NEC POWERMATE 8100 RELEASE NOTES User manual

High Performance With Manageability For The Networked Enterprise
P
PP
POWER
OWEROWER
OWERM
MM
MATE
ATEATE
ATE®
®®
®
8100 S
8100 S8100 S
8100 SERIES
ERIESERIES
ERIES
USER
USERUSER
USER’
’’
’S GUIDE
S GUIDES GUIDE
S GUIDE

First Printing — December 1999
Copyright 1999
NEC Computers Inc.
8350 Fruitridge Road
Sacramento, CA 95826
All Rights Reserved
Proprietary Notice and Liability Disclaimer
The information disclosed in this document, including all designs and related
materials, is the valuable property of NEC Computers Inc. (hereinafter “NECC”)
and/or its licensors. NECC and/or its licensors, as appropriate, reserve all patent,
copyright and other proprietary rights to this document, including all design,
manufacturing, reproduction, use, and sales rights thereto, except to the extent said
rights are expressly granted to others.
The NECC product(s) discussed in this document are warranted in accordance with
the terms of the Warranty Statement accompanying each product. However, actual
performance of each such product is dependent upon factors such as system
configuration, customer data, and operator control. Since implementation by
customers of each product may vary, the suitability of specific product
configurations and applications must be determined by the customer and is not
warranted by NECC.
To allow for design and specification improvements, the information in this
document is subject to change at any time, without notice. Reproduction of this
document or portions thereof without prior written approval of
NECC is prohibited.
As an ENERGY star partner, NEC Computers Inc. (NECC) has determined that this product
meets the ENERGY star guidelines for energy efficiency.
ENERGY STAR is a U.S. registered trademark.
NEC and PowerMate are registered trademarks of NEC Corporation, used under license.
All other product, brand, or trade names used in this publication are the trademarks or
registered trademarks of their respective trademark owners.

Contents iii
Contents
Using This Guide
Text Conventions..................................................................................... xii
Related Documents................................................................................. xiii
1 Reviewing System Features
Front Features......................................................................................... 1-2
System Controls and Lamps............................................................ 1-3
IR Window..................................................................................... 1-5
Diskette Drive A............................................................................. 1-5
CD-ROM Drive.............................................................................. 1-5
DVD-ROM Drive........................................................................... 1-6
PC Card Adapter............................................................................. 1-6
Tape Backup Unit........................................................................... 1-6
Zip Drive........................................................................................ 1-6
Rear Features.......................................................................................... 1-7
External Connectors........................................................................ 1-8
Power Supply Features.................................................................. 1-11
Inside Features...................................................................................... 1-12
System Board ............................................................................... 1-13
Riser Board .................................................................................. 1-14
AGP Board................................................................................... 1-14
Network Board............................................................................. 1-15
Storage Device Support ................................................................ 1-15
Intellicase Chassis......................................................................... 1-15
Stand.................................................................................................... 1-15
Speakers............................................................................................... 1-16
System Features.................................................................................... 1-17
Hardware...................................................................................... 1-17
Software....................................................................................... 1-18
Preloaded Operating System ................................................. 1-18
NEC Select Install CD.......................................................... 1-18
NEC Driver CD.................................................................... 1-20
Security........................................................................................ 1-20

iv Contents
2 Setting Up the System
Cable Connections...................................................................................2-2
Startup.....................................................................................................2-4
Shutdown ................................................................................................2-4
Power-Saving Operation..........................................................................2-5
System Care ............................................................................................2-6
Protecting Your System From Damage ............................................2-6
Keeping Your System in Good Condition ........................................2-7
Moving or Shipping Your System....................................................2-8
More Information ....................................................................................2-8
3 Configuring the System
Configuration Tools and Utilities .............................................................3-2
BIOS Setup Utility...................................................................................3-4
How to Start BIOS Setup.................................................................3-5
How to Use BIOS Setup ..................................................................3-6
Maintenance Menu..........................................................................3-7
Main Menu......................................................................................3-8
Advanced Menu ............................................................................3-10
Security Menu...............................................................................3-19
Power Menu..................................................................................3-21
Boot Menu ....................................................................................3-22
Exit Menu .....................................................................................3-25
FLASH Utility.......................................................................................3-25
NEC Select Install CD ...........................................................................3-26
Introducing Select Install Options..................................................3-26
Choosing a Program ......................................................................3-27
Rebuilding the Hard Drive and Restoring the Operating System .....3-28
Auto Rebuild and Restore......................................................3-29
Custom Rebuild and Restore..................................................3-32
Restoring the Operating System.....................................................3-36
Installing Applications...................................................................3-38
Using the NEC Select Install CD with a SCSI Drive.......................3-40
Using the Selective Application Restore Program on a
Remote CD................................................................................3-40
NEC Help Center Online Documentation...............................................3-43
Installing the NEC Help Center Online Documentation..................3-43
Uninstalling the NEC Help Center .................................................3-44
NEC Driver CD.....................................................................................3-44
Installing Drivers with the NEC Driver CD....................................3-44
Installing Drivers From a Remote CD............................................3-45
Jumper Settings .....................................................................................3-47

