NEC VERSA 4000 BATTERY CHARGER WITH AC ADAPTER User manual

PROPRIETARY NOTICEAND 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.
NEC Versa is a trademark of NEC Corporation.
All other product, brand, or trade names used in this publication are trademarks or registered
trademarks of their respective trademark owners.
First Printing — July 1995
Copyright 1995 Copyright 1995
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

Using this Guide vii
Using this Guide
The NEC Versa™ 4000 Series User’s Guide contains
information about using your portable laptop computer.
Read the following chapters to find out more about your
NEC Versa 4000.
■Chapter 1 introduces the NEC Versa 4000, its features,
and care.
■Chapter 2 explains how to use the NEC Versa 4000
hardware.
■Chapter 3 describes the software that comes with your
NEC Versa 4000.
■Chapter 4 gives you useful information about traveling
with your notebook computer.
■Chapter 5 gives you a checklist to follow if you have
problems with the NEC Versa 4000. Common problems
and solutions are included.
■Chapter 6 provides a list of numbers for NEC customer
support services.
!
WARNING
Prolonged or improper use of a computer work-
station 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 provides system specifications and envi-
ronmental requirements.
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
format:
!
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.
NOTE
Notes give particularly important information
about whatever is being described.

Using this Guide ix
■Names of keys are printed as they appear on the key-
board, for example, Ctrl, Alt, or Enter.
■Text that you must 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, other documents ship with your
Versa system, including the following:
■The NEC Versa 4000 Series Quick Setup shows how to
set up and start your system after you unpack it.
■The NEC Versa 4000 Quick Reference Card contains
brief descriptions of function keys, LCDs, NEC help
telephone numbers and troubleshooting tips.
Tuck this card inside the 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
Getting to Know Your NEC Versa 4000
Around the System................................................... 1-2
Front................................................................... 1-2
LCD Panel..................................................... 1-2
Controls and Microphone ............................... 1-3
Status Icons ................................................... 1-5
Keyboard....................................................... 1-6
Infrared Port .................................................. 1-8
NEC VersaGlide ............................................ 1-8
Diskette Drive and the NEC VersaBay II........ 1-8
Back ................................................................... 1-8
Left Side ............................................................. 1-10
Right Side........................................................... 1-11
Bottom................................................................ 1-12
System Care............................................................. 1-13
Precautions ......................................................... 1-13
Storage Requirements.......................................... 1-14
Routine Cleaning................................................. 1-15
2 Using the Hardware
Powering Your NEC Versa.................................. 2-1
AC Adapter.................................................... 2-1
Bridge Battery................................................ 2-3
Battery Pack .................................................. 2-3
Replacing the Battery Pack............................. 2-4
DC Car Adapter............................................. 2-8
Keyboard............................................................ 2-8
The NEC VersaGlide Touchpad .......................... 2-10
Touchpad Adjustments................................... 2-11

iv Contents
Ergonomics.................................................... 2-11
Options and PC Card Expansion............................... 2-12
Hard Disk ........................................................... 2-12
Memory Expansion ............................................. 2-15
VersaBay II......................................................... 2-19
External Monitor................................................. 2-22
Printer................................................................. 2-23
Parallel Devices.............................................. 2-23
Serial Devices ................................................ 2-25
External Keyboard .............................................. 2-26
Mouse................................................................. 2-28
External Bar Code Scanner.................................. 2-29
External Audio Options....................................... 2-30
PC Cards ............................................................ 2-31
Docking the NEC Versa 4000.............................. 2-32
NEC Versa PortBar 4000............................... 2-32
NEC Versa Docking Station 4000 .................. 2-33
3 Understanding the Software
Windows Introduction .............................................. 3-1
Windows ’95....................................................... 3-2
Windows for Workgroups ................................... 3-2
DOS Introduction..................................................... 3-3
Guide to Online Help................................................ 3-4
NEC Versa 4000 InfoCenter................................ 3-4
Additional Topics................................................ 3-5
Guide to NEC Utilities ............................................. 3-5
Distribution Diskette Creator............................... 3-6
Setup Utility........................................................ 3-6
Using Setup.................................................... 3-6
Other Software......................................................... 3-7
The PowerPanel .................................................. 3-8
TranXit............................................................... 3-8
CardWizard ........................................................ 3-9
Taxi and OAG .................................................... 3-9
ESS Audio.......................................................... 3-9

