NEC VERSA 2205C User manual

First Printing — February 1996
Copyright 1996 Copyright 1996
NEC Technologies, Inc. NEC Corporation
1414 Massachusetts Avenue 7-1 Shiba 5-Chome, Minato-Ku
Boxborough, MA 01719 Tokyo 108-01, Japan
All Rights Reserved 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 Corporation (NEC) and/or its licensors.
NEC 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 NEC 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 NEC.
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 NEC is prohibited.
Versa is a U.S. registered trademark of NEC Corporation.
All other product, brand, or trade names used in this publication are the trademarks or
registered trademarks of their respective trademark owners.

Using This Guide vii
Using This Guide
This Versa® 2205C Notebook User’s Guide contains in-
formation on using your notebook computer. Read the fol-
lowing chapters to find out more about the system.
■Chapter 1 introduces the computer, its features, and how
to care for it.
■Chapter 2 explains how to use the NEC Versa 2205C
hardware.
■Chapter 3 describes the software that comes with your
NEC Versa 2205C.
■Chapter 4 discusses traveling with your NEC Versa
2205C.
■Chapter 5 gives you a checklist to follow if you have
problems with the NEC Versa 2205C. Common prob-
lems and their solutions are also included.
■Chapter 6 provides a list of numbers for NEC customer
support services.
!
WARNING
Prolonged or improper use of a computer worksta-
tion 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.

viii Using This Guide
■Appendix A, Setting Up a Healthy Work Environment,
contains guidelines to help you use your computer pro-
ductively 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.
■Appendix B, Specifications and Environment, provides
system specifications and environment recommenda-
tions.
■Appendix C, Modem Commands, Registers, and Codes,
lists commands, registers and return codes for network
communication use via the internal modem (or an op-
tional PC card modem).
TEXT SETUP
To make this guide as easy to use as possible, text is set up
in the following ways.
■Warnings, cautions, and notes have the following
meanings:
!
WARNING
Warnings alert you to situations that could result in
serious personal injury or loss of life.
!
CAUTION
Cautions indicate situations that can damage the
system hardware or software.

Using This Guide ix
NOTE
Notes give particularly important information
about whatever is being described.
TIP: Tips give helpful hints about getting the
most out of your system.
■Names of keys are printed as they appear on the key-
board, for example, Ctrl, Alt, or Enter.
■Text that you have to type or keys that you must press
are presented in bold type. For example, type DIR and
press Enter.
RELATED DOCUMENTS
In addition to this guide, a number of other documents ship
with your Versa system, including:
■The NEC Versa 2205C Notebook Quick Setup shows
you how to set up your system after you unpack it.
■
The Versa 2200 Series Notebook Quick Reference
Guide contains brief descriptions of function keys,
LEDs, NEC help telephone numbers and troubleshooting
tips.
Tuck this card inside the closed notebook when you take
it with you. The card is designed as a quick, portable
reference to frequently-used functions.

Contents iii
Contents
Using This Guide
Text Setup ............................................................... viii
Related Documents................................................... ix
1 Getting to Know Your NEC Versa 2205C
Around the System................................................... 1-2
Front................................................................... 1-2
LCD Screen................................................... 1-2
Brightness Control.......................................... 1-2
Switches......................................................... 1-3
LEDs............................................................. 1-4
Keyboard....................................................... 1-5
NEC VersaGlide ............................................ 1-7
Rear.................................................................... 1-8
Left Side ............................................................. 1-9
Right Side........................................................... 1-10
Underside............................................................ 1-11
System Care............................................................. 1-12
Precautions ......................................................... 1-12
Storage Requirements.......................................... 1-13
Routine Cleaning................................................. 1-13
2 Learning to Use the Hardware
Powering Your NEC Versa....................................... 2-1
AC Adapter......................................................... 2-1
Battery Pack ....................................................... 2-2
Removing the Battery Pack.................................. 2-3
Keyboard................................................................. 2-4
The NEC VersaGlide................................................ 2-6
Personalized Modes............................................. 2-7
Pointer Size, Speed.............................................. 2-7
Ergonomics......................................................... 2-7