Contents v
System Board Jumper Settings...................................................... 3-47
Changing the Processor Speed .............................................. 3-48
Clearing a Password ............................................................. 3-50
Minitower Riser Board Jumper Settings........................................ 3-51
Enabling LAN on the Minitower Riser Board........................ 3-52
Configuring the System Fan.................................................. 3-53
Hard Drive Jumper Settings.......................................................... 3-53
Seagate Barracuda................................................................ 3-53
Quantum Viking................................................................... 3-54
NEC 32X CD-ROM Drive............................................................ 3-54
Zip Drive Jumpers........................................................................ 3-55
Tape Backup Unit Jumpers ........................................................... 3-55
4 Managing System Resources
System Management Tools...................................................................... 4-2
LANDesk Client Manager....................................................................... 4-4
PC Health Indicator ........................................................................ 4-5
Managing Workstations.......................................................... 4-5
Selecting the PC Health Meter ................................................ 4-5
Monitoring PC Health............................................................. 4-6
Inventory........................................................................................ 4-6
DMI ............................................................................................... 4-7
Monitoring Capabilities .................................................................. 4-7
Using the Chassis Intrusion Notification Feature..................... 4-8
LDCM Admin Function.................................................................. 4-9
Cheyenne Backup................................................................................... 4-9
NEC Security........................................................................................ 4-10
NEC SNMP Agent................................................................................ 4-10
Installing the NEC SNMP Agent................................................... 4-11
Configuring the NEC SNMP Agent for Windows 95 or
Windows 98.............................................................................. 4-11
Configuring the NEC SNMP Agent for Windows NT................... 4-12
NEC WebTelligent ............................................................................... 4-13
NEC WebTelligent Features.......................................................... 4-14
NEC WebTelligent Requirements ................................................. 4-15
NEC WebTelligent Installation ..................................................... 4-16
NEC Configuration Change Notification ............................................... 4-19
NEC Auto Backup Utility...................................................................... 4-20

vi Contents
5 Installing Options
General Rules..........................................................................................5-2
Safety Precautions ...................................................................................5-2
System Unit Cover...................................................................................5-4
Removing the Desktop Cover ..........................................................5-4
Replacing the Desktop Cover...........................................................5-6
Removing the Minitower Cover.......................................................5-7
Replacing the Minitower Cover .......................................................5-9
Chassis Floor.........................................................................................5-11
Removing the Chassis Floor ..........................................................5-11
Replacing the Chassis Floor...........................................................5-12
Removing the Stand.......................................................................5-13
Replacing the Stand.......................................................................5-14
System Board Options ...........................................................................5-15
AGP Board....................................................................................5-16
Removing the AGP Board.....................................................5-16
Replacing the AGP Board......................................................5-17
Adding Video Memory..........................................................5-18
DIMM Upgrade.............................................................................5-18
Checking System Memory.....................................................5-20
Removing a DIMM...............................................................5-21
Installing a DIMM.................................................................5-21
Processor Upgrade.........................................................................5-23
Removing the Processor ........................................................5-23
Installing an Upgrade Processor.............................................5-25
System Board................................................................................5-27
Removing the System Board..................................................5-28
Replacing the System Board..................................................5-29
Expansion Boards..................................................................................5-32
Locating Expansion Slots...............................................................5-33
Installing an Expansion Board .......................................................5-34
Removing an Expansion Board......................................................5-38
Data Storage Devices.............................................................................5-38
Locating Device Slots....................................................................5-39
Preparing the Device......................................................................5-41
Connecting Device Cables.............................................................5-41
Diskette Drive Signal Cable...................................................5-45
IDE Signal Cables.................................................................5-45
Internal SCSI Device Cable...................................................5-45
PC Card Adapter Cable .........................................................5-45
System Power Cables ............................................................5-46
Cabling Storage Devices................................................................5-46
IDE Drive Cabling ................................................................5-46

