Sony VAIO PCG-FX310 User manual

1
Welcome.......................................................7
Using Your VAIO Notebook........................9
Using the Keyboard...................................................10
Functions of the keyboard keys .........................................11
Combinations and functions with the Windows key .........12
Indicators ...........................................................................13
Indicator lights...................................................................14
Combinations and functions with the Fn key ....................15
Using the Touchpad ..................................................17
Using the Floppy Disk Drive ....................................19
To insert a floppy disk .......................................................19
To remove a floppy disk....................................................20
To remove the floppy disk drive........................................20
To reinsert the floppy disk drive........................................21
Using the Optical Disc Drive ....................................23
To insert a disc...................................................................23
To remove a disc................................................................24
To play a DVD...................................................................25
To play an audio CD..........................................................26
Notes on CD and DVD media ...........................................27
To write data to a CD-RW or CD-R disc...........................28
Using PC Cards.........................................................29
To insert a PC card.............................................................29
To remove a PC Card.........................................................31
Notes on PC Cards.............................................................32
Using a Second Battery Pack ....................................33
To insert a second battery pack..........................................33
To charge the second battery pack.....................................34
To remove the second battery pack ...................................35

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Using the Weight Saver............................................37
To attach the weight saver ................................................ 37
To remove the weight saver.............................................. 38
Using Power Saving Modes......................................39
Normal mode..................................................................... 39
Standby mode.................................................................... 39
Hibernate mode................................................................. 39
Notes on power saving modes .......................................... 40
Connecting a Phone Line..........................................41
Connecting to a LAN................................................42
To set up your ethernet connection................................... 42
Connecting Peripheral Devices ...............45
Connecting a Port Replicator....................................46
To attach your notebook to the port replicator.................. 46
To remove your notebook from the port replicator........... 49
Connecting an External Mouse or Keyboard............50
To connect an external mouse or keyboard ...................... 50
Connecting a Parallel Port Printer ............................51
To connect a printer .......................................................... 51
Connecting a USB Printer.........................................52
To connect a USB printer.................................................. 52
Connecting an External Display ...............................53
To connect a computer display ......................................... 53
To connect a multimedia computer display...................... 53
To connect a projector....................................................... 54
To select a display............................................................. 55

3
Connecting a TV Display..........................................56
To connect a TV ................................................................56
Changing the display resolution for TV Out .....................56
Notes on TV display ..........................................................57
Connecting a USB Device.........................................58
To connect a USB device...................................................58
Connecting an i.LINK Device...................................59
To connect a digital video camera recorder.......................60
Notes on i.LINK devices ...................................................60
Connecting VAIO computers....................................62
Connecting with i.LINK ....................................................62
Connecting External Speakers ..................................63
Before connecting your external speakers.........................63
To connect external speakers.............................................63
Connecting an External Microphone.........................64
To connect an external microphone...................................64
Expanding Your Notebook Capabilities ...................65
Personal Digital Assistant..................................................65
Wireless LAN Access Point ..............................................65
Wireless LAN PC Card......................................................66
Customizing Your VAIO Notebook..........67
Displaying the Sony Notebook Setup Screen ...........68
To display the Sony Notebook Setup screen .....................68
Sony Notebook Setup Tabs................................................69
Controlling Power Management ...............................70
To view the Power Management status icons....................70
Power Management profiles ..............................................71
Power management commands .........................................74
Conserving battery power..................................................74

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Displaying Battery Information................................75
To activate the Battery Information toolbar...................... 75
Battery icon descriptions................................................... 75
To display detailed battery information............................ 76
To customize the Battery Information toolbar and alarm sys-
tem..................................................................................... 77
Selecting the Display Mode......................................78
To select the display mode................................................ 78
To change the Window Design of Sony software............. 79
Adding Memory to Your VAIO Notebook 81
Precautions and Procedures ......................................82
Typical expansion memory configuration ........................ 82
Removing a Memory Module...................................84
Installing a Memory Module ....................................86
Viewing the Amount of Memory..............................88
About the Software on Your Notebook...89
Software Overview ...................................................90
Application, Driver, and System Recovery CDs......96
Using Your Recovery CDs .......................................97
To use the Application Recovery CD(s)........................... 97
To use the Driver Recovery CD(s) ................................... 97
To use the System Recovery CD(s)................................ 101

5
Troubleshooting......................................105
Troubleshooting Your Notebook ............................106
My notebook does not start..............................................106
My notebook starts, but a BIOS error is displayed..........106
My notebook starts, but the message “Operating system not
found” appears and Windows does not start....................107
My notebook stops responding or does not shut down....108
The Power Management setting is not responding..........108
The sound of my notebook’s fan is too loud. ..................109
Why does the System Properties dialog box display a slower
CPU speed than advertised? ............................................109
Troubleshooting the LCD Screen............................110
My LCD screen is blank..................................................110
My LCD screen continues to show the previous screen..110
The image on my connected external display is not centered
or sized properly. .............................................................110
I want to change the video resolution of my display.......110
I want to change the display resolution for TV Out ........110
I cannot switch the LCD display to TV, and vice versa. .111
Troubleshooting the Mouse and Touchpad.............112
My mouse does not work.................................................112
My touchpad does not work properly..............................112
The pointer does not move while I am using the Touchpad or
Mouse...............................................................................113
Troubleshooting Drives, PC Cards and Peripheral De-
vices.........................................................................114
My floppy disk drive cannot write to a floppy disk.........114
My optical drive is not playing a CD or DVD properly..114
My optical drive tray does not open. ...............................115
I cannot use Digital Video (DV) devices. The message “DV
equipment seems to be disconnected or turned off” appears.

