Acer TravelMate C310 Series User manual

Acer TravelMate C310 Series
Service Guide
PRINTED IN TAIWAN
Service guide files and updates are available
on the ACER/CSD web; for more information,
please refer to http://csd.acer.com.tw

II
Revision History
Please refer to the table below for the updates made on TravelMate C310 service guide.
Date Chapter Updates
2005/5/11 First Released Version

III
Copyright
Copyright © 2004 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
The information in this guide is subject to change without notice.
Acer Incorporated makes no representations or warranties, either expressed or implied, with respect to the
contents hereof and specifically disclaims any warranties of 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.
Acer is a registered trademark of Acer Corporation.
Intel is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation.
Pentium and Pentium II/III are trademarks of Intel Corporation.
Other brand and product names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

IV
Conventions
The following conventions are used in this manual:
SCREEN MESSAGES Denotes actual messages that appear
on screen.
NOTE Gives bits and pieces of additional
information related to the current
topic.
WARNING Alerts you to any damage that might
result from doing or not doing specific
actions.
CAUTION Gives precautionary measures to
avoid possible hardware or software
problems.
IMPORTANT Reminds you to do specific actions
relevant to the accomplishment of
procedures.

V
Preface
Before using this information and the product it supports, please read the following general information.
1. This Service Guide provides you with all technical information relating to the BASIC CONFIGURATION
decided for Acer's "global" product offering. To better fit local market requirements and enhance product
competitiveness, your regional office MAY have decided to extend the functionality of a machine (e.g.
add-on card, modem, or extra memory capability). These LOCALIZED FEATURES will NOT be covered
in this generic service guide. In such cases, please contact your regional offices or the responsible
personnel/channel to provide you with further technical details.
2. Please note WHEN ORDERING FRU PARTS, that you should check the most up-to-date information
available on your regional web or channel. If, for whatever reason, a part number change is made, it will
not be noted in the printed Service Guide. For ACER-AUTHORIZED SERVICE PROVIDERS, your Acer
office may have a DIFFERENT part number code to those given in the FRU list of this printed Service
Guide. You MUST use the list provided by your regional Acer office to order FRU parts for repair and
service of customer machines.

Chapter 1 1
Chapter 1 System Specifications ...........................................1
Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
System Block Diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Outlook View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Lock Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Embedded Numeric Keypad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Windows Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Hot Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
The Euro Symbol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Launch Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Touchpad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Hardware Specifications and Configurations . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Chapter 2 System Utility........................................................33
BIOS Setup Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
BIOS Flash Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Chapter 3 Machine Disassembly and Replacement..............45
General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Disassembly Procedure Flowchart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Removing the Battery Pack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Removing the HDD Module/Optical Module/Wireless LAN Card/Keyboard and LCD Module
49
Disassembling the Main Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Disassembling the LCD Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Disassembling the External Modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Assemble the Hinge Caps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Chapter 4 Troubleshooting.....................................................62
System Check Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Power-On Self-Test (POST) Error Message . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Index of Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
POST Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Index of Symptom-to-FRU Error Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Intermittent Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Undetermined Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Chapter 5 Jumper and Connector Locations..........................79
Top View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Bottom View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Chapter 6 FRU(Field Replaceable Unit) List...............................81
Exploded Diagram..................................................................82
Appendix A Model Definition and Configuration.....................92
TravelMate C310 Series(UMA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
TravelMate C310 Series(Descrete) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Appendix B Test Compatible Components.............................94
Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Environment Test(UMA) . 95
Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Environment Test(Descrete) 97
Appendix C Online Support Information..................................99