Contents vii
Diskette Drive Cabling ......................................................... 5-47
PC Card Adapter Cabling ..................................................... 5-48
Internal SCSI Device Cabling............................................... 5-48
Network Board Wake-On LAN Cabling................................ 5-49
Installing Storage Devices............................................................. 5-49
Removing the Desktop Front Panel............................................... 5-50
Replacing the Desktop Front Panel................................................ 5-52
Removing the Minitower Front Panel............................................ 5-53
Replacing the Minitower Front Panel ............................................ 5-55
Installing a 5 1/4-Inch Device........................................................ 5-56
Installing a 3 1/2-Inch Hard Drive................................................. 5-59
6 Solving System Problems
Solutions to Common Problems .............................................................. 6-2
CD-ROM/DVD-ROM Drive Problems............................................ 6-2
Diskette Drive Problems................................................................. 6-4
Keyboard Problems......................................................................... 6-5
Monitor Problems........................................................................... 6-6
Mouse Problems............................................................................. 6-7
Power Management Problems......................................................... 6-7
Speaker Problems........................................................................... 6-8
System Problems ............................................................................ 6-9
How to Clean the Mouse....................................................................... 6-11
Battery Replacement............................................................................. 6-13
How to Get Help................................................................................... 6-15
Help From Your Company............................................................ 6-15
Help From Your NECC Dealer ..................................................... 6-16
Help From NECC Technical Support Center................................. 6-16
NECC Warranty/Non-Warranty Repair Service............................. 6-16
7 Getting Services and Support
NECC Website ....................................................................................... 7-2
NECC FTP Site ...................................................................................... 7-3
Email/Fax Technical Support Service...................................................... 7-3
NECC Technical Support Services .......................................................... 7-4
NECC Customer Assistance Center......................................................... 7-4
A Setting Up a Healthy Work Environment
Making Your Computer Work for You....................................................A-2
Arrange Your Equipment........................................................................A-3
Adjust Your Chair...................................................................................A-4
Adjust Your Input Devices......................................................................A-5

viii Contents
Adjust Your Monitor ..............................................................................A-7
Vary Your Workday ...............................................................................A-8
Pre-existing Conditions and Psychosocial Factors..................................A-10
Checking Your Comfort: How Do You Measure Up?............................A-10
Checking Your Chair....................................................................A-10
Checking Your Keyboard .............................................................A-10
Checking Your Mouse..................................................................A-11
Checking Your Monitor................................................................A-11
Checking You...............................................................................A-11
B System Specifications
System Processor....................................................................................B-2
Processor Support...........................................................................B-3
Processor Socket.............................................................................B-3
Random Access Memory (RAM)............................................................B-3
Cache Memory.......................................................................................B-3
Read Only Memory (ROM) ....................................................................B-3
Calendar Clock.......................................................................................B-4
Input/Output (I/O) Facilities....................................................................B-4
Video Memory........................................................................................B-5
Sound System.........................................................................................B-6
Fax/Modem Board..................................................................................B-7
Network Board.......................................................................................B-8
Peripherals..............................................................................................B-9
Hard Drive .....................................................................................B-9
Diskette Drive ..............................................................................B-10
CD-ROM Drive............................................................................B-11
DVD-ROM Drive.........................................................................B-15
PC Card Adapter ..........................................................................B-15
Zip Drive......................................................................................B-16
Tape Backup Unit.........................................................................B-17
Speakers.......................................................................................B-17
Power...................................................................................................B-17
Operating Environment.........................................................................B-17
Dimensions and Weights.......................................................................B-18
Desktop System Unit....................................................................B-18
Minitower System Unit.................................................................B-18
Keyboard......................................................................................B-18
Compliance ..........................................................................................B-18

Contents ix
C Questions and Answers
Boot Questions .......................................................................................C-2
BIOS Questions......................................................................................C-4
Monitor Questions ..................................................................................C-5
Multimedia Questions.............................................................................C-6
CD-ROM Drive or DVD-ROM Drive Questions .....................................C-7
Mouse Questions.....................................................................................C-7
Power Management Questions ................................................................C-8
System Security Questions......................................................................C-9
Memory Questions................................................................................C-11
Modem Questions.................................................................................C-11
Miscellaneous Questions.......................................................................C-11
Glossary
Index
Regulatory Statements

Using This Guide xi
Using This Guide
The PowerMate 8100 Series User’s Guide provides a comprehensive
reference to information about your computer.
The guide contains the following information:

Chapter 1, Reviewing System Features, provides a look at the front,
rear, internal, and peripheral features of the system. It also gives a
summary of the system’s hardware and software, and security
features.
The chapter includes a quick-reference chart for finding information
described more fully later in the document.

