Document Outline

• Contents
• About This Reference
  • About this guide
    • For more information
  • Accessing your online User Guide
    • To access your User Guide:
  • Gateway contact information
  • Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity
• Checking Out Your Computer
  • Front
  • Back
    • Video card ports
• Setting Up and Getting Started
  • Working safely and comfortably
    • Reducing eye strain
    • Setting up your computer desk and chair
    • Sitting at your computer
    • Avoiding discomfort and injury from repetitive strain
  • Preparing power connections
    • Protecting from power source problems
  • Connecting to a broadband modem or network
    • To connect to a broadband modem or to an Ethernet network:
  • Connecting a dial-up modem
    • To connect the modem:
  • Starting your computer
    • To start your computer:
    • Waking up your computer
  • Turning off your computer
    • To put your computer to sleep:
    • To turn off your computer:
  • Restarting (rebooting) your computer
    • To restart your computer:
  • Using the keyboard
    • Premium multimedia keyboard features
    • Elite multimedia keyboard features
  • Using the mouse
  • Using optical drives
    • Features
    • Loading an optical disc
      • To insert an optical disc:
    • Identifying optical drive types
    • Playing discs
      • Playing a CD
      • Playing a DVD
      • Playing a Blu-ray Disc
    • Creating discs
      • Recording to optical discs
      • Creating audio and video files
      • Copying optical discs
  • Using the memory card reader
    • Memory card types
    • Using a memory card
      • To insert a memory card:
      • To remove a memory card:
  • Adjusting the volume
    • To adjust the overall volume using hardware controls:
    • To adjust the volume from Windows:
  • Configuring the audio jacks
    • To configure the audio jacks:
  • Installing a printer, scanner, or other device
• Advanced Hardware Setup
  • Setting up dual video cards
    • To set up the single-monitor SLI connection:
  • Setting up multiple monitors
  • Setting up RAID
    • About RAID
    • RAID 0 for performance
      • How it increases performance
      • How it makes file storage cheaper
      • Drawbacks
    • RAID 1 for security
      • Drawback
    • RAID 5 and 10 for both performance and security
      • Understanding RAID 5
      • Understanding RAID 10
        • Drawback
    • Preparing your computer for RAID
      • To prepare your computer for RAID:
    • Configuring RAID
      • Creating a RAID volume
        • To create a RAID volume:
      • Deleting a RAID volume
        • To delete a RAID volume:
    • Getting help
• Upgrading Your Computer
  • Preventing static electricity discharge
  • Opening the case
    • Removing the side panel
      • To remove the side panel:
    • Removing the front bezel
      • To remove the front bezel:
  • Closing the case
    • Replacing the front bezel
      • To replace the front bezel:
    • Replacing the side panel
      • To replace the side panel:
  • Adding or replacing memory
    • To install or replace DIMM memory:
  • Adding or replacing an optical disc drive
    • To add or replace an optical disc drive:
  • Replacing the memory card reader
    • To replace the memory card reader:
  • Adding or replacing a hard drive
    • To add or replace a hard drive:
  • Replacing the front fan
    • To replace the front fan:
  • Replacing the rear fan
    • To replace the rear fan:
  • Replacing the power supply
    • To replace the power supply:
  • Replacing the heat sink and processor
    • To replace the heat sink and processor:
  • Replacing the I/O board
    • To replace the front I/O board:
  • Adding or replacing an expansion card
    • To add or replace an expansion card:
  • Replacing the system battery
    • To replace the battery:
  • Replacing the system board
    • To replace the system board:
• Maintaining Your Computer
  • Setting up a maintenance schedule
  • Caring for your computer
  • Cleaning your computer
    • Cleaning the exterior
    • Cleaning the keyboard
      • To clean the keyboard:
    • Cleaning the monitor
      • To clean the monitor:
    • Cleaning the mouse
      • To clean the mouse:
    • Cleaning optical discs
      • To clean an optical disc:
  • Updating Windows
  • Using BigFix
    • To start BigFix:
  • Managing hard drive space
    • Checking hard drive space
      • To check hard drive space:
    • Deleting unnecessary files
      • To delete unnecessary files:
    • Checking the hard drive for errors
      • To check the hard drive for errors:
    • Defragmenting the hard drive
      • To defragment the hard drive:
    • Backing up files
      • To back up files:
  • Scheduling maintenance tasks
    • To start the Task Scheduler:
  • Moving from your old computer
    • Transferring files and settings automatically
      • To move files and settings from your old computer:
    • Transferring files and settings manually
      • Finding your documents
        • To find files in the documents folder:
      • Finding other files
        • To find files using Find or Search:
• Troubleshooting
  • Safety guidelines
  • Try these steps first
  • Error messages
  • Internet and networking
    • Internet
      • You cannot connect to the Internet
      • You see an “Unable to locate host” message and are unable to browse the Internet
      • People are sending you e-mails, but you have not received them
      • E-mails you send are returned as undeliverable
    • Modem (cable or DSL)
      • My computer cannot connect to the Internet.
