Document Outline

• VAIO® Notebook Quick Start
  • PCG-GR150/150K PCG-GR170/170K
• Contents
  • 1 Welcome 5
  • 2 Setting Up Your VAIO® Notebook 11
  • 3 Adding Memory 27
  • 4 About the Software on Your Notebook 33
  • 5 Troubleshooting 43
  • 6 Getting Help 57
    • Welcome
  • Features
    • Exceptional performance
    • Portability
    • Sony audio and video quality
    • Multimedia features
    • Microsoft® Windows® operating system
    • Communications
    • Removable hard disk drive
    • Optical disc drive
  • Unpacking Your Notebook
    • Main unit
    • Rechargeable battery pack
    • Power cord
    • AC adapter
    • Weight saver
    • Documentation
      • VAIO® Notebook Quick Start
      • Microsoft® Windows Millennium Edition Getting Started or Microsoft® Windows 2000 Professional Edi...
      • Safety Information
      • Specifications Flyer
    • Software CDs
      • Microsoft® Word
    • Recovery CDs
      • Application Recovery CD(s)
      • Driver Recovery CD(s)
      • System Recovery CD(s)
    • Other
  • Registering Your Notebook
    • Sony Customer Support
    • Limited Warranty
    • 1 Make sure your notebook is connected to a phone line.
      • 2 Click the registration icon on the VAIO desktop.
      • 3 Enter the information requested on the first online registration form.
      • 4 Click the Next button to advance to the next form.
      • 5 Complete the remaining forms by clicking the Next button each time you complete a form.
      • 6 The notebook automatically transfers your registration information using your built-in modem an...
      • Setting Up Your VAIO® Notebook
  • Locating Controls and Ports
    • Front
    • Left
    • Right
    • Back
    • Bottom
  • Connecting a Power Source
    • Using the AC Adapter
      • 1 Plug the cable attached to the AC adapter into the DC In port on the notebook.
        • 2 Plug one end of the power cord into the AC adapter.
        • 3 Plug the other end of the power cord into an AC outlet.
        • Connecting the AC adapter
        • Notes on the AC Adapter
    • Using Battery Power
      • To insert the battery pack
      • 1 Push the battery bay cover down to open it.
        • Battery bay
          • 2 Insert the battery pack into the battery bay on the right side of the notebook.
        • Inserting battery pack
          • 3 Lift the battery bay cover up until it clicks into place.
        • To charge the battery pack
      • 1 Connect the AC adapter to the notebook.
        • 2 Insert the battery pack.
        • 3 When the battery is 85 percent full, the battery indicator turns off. This process takes 3 hour...
        • To view battery indicators
          • Battery indicators
        • To remove the battery pack
      • 1 Push the battery bay cover down to open it.
        • 2 Pull out the battery pack.
        • Removing the battery pack
          • 3 Push in and lift up the battery bay cover until it clicks.
        • Notes on the battery
  • Starting Your Notebook
    • 1 Slide the LCD lock lever in the direction of the arrow, and lift the cover.
      • Opening the notebook
        • 2 Press the power button on top of the notebook until the green power indicator turns on.
      • Power button
        • 3 If necessary, adjust the brightness controls for the LCD display as follows:
  • Shutting Down Your Notebook
    • 1 Click the Start button on the Windows® taskbar.
      • 2 Click Shut Down at the bottom of the Start menu to display the Shut Down Windows dialog box.
      • 3 Select Shut Down.
      • 4 Click OK.
      • 5 Wait for your notebook to turn off automatically. The notebook is off when the power indicator ...
      • 6 Turn off any peripherals connected to your notebook.
    • 1 Close or end all operations as follows:
      • 2 Restart the notebook. You can restart your notebook by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Delete simultaneously.