Chapter 2, Setting Up the System, explains how to set up, start up, and
shut down the system. It also provides information on installing
applications, and tips on caring for the system.

Chapter 3, Configuring the System, describes how to use the software
utilities shipped with your system, including the BIOS Setup Utility,
the NEC Select Install CD, and the NEC Driver CD. It also provides
detailed information on jumpering devices in the system.

Chapter 4, Managing System Resources, describes the utilities that
allow you to identify and control system and networked resources. See
this chapter for information about LANDesk™Client Manager, NEC
WebTelligent™, the NEC SNMP Agent, the Cheyenne Backup utility,
and NEC Security.

Chapter 5, Installing Options, provides detailed installation procedures
for internal options.

Chapter 6, Solving System Problems, contains troubleshooting tips for
solving simple problems and describes how to find help when you
cannot solve a problem yourself.

Chapter 7, Getting Services and Support, describes the services
available to you for information and help, and describes how to access
the services.

xii Using This Guide

Appendix A, Setting Up a Healthy Work Environment, contains
guidelines to help you use your computer productively and safely.
This appendix also instructs you on how to set up and use your
computer to reduce your risk of developing nerve, muscle, or tendon
disorders.
Prolonged or improper use of a computer
workstation may pose a risk of serious injury. To reduce your risk of injury,
set up and use your computer in the manner described in Appendix A,
Setting Up a Healthy Work Environment.

Appendix B, System Specifications, provides a technical description
of your computer and its components.

Appendix C, Questions and Answers, provides answers to questions
frequently asked about the system.
Text Conventions
This guide uses the following text conventions.

Warnings, cautions, and notes have the following meanings:
Warnings alert you to situations that could result
in serious personal injury or loss of life.
Cautions indicate situations that can damage the
hardware or software.
Note Notes give important information about the material being
described.

Names of keyboard keys are printed as they appear on the keyboard,
for example, Ctrl, Alt, or Enter.

Text or keystrokes that you enter appear in boldface type. For
example, type abc123 and press Enter.

Using This Guide xiii
Related Documents
In addition to this guide, the following printed documentation ships with
your computer.

NEC PowerMate 8100 Series Quick Setup/Quick Reference
The Quick Setup shows how to quickly get the system connected and
powered on.
The Quick Reference briefly describes the documentation, NECC
tools and utilities, software applications, and services available with
the NEC PowerMate®8100 Series computer.

How Does Your Workplace Measure Up?
This brochure provides information for setting up and using the
computer productively and safely. Information includes guidelines to
reduce the risk of injury associated with using a computer.

NEC PowerMate 8100 Series Release Notes
Release Notes provide additional information about the computer that
was not available at the time the user’s guide was printed.
Your system comes with the following online documentation on the NEC
Select Install CD:

NEC Help Center
The NEC Help Center is an online version of the printed user’s guide.
It provides information about your system under the following topics:
System Tour, System Information, System Upgrades, Service and
Support, and Reference.

Healthy Environment
This is an online help file that complements the “How Does Your
Workplace Measure Up?”brochure.
In addition to the documentation that ships with the system, the following
documentation is available from NECC:

NEC PowerMate 8100 Series Service and Reference Manual
This manual provides information for maintaining, troubleshooting,
and repairing the computer. This manual also includes hardware and
interface information for programmers, engineers, and others who
need to know how the system is designed.

xiv Using This Guide
To purchase the service and reference manual, call
NECC at 1-800-632-4525 (in the U.S. and Canada) or your local
NECC sales provider (outside the U.S. and Canada).
Service and reference manuals are also available from the NECC
website (see Chapter 7).

1
Reviewing System Features
!Front Features
!Inside Features
!Rear Features
!Stand
!Speakers
!System Features

1-2 Reviewing System Features
Prolonged or improper use of a computer
workstation may pose a risk of serious injury. To reduce your risk of injury,
set up and use the computer in the manner described in Appendix A,
“Setting Up a Healthy Work Environment.”
This chapter highlights system hardware and software, and describes the
security features of the system.
For more information about using system features, see Chapter 3,
“Configuring the System” and Chapter 4, “Managing System Resources.”
Front Features
The following figures show the features on the front of the system. A
brief description follows the figures.
Front features - desktop models
A– Power Button E– Disk Lamp
B– B - Suspend Button F– IR Window
C– C - Reset Button G– CD-ROM Drive
D– Power Lamp H– Diskette Drive

Reviewing System Features 1-3
Front features - minitower models
A– Diskette Drive F– Disk Lamp
B– CD-ROM Drive G– Disk Lamp
C– Stand H– Reset Button
D– IR Window I– Power Button
E– Suspend Button
System Controls and Lamps
System controls let you select specific system operations. Lamps let you
know the status of system operation. The previous figures show the
controls and lamps on the front of the system.
!Power button
Press this button to turn on the system power. Press it again to turn off
the power.