Chapter 1 1
Features
This computer was designed with the user in mind. Here are just a few of its many features:
Performance
TIntel®Pentium®M / Celeron-M processors
TIntel®915/ICH6 GM chipset
TCD ROM, DVD, DVD/CD-RW combo, DVD or DVD-dual drive
TDDR II 400/533 SDRAM memory interface up to 2GB
TPCI Bus Master Enhanced-IDE hard disk (PATA only)
TAdvanced Configuration Power Interface (ACPI) power management system
Display
T14.1” Thin-Film Transistor (TFT) liquid-crystal display (LCD) supporting pen-based input, with 16M
color at 1024X768 XGA (eXtended Graphics Array) resolution
TUMA or Nvidia NV44 with 64MB frame buffer
T3D capabilities
TSimultaneous LCD and CRT display support
TDual display capability
TSupports other output display devices such as LCD projection panels for large-audience
presentations
TLight Sensing background luminance detection - panel automatically adjusts screen brightness
TS-video for output to a television or display device that supports S-video input
T“Automatic LCD dim” feature that automatically decides the best settings for your display and
conserves power
Multimedia
T16-bit high-fidelity AC’97 stereo audio with 3D sound and wavetable synthesizer
TBuilt-in stereo speakers
TSwappaple type for CD-ROM, DVD, 8X DVD ROM, DVD combo, DVD super multi or DVD dual
drive
Connectivity
TV.90/V.92, 56 Kbps MDC 1.5
T10/100/1000 t-based Ethernet port
TUSB (Universal Serial Bus) 2.0 ports
TIEEE 1394 port
T802.11b+g, 802.11a+b+g wireless LAN options
TMini USB Bluetooth module
TIrDA 1.1
System Specifications
Chapter 1

2Chapter 1
Keyboard and Pointing Device
TSleek, smooth and stylish design
TFull-sized keyboard
TErgonomically-centered touchpad pointing device
TRotating/folding screen for Tablet PC functionality
Expansion
TOne Type II PCMCIA slot(No PCI-Express card)
TUpgradeable memory
TAcerMedia bay
TAcer EasyPort II
I/O Ports
TOne Card bus type II card slot
TOne smart-card slot
TOne RJ-11 phone jack (V.90/92, 56Kbps modem)
TOne RJ-45 jack (Gigabit Ethernet)
TOne DC-in jack for AC adapter
TOne external monitor (VGA) port
TOne S-video TV out port
TOne 100-pin port replicator connector
TOne line-out (headphone) jack (3.5mm mini jack)
TOne line-in (microphone) jack (3.5mm mini jack)
TOne microphone-in jack
TTwo USB 2.0 ports
TOne 4-pin IEEE 1394 port
TOne FIR port (IrDA)

Chapter 1 3
System Block Diagram

4Chapter 1
Outlook View
A general introduction of ports allow you to connect peripheral devices, as you would with a desktop PC.
Front View
#Icon Item Description
1 EMR stylus Electromagnetic resonate (EMR) stylus is
used to input data in tablet mode. Use only
an EMR-compatible stylus to input data on
the screeen.
2 Display screen Also called LCD (liquid-crystal display),
displays computer output.
3 Tablet Keys Add enhanced functionality when operating
in Tablet mode.
4 Launch Keys Buttons for launching frequently used
programs.
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.

Chapter 1 5
9 Status indicator LEDs (light-emitting diodes) that turn on
and off to show the status of the computer,
its functions and component.

6Chapter 1
Left view
#Icon Item Description
1 Security keylock Connects to a Kensington-compatible
computer security lock.
2 Power switch Turns on the computer power.
3 Ventilation slot Allows air to circulate through the computer
chassis.
4 AcerMedia Bay For hot-swappable modules including DVD-
ROM, DVD/CD-RW combo or DVD dual
drive.
5 Optical drive eject
button
Ejects the optical drive tray from the drive.
6 LED indicator Lights up when the optical drive is active.
7 Emergency eject slot Ejects the optical drive tray when the com-
puter is turned off.
8 Pen slot Keeps the stylus handy when not in use.

Chapter 1 7
Right view
#Icon Item Description
1 4 in 1 card reader Accepts an MS, MS PRO, MMC or SD
card.
NOTE: Only one card can operate
at any given time.
2 USB 2.0 port Connects to USB 2.0 devices(e.g. USB
mouse, USB camera).
3 Infrared port Interfaces with infrared devices (e.g.,
infrared printer, IR-aware computer).
4 PC Card eject button Ejects the PC Card from the slot.
5 PC Card slot Accepts one Type II 16-bit PC Card or 32-
bit CardBus PC Card.