  • Using Power Saving Modes
    • Normal Mode
    • Standby Mode
      • To activate Standby mode
      • To return to normal mode
    • Hibernate Mode
      • To activate Hibernate mode
      • To return to normal mode
        • Adding Memory
  • Precautions and Procedures
    • Models with 128MB Memory
      • Typical expansion memory configuration
    • Models with 256MB Memory
      • Typical expansion memory configuration
  • Removing a Memory Module
    • 1 Shut down your notebook and disconnect all peripheral devices, such as your printer.
      • 2 Unplug the notebook and remove the battery pack(s).
      • 3 After the notebook has cooled, loosen and remove the screw that secures the cover of the memory...
      • Removing the memory module cover
        • 4 Touch a metal object (such as the connector panel on the back of your notebook) to discharge an...
        • 5 Remove the memory module.
      • Removing memory module
        • 6 Tighten the screw on the memory bay cover.
  • installing a Memory Module
    • 1 Follow steps 1 to 4 of “Removing a Memory Module” on page30 for removing the preinstalled memory.
      • 2 Remove the new memory module from its packaging.
      • 3 Install the memory module by sliding it into the memory module slot. Press the module into plac...
      • Installing memory module
        • 4 Tighten the screw on the cover of the memory bay.
  • Viewing the amount of memory
    • 1 Restart the notebook, then click the Start button on the Windows taskbar.
      • 2 Select Programs, then select Sony Notebook Setup, and click Sony Notebook Setup.
      • 3 Click the “About This Computer” tab to view the amount of system memory. If the additional memo...
      • About the Software on Your Notebook
  • Overview of Software
    • Adobe Acrobat® Reader™
      • Adobe Systems, Inc. (http://www.adobe.com/)
    • Adobe Photoshop® Elements (Windows Me only)
      • Adobe Systems, Inc. (http://www.adobe.com/)
    • Adobe Premiere® LE (On selected models)
      • Adobe Systems, Inc. (http://www.adobe.com/)
    • America Online®
      • America Online, Inc. (http://www.aol.com/)
    • ArcSoft® PhotoPrinter™ 2000 Pro (Windows Me only)
      • ArcSoft, Inc. (http://www.arcsoft.com/ or http://www.photoisland.com/)
    • CompuServe® 2000
      • CompuServe Interactive Services, Inc. (http://www.compuserve.com/)
    • DVgate™
      • Sony Electronics Inc. (http://www.sony.com/pcsupport/)
    • Easy CD Creator™ (On selected models)
      • Roxio, Inc. (http://www.roxio.com/en/support/)
    • Microsoft® Word
      • Microsoft Corporation (http://www.sony.com/pcsupport/)
    • MovieShaker™
      • Sony Electronics Inc. (http://www.sony.com/pcsupport/)
    • Netscape Communicator®
      • Netscape Communications Corporation (http://help.netscape.com/)
    • Norton AntiVirus™
      • Symantec Corporation (http://www.symantec.com/techsupp/)
    • OpenMG™ Jukebox (Windows Me only)
      • Sony Electronics Inc. (http://www.sony.com/pcsupport/)
    • PictureGear™
      • Sony Electronics Inc. (http://www.sony.com/pcsupport/)
    • PowerPanel
      • Sony Electronics Inc. (http://www.sony.com/pcsupport/)
    • Prodigy Internet®
      • Prodigy Communications Corporation (http://www.prodigy.com/)
    • Quicken® 2001
      • Intuit, Inc. (http://www.intuit.com/support/)
    • QuickTime™
      • Apple Computer Inc. (http://www.apple.com)
    • RealJukebox®
      • RealNetworks Inc. (http://service.real.com/rjoptions.html)
    • RealPlayer®
      • RealNetworks Inc. (http://service.real.com/rjoptions.html)
    • RealProducer® G2
      • RealNetworks Inc. (http://service.real.com/rjoptions.html)
    • Smart Capture
      • Sony Electronics Inc. (http://www.sony.com/pcsupport/)
    • Smart Connect (Windows 2000 only)
      • Sony Electronics Inc. (http://www.sony.com/pcsupport/)
    • Sound Forge® XP (On selected models)
      • Sonic Foundry, Inc. (http://www.sonicfoundry.com)
    • VAIO Action Setup
      • Sony Electronics Inc. (http://www.sony.com/pcsupport/)
    • VAIO Support Agent
      • Sony Electronics Inc. (http://www.sony.com/pcsupport/)
    • WinDVD®
      • InterVideo, Inc. (http://www.intervideo.com/jsp/Support.jsp/)
  • Using Your Recovery CDs
    • Using the Application Recovery CD(s)
      • To use the Application Recovery CD(s)
      • 1 Turn on your notebook. If your notebook is already on, close all applications.