1-4 Reviewing System Features
!Suspend button
Press this button to suspend system operation when you plan to be
away from your computer for a short time. Press any key or move
your mouse to resume system operation at the point where you
stopped it.
An amber system unit power lamp indicates that the system is in a
power-saving mode.
If you have a VESA-compliant monitor, your monitor also goes into a
power-saving mode.
!Reset button
Use the reset button to restart your computer after it is powered on.
You might need to restart your system if your system power is on and
the computer is not running properly.
Resetting your system can result in the loss of
data. Press the reset button only when all other methods of restarting your
computer fail.
!Power lamp
The power lamp indicates whether system power is on or off. It also
lets you know if the system is operating in a power-saving mode.
A steady green lamp indicates that the power is on to all system
components. An amber lamp indicates that the system is in Suspend
mode with full-power reduction.
!Disk lamp
A lit disk lamp indicates that the hard drive is active. The green lamp
tells you that the hard drive is reading or writing data.
Do not turn off the system unless absolutely
necessary while the disk lamp is lit. To do so can damage your hard drive
or data.

Reviewing System Features 1-5
IR Window
The IR (infrared) window is the system's IR port. The IR port supports
two-way wireless communications. The interface uses infrared as the
transmission medium instead of a traditional cable.
The IR port lets you transfer files to or from portable devices such as
laptops and personal digital assistant (PDA) products using application
software supporting IrDA data transfer.
With the addition of an IrDA software package, you can transfer data at
speeds of up to 115 kilobytes per second (Kbps) and at distances up to
3 feet from the IR window.
Diskette Drive A
Use diskette drive A to copy data files to and from a diskette. You can
also use it as a bootable drive for loading and starting programs from a
diskette.
To prevent damage to your diskette drive and
data, do not turn off the system or remove a diskette while the diskette
drive busy lamp is lit.
CD-ROM Drive
Some models come with a 32X or 40X Max variable CD-ROM drive. Use
the CD-ROM drive to load and start programs from a compact disc (CD).
You can also use the CD-ROM drive to play your audio CDs.
Note You can boot your system from the CD-ROM drive with a
bootable CD. To enable the system to boot from the CD-ROM drive, see
“Boot Menu” in Chapter 4.
The CD-ROM drive operates at different speeds depending on whether
the CD you are using contains data or music. This allows you to get your
data faster and to see smoother animation and video.

1-6 Reviewing System Features
DVD-ROM Drive
Some models come with a 5X digital video disc (DVD)-ROM drive. The
drive offers many improvements over the standard CD-ROM technology,
including superior video and audio playback, faster data access, and
greater storage capacities. The DVD-ROM drive uses DVD technology to
read DVD discs as well as standard audio and video CDs.
PC Card Adapter
If your system has a PC card adapter, you can add PC cards to the system.
A PC card is inserted into a PC card slot much as a diskette is inserted in a
diskette drive, but each type of PC card has a different function. One PC
card adapter lets you add a number of capabilities to your system with a
variety of PC cards.
Tape Backup Unit
Some systems come with a tape backup unit. If your system has a tape
backup unit, you can use it to quickly back up all or part of your system's
files to a high-capacity tape cartridge. Backup software helps you tailor
the backup process to protect your files and applications. Files are
compressed during the backup process to conserve space and to speed up
the process.
Zip Drive
Some models come with a Zip®drive. Use the Zip drive to back up work,
archive old files, and transport your work. Store up to 100 MB of data on
a 3 1/2-inch Zip disk.

Reviewing System Features 1-7
Rear Features
On the back of your computer, you'll find external connectors, power
supply features, and expansion board slots. The following figures show
these features.
Rear features - desktop models
A– Expansion Slots F– Audio Connectors
B– Network Board G– USB Ports
C– Mouse Port H– Serial Port 2
D– Printer Port I– Keyboard Port
E– VGA Monitor Connector J– Serial Port 1