Contents v
4 Traveling with Your NEC Versa 4000
Power Connections................................................... 4-1
Checklists ................................................................ 4-2
What to Take ...................................................... 4-2
Things to Do....................................................... 4-3
5 Solving Problems
Problem Checklist .................................................... 5-1
Start-Up Problems.................................................... 5-3
POST Error Messages......................................... 5-3
If You Need Assistance ............................................ 5-6
Direct Technical Support..................................... 5-6
Remote Technical Support................................... 5-7
Features......................................................... 5-8
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

Getting to Know Your NEC Versa 4000 1-1
Getting to Know Your
NEC Versa 4000
!
WARNING
Prolonged or improper use of a computer work-
station 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™ 4000 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 Environ-
ment, 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 4000. (The System Tour is in the Windows
NEC Information group under the NEC Versa 4000
InfoCenter.)
■Wander through the online system Basics. (Basics is in
the Windows NEC Information group under the NEC
Versa 4000 InfoCenter.)
■Flip through this guide to familiarize yourself with the
NEC Versa.
1

1-2 Getting to Know Your NEC Versa 4000
AROUND THE SYSTEM
The NEC Versa 4000 is light and compact with features on
every side.
Front First, look at the front of the NEC Versa 4000.
The front
LCD Panel
Your NEC Versa 4000 comes with a 10.4-inch Dual-Scan
Super-Twisted Nematic (DSTN) color display, a 10.4-inch
High-Resolution color display, or a 10.1-inch color Thin
Film Transistor (TFT) active-matrix display. In addition to
the screen, the display panel offers a number of other fea-
tures. They include the features shown next and described
after the figure.

Getting to Know Your NEC Versa 4000 1-3
LCD panel features
■Built-in Stereo Speakers — positioned to play stereo
sound from your system.
■Brightness Control — a slide switch to adjust the screen
backlight brightness.
■Contrast Control — a slide switch to adjust the contrast
on the screen (DSTN screens only).
Controls and Microphone
NEC Versa 4000 controls and the built-in microphone are
shown in the following figure. These features are described
after the figure.
Speaker
Speaker
Brightness Control

1-4 Getting to Know Your NEC Versa 4000
Controls and microphone
■Microphone — allows you to record monophonic sound
directly into your notebook computer.
■Power LED
 Lights green when the system is powered on.
 Blinks green when the system is in Suspend mode.
 Blinks yellow to indicate that battery power is low.
■Suspend Button — press the Suspend button to put the
unit into Suspend mode or to resume operation mode.
■LCD Panel Sensor— senses when the LCD panel is
closed and turns off the panel.
■Power Button — slide the power button to power on and
off the notebook computer.
Microphone Power LED
Suspend Button
Power Button
LCD Panel Sensor

Getting to Know Your NEC Versa 4000 1-5
Status Icons
The NEC Versa 4000 has several LCD icons that show you
the system status.
■Suspend — appears when the system is in Suspend
mode.
■Power Management — shows the current power man-
agement mode in use.
■Diskette — appears when the NEC Versa writes data to
or retrieves data from a diskette.
■Hard Disk — shows when the NEC Versa writes data to
or retrieves data from the system’s hard disk.
■Caps Lock — appears when caps lock is in effect.
■Scroll Lock — shows that scroll lock is in effect.
■Num Lock — appears when Num Lock mode is active.
Suspend
Power Management
Diskette Drive Access
Hard Disk Drive Access
Caps Lock
Scroll Lock
Num Lock
Batter
y