        • 2 When the Windows desktop appears, insert the Sony Application Recovery CD in the optical disc d...
        • 3 When the Application Recovery menu appears, select the icon for the application you want to res...
    • Using the Driver Recovery CD
      • To use the Driver Recovery CD(s)
      • 1 Turn on your notebook. If your notebook is already on, close all applications.
        • 2 When the Windows desktop appears, insert the Driver Recovery CD in the optical disc drive. Use ...
        • To repair software applications using VAIO Support Agent
    • Using the System Recovery CD(s)
      • To use the System Recovery CD(s)
      • 1 Insert the Sony System Recovery CD in the optical disc drive.
        • 2 Shut down your notebook as described in the “Shutting Down Your Notebook” on page24.
        • 3 Wait four seconds and turn on your notebook.
        • 4 Click OK to signify you have read and accept the Microsoft End-User License Agreement.
        • 5 When the System Recovery menu appears, follow the on-screen instructions to complete the recove...
        • If your notebook does not start from the Recovery CD
      • 1 Press the power button and hold it for more than four seconds to turn off the notebook.
        • 2 Turn on the notebook. When the Sony logo is displayed, press the F2 key. The BIOS setup menu sc...
        • 3 Press the arrow keys to select the Exit menu.
        • 4 Press the arrow keys to select “Get Default Values” and then press the Enter key. The message “...
        • 5 Check that “Yes” is selected, then press the Enter key.
        • 6 Press the arrow keys to select “Exit” (Save Changes) and then press the Enter key. The message ...
        • 7 Check that “Yes” is selected, then press Enter. The notebook restarts from the Recovery CD.
        • Troubleshooting
  • Troubleshooting the Notebook
    • My notebook does not start.
    • My notebook starts but a BIOS error appears.
      • 1 Press F2. The BIOS Setup menu appears.
      • 2 Set the date (month/day/year). Press Enter.
      • 3 Press to select System Time, then set the time (hour: minute: second). Press Enter.
      • 4 Press to select Exit, then press to select Get Default Values. The message “Load default config...
      • 5 Select Yes and press Enter.
      • 6 Select Exit (Save Changes), and then press Enter. The message “Save Configuration changes and e...
      • 7 Select Yes, and then press Enter. The notebook restarts.
    • My notebook starts, but the message “Operating system not found” appears and Windows does not start.
      • 1 Turn off the notebook, and then remove the floppy disk.
      • 2 Restart the notebook and confirm that Windows starts properly.
      • 1 Turn off the notebook.
      • 2 Remove any peripheral devices connected to the notebook.
      • 3 Turn the notebook back on.
      • 4 Press the F2 key when the Sony logo appears. The BIOS setup menu screen appears.
      • 5 Press the arrow keys to select the Exit menu.
      • 6 Press the arrow keys to select “Get Default Values” and then press Enter. The message “Load def...
      • 7 Select Yes, then press Enter.
      • 8 Use the directional arrow keys to select “Exit” (Save Changes), and then press Enter. The messa...
      • 9 Select Yes, then press Enter. The notebook restarts.
    • My notebook stops responding or does not shut down.
    • My notebook does not enter the power saving mode I selected. (Windows Me only)
      • 1 Enable Deep Sleep is selected with a checkmark.
      • 2 The message “Standby function is enabled” is displayed. If the message reads “Standby function ...
      • 3 The message “Hibernate feature is enabled” is displayed. If the message reads “Hibernate featur...
