Alienware Sentia 244 User manual

i
Notebook
User’sManual

ii
Notice
Theinformationinthisuser’smanual issubjecttochange withoutnotice.
THEMANUFACTURERORRESELLERSHALL NOTBELIABLEFOR
ERRORSOROMISSIONSCONTAINEDINTHISMANUALAND SHALL
NOTBELIABLEFORANYCONSEQUENTIALDAMAGES,WHICH MAY
RESULTFROMTHEPERFORMANCEORUSE OFTHISMANUAL.
Theinformationinthisuser’smanual isprotected bycopyrightlaws. Nopartof
thismanual maybe photocopiedorreproducedinanyformwithoutpriorwritten
authorizationfromthe copyright owners.
©Copyright May, 2003
Allrightsreserved.
Microsoft and Windowsareregistered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.DOS, Windows
95/98/ME/2000/NT/XParetrademarksofMicrosoft Corporation.
Productnamesmentioned heremaybetrademarks and/orregisteredtrademarksoftheirrespective
owners/companies.
Thesoftwaredescribed inthismanualisdelivered underalicenseagreement. Thesoftwaremaybe
used orcopied onlyinaccordancewiththetermsof theagreement.
Thisproductincorporatescopyright protectiontechnologythatisprotected bymethodclaimsof
certainU.S.patentsandotherintellectualpropertyrightsowned byMacrovision Registration and
otherrightsowners.Useofthiscopyright protectiontechnologymust beauthorized byMacrovision
Registration, andisintended forhomeandotherlimited viewing usesonlyunlessotherwise
authorized byMacrovision Registration.Reverseengineering ordisassemblyisprohibited.
Rev.1.0

iii
TABLEOFCONTENTS
PREFACE
SymbolsandConventions
Protecting YourNotebook-Avoid AbusiveHandling andAdverse
Environment
Section Summaries
1.GETTINGTOKNOWTHEBASICS
PerformanceFeatures (1-2,3)
SystemataGlance (1-4)
TopView (1-4,5,6,7)
RearView (1-8,9)
BottomView (1-10,11)
ACAdapter (1-12)
LEDStatusIndicators (1-13)
Function (Hot)Keys (1-14)
WindowsKeys andEmbeddedNumericKeyPad (1-15)
TouchPadWithPage-UpandPage-DownFunction (1-16)
Display (1-17)
AdjustingtheBrightness (1-17)
ExtendingtheLifeoftheTFTDisplayDevice (1-17)
Opening andClosingthe DisplayPanel (1-17)
GraphicController (1-18)
Multi-monitorSupport (1-18)
AudioDevices (1-19)
AdjustingtheVolumeManually (1-19)
AdjustingtheVolumein Windows (1-19)
AdjustingtheSpeakerVolumevia theVolumeDial (1-19)
VoiceRecording (1-19)
Modemand ModemSetting (1-20)
NetworkAdapter (1-21)
2.TROUBLE-SHOOTING
FirstStep (2-2,3)
AudioProblems (2-4)
HardDiskProblems (2-5,6)
CD-ROMorDVD-ROMProblems (2-6)

iv
DisplayProblems (2-7)
KeyboardandPointingDevice(Mouse)Problems (2-8)
CMOSProblems (2-9)
MemoryProblems (2-10)
ModemProblems (2-11)
NetworkAdapter(Ethernet)Problems (2-12)
PCCard(PCMCIA)Problems (2-12,13)
PerformanceProblems (2-13,14)
Power, Start,andBatteryProblems (2-14)
PrintingProblems (2-15)
Firewire(IEEE1394)andUSB Problems (2-15)
AppendixA Product Specification
AppendixB AgencyRegulatoryNotices