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115
My PC Card is not working. ........................................... 115
Troubleshooting Software.......................................116
My software program stops responding or crashes......... 116
When I click an application icon, the message “You must in-
sert the application CD into your optical drive” appears and
the software does not start............................................... 116
I cannot use the DVgate software. .................................. 116
My computer’s start-up time seems longer after I have in-
stalled AOL. What can I do?........................................... 116
Troubleshooting the Modem...................................118
My modem does not work. ............................................. 118
My modem connection is slow. ...................................... 118
Troubleshooting Audio...........................................119
My speakers make no sound........................................... 119
My microphone does not work. ...................................... 119
Troubleshooting the Printer ....................................120
I cannot print................................................................... 120
Troubleshooting i.LINK devices ............................121
I cannot establish a connection between two VAIO comput-
ers when using an i.LINK cable...................................... 121
Getting Help.............................................123
Support Options......................................................124
Software Support Information ................................126
Sony Service Center................................................128
Index.........................................................129

7
Welcome
Congratulations on your purchase of this Sony VAIO® computer, and
welcome to the VAIO Notebook User Guide.
This User Guide provides detailed information on all aspects of using
your new VAIO computer, from keyboard functions to preinstalled
software applications.
In the left navigation window, click the topics you want to learn more
about, and that information will be displayed in this main window.

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9
Using Your VAIO Notebook
This section describes the following aspects of your new computer:
❑Using the Keyboard
❑Using the Touchpad
❑Using the Floppy Disk Drive
❑Using the Optical Disc Drive
❑Using PC Cards
❑Using a Second Battery Pack
❑Using the Weight Saver
❑Using Power Saving Modes
❑Connecting a Phone Line
❑Connecting to a LAN

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Using the Keyboard
Your keyboard is very similar to a typewriter’s, but the keyboard has additional
keys that perform specific computer-related tasks.
Keyboard
Escape key Function keys Print Screen key
Shift
C
trl key
Fn key
Windows® key
Alt key
Applications key
Numeric keypad area
Navigation
keys
Correction
keys
key

Using the Keyboard
11
Functions of the keyboard keys
Key Description
Numeric keypad
area Contains the keys found on a typical calculator. Use the numeric keypad area to type numbers or to perform
mathematical calculations such as addition and subtraction.
Note that you must press the Num Lock key to activate the
numeric keypad. (When you do so, the Num Lock light will
be on.)
Navigation keys Several keys are devoted to moving the cursor on the screen.
Correction keys The Insert, Back Space, and Delete keys enable you to make
corrections in your documents.
Function keys The twelve function keys along the top of the keyboard are
used to perform designated tasks. For example, in many
applications, F1 is the Help key. The task associated with
each function key may vary from one application to the next.
Escape key The Esc (Escape) key is used to cancel commands.
Print Screen key The Print Screen key takes an electronic snapshot of the
screen and places it in the Windows® Clipboard. You can
then paste the screen shot into a document and print it.
Operator keys
(Shift, Ctrl,
Alt keys)
Several keys are always used with at least one other key: Ctrl,
Alt, and Shift. When held down with another key, the Ctrl
(Control) and Alt (Alternate) keys offer another way to give
commands. For example, in many applications, instead of
choosing the Save command from a menu, you can hold
down Ctrl and press S (referred to as Ctrl+S). The Shift key
operates the same way as on a typewriter; it is used to
produce capital letters or special symbols, such as @ and $.

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Combinations and functions with the Windows key
Windows key The key with the Windows® logo displays the Windows Start
menu; it is the equivalent of clicking the Start button on the
taskbar. See “Combinations and functions with the Windows
key” for more information.
Fn key The Fn key is used in combination with other keys to issue
commands. See “Combinations and functions with the Fn
key” for more information.
Applications key The Applications key displays a shortcut menu of context-
sensitive choices. Pressing this key is the equivalent of
clicking the right mouse button.
Combination Function
+ F1 Displays VAIO® Help and Support Center.
+ Tab Switches the selected button on the taskbar.
+ D Displays the Desktop.
+ E Displays Windows Explorer.
+ F Displays the Search window to find a file or folder. This is
the equivalent of selecting Search from the Start menu.
+ Ctrl + F Displays the Search Results: Computers window where you
can locate other computers. This is the equivalent of selecting
Search and then Computers from the Start menu.
+ M Minimizes all displayed windows.
Key Description

