HP Vectra VL800 User manual

hp vectra
vl800
minitower
user’s guide
www.hp.com/go/vectrasupport

Notice
The information contained in this document is subject to change without
notice.
Hewlett-Packard makes no warranty of any kind with regard to this
material, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of
merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. Hewlett-Packard shall
not be liable for errors contained herein or for incidental or consequential
damages in connection with the furnishing, performance, or use of this
material.
Hewlett-Packard assumes no responsibility for the use or reliability of its
software on equipment that is not furnished by Hewlett-Packard.
This document contains proprietary information that is protected by
copyright. All rights are reserved. No part of this document may be
photocopied, reproduced, or translated to another language without the
prior written consent of Hewlett-Packard Company.
Adobe®, Acrobat®and Acrobat®Reader™ are trademarks of Adobe
Systems Incorporated.
Microsoft®, MS®, MS-DOS®, Windows®, and Windows NT®are U.S.
registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
Pentium®is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation.
Rambus®and RDRAM®are registered trademarks of Rambus Inc.
Direct Rambus™, Direct RDRAM™ and RIMM™ are trademarks of Rambus
Inc.
Sound Blaster®is a registered trademark of Creative Technology Limited.
NVIDIA™, GeForce2 GTS™ and GeForce2 MX™ are registered trademarks
or trademarks of NVIDIA Corporation.
HP France
Business Desktop Division (BDD)
38053 Grenoble Cedex 9
France
2001 Hewlett-Packard Company
Feb. 2001

User’s Guide
Contents
Important Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v
Information and Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii
Information on Ergonomic Aspects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii
Technical Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix
1 Setting Up and Using Your PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Connecting Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Starting and Stopping Your PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Using Your HP Enhanced Multimedia Keyboard
(some models only) .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Viewing the Summary Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Using the HP Setup Program.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Setting Passwords in the HP Setup Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Using Power Management.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Manageability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Software and Drivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
2 Installing and Replacing Hardware Parts in Your PC . . . . . . 23
Removing and Replacing the Cover .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Removing, Replacing and Upgrading Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Installing or Replacing an Accessory Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Installing Mass Storage Devices .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Replacing the Primary Hard Disk Drive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Installing a Second Hard Disk Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Installing Removable Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Replacing the Floppy Drive.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Completing the Installation of a Mass Storage Device . . . . . . . . . 45
Replacing the Main Chassis Fan .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Replacing the Power Supply Unit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Replacing the Processor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Replacing the System Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
System Board Switches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Replacing the Battery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
System Board Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
iii

User’s Guide
Contents
3 Troubleshooting Your HP PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
If Your PC Does Not Start Properly. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
If Your PC Has a Hardware Problem. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Pre-Boot Diagnostics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
HP e-DiagTools Hardware Diagnostics Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Image Creation and Recovery CD-ROM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Frequently Asked Questions.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Troubleshooting Tips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
If You Have a Problem. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
iv

Important Warnings
Avoid Electrical Shocks
WARNING To avoid electrical shock, do not open the power supply. There are no user-
serviceable parts inside.
To avoid electrical shock and harm to your eyes by laser light, do not open
the laser module. The laser module should only be serviced by service
personnel. Do not attempt to make any adjustment to the laser unit. Refer
to the label on the CD-ROM for power requirements and wavelength. This
product is a class I laser product.
Electrical Connection
WARNING For your safety always connect equipment to a grounded wall outlet.
Always use a power cord with a properly grounded plug, such as the one
provided with the equipment, or one in compliance with your national
safety standards. This equipment can be disconnected from the power by
removing the power cord from the power outlet. This means the equipment
must be located close to an easily accessible power outlet.
Multimedia Models
WARNING If your PC is a multimedia model, or if you have installed an audio card in
your PC, always turn the volume down before connecting the headphones
or speakers. This avoids discomfort from unexpected noise or static.
Listening to loud sounds for prolonged periods of time may permanently
damage your hearing. Before putting on headphones, place them around
your neck and turn the volume down. When you put the headphones on,
slowly increase the volume until you find a comfortable listening level.
When you are able to hear comfortably and clearly, without distortion,
leave the volume in that position.
Removing and Replacing the Cover
WARNING For your safety, never remove the PC's cover without first removing the
power cord from the power outlet and any connection to a
telecommunications network. Always replace the cover before switching
the PC on again.
v