      • 4 Click OK and restart your notebook.
    • The power management setting is not responding.
      • 1 Close all open applications.
      • 2 Restart the notebook by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Delete simultaneously and selecting Restart from the ...
    • The sound of my notebook’s fan is too loud.
  • Troubleshooting the LCD Screen
    • My LCD screen is blank.
    • My LCD screen continues to show the previous screen.
    • The image on my connected external display is not centered or sized properly.
    • I want to change the video resolution of my display.
    • I cannot switch the LCD display to TV, and vice versa.
  • Troubleshooting the Mouse and Touchpad
    • My mouse does not work.
    • My touchpad does not work properly.
      • 1 Press the Windows key and use the arrow keys to select Programs, and then Sony Notebook Setup.
      • 2 Select the Touchpad tab using the arrow keys.
      • 3 Select Enable Touchpad, and then press Enter.
      • 1 Press the Windows key and use the arrow keys to select Control Panel, and then Mouse.
      • 2 Change the button assignments in the Mouse Properties dialog box. (One of the buttons is assign...
    • The pointer does not move while using the Touchpad or Mouse.
  • Troubleshooting Drives, PC Cards, and Peripheral Devices
    • My floppy disk drive (optional) cannot write to a floppy disk.
    • My optical disc drive is not playing my CD or DVD properly.
    • My optical disc drive tray does not open.
    • I cannot use Digital Video (DV) devices. The message “DV equipment seems to be disconnected or tu...
    • My PC Card is not working.
  • Troubleshooting Software
    • My software program stops responding or crashes.
    • When I click an application icon, the message “You must insert the application CD into your optic...
    • I cannot use the DVgate software.
  • Troubleshooting the Modem
    • My modem does not work.
    • My modem connection is slow.
  • Troubleshooting Audio
    • My speakers make no sound.
      • 1 Double-click System in Control Panel.
      • 2 Set the sound device to enable in Device Manager.
    • My microphone does not work.
  • Troubleshooting the Printer
    • I cannot print.
      • Getting Help
  • Support Options
  • VAIO Support Agent
    • VAIO Support Agent main window
    • Using the Quick Fix Wizard
      • 1 From the VAIO Support Agent main window, click the Quick Fix Wizard button. The Welcome window ...
        • 2 Click Next. The “Quick Fix Wizard: Begin VAIO Support Agent Diagnostics” dialog box appears.
        • 3 Select the “Diagnose and fix my software” option.
        • 4 Select the software you wish to repair from the drop-down list.
        • 5 Next, select a date/time from the drop-down list that corresponds to the last time when the sof...
        • 6 Click Next to continue. Follow the instructions on the screen.
        • Quick Fix Wizard: Begin VAIO Support Agent Diagnostics dialog box
    • Using Common Solutions
      • 1 Click the Common Solutions button. The Common Solutions dialog box appears.
        • 2 Double-click on the desired category to expand and view available SupportActions.
        • Common Solutions dialog box (1st level)
          • 3 Click the resize arrows next to the SupportAction categories to expand or collapse the categories.
        • Common Solutions dialog box (2nd level)
          • 4 Select the appropriate SupportAction from the list.
          • 5 Click Run or double-click the desired SupportAction. The available SupportActions are shown in ...
    • About Automatic Updates
      • Agent Status Update
    • Update Notification
    • VAIO Support Agent Properties
      • 1 In the VAIO Support Agent main screen, select Tools, then select Properties. The VAIO Support A...
        • 2 Select one of three options to customize the automatic update feature.
        • 3 Click OK.
        • VAIO Support Agent Properties window
    • Using Support Central
      • 1 Connect to the Internet.
        • 2 From the VAIO Support Agent main window, click Support Central. The Support Central Welcome pag...
        • Support Central: Welcome page
          • 3 Click Enter Portal to begin using Support Central. First-time users will be asked to register w...
        • Support Central: Registration page
        • Support Central: Current Issues page
        • Support Central: Support Wizard page
• Index