iv Contents
Options and PC Card Expansion............................... 2-7
Hard Disk ........................................................... 2-8
Memory Expansion ............................................. 2-9
External Monitor................................................. 2-11
Printer................................................................. 2-12
Parallel Devices.............................................. 2-13
Serial Devices ................................................ 2-15
External Keyboard .............................................. 2-18
Mouse................................................................. 2-17
Internal Modem................................................... 2-19
PCMCIA ............................................................ 2-20
NEC Versa MediaDock 2000 .............................. 2-22
NEC Versa MiniDock 2000................................. 2-22
3 About the Software
Windows Introduction .............................................. 3-1
Windows 95........................................................ 3-1
Guide to Online Help................................................ 3-3
NEC Versa 2205C InfoCenter............................. 3-3
Additional Topics................................................ 3-4
Guide to NEC Utilities ............................................. 3-5
Distribution Diskette Creator............................... 3-5
PowerCenter ....................................................... 3-5
Preference Tools Utility....................................... 3-5
NEC Battery Gauge ............................................ 3-5
PhDisk................................................................ 3-6
Auto Setup Utility ............................................... 3-6
Using Auto Setup........................................... 3-6
4 Traveling with Your NEC Versa 2205C
Power Connections................................................... 4-2
Checklists ................................................................ 4-3
What to Take ...................................................... 4-3
Things to Do....................................................... 4-3

Contents v
5 Solving Problems
Problem Checklist .................................................... 5-1
Start-Up Problems.................................................... 5-3
POST Error Messages......................................... 5-4
If You Need Assistance ............................................ 5-6
6 Getting Help
A Setting Up a Healthy Work Environment
Making Your Computer Work for You..................... A-1
Arrange Your Equipment.......................................... A-3
Adjust Your Chair.................................................... A-3
Adjust Your Input Devices ....................................... A-4
Adjust Your Screen or Monitor................................. A-5
Vary Your Workday................................................. A-6
Pre-Existing Conditions and Psychosocial Factors..... A-7
B Specifications and Environment
C Modem Commands, Registers, and Codes
AT Commands.................................................... C-1
S Registers.......................................................... C-8
Result Codes....................................................... C-10

vi Contents

Getting to Know Your NEC Versa 2205C 1-1
Getting to Know Your
NEC Versa 2205C
!
WARNING
Prolonged or improper use of a computer worksta-
tion 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.
After completing the steps in the Quick Setup sheet that
comes with your computer, your NEC Versa™ 2205C is
ready to go! It’s packed with features to make your work
experience fun and productive. To get started, look at the
following:
■Read Appendix A, Setting Up a Healthy Work Envi-
ronment, for guidelines that help you use your computer
productively and safely. Information includes how to set
up and use your computer to reduce your risk of devel-
oping nerve, muscle, or tendon disorders.
■Take the online System Tour to get acquainted with the
NEC Versa 2205C. (The System Tour is located in the
Windows NEC Information group under the NEC Versa
2205C InfoCenter.)
■Wander through the online system Basics. (Basics is in
the Windows 95 NEC Versa 2205C InfoCenter group.)
■Flip through this guide to familiarize yourself with the
NEC Versa 2205C.
1

1-2 Getting to Know Your NEC Versa 2205C
AROUND THE SYSTEM
The NEC Versa 2205C is light and compact with features
all around it.
Front Take a look at the front of the NEC Versa 2205C.
Front of system
LCD Screen
Your NEC Versa 2205C comes with a 9.5-inch color TFT
(Thin Film Transistor) active-matrix display.
Brightness Control
You can adjust the screen backlight brightness with the
control slide switch located on the side of the screen.