v
Preface
Using ThisManual
ThisUser’sManual containsgeneral informationaboutyournotebook,hardware
andsoftwaresetupinformation, trouble-shooting, andtechnicalspecifications.
SymbolsandConventions
Thefollowing conventionsandsymbolsareused in thismanual:
nWhenkeys aretobepressed atthesametime, aplus(+)symbolisused.
Forinstance,Fn+F7meansholding FnandF7keys at thesametime.
nThe file namesareprinted inuppercasetype. Forinstance,
WELCOME.EXE.
nWhenaseriesof clickingactionsisneededinWindowsO/S,[] and>
symbolsareused.Forinstance,[Start> Settings> ControlPanel >
Multimedia]meansclickingtheStarticon first, then the Settings, then the
ControlPanel,then theMultimedia icon.
nWhenyouneed tomakeaselectionwiththetouchpad(ormouse),youwill
beaskedto`select`or`click`or`double-click`theitem.
Note: Text inthisformatand
symbol meansspecific
instructions, commentary,
sidelights,orany additional
information or notesthatyou
shouldbe awareof.
Warning: Textisthisformatand
symbol means thatfailuresto
complywiththegiven instructions
orinformation could resultin
damage to yournotebook or could
causebodilyharmorlossof life.

vi
ProtectingYourNotebook-AvoidAbusive HandlingandAdverseEnvironment
Followtheadvicebelowwillhelpensurethatyouget the mostoutof your
Investment.
Yourcomputerwillserve youwell ifyoutakegood careofit.
nDonot exposethenotebooktodirectsunlight orplaceitnearsourcesofheat.
nDonotsubject it totemperaturesbelow0°C(32°F)orabove50°C(122°F).
nDonot exposethenotebooktomagneticfields.
nDonot exposethenotebooktomoistureorrain.
nDonotspillwaterorliquidonthenotebook.
nDonotsubjectthecomputertoadverseshockand vibration.
nDonot exposethenotebooktodustanddirt.
nDonot placeobjectson top ofthenotebooktoavoiddamagingthe notebook.
nDonot placethenotebookonrockysurfaces.
Herearesomeways oftaking careofyourAC adapter.
nDonotconnect the adaptertoanydevicesotherthan yournotebook.
nDonotsteponthepowercordorplaceheavy objectsontop ofit.
nCarefullytuckawaythepowercordandanycablesawayfrompedestrian
traffic.
nWhenunpluggingthepowercord, donotpullon thecorditself butpull onthe
plug.
nKeeptheadapterawayfromchildren.
nThe totalampereratingsoftheequipmentplugged inshouldnot exceedthe
ampereratingofthecordifyou areusing anextensioncord.
nThe totalcurrentratingofallequipmentpluggedintoasinglewalloutlet should
not exceed thefuserating.
Herearesomeways oftaking careofyourbatterypack.
nUseonlyfactory-originalbatteriesof the samekind asreplacements.
nTurnoffthepowerorentersuspend modebeforeremovingorreplacing
batteries.
nDonot tamperwiththe sealedbatterypack.
nKeepthebatterypackawayfromchildren.
nDisposeof usedbatteriesaccordingtolocalregulations.
nDonot exposethebatterypacktofireandrecyclethemifatallpossible.
Whencleaningthenotebook,observethesesteps:
1. Poweroffthenotebookandremovethebatterypack.
2. Disconnectthe ACadapter.
3. Useasoftclothdampenedwithwater.Donotuseliquidoraerosolcleaners.
Contactyourdealerorseeyourservicetechnicianifanyofthefollowing
occurs:
nNotebookhasbeendroppedorthe bodyhasbeen damaged.
nLiquidhasbeen spilled intotheproduct.
nThe notebookdoesnot operatenormally.

vii
Section Summaries:
Thefollowingisasummaryof the availablesectionsand appendicesinthis
Manual. .
Section1:Gettingtoknowthebasics
Inthissection,you willlearnthe basicoperationsandfeaturesofYourNotebook
Itgivesyouageneralunderstanding ofthemakeupof yourNotebook.
Section2:Trouble-Shooting
Inthissection,you willlearnhowtosolvecommonhardwareand software
problems.
AppendixA: ProductSpecification
Inthissection,you willfindalistoftheNotebook’ssystemSpecification.
AppendixB:AgencyRegulatoryNotices
Inthissection,you willfindthegeneralelectro-magneticand safety
Regulatoryinformation.

