Acer TravelMate 240 series User manual

TravelMate 240/250 series
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 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, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise,
without the prior written permission of Acer Incorporated.
Model Number : __________________________________
Serial Number: ___________________________________
Purchase Date: ___________________________________
Place of Purchase: ________________________________
Copyright © 2003. Acer Incorporated.
All Rights Reserved.
TravelMate 240/250 series User’s guide
Original Issue: June 2003
TravelMate 240/250 series Notebook computer
Acer and the Acer logo are registered trademarks of Acer Incorporated. Other company's
product names or trademarks are used herein for identification purposes only and belong to
their respective companies.

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First things first
We would like to thank you for making the TravelMate series of
notebook computers your choice for your mobile computing needs.
We hope you will be happy with your TravelMate as much as we
enjoyed making it for you.
Your guides
To help you use your TravelMate, we have designed a set of guides:
First off, the Just for Starters... poster helps you get
started with setting up your computer.
This User’s guide introduces you to the many ways your
computer can help you be more productive. This guide
provides clear and concise information about the computer,
so read it thoroughly.
If you ever need to print out a copy, this User’s guide is also
available in PDF (Portable Document Format). Follow these
steps:
1Click on Start, Programs, TravelMate.
2Click on TravelMate User’s guide.
Note: Viewing the file requires Adobe Acrobat Reader
installed. If Adobe Acrobat Reader is not installed on your
computer, clicking on TravelMate User’s guide will run the
Acrobat Reader setup program first. Follow the
instructions on the screen to complete the installation. For
instructions on how to use Adobe Acrobat Reader, access
the Help menu.

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English
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 switch
below the LCD screen beside the Launch keys. See “Front view” on
page 3 for the location of the power switch.
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 switch
Note: You can also use the power switch to perform power
management functions. See “Power management” on page 26.
•Use the customized functions for power management
You can also shut down the computer by closing the display cover,
or by pressing the sleep hot key (Fn-F4). See “Power
management” on page 26.
Note: If you cannot power off the computer normally, press and
hold the power switch 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⁄C (32⁄F) or
above 50⁄C (122⁄F).
•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 and vibration.
•Do not expose the computer to dust and dirt.

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•Never place objects on top of the computer to avoid damaging 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 personal
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.
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
at all possible.
Cleaning and servicing
When cleaning the computer, follow these steps:
1Power off the computer and remove the battery pack.
2Disconnect the AC adapter.
3Use a soft cloth moistened with water. Do not use liquid or
aerosol cleaners.
If any of the following occurs:
•The computer has been dropped or the body has been damaged.
•Liquid has been spilled into the product.

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•The computer does not operate normally.
Please refer to "Troubleshooting my computer" on page 57.

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First things first iii
Your guides iii
Basic care and tips for using your computer iv
1 Getting to know your TravelMate 1
A TravelMate tour 3
Front view 3
Left view 5
Right view 6
Rear view 7
Bottom view 8
Features 9
Indicators 11
Indicators in Cover 12
Using the keyboard 13
Special keys 13
Touchpad 20
Touchpad basics 20
Storage 22
Hard disk 22
Optical drive 22
Floppy drive 24
Audio 25
Power management 26
Moving around with your TravelMate 27
Disconnecting from the desktop 27
Moving around 27
Taking the computer home 28
Traveling with the computer 30
Traveling internationally with the computer 30
Securing your computer 32
Using a computer security lock 32
2 Customizing my computer 35
Expanding through options 37
Connectivity options 37
Upgrade options 40
Using system utilities 43
Notebook Manager 43
Launch Manager 44
BIOS Utility 45

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3 Troubleshooting my computer 57
Frequently-asked questions 59
Requesting service 63
International Traveler’s Warranty (ITW) 63
Before you call 63
Appendix A Specifications 65
Appendix B Notices 71
Index 81

1 Getting to know your
TravelMate

Your TravelMate computer combines high-
performance, versatility, power management
features and multimedia capabilities with a
unique style and ergonomic design. Work
with unmatched productivity and reliability
with your new power computing partner.

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A TravelMate tour
After setting up your computer as illustrated in the Just for
Starters... poster, let us show you around your new TravelMate
computer.
Front view
#Item Description
1 Display screen Also called LCD (liquid-crystal display),
displays computer output.

