Acer TravelMate 290 User manual

TravelMate 290 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 290 series User’s guide
Original Issue: July 2003
TravelMate 290 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:
For more information about our products, services, and support
information, please visit our Web site (www.acer.com).
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:
1 Click on Start, Programs, TravelMate.
2 Click on TravelMate User’s guide.
Note: Viewing the file requires Adobe Acrobat Reader
installed. 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 the power button on the left of
the launch keys found above your TravelMate’s standard keyboard. See
“Front open view” on page 3 for the location of the power button.
To turn the power off, do any of the following:
•Use the Windows shutdown command
For Windows 2000: Click on Start, Shut Down..., and select Shut
down; then click on OK.
- or -
For Windows XP: Click on Start, Turn off Computer; then click
Turn Off.
•Use the power button
Note: You can also use the power button to perform power
management functions. See Windows help for more information.
•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-Esc). See the online guide for
details.
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 0ºC (32ºF) or
above 50ºC (122ºF).
•Do not subject the computer to magnetic fields.

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•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.
•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.

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Cleaning and servicing
•When cleaning the computer, follow these steps:
•Power off the computer and remove the battery pack.
•Disconnect the AC adapter.
•Use a soft cloth moistened with water. Do not use liquid or aerosol
cleaners.
•To clean the display screen, use an LCD cleaning kit.
If any of the following occurs:
•The computer has been dropped or the body has been damaged.
•Liquid has been spilled into the product.
•The computer does not operate normally.
Please refer to "Troubleshooting my computer" on page 47.

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 open view 3
Front view 4
Left view 5
Right view 6
Rear view 7
Bottom view 9
Features 10
Indicators 12
Using the keyboard 14
Special keys 14
Launch Keys 20
Touchpad 21
Touchpad basics 21
Storage 23
Hard disk 23
AcerMedia bay 23
Using software 24
Audio 26
Adjusting the volume 26
Power management 27
Moving around with your TravelMate 28
Disconnecting from the desktop 28
Moving around 28
Taking the computer home 29
Traveling with the computer 31
Traveling internationally with the computer 31
Securing your computer 33
Using a computer security lock 33
Using passwords 33
2 Customizing my computer 35
Expanding through options 37
Connectivity options 37
Upgrade options 42
Using system utilities 45
Launch Manager 45
BIOS Utility 45
Contents

3 Troubleshooting my computer 47
Frequently-asked questions 49
Troubleshooting tips 52
Error messages 53
Requesting service 54
International Traveler’s Warranty (ITW) 54
Before you call 54
Appendix A Specifications 57
Appendix B Notices 63
Index 73

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 open view
#Item Description
1Display screen Also called LCD (liquid-crystal display),
displays computer output.
2Power button Turns on the computer.

1 Getting to know your TravelMate4
English
Front view
3Touchpad Touch-sensitive pointing device which
functions like a computer mouse.
4Click buttons
(left and right)
The left and right buttons function like the
left and right mouse buttons.
5Palmrest Comfortable support area for your hands
when you use the computer.
6Keyboard Inputs data into your computer.
7Status indicators LEDs (light-emitting diode) that turn on and
off to show the status of the computer, its
functions and components.
8Launch keys Two special keys for frequently used
programs. See “Launch Keys” on page 20 for
more details.
#Item Description
1Latch Latch for opening and closing the computer.
2AcerMedia Bay For hot-swappable modules including CD-
ROM, DVD-ROM, DVD/CD-RW combo or
DVD-RW.
#Item Description

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Left view
#Item Description
1Infrared port Interfaces with infrared devices (e.g.,
infrared printer, IR-aware computer).
2PC Card slot Accepts one Type II 16-bit PC Card or
32-bit CardBus PC Card.
3 Wireless Communication
switch
Enables and disables Wireless
communication devices.
4Stereo speaker Outputs sound.
5Headphone/ Speaker/ Line-
out jack
Connects to headphones or other
line-out audio devices (speakers).
6Microphone/line-in jack Accepts input from external
microphones, or other audio line-in
devices (e.g. audio CD player, stereo
walkman and etc.)
7One USB 2.0 port Connects to Universal Serial Bus
devices (e.g., USB mouse, USB
camera).

1 Getting to know your TravelMate6
English
Right view
#Item Description
1Stereo speaker Outputs sound.
2HDD Houses the computer's hard disk.
3Ventilation slot Enables the computer to stay cool, even after
prolonged use.
4DC-in jack Connects the AC adapter.

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Rear view
#Item Description
1IEEE 1394 port Connects to IEEE 1394 devices.
2S-video Connects to a television or display device
with S-video input.
3Ethernet port Connects to an Ethernet 10/100-based
network.
4Modem port Connects to a phone line.
5Two USB 2.0 ports Connects to Universal Serial Bus devices (e.g.,
USB mouse, USB camera).
6External display
port
Connects to a display device (e.g., external
monitor, LCD projector) and displays up to
16.7 million colors and up to 1600x1200 at
85 Hz and 2048x1536 at 75 Hz resolution.

1 Getting to know your TravelMate8
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7Parallel port Connects to a parallel device (e.g., parallel
printer).
8Security keylock Connects to a Kensington-compatible
computer security lock.
#Item Description

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Bottom view
#Item Description
1RAM slot The slot that houses the computer's main
memory.
2AcerMedia bay
release latch
Unlatches the AcerMedia drive for
removing the optical drive.
3AcerMedia bay Houses an AcerMedia drive module.
4Battery bay Houses the computer's battery pack.
5Battery release latch Unlatches the battery to remove the
battery pack.
6Hard disk bay Houses the computer's hard disk (secured
by a screw).
7Cooling fan Helps keep the computer cool.a
a. Don’t cover or obstruct the opening of the fan.

1 Getting to know your TravelMate10
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Features
Below is a brief summary of the computer’s many features:
Performance
•Intel® Pentium® M Processor at 1.3 ~1.7 GHz or higher
•Intel 855GM chipset
•Memory upgradeable up to 2 GB with 2 slots
•Internal removable optical drive (AcerMedia bay)
•High-capacity, Enhanced-IDE hard disk
•Li-ion main battery pack
•Power management system with ACPI (Advanced Configuration
Power Interface)
Display
•Thin-Film Transistor (TFT) liquid crystal display (LCD) displaying 32-
bit high color up to 1024 x 768 eXtended Graphics Array (XGA)
resolution
•3D graphics engine
•Simultaneous LCD and CRT display support
•S-video for output to a television or display device that supports
S-video input
•Dual indenpendent display
Multimedia
•16-bit high-fidelity AC’97 stereo audio
•Built-in dual speakers
•High-speed optical drive (AcerMedia bay)

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Connectivity
•High-speed fax/data modem port
•Ethernet/Fast Ethernet port
•Fast infrared wireless communication
•Three USB 2.0 ports (Two in rear and one on left)
•IEEE 1394 port
•InviLink 802.11b or 802.11 a/b wireless LAN (manufacturing
optional)
•Bluetooth ready (manufacturing optional)
Expansion
•One type II CardBus PC Card slot
•Upgradeable memory

1 Getting to know your TravelMate12
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Indicators
The computer has six easy-to-read status indicators below the display
screen, and three on the front of the computer.
The Power and Battery status indicators are visible even when the
display is closed.
Icon Function Description
HDD Lights when Hard Disk Drive is activated.
ODD Lights when Optical Disk Drive is activated.
Scroll Lock Lights when Scroll Lock is activated.