1-6 Getting to Know Your NEC Versa 4000
■Battery Status — displays the battery pack charge
status. If you have two battery packs installed, two bat-
tery icons appear.
 4 bars indicate a 76 – 100% charge
 3 bars indicate a 51 – 75% charge
 2 bars indicate a 26 – 50% charge
 1 bar indicates a 1 – 25% charge.
The first and third bars on the battery gauge flash to in-
dicate an unknown battery status. To correct the read-
ing, recharge your battery for 8 hours. If the battery is
new and still shows an unknown status, contact the
dealer from whom you purchased the battery.
Keyboard
The NEC Versa 4000 keyboard is equipped with many
features, including the following. (For more details about
keyboard features, see Chapter 2 of this guide and the on-
line information found in the NEC Versa 4000 InfoCenter.)
■Function keys — Function (Fn) key combinations acti-
vate the functions printed in blue on keys with dual
functions. Press the Fn key and a function key at the
same time. For example, to adjust the speaker volume
press and hold Fn while you press and hold F6.
Applications that you run determine what the key
functions do. See the application user guide for
information about how these keys function.
The following function key combinations are prepro-
grammed for the NEC Versa 4000.
Highlight
+
F2
Fn
Highlight
LCD/CRT
+
F3
Fn
LCD/CRT

Getting to Know Your NEC Versa 4000 1-7
Backlight
+
F5
Fn
Backlight
Speaker
+
F6
Fn
System Speaker Volume
P/M Lev
+
F7
Fn
Power Management (P/M)
F12
ScrLock
Fn +
Scroll Lock On/Off
■
Typewriter keys — The typewriter keys (also called al-
phanumeric keys) are used almost exactly as those on a
typewriter. Keys that behave differently do so when
combined with control keys or function keys.
■Cursor control keys — Cursor control keys let you po-
sition the cursor on the screen wherever you want. On
the screen, the cursor is a blinking underline, block or
pointer, depending on the application. The cursor shows
where the text typed next will appear.
■Numeric keypad — Pressing Num Lock activates the
numeric keypad when no external keyboard or scanner is
connected. The numeric keys are printed in blue. The
keypad lets you type numbers and mathematical oper-
ands (+, –) as you would on a calculator. 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 control keys, press and
hold the control key while pressing another key. For ex-
ample, “press Ctrl c” means to hold down the Ctrl key
and type the letter c. How the key combination works
depends on the application you are running. Other con-
trol keys include Num Lock, Scroll Lock, and Ins. (For
detailed descriptions, see the online information.)

1-8 Getting to Know Your NEC Versa 4000
Infrared Port
The infrared (IR) ports on your system let your NEC
Versa 4000 communicate with other devices having infrared
ports. For example, you can easily transfer files between
your NEC Versa and an IR-equipped desktop or print to an
IR-equipped printer without using cables.
These ports are Serial-Infrared (S-IR), IrDA compatible.
A second infrared port is located on the back of your note-
book system. When your NEC Versa ships, the back port is
enabled and the front port is disabled. When you dock your
system, the back IR port is automatically disabled and the
front IR port is enabled.
NEC VersaGlide
The NEC VersaGlide touchpad gives you control of the
pointer on the screen and replaces the mouse usually used
with computers. The VersaGlide touchpad is described in
detail in Chapter 2, Learning to Use the Hardware.
Diskette Drive and the NEC VersaBay II
A 1.44-MB diskette drive comes installed in the NEC
VersaBay II on the front of your system. You can save your
files to diskette and install software from diskette using the
diskette drive, called drive A.
The VersaBay II lets you install many other options, includ-
ing an optional CD-ROM reader, a second battery pack, or
an additional hard disk drive.
VersaBay II release latches are on the bottom of the unit.
Back The back of the system has ports for connecting your NEC
Versa 4000 to other devices, like a printer, an external
mouse, and power sources.