Using the Keyboard
13
Indicators
Shift + + M Returns all minimized windows to their previous size.
+ R Displays the Run window. This is the equivalent of selecting
Run from the Start menu.
Fn + + Insert Displays the System Properties window. This is the
equivalent of selecting Control Panel and then System from
the Start menu.
Indicator Function
Power Light is green when the power to the notebook is turned on,
flashes amber in Standby mode, and turns off when the
notebook is in Hibernate mode or powered off.
Battery 1 Indicates the status of the battery inserted in the battery bay
on the left side of the notebook.
Battery 2 Indicates the status of the battery inserted in the multipurpose
drive bay on the right side of the notebook.
Hard disk Lights when data is being read from or written to the hard
drive. Do not enter Standby mode or turn off the notebook
when this indicator light is on.
Combination Function
1
2

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Indicator lights
Light On Off
Num
Lock The number keys in the numeric keypad are active. The alphanumeric character keys in the keypad area are active.
Caps
Lock The letters appear in uppercase as you type. The Shift key lowers the case of
typed letters when Caps Lock is on.
Letters appear in lower case as
you type (unless you hold down
the Shift key).
Scroll
Lock The screen scrolls differently. (Exactly how it scrolls depends on the
specific application. It has no effect in
many applications.)
Information moves across the
display normally.

Using the Keyboard
15
Combinations and functions with the Fn key
✍If you switch user identities during a computing session, the Fn+F7 and Fn+F8 key
functionality (if available on your computer) will be interrupted. To switch to an
external display or monitor, see “Selecting the Display Mode” for more information.
Combinations/
Feature Function
Fn+ (ESC)
Standby Puts the system into Standby mode, a power management state. To return the system to the active state, press any key.
Fn+ (F3)
Mute On/Off Toggles the built-in speaker off and on.
Fn+ (F4)
Speaker volume Adjusts the built-in speaker volume. To increase volume, press Fn+F4, then or .
To decrease volume, press Fn+F4, then or .
Fn+ (F5)
Brightness control Adjusts the brightness of the LCD. To increase light intensity, press Fn+F5 and then or .
To decrease light intensity, press Fn+F5 and then or .
Fn+ /
(F7)
Switch to the
external
monitor/LCD
Toggles through the LCD, external display (connected to the
Monitor port) and both LCD and external display.
LCD
Only LCD LCD and external display
Only external display

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Fn+ only/
(F8)
Control TV Out
Toggles between LCD-only and dual LCD/TV display
modes.
Connect the cable before you turn on the notebook, otherwise
Fn + F8 will not work.
Fn+ (F12)
Hibernate Provides for the lowest level of power consumption. When you execute this command, the state of the system and
state of the peripheral devices are written to the hard disk and
the system power is turned off. To return the system to its
original state, use the power button to turn on power.
Fn+ F Display control. Minimizes and maximizes the LCD screen.
If the default display resolution is reduced, this function
maximizes the display resolution to fit the screen size.
Maximizing the display screen enables you to view the
display at a greater resolution.
✍Some functions are not available until Windows® launches.
Combinations/
Feature Function
LCD
Only LCD LCD and external display
Only external display

Using the Touchpad
17
Using the Touchpad
The keyboard contains a cursor-pointing device called a touchpad. You can point
to, select, drag, and scroll objects on the screen using the built-in touchpad.
Touchpad
Action Description
Point Slide one finger on the touchpad to place the pointer on an
item or object.
Click Press the left button once.
Double-click Press the left button twice.
Right button
Left button
Touchpad
Pointe
r

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See Mouse Properties for information on touchpad features, such as clicking both
buttons simultaneously, adjusting touchpad speed, and Easy Launcher functions.
To access Mouse Properties, go to Start, select Control Panel, and click the
Mouse icon.
Right-click Press the right button once. In many applications, this action
displays a shortcut menu of context-sensitive choices.
Drag Slide one finger while pressing the left button.
Scroll Move your finger along the right edge of the touchpad to
scroll vertically. Move your finger along the bottom to scroll
horizontally. (The scroll function is available only with
applications that support a touchpad scroll feature.)
Action Description

Using the Floppy Disk Drive
19
Using the Floppy Disk Drive
Your notebook is supplied with the floppy disk drive in the multipurpose bay.
To insert a floppy disk
1Hold the floppy disk with the label side facing up.
2Gently push the floppy disk into the drive until it clicks into place.
Inserting a floppy disk
Floppy disk drive
Floppy disk

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To remove a floppy disk
1After you finish using the floppy disk, wait until the LED indicator turns off.
2Press the Eject button to remove the floppy disk.
To remove the floppy disk drive
1Turn off the notebook.
2Locate the release lever on the bottom of the notebook.
Removing a floppy disk
✍Do not push the eject button when the LED indicator is turned on. Otherwise, data may
be lost.
Eject button
LED indicator