    • Modem (dial-up)
      • Your modem does not dial or does not connect
        • To check the dialing properties:
      • You cannot connect to the Internet
      • Your 56K modem does not connect at 56K
      • The modem is not recognized by your computer
        • To run modem diagnostics:
      • The modem is noisy when it dials and connects
        • To turn down the modem volume:
    • Networking
      • You cannot see the other computers on your network
      • Your wired network is running slower than you expect
  • Power
    • Your computer will not turn on
  • Display
    • The screen resolution is not correct
    • The computer is on, but there is no picture
    • The color is not uniform
    • The text on the display is dim or difficult to read
  • Printing
    • The printer will not turn on
    • The printer is on but will not print
      • To set a default printer:
  • Optical discs
    • The computer does not recognize a disc or the disc drive
    • An audio disc does not produce sound
    • A movie disc will not play
  • Memory card reader
    • Drive letters for the memory card slots do not appear in the Computer window
  • Mouse
    • The mouse does not work
    • The mouse works erratically
  • Keyboard
    • The keyboard does not work
    • Liquid spilled in the keyboard
  • Files
    • You get an “Insufficient disk space” error message
    • A file was accidentally deleted
      • To restore deleted files:
    • You get a “Data error” message
    • The hard drive cannot be accessed, or you see a “General failure reading drive C” error message
    • You get an “Operating system not found” error message
    • You need to restore your computer to a working condition
    • Checking the hard drive for errors
      • To check the hard drive for errors:
  • Memory
    • You see a “Memory error” message
    • You see a “Not enough memory” error message
  • Audio
    • You are not getting sound from the speakers
  • Passwords
    • Your computer does not accept your password
  • Expansion cards
    • The computer does not recognize an expansion card
  • Media Center
    • The Media Center video display looks bad on your TV
    • You want to change monitor settings to get better TV or DVD image quality
    • You need to burn programs that were recorded with your computer to a DVD using Media Center
    • You want to play recorded programs on other computers
    • You get a “Download Error” message when Media Center tries to update the Program Guide
  • Checking for device problems
    • To check for device problems:
  • Recovering your system
    • To recover your system:
    • Creating recovery discs
      • To create recovery discs:
    • Recovering pre-installed software and drivers
      • To recover your pre-installed software and drivers:
    • Returning to a previous system condition
      • To return to a restore point:
    • Returning your system to its factory condition
      • Recovering from within Windows Vista
        • To reinstall Windows Vista and all pre-installed software and drivers:
      • Recovering from the hard drive during startup
        • To reinstall Windows Vista and all pre-installed software and drivers:
      • Recovering from your recovery discs
        • To reinstall Windows Vista and all pre-installed software and drivers:
  • Technical support
    • Before calling Gateway Customer Care
    • Calling Customer Care
• Legal Notices
  • If your computer has a DVD-compatible drive and an analog TV Out port, the following paragraph applies:
  • A
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  • F
  • G
  • H
  • I
  • J
  • K
  • L
  • M
  • N
  • O
  • P
  • R
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  • T
  • U
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  • W
  • X
  • Z
• Index