8Chapter 1
Rear Panel
#Icon Item Description
1 Line-in/Mic-in jack Accepts audio line-in devices (e.g., audio
CD player, stereo walkman).
2 Speaker/Line-out
Headphone jack
Connects to audio line-out devices (e.g.,
speakers, headphones).
3 IEEE 1394 port Connects to IEEE 1394 devices.
4 124-pin Acer ezDock
connector
Connects to Acer ezDock
5 Network jack (RJ-45) Connects to a 10/100/1000 based network.
6 Modem jack (Rj-11) Connects to phone line.
7 Convertible hinge Hinges the LCD screen in place when
switching from PC mode to tablet mode
and vice versa.
8 External display Connects to a display device (e.g., external
monitor, LCD projector).
9 S-video Connects to a television or display device
with S-video input.
10 USB 2.0 ports (2) Connects to Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0
devices (e.g., USB mouse, USB camera).
11 Power jack Connects to an AC adapter.
# Icon Item Description
# Icon Item Description
# Icon Item Description
# Icon Item Description
# Item Description
Note
# Icon Item Description

Chapter 1 9
Bottom Panel
#Icon Item Description
1 AcerMedia Bay
release latch
Unlatches the AcerMedia drive for
removing or swapping.
2 AcerMedia Bay Houses an AcerMedia drive module.
3 Cooling fans Help keep the computer cool.
Note: Don’t cover or obstruct the opening
of the fans.
4 Memory compartment Houses the computer’s main memory.
5 Hard disk protector Protects the hard disk from accidental
dumps and vibration.
6 Hard disk bay Houses the computers Hard disk drive.
7 Battery Lock & release
latch
Unlock and unlatches the battery to
remove the battery pack.
8 Battery bay Houses the computer’s battery pack.

10 Chapter 1
Indicators
The computer has seven easy-to-read status icons below the display screen.
The status LCD displays icons that show the status of the computer and its components.
Icon Function Description
Wireless
communication
Lights orange when the Wireless LAN
capabilities are enabled.
Bluetooth Lights when the Bluetooth is enabled or a
Bluetooth enabled device is within range.
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.

Chapter 1 11
Num loc Lights when Num Lock is activated.
Icon Function Description

12 Chapter 1
Lock Keys
The keyboard has three lock keys which you can toggle on and off.
Lock Key Description
Caps Lock When Caps Lock is on, all alphabetic characters typed
are in uppercase.
Num lock
(Fn-F11)
When Num Lock is on, the embedded keypad is in
numeric mode. The keys function as a calculator
(complete with the arithmetic operators +, -, *, and /).
Use this mode when you need to do a lot of numeric
data entry. A better solution would be to connect an
external keypad.
Scroll lock
(Fn-F12)
When Scroll Lock is on, the screen moves one line up
or down when you press the up or down arrow keys
respectively. Scroll Lock does not work with some
applications.

Chapter 1 13
Embedded Numeric Keypad
The embedded numeric keypad functions like a desktop numeric keypad. It is indicated by small characters
located on the upper right corner of the keycaps. To simplify the keyboard legend, cursor-control key symbols
are not printed on the keys.
NOTE: If an external keyboard or keypad is connected to the computer, the Num Lock feature automatically
shifts from the internal keyboard to the external keyboard or keypad.
Desired Access Num Lock On Num Lock Off
Number keys on embedded
keypad
Type numbers in a normal
manner.
Cursor-control keys on
embedded keypad
Hold j while using
cursor-control keys.
Hold Fn while using cursor-
control keys.
Main keyboard keys Hold Fn while typing letters
on embedded keypad.
Type the letters in a normal
manner.
yy y

14 Chapter 1
Windows Keys
The keyboard has two keys that perform Windows-specific functions.
Key Icon Description
Windows logo
key
Start button. Combinations with this key perform
shortcut functions. Below are a few examples:
+ Tab (Activates next taskbar button)
+ E (Explores My Computer)
+ F (Finds Document)
+ M (Minimizes All)
Shift + + M (Undoes Minimize All)
+ R (Displays the Run... dialog box)
Application
key
Opens a context menu (same as a right-click).