Getting to Know Your NEC Versa 2205C 1-3
Switches
The NEC Versa 2205C has the following switches:
Reset — This recessed switch resets the system if the NEC
Versa does not respond to keyboard input or VersaGlide
movement. This is an alternative to powering down the
system and restarting it. (Use a non-metallic pointed object
to press the switch.)

1-4 Getting to Know Your NEC Versa 2205C
Power — Slide to turn on; slide right again to turn off.
Power Management — Press the switch down to turn
Power Management on; press again to turn it off.
Suspend/Resume — Press the switch down for Suspend
mode; press again to resume active mode.
LEDs
The NEC Versa 2205C has several LED lights to let you
know what’s happening on your system.
Power Management — Green when On; no color when
Off; blinking green when the system is in Suspend mode.

Getting to Know Your NEC Versa 2205C 1-5
Battery/AC Power Status — There are several light indi-
cators.
BATTERY
STATUS LED
AC Powered Green
50% to 100% charged Green
25% to 49% charged Yellow
10% to 24% charged Red
0% to 9% charged Blinking Red
Charging Blinking Green
Powered off No color
Diskette — Green when the NEC Versa 2205C is writing
data to or retrieving from the diskette in the diskette drive.
Hard Disk — Green when the NEC Versa is writing data to
or retrieving from the system’s hard disk.
Num Lock — Green is On; no color is Off.
Caps Lock — Green is On; no color is Off.
Scroll Lock — Green is On; no color is Off.
Keyboard
The NEC Versa 2205C keyboard is equipped with many
features, including:
■Function keys
■Windows 95 keys
■Typewriter keys
■Cursor control keys
■Numeric keypad
■Control keys.

1-6 Getting to Know Your NEC Versa 2205C
Function keys — The Fn (Function) key activates the
functions printed in blue on keys having dual functions.
Press and hold the Fn key and the desired function key
simultaneously.
The applications that you run determine how these keys
function. See the user’s guides for the applications.
Function key combinations —
Highlight
+
F2
Fn
Highlight On/Off
LCD/CRT
+
F3
Fn
LCD/CRT/Both
Backlight
+
F5
Fn
Backlight On/Off
Speaker
+
F6
Fn
Speaker Volume On/Off
P/M Lev
+
F7
Fn
Power Management (P/M)
Longest Battery Life/Maximum
Performance/Personal Setup/
Off
F12
ScrLock
Fn +
Scroll Lock On/Off
Windows 95 keys — Within Windows 95, you can use the
following two key combinations to facilitate your work.
 Fn + x – Quick access to shortcut menus
 Fn + z – Displays the Start menu
Typewriter keys — The typewriter keys (also called al-
phanumeric keys) are used almost exactly as on a type-
writer. Those that behave differently do so when combined
with control keys or function keys.

Getting to Know Your NEC Versa 2205C 1-7
Cursor control keys — Cursor control keys let you posi-
tion the cursor on the screen wherever you want. On the
screen, the cursor is a blinking underline, block, or pointer,
depending on the application. It indicates where the next
text type will be inserted.
Numeric keypad — Pressing the Num Lock on the key-
board activates the numeric keypad on your Veresa 2205C
when an external keyboard is not connected. The numeric
keys are printed in blue. The keypad lets you type numbers
and mathematical operands (+, -) as you would on a calcu-
lator. The keypad is ideal for entering long lists of numbers.
Control keys — Control keys include Ctrl, Alt, Fn, and
Shift. They are used in conjunction with other keys to
change their functions. To use these control keys, press and
hold the Ctrl key while pressing another key. For example,
“press Ctrl c” means to hold down the Ctrl key and type
the letter c. How the key combination works depends on
the applications you are running. Other control keys include
Num Lock, Scroll Lock, Ins, Del, Home, End, PgUp,
and PgDn.
NEC VersaGlide
This is the mechanism by which you control the pointer on
the screen with your finger. It serves the same function as
the mouse or trackball on other systems. For more informa-
tion on the VersaGlide, see “Learning to Use the Hard-
ware.”