Safety Information
WARNING There is a danger of explosion if the battery is incorrectly installed. For
your safety, never attempt to recharge, disassemble, or burn an old battery.
Only replace the battery with the same or equivalent type, as recommended
by the manufacturer. The battery in this PC is a lithium battery which does
not contain any heavy metals. Nevertheless, in order to protect the
environment, do not dispose of batteries in household waste. Please return
used batteries either to the shop from which you bought them, to the dealer
from whom you purchased your PC, or to HP so that they can either be
recycled or disposed of in the correct way . Returned batteries will be
accepted free of charge.
If you have a modem:
Do not attempt to connect this product to the phone line during a lightning
storm. Never install telephone jacks in wet locations unless the telephone
line has been disconnected at the network interface. Never touch
uninsulated telephone wires or terminals unless the telephone line has
been disconnected at the network interface. Use caution when installing or
modifying telephone lines. Avoid using a telephone (other than a cordless
type) during an lightning storm. There may be a risk from lightning.
Do not use the telephone to report a gas leak in the vicinity of the leak.
Never touch or remove the communications board without first removing
the connection to the telephone network.
Unpacking Your PC
WARNING If you are in any doubt that you can lift the equipment safely, do not try to
move it without help.
Static Electricity
CAUTION Static electricity can damage electronic components. Turn OFF all
equipment. Don’t let your clothes touch the accessory. Toequalize the static
electricity,rest the accessory bag on top of the PC while you are removing
the accessory from the bag. Handle the accessory as little as possible and
with care.
vi

Information and Help
PC Documentation Roadmap
If you want to ...
Learn how to upgrade
your computer by
installing accessories
This guide
Installing and Replacing Hardware Parts in
Your PC
Learn how to use your
operating system
Operating System Online Help
Start Help Contents
www
Find out about the different
support options available,
and how to troubleshoot
your PC
HP Quick User’s Guide
The paper manual that came with your PC
Troubleshooting Guide
www.hp.com/go/vectrasupport
www
Set up your computer This guide
Setting Up and Using Your PC
www
Find Information Start Programs HP Info 
Finding Information
Access Information
Reference
Troubleshooting and Support
Setup
vii

On HP’s Web Site
The HP web site contains a wide range of information, including
downloadable documentation, service and support options, and the latest
versions of drivers and utilities.
Downloadable Documentation from HP’s Web Site
HP’sweb site lets you download additional documentation for your
PC. This documentation is provided in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format.
The documentation for your PC is available free of charge on the HP web
site www.hp.com/go/vectrasupport.
This includes:
• Troubleshooting Guide — provides troubleshooting information.
• Technical Reference Manual — provides detailed information about
your PC, including:
System board switches, IRQs, DMAs, and I/O Addresses, power
consumption and acoustic noise emission test configurations and
Configuring Your Network Connection.
• Service Handbook — provides information on replacement parts,
including HP part numbers.
NOTE To view and print the above guides, you need to have Adobe’s Acrobat
Reader installed on your PC. You can download it free of charge from Adobe
Systems Incorporated web site: www.adobe.com.
Information on Ergonomic Aspects
It is strongly recommended that you read the ergonomics information
before using your PC.
Basic ergonomics information is available in the Quick User’sGuide
(provided with your PC).
You can access more extensive ergonomics information from your PC by
clicking the Start button, and then Programs HP Info  Working in Comfort, or
by connecting to HP’sweb site www.hp.com/ergo.
viii

Technical Information
Physical Characteristics (standard configuration as shipped)
Characteristic Description
Weight (configuration with 1 CD-ROM
drive, excluding keyboard and display) 14.0 kg (30.86 pounds)
Dimensions Width: 20.6 cm (8.1 inches)
Height: 46.9 cm (18.5 inches)
Depth: 45.5 cm (17.9 inches)
Footprint 0.094 m2(1.01 ft2)
Acoustic noise emission (ISO 7779)
Operating (idle): Sound power LwA < 38.5 dBA
Sound pressure at operator position: LpA ≤32 dBA
Power Supply
Input voltage
(voltage selection switch)
Input frequency:
100 - 127,
200 -240 V 7A max or 7/4A
50/60Hz
Power consumption - Windows 2000
• Typical
• Suspend (*)
115V / 60Hz and 230V / 50Hz
<70W
<5W
Available min. output power: 250W
Storage Humidity 8% to 85% (relative)
NOTE When the computer is turned off with the power button on the front panel,
the power consumption falls below 5 Watts, but is not zero. The special
on/off method used by these computers considerably extends the lifetime of
the power supply. To reach zero power consumption in “off” mode, either
unplug the power outlet or use a power block with a switch.
ix

x

1
Setting Up and Using Your PC
WARNING If you are in any doubt that you can lift the PC and monitor safely, do not
try to move them without help.
1 When you receive your PC, unpack all of the components.
2 Place the PC on a sturdy desk with easily accessible power outlets and
enough space for the keyboard, mouse, and any other accessories.
3 Position the PC so that its rear connectors are easily accessible.
Installation Tools No tools are required to set up your PC. However, if you plan to install a
disk drive or an accessory board inside your PC, you will need a flat-blade
screwdriver. For more information on installing accessories, refer to
"Installing and Replacing Hardware Parts in Your PC", on page 23.

