genuine Windows®XP Home Edition (Service Pack 2)
Genuine Windows®XP Professional x64 Edition
Platform Aspire 3030
Mobile AMD Sempron™processor 2600+/3000+ or higher
(128 KB L1 cache and 128 KB L2 cache)
Mobile AMD Sempron™processor 2800+/3300+ or higher
(128 KB L1 cache and 256 KB L2 cache)
RADEON®Xpress 200M chipset
Aspire 5030
AMD Turion™64 ML-28/ML-30/ML-34/ML-37 processor or
higher with 512 KB or 1 MB of L2 cache, supporting AMD
PowerNow!™technology and AMD HyperTransport™
technology
RADEON®Xpress 200M chipset
System memory 256/512 MB of DDR333 memory, upgradeable to 2 GB
using two soDIMM modules
Display and
graphics 14.1" WXGA Acer CrystalBrite color TFT LCD: 1280 x 800 resolution
16.7 million colors
RADEON®Xpress 200M integrated 3D graphics, featuring
HyperMemory™and up to 128 MB of VRAM
ATI POWERPLAY™5.0, Microsoft®DirectX®9.0, PCI
Express®and DualView™support
MPEG-2/DVD hardware-assisted capability
S-video/TV-out (NTSC/PAL) support
Storage
subsystem 40/60/80 GB or larger ATA/100 hard disk drive Optical drive options:
• DVD-Dual double-layer (slot-load or tray-load
depending on model)
• DVD/CD-RW combo
5-in-1 card reader (MS/MS PRO/MMC/SD/XD)
Dimensions
and weight 335 (W) x 244 (D) x 31.9/34.1 (H) mm (13.2 x 9.45 x 1.26/1.34 inches)
2.5 kg (5.5 lbs.)
Power
subsystem ACPI 1.0b power management standard: supports Standby and Hibernation power-saving modes
44.4 W Li-ion battery pack
2.5-hour rapid charge; 3.5-hour charge-in-use
65 W AC adapter

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English
Input devices 84-/85-key keyboard
Built-in touchpad with 4-way scroll button
Four easy-launch buttons
Two front-access buttons: WLAN LED-button and
Bluetooth®LED-button
Audio Audio system with two built-in speakers
Sound Blaster Pro™and MS Sound compatible
Built-in microphone
S/PDIF (Sony/Philips Digital Interface) support
Communication Modem: 56K ITU V.92 with PTT approval; Wake-on-Ring
ready
LAN: 10/100 Mbps Fast Ethernet; Wake-on-LAN ready
WLAN (optional): integrated Acer InviLink™802.11b/g
Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™solution, supporting Acer SignalUp™
wireless technology
WPAN (optional): integrated Bluetooth®
I/O interface Three USB 2.0 ports
5-in-1 card reader
PC Card slot (one Type II)
IEEE 1394 port
Infrared (FIR) port
External display (VGA) port
S-video/TV-out (NTSC/PAL) port
Headphones/speaker/line-out port with S/PDIF support
Microphone/line-in jack
Ethernet (RJ-45) port
Modem (RJ-11) port
DC-in jack for AC adapter
Security Kensington lock slot
BIOS user and supervisor passwords
Software Acer eManager (ePresentation/eRecovery/eSettings)
Acer GridVista
Acer Arcade
Acer Launch Manager
Acer System Recovery CD
Adobe®Reader®
NTI CD-Maker™
Options and
accessories 512 MB or 1 GB soDIMM memory
External USB floppy disk drive
Li-ion battery pack
AC adapter

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English
Note: The specifications listed above are for reference only. The
exact configuration of your PC depends on the model purchased.
Environment Temperature:
• Operating: 5 °C to 35 °C
• Non-operating: -20 °C to 65 °C
Humidity (non-condensing):
• Operating: 20% to 80%
• Non-operating: 20% to 80%
System
compliance Mobile PC 2001 ACPI 1.0b
DMI 2.0
Cisco Compatible Extensions (CCX)
Warranty One-year International Travelers Warranty (ITW)