Getting to Know Your NEC Versa 4000 1-9
Back system features
■Keyboard and Mouse Port — Use the standard PS/2
port to connect an external PS/2-style mouse or a PS/2-
style keyboard to the system. With an optional Y-cable
adapter, you can connect both a mouse and a keyboard
at the same time.
■Serial Port — Use this port to connect an external mo-
dem or other serial device. A serial cable has a 9-pin
connector.
■Enhanced Parallel Port — Use this port to connect a
parallel printer or other parallel device. A parallel cable
has a 25-pin cable connector.
■Monitor (Video) Port — Use this 15-pin connector port
to attach an external monitor to your NEC Versa. You
can run the LCD display and the external monitor simul-
taneously or run either alone.
Mouse/
Ke
y
board Port
Serial Port
Enhanced
Parallel Port
Monitor Port IR Port
Expansion Port
Power Port

1-10 Getting to Know Your NEC Versa 4000
■Infrared (IR) Port — Use the IR port to communicate
with other devices having IR ports. This port lets you
transfer files between your NEC Versa and an IR-
equipped desktop or print to an IR-equipped printer
without using cables.
■Expansion Connector — Use this bus connector to at-
tach the NEC Versa to a PortBar 4000 or Docking Sta-
tion 4000 to further expand your options.
■Power Port — Use the power jack to attach the NEC
Versa to a DC power source such as the AC adapter or
the available DC car adapter.
Left Side The left side of your NEC Versa 4000 has two slots for in-
serting two Type I or Type II PC cards (formerly called
PCMCIA cards). You can also insert one Type III PC card.
Left side features
PC Card Slots

Getting to Know Your NEC Versa 4000 1-11
The PC card is a standard interface for peripheral 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 is inserted into one of the PC card slots.
Right Side Audio ports, the volume control dial, and the optional
Kensington lock socket are located on the right-hand side of
the NEC Versa 4000.
Right side features
■Kensington Lock Socket — Lets you provide added se-
curity by installing an optional Kensington Lock.
■Volume Control Dial — Allows you to control the
speaker volume.
■Headphones — Lets you connect external headphones or
speakers to your NEC Versa 4000. Plugging in head-
phones disables the built-in system speakers.
Kensington Lock
Socket Volume Control Dial
Headphones
Microphone Line In
Line Out

1-12 Getting to Know Your NEC Versa 4000
■Microphone (MIC) — Allows you to connect an exter-
nal microphone for monophonic recording or amplifica-
tion through the unit. Plugging in an external micro-
phone disables the built-in microphone.
■Line Out — Lets the NEC Versa 4000 act as an input
source for another audio system. Connect this port to a
Line In port on another audio system to play or record.
■Line In — Lets you use another audio system, like a
home stereo, as an input source. Use a cable to connect
to the Line Out port on the other audio system to record
or play.
Bottom The bottom of the NEC Versa 4000 contains the features
shown in the following figure. Features are described after
the figure.
Bottom features
Ad
j
ustable Feet
Drive
Cover
Latch
Battery
Cover
Latch
VersaBay II Release Latches
Memory Module Slot
(u
n
de
r H
a
r
d
Di
s
k Driv
e)
Battery
Bay
Hard Disk
Drive Bay

Getting to Know Your NEC Versa 4000 1-13
■Hard Disk Drive Bay — The hard disk drive bay con-
tains the removable hard disk drive. Depending on your
NEC Versa’s configuration, it contains a 540-MB or
810-MB hard disk drive. You can exchange hard disks
in the NEC Versa 4000.
When you turn the system upside down with the front
towards you, the hard disk drive is located on the left
front of the system.
■Memory Expansion Slot — Located just under the hard
disk drive, this slot lets you add an optional memory
card to expand system memory.
■Battery Bay — Contains a Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) battery
that lets you run your system on DC power. The battery
bay is located on the right front of the system when the
system is upside down with the front towards you.
■NEC VersaBay II Release Latches — These latches let
you remove the option currently installed in the bay.
■Adjustable Feet — Adjustable feet let you change the
angle and level of the NEC Versa 4000.
SYSTEM CARE
The NEC Versa 4000 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
4000, AC adapter, and VersaBay II.
■Avoid dropping or bumping the computer or the AC
adapter.
■Do not stack heavy objects on the computer.