Section1 GETTINGTO KNOWTHE BASICS
1-1
SECTION 1
GETTINGTO KNOWTHEBASICS
Thissection introducesthe featuresand
componentsofthenotebookcomputer.

USER’SMANUAL
1-2
Performance Features
nUltra-portableMobileOffice
Thenotebookisboththinandlight.Itoffersthe
ultimateportabilitywithanarrayoffeaturestoserve
yourcomputingneedsonthego.
nHigh Performance Processor
ThenotebookisequippedwithanIntel
CENTRINO™processoristhelatest Intel®
Pentium®Mprocessor. Itisahighperformance,
low-powercoremobileprocessorwithseveral
micro-architecturalenhancementsoverexisting
Intelmobile processors.It ispowerfulbut
consumeslessenergy.Theprocessoralso
supportsupto1.7GHzSource-Synchronous
processorsystem400-MHzfront sidebus
bandwidthwithAdvancedPowerManagement
featuresincludingEnhancedIntel®SpeedStep®
technologyforunparalleled performance.
nAdvanced GraphicEngine
Anintegrated4XAGP2D/3Dvideoprocessorfor
high performancegraphicsintegratedinIntel®
Montaragraphicschipalsoincorporatesa
hardware-based motion-compensationengine
whichgivesyousmoothMPEGvideoplayback 3D
graphics capabilityalsoaddrealismtoPCgames.
nExpandabilityand SwappableDeviceBay
Convenience
Thesystemofferschangeable harddiskdriveand2
DDRSDRAMsocketsforexpansion,allowingthe
usertoeasilyincreasethestorageandsystem

Section1 GETTINGTO KNOWTHE BASICS
1-3
capacitiesastheneed arises.
nLargeLCDDisplay
Thenotebookisequipped withalarge14.1-inch
TFTSXGA+ activematrixdisplaypanelforclear
textand brilliantcolors.

USER’SMANUAL
1-4
nAudio Capability
Theaudioplayback functionsupports4-bit3D
stereoexpansionforsimulatedsurround 3Daudio,
64-voicesDirectSound,andusesahardware-
based wave-table.
nCommunicationFeatures
Thesystemprovidesbuilt-inEthernetnetwork
adapterforlocalnetworkand56Kmodemfor
peer-to-pearconnection ordial-up remotenetwork.
nFirewire(IEEE 1394/ IEEE 1394a-2000)andUSBports
Inaddition toafull arrayof built-in I/Oports,the
notebookcomputeroffersIEEE 1394forultra-high
speed connection tohighbandwidthdigitalvideo
devicesand3USB2.0portstoconnecttoany
USB-based peripheraldevices.
WirelessCommunication
Theoptionalinternal Intel® PRO/Wireless2100
LAN(WLAN)moduleallowsyournotebookto
connect wirelesslytoother802.11a/b-enabled
systems, devicesornetworks.

Section1 GETTINGTO KNOWTHE BASICS
1-5
SystemataGlance
Top View
1. LCDLatch
The LCDlatcheslock/unlock the LCDpanel.
2. LCDDisplay
The paneliswherethesystemcontent isdisplayed.
3. TurboKey
The Turbokeydisablesthe Intel®SpeedStep®function;
theprocessorwill performat itshighest frequency.
Note:
TheTurbo Key will
haveno effecton
modelsthat donot
support IntelSpeed
Step function.