1 Setting Up and Using Your PC
Connecting Devices
Connecting Devices
For your own safety, it is recommended that you first read the warning
notices on pages v and vi.
Parallel port
Serial port B
Mouse connector
Serial port A
Keyboard connector
Line Out (headphone or speaker) connector
Line In
connector
Microphone
connector
Use these audio connectors if
your PC does not have a
Sound Blaster card.
For models with Sound Blaster
card, refer to page 14.
Dual USB
connectors
Connecting the
optical mouse
(some models only)
12

1 Setting Up and Using Your PC
Connecting Devices
NOTE Universal Serial Bus (USB) connectors can be used for USB accessories.
(For information about HP accessories, connect to HP’s web site
www.hp.com/go/pcaccessories.) Most USB accessories are
automatically configured as soon as they are physically attached to the PC.
USB is supported by Window 2000, Windows 98 and Windows 95 SR 2.1 only.
Line Out Jack. The internal audio speaker is deactivated when you use the
Line Out jack. External speakers should have a built-in power supply.
Connecting the Monitor
Connect the monitor according to the model of graphics card you have, as
shown below.
Matrox MGA 450
nVidia GeForce2 GTS
nVidia GeForce2 MX
VGA Connector 1
VGA Connector 2
S-Video
VGA
DVI-I (for digital
LCD monitors)
VGA
13

1 Setting Up and Using Your PC
Connecting Devices
Connecting the Sound Blaster Audio Card (Some Models Only)
If your PC has a Sound Blaster audio card, connect your audio devices as
shown.
If your PC does not have a Sound Blaster audio card, refer to page 12.
Digital I/O
Line In
Microphone
Front Stereo Speakers or
Headphones
Rear Stereo Speakers
MIDI/Joystick
14

1 Setting Up and Using Your PC
Starting and Stopping Your PC
Starting and Stopping Your PC
Starting Your PC for the First Time
If your PC has preinstalled software, it is initialized the first time you start
the PC. The software initialization process takes a few minutes. This
process sets up the software in your language and sets up your software to
use the hardware installed in your computer (you can change the settings
after the software has been initialized).
Starting Your PC
1 Before you start your PC, first switch on the display.
2 Start your PC inone of these ways:
• Press the power button on the front panel.
• Press the keyboard space bar (multimedia models only).
The keyboard power-on feature will work only ifthe appropriate
system board switch is set (the default setting is enabled).
When you switch on the computer, it carries out the Power-On-Self-
Test (POST) while the PC’slogo is displayed. If you wish to view the
details of this test, press the Esc key.If there is an error in the POST,
the error will automatically be displayed.
3 If you have set a password in the PC’s Setup program, the password
prompt displays after the POST has completed. If the Password prompt
is displayed, type your password and press Enter to be able to use the
PC.
15

1 Setting Up and Using Your PC
Starting and Stopping Your PC
Initializing Your Software
NOTE Do NOT switch OFF the PC while the software is being initialized—this
could cause unexpected results.
To initialize your software:
1 Turn on the display first, then the PC.
When the PC is switched on, the HP PC’slogo is displayed. The PC
performs a Power-On-Self-Test (POST).
2 The software initialization process starts. It displays the software license
agreement, gives you an opportunity to read Working in Comfort
(ergonomics advice for computer users), then asks questions about the
PC.
3 While the initialization process is running, you can complete the
Warranty Registration card that came with this manual.
4 When the initialization process has finished, click OK and the PC will
restart.
Creating an Emergency Repair Disk
During the initialization of your software, it is very important that you
create an Emergency Repair Disk for the operating system, when
prompted. HP recommends that you use new diskettes for this purpose.
For more information on how to create these diskettes, refer to the
documentation that came with your application software or operating
system.
Stopping Your PC
To stop the PC, first make sure that you have exited all applications and
then use the shutdown command in the Start menu. When prompted, press
the power button on your PC.
CAUTION Do not power off using the power button until prompted to do so otherwise
you may lose any unsaved data from open applications.
16