1-8 Getting to Know Your NEC Versa 2205C
Rear The rear of the system has ports for connecting your NEC
Versa 2205C to other devices, like a printer or an external
mouse, and power sources.
Rear of system
Keyboard and Mouse Port — Use the standard PS/2 port
to connect an external PS/2 mouse or an external PS/2 key-
board. If you want to connect both, use the optional NEC
Versa Y Adapter. (See the online NEC Versa 2205C Op-
tions Catalog.)
Serial Port — Use this to connect an external modem or a
serial printer. You can tell that it’s serial by looking at the
cable. A serial cable has a 9-pin connector.
Parallel Port — Use to connect a parallel printer, tape
drive, or CD-ROM reader. A parallel device has a 25-pin
cable connector.
Docking Connector — Use this connector to attach the
NEC Versa 2205C to a MiniDock 2000 or MediaDock
2000 to further expand your options.

Getting to Know Your NEC Versa 2205C 1-9
Video Port — Use this 15-pin connector port to attached
an external CRT monitor to your NEC Versa. You can run
both the LCD display and the external monitor simultane-
ously, or each alone.
AC Power Jack — Use the power jack to attach the NEC
Versa 2205C to an AC power source such as the AC
adapter or the optional car adapter.
Left Side The left side of your NEC Versa 2205C has two slots for
PC cards, a port for an internal modem, and a hard disk
drive compartment.
Left side
PC Card Slots — PCMCIA is a standard interface for pe-
ripheral devices like fax/modems, local area network (LAN)
cards, storage cards, and pagers. A PC card is about the
size and shape of a credit card and inserts into one of the
two slots.

1-10 Getting to Know Your NEC Versa 2205C
Modem Port — The NEC Versa 2205C has an internal
modem. Attach the modem cable that came with the system
to your system and a telephone line.
Hard Disk Drive — The NEC Versa 2205C hard disk drive
is removable. You can exchange hard disks in the NEC
Versa 2205C.
Right Side On the right side of the NEC Versa 2205C is a diskette
drive and a compartment for the removable battery.
Right side
Diskette Drive — You can save your files to diskette and
install software from diskette using the diskette drive, called
drive A.
Battery — On the front side is the removable Lithium Ion
(Li-Ion) battery.

Getting to Know Your NEC Versa 2205C 1-11
Underside Every inch of the NEC Versa 2205C has a purpose — even
the underside! Turn your system upside down. You’ll see
three compartments. The small compartment is for expan-
sion memory modules. Another compartment contains the
Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) battery. The battery release latch re-
leases the battery. There is also a compartment for the in-
ternal data/fax modem.
Bottom of system
NOTE
There is a small compartment in the center of
the underside that contains the CMOS battery. You
should not attempt to remove this battery.

1-12 Getting to Know Your NEC Versa 2205C
SYSTEM CARE
The NEC Versa 2205C is a durable, dependable system
built for extensive use and travel. Follow these guidelines to
maintain the condition and performance of your computer.
Precautions Follow these precautions when using your NEC Versa
2205C and the AC adapter.
■Avoid dropping or bumping the computer or the AC
adapter.
■Do not stack heavy objects on the computer.
■Avoid moving the NEC Versa 2205C during system op-
eration, especially while the hard disk or diskette drive is
being accessed.
■When using the AC adapter, make sure the power source
falls within the system’s compatible range of 100–240
volts AC. Never use the AC adapter if the voltage falls
outside of this range. (Watch for this when traveling to
foreign countries.)
■Turn computer power off before attaching or removing
non-plug and play devices.
■Avoid using the computer or AC adapter for extended
periods in direct sunlight.
■Do not use the system in humid or dusty environments.
■Avoid exposing the NEC Versa 2205C or AC adapter to
extreme changes in temperature or humidity. If it is un-
avoidable, allow your NEC Versa to adjust to room
temperature before using.
■When cleaning the system, use a soft, clean, dry cloth.
Avoid wiping the display surface with abrasive material,
including a rough cloth.