USER’SMANUAL
1-6
4. SuspendLED
Flashinggreenlightindicatesthenotebookisin
suspendedmode. (Seethe LEDStatusIndicatorSection
fordetails.)
5. ChargerLED
TheLEDindicatesthecharging statusofthebattery
pack.(See the LEDStatusIndicatorSectionfordetails.)
6. Power/Suspend Button withBuilt-in PowerLED
Thepower/suspendbuttonturnsthe notebookonand
off anditalsoactsasasystemsuspendkey.This
notebookusesaone-button design. Press momentarily
toturnonthesystem.Press and holdforatleast 3~4
secondstoturnoff thesystem.Howthiskeybehaves
can bedefinedin [Start > Settings> Control Panel>
PowerOptions>Advanced]menu. Press the
power/suspendbuttonoranykeytoreturnfromthe
suspendmode.
Thebutton hasabuilt-inLEDtoindicatethesystem-ON
statusofthenotebook.(SeetheLEDStatusIndicator
Sectionfordetails.)
Whilethebuilt-inLEDisblinking,it indicatesSmart
Powerworking.
7. Keyboard
Theenhanced87/88-keykeyboardisusedtoenterdata.
It hasanembedded numerickeypadandcursorcontrol
keys.
(SeeKeyboardSectionfordetails.)
8. Touch PadwithPageUp / DownFunction
Thetouchpad isabuilt-in pointing devicewithfunctions
similartoamouse.UsethePageUporDownkeyto
moveone pageupordowninWindowsapplications.

Section1 GETTINGTO KNOWTHE BASICS
1-7
9. AudioVolumeDial
Usethevolumedialtocontrolthe loudnessof the
speakers.
Turntowardtherighttoincreaseaudio loudness.
10. Stereo HeadphoneJack
The stereoheadphone jack(3.5-mm diameter) iswhere
youconnecttheheadphonesorexternal speakers.
11. MicrophoneJack
The microphone jack(3.5-mmdiameter)iswhereyou
connect amicrophone.
12. Email QuickKey
The `EmailQuickKey`launchestheMSOutlook
Express inWindowsXP/ 2000.ForotherWindowsO/S,
youwill needtoactivateautilityprogramin thefactory
CD tomakeuseofthekey.(See side-noteforQuick
Keys installation.)
13. MyFavoriteQuickLaunch Key
The `MyFavoriteQuickKey`launchesanyWindows
applicationyoudesignatein theQkeyapplication
dialoguebox. Youwillneedtoactivateautilityprogram
in theUtilityCDtomakeuseofthehotkeyforany
WindowsO/S.(Seeside-noteforQuick Keys
installation.)
14. SearchQuickLaunch Key
The `SearchQuick Key`launchestheInternetExplore
SearchCompanionin WindowsXP / 2000. Forother
WindowsO/S,youwill needtoactivateautilityprogram
in thefactoryCD tomakeuseofthekey.(See side-note
forQuickKeys installation.)
15. InternetQuickLaunchKey
The `InternetQuickKey`launchesthe InternetExplore
in WindowsXP /2000.ForotherWindowsO/S, you will
needtoactivateautilityprogramin theUtilityCDto
makeuseof thekey.(See side-noteforQuickKeys
installation.)
16. Built-in Microphone
The built-inmicrophone recordsvoicesound.
Note:
To enablethe
InternetHot Key,
Email HotKey,
SearchKey,and
MyFavorite Hot
Key in Windows
O/Sotherthan
XP/2000,you
must install the
specialQuick
Keysapplication
contained in the
factory CD-ROM
(d:\Utility\Qkeys
\SETUP.EXE).
Besureyou
alreadyhave
setupanISP
accountandMS
InternetExplore.

USER’SMANUAL
1-8
17. Quick KeyLockOut
Topreventaccidentalpressing of the quick keys,you
mayslidethebuttontothe rightposition(lockedposition)
todisable all quicklaunchkeyfunctions. Toreverse
lock-out, slidethebutton towardtheleft.
18. PCCardSlot(PCMCIA)andCardEjectButton
TheslotiswherePCCard(PCMCIA)isinserted.Press
theeject buttontoreleasethe PCCard.
19. Firewire/IEEE1394Port
Thisisahigh-speeddataport. Youmayconnect any
Fire-wire-readydevicetothisport.
20. USBPort
TheUniversal SerialBus(USB)port allowsyouto
connect awide varietyofdevicesvia theUSB2.0cable
toyournotebookatveryhighdatatransferratesofupto
480 Mbps.ThisportconformstoUSBplug-and-play
standards.
21. Ethernet/ LANPort
TheportconnectstoanetworkhubviatheRJ-45cable
and alsoconformsto10/100Base-Ttransmission
protocol.
22. TV(S-Video)Port
TheS-Video port permitsyoutoredirectthescreen
outputtoatelevision setoranyanalogvideoplayback
device.ThisTVPort isMacrovision-compliant; when
DVDmovie isplayed,the outputisscrambledtoprevent
recording.
23. PowerJack(DC-in)
TheDC-outjack ofthe AC-DC Adapterconnectshere
and powersthe notebook.
24. KensingtonLockKey Hole
AKensington-typesecuritylock latchestothiskey-hole
foranti-theft purpose.
25. VentilationGrill
Thefangrill iswhereairisdrawntodissipatethe
internalheat.Donot block thisairwaycompletely.
Note:
For the system
runningthe
Windows NT
platform,USB
functionwas not
supported.