1 Getting to know your TravelMate4
English
2 Status indicators LEDs (light-emitting diodes) that turn on
and off to show the status of the
computer, its functions and components.
3 Launch Keys Buttons for launching frequently used
programs. See“Launch Keys” on page 19
for more details.
4 Power switch Turns on the computer power.
5 Palmrest Comfortable support area for your hands
when you use the computer.
6 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.
7 Touchpad Touch-sensitive pointing device which
functions like a computer mouse.
8 Keyboard Inputs data into your computer.
9 Ventilation Slot Enables the computer to stay cool, even
after prolonged use..
#Item Description

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Left view
#Item Description
1 PC Card slot Connects to two Type II 16-bit PC Card
or 32-bit CardBus PC Card.
2 Eject button Ejects the PC Card from the slot.
3 Optical drive Internal optical drive; accepts CDs or
DVDs depending on the optical drive
type.
4 Infrared port Interfaces with infrared devices (e.g.,
infrared printer, IR-aware computer).
5 LED indicator Lights up when the optical drive is
active.
6 Emergency eject button Ejects the optical drive tray when the
computer is turned off. See page 60
for more details.
7 Eject button Ejects the optical drive tray from the
drive.
8 Speaker Delivers stereo audio output.

1 Getting to know your TravelMate6
English
Right view
#Item Description
1 Speaker Delivers stereo audio output.
2 Floppy activity
indicator
LED (light-emitting diode) that turns on and
off when the floppy is active.
3 Floppy drive Internal diskette drive; accepts 3.5-inch
diskettes.
4 Floppy disk eject
button
Push this button to eject the floppy disk.
5 Security keylock Connects to a Kensington-compatible
computer security lock.

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Rear view
#Item Description
1 Power jack Connects to an AC adapter.
2 Parallel port Connects to a parallel device (e.g., parallel
printer).
3 External display
port
Connects to a display device (e.g., external
monitor, LCD projector) and displays up to
16M colors at 1024x768 resolution.
4 USB 2.0 ports (4) Connect to Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0
devices (e.g., USB mouse, USB camera).
5 Network jack Connects to an Ethernet 10/100-based
network.
6 Modem jack Connects to a phone line.
7 Speaker/Line-Out/
Headphone jack
Connects to audio line-out devices (e.g.,
speakers, headphones).
8 Line-in/Mic-in jack Accepts audio line-in devices (e.g., audio CD
player, stereo walkman).

1 Getting to know your TravelMate8
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Bottom view
#Item Description
1 Battery bay Houses the computer's battery pack.
2 Battery release
latch
Unlatches the battery to remove the battery
pack.
3Memory
compartment
Houses the computer's main memory.

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Features
Below is a brief summary of the computer’s many features:
Performance
•Mobile Intel® Pentium® 4 processor with 512 KB L2 cache or
Intel® Celeron® processor with 128 KB L2 cache
•CD, DVD, DVD/CD-RW combo drive or DVD rewritable
•Built-in floppy drive
•High-capacity Enhanced-IDE hard disk
•High-capacity battery pack
•Advanced Configuration Power Interface (ACPI) power
management system
Display
•14.1” or 15” Thin-Film Transistor (TFT) liquid crystal display (LCD)
displaying 16M color at 1024x768 XGA (eXtended Graphics Array)
resolution
•3D capabilities
•Simultaneous LCD and CRT display support
•Supports other output display devices such as LCD projection
panels for large-audience presentations
•"Automatic LCD dim" feature that automatically decides the best
settings for your display and conserves power
•Dual display capability
Multimedia
•16-bit high-fidelity AC’97 stereo audio with 3D sound and
wavetable synthesizer
•Built-in dual speakers
•High-speed CD, DVD, DVD/CD-RW or DVD rewritable combo drive

1 Getting to know your TravelMate10
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Connectivity
•High-speed fax/data modem port
•Ethernet/Fast Ethernet port
•USB (Universal Serial Bus) 2.0 ports
•802.11a+g/802.11b wireless LAN option
•Bluetooth option
Human-centric design and ergonomics
•All-in-one design (CD, DVD or combo drive, floppy drive, and hard
disk)
•Sleek, smooth and stylish design
•Full-sized keyboard
•Ergonomically-centered touchpad pointing device
Expansion
•Two Type II CardBus PC Card slots
•Upgradeable memory

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Indicators
The computer has six easy-to-read status icons below the display
screen.
The Power and Sleep status icons are visible even when you close the
display cover so you can see the status of the computer while the cover
is closed.
Icon Function Description
Power Lights when the computer is on.
Sleep Lights when the computer enters Standby mode
and blinks when it enters into or resumes from
hibernation mode.
Media Activity Lights when the floppy drive, hard disk or
optical drive is active.
Battery Charge Lights when the battery is being charged.
Caps Lock Lights when Caps Lock is activated.

1 Getting to know your TravelMate12
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Indicators in Cover
When the cover of your computer is closed, 2 easy-to-read icons are
shown, indicationg which state or feature is enabled or disabled.
Num Lock Lights when Num Lock is activated.
Icon Description
Lights up when the computer is on.
Lights when the computer enters Standby mode and blinks
when it enters into or resumes from hibernation mode.
Icon Function Description