1 Setting Up and Using Your PC
Using Your HP Enhanced Multimedia Keyboard (some models only)
Using Your HP Enhanced Multimedia Keyboard
(some models only)
The HP enhanced keyboard includes soft keys you can use to:
• Display and configure the actions assigned to keys.
• Perform one-touch shortcuts to start applications, open files, or open
web sites on the Internet.
• Launch the Internet browser supplied with your system.
• Lock or suspend your PC.
• Access HP TopTools and customer information.
• Mute or adjust the volume of the audio system.
• A headphone and microphone can be connected directly to the
keyboard. For this option to work, the headphone and microphone
connectors must be connected to their associated rear panel jacks.
Sockets for headphone and
Menu key
Lock/Suspend key
Internet key
HP TopTools
Shortcut key
HP Customer
Information
Volume
control keys
Shortcut keys
Mute key
Keyboard connector
Headphone and
microphone jacks
(to be connected to
the PC’s rear panel)
microphone (located on the top edge)
Space bar power on
Menu Key Pressing the “?” Menu soft key displaysthe soft key section of the HP
enhanced keyboard control panel on your screen. Click any of the keyson
the screen to display the action assigned to an individual key or to change
or assign an action to a key.Shortcut keysare provided specifically for user-
defined actions.
17

1 Setting Up and Using Your PC
Viewing the Summary Screen
Viewing the Summary Screen
The Summary Screen gives you a summary of the current configuration of
your PC (for example: BIOS version, CPU speed, memory module size, and
installed mass storage devices).
It is recommended that you check the configuration of your PC when you
first use it and each time after you install, remove, or upgrade accessories.
To check the configuration:
1 Turn on the display and then the PC. If the PC is already turned on, save
your data and exit all programs, then restart the PC. Consult your
operating system documentation for any special instructions concerning
turning off and restarting your PC.
2 When the start-up logo appears on your display, press Esc. This takes
you to the Summary Screen. (To go immediately into the Setup
program, and bypass the Summary Screen, press F2 instead of Esc).
The Summary Screen is displayed for only a short time.
18

1 Setting Up and Using Your PC
Using the HP Setup Program
Using the HP Setup Program
Use the Setup program to configure your PC (for example: setting up
system and user passwords, installing and upgrading mass storage devices),
and to solve configuration problems.
It is recommended that you take note of any changes to the system setup.
Starting the HP Setup Program
1 Turn on the display and then the PC. If the PC is already turned on, save
your data and exit all programs, then restart the PC.
2 Press F2 while F2 Setup is displayed at the bottom of the screen.
If you fail to press F2 in time and the start-up process continues, you will
need to restart your PC and go through the POST again so you can press
F2.
The opening screen of the PC’s Setup program is displayed. The Main Menu
presents a list of fields, for example, the installed BIOS version or Date and
Time.
A band along the top of the screen offers a list of menus. A menu is selected
by using either the left or right arrow keys.
Main Menu
The Main Menu presents a list of fields, for example, the installed BIOS
version; “Reset Configuration Data”; “System Time”; “System Date”; “Key
Click”; “Key Auto-Repeat Speed”; Delay Before Auto-Repeat” and
“NumLock at Power-on”.
By default the “Reset Configuration Data” item is set to No. Selecting Yes
will clear the system configuration data and return to the default settings.
Advanced Menu
The Advanced Menu offers a list of sub-menus allowing you to:
• Configure memory caching, USB ports, Integrated I/O Ports and
Integrated Audio Devices
• Enable floppy disk drives, IDE devices (Primary and Secondary)
• PCI Devices.
19

1 Setting Up and Using Your PC
Using the HP Setup Program
Security Menu
Sub-menus are presented for changing the characteristics and values of the
System Administrator Password, User Password, Power-on Password, Fixed
Disk Boot Sector and for preventing unauthorized start-up from the Floppy,
CD-ROM and IDE-HDD drives (refer to “Setting Passwords in the HP Setup
Program” on page 21).
Boot Menu
Select the order of the devices from which you want the BIOS to attempt to
boot the operating system. The QuickBoot mode option allows the system
to skip certain tests while booting. This decreases the time needed to boot
the system.
Power Menu
The Network Interface option enables the system to return to normal speed
when a specific command is received by the network interface.
NOTE Setup changes system behavior by modifying the power-on initialization
parameters. Setting incorrect values may cause system boot failure. Should
this occur, press F9 to load the Setup default values to recover.
20