Section1 GETTINGTO KNOWTHE BASICS
1-9
26. Built-in Stereo Speakers
The built-inspeakersoutput the soundin stereo.
27. LEDStatusIndicators
The LEDStatusindicatorsreveal thelocking/unlocking
ofcertainkeyfunctionsandHDD/CD-ROMdrivestatus.
(See theLEDStatusIndicatorSection fordetails.)

USER’SMANUAL
1-10
RearView
1. VentilationGrill
Thefangrill iswherehotairisventedoff. Donotblock
thisairwaycompletely.
2. BatteryPack
Thebatterypackisabuilt-inpowersourceforthe
notebook.
3. ModemPort
Thisiswhereyouplugthephonejack (RJ-11)for
fax/modemfunctions.
4. ExternalVGAPort
The15-pin VGAanalogportisforconnecting the
externalCRTmonitororprojector.
4. Suspending LED
Flashinggreenlightindicatesthenotebookisin
suspendedmode. (Seethe LEDStatusIndicatorSection
fordetails.)
6. ChargerLED
TheLEDindicatesthecharging statusofthebattery
pack.(See the LEDStatusIndicatorSectionfordetails.)
Warning:
Donotplace any
heavy objectson
the topof
notebook.That
may damage the
display.

Section1 GETTINGTO KNOWTHE BASICS
1-11
7. CD-ROM(orDVD-ROMorCD-RWorCombo)Drive
andDiskEjectButton andmanualejectkey hole
If yournotebookcomeswithDVD-ROM/Combodrive,
youmayplayDVDmoviesorregularCD-ROMdisk. Ifit
comeswithCD-RW/ Combodrive, youmaysavedata
ontoaCD-R/ CD-RWdisk. Press theeject button to
eject thedisktray.Themanual ejectkeyhole allows
youtomanuallyejectajammed disk.
8. USBPort(x2)
The Universal SerialBus(USB)port allowsyouto
connect awide varietyof devicesviatheUSB2.0cable
toyournotebookatveryhigh datatransferratesofupto
480 Mbps.ThisportconformstoUSBplug-and-play
standards.
9. PS/2Port
Thisiswhereyouconnect PS/2-typemouseor
keyboard.
Note:
For the system
runningthe
Windows NT
platform,USB
functionwas not
supported.

USER’SMANUAL
1-12
BottomView
1. BatteryPack andBatteryLatch
Thebatterypackisabuilt-inpowersourceforthe
notebook.Pullonthebatterylatchtoreleasethebattery
pack.
2. CPUCoverand Ventilation Grills
CPUresidesunderneaththecover. The grillsarewhere
airisexchanged in andoutofthenotebookforinternal
thermalregulation. Donot blocktheventilationairway
completely. Donot open thiscover.Thereisno
upgradeable partinsideit.
3. SO-DIMMSockets
SO-DIMMSocketsresideunderneaththecover.

Section1 GETTINGTO KNOWTHE BASICS
1-13
4. Hard DiskDrive Bay
Thisiswherethe harddiskdriveislocated. Thehard
disk drivestoresall thesystemdata.The harddiskdrive
canbeupgradedtoalargercapacity.
5. SwappableDeviceBay
The optical disk drivenormallyresidesin thisbay.Pull
onthelatchtoreleasetheswappabledevice.