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Gateway M-6841 8512778 - Gateway Notebook User Guide for Windows Vista R2 - Page 95

Defragmenting the hard drive, Start, Computer, Properties, Tools, Check Now, Important

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www.gateway.com To check the hard drive for errors: 1 Click (Start) then click Computer. The Computer window opens. 2 Right-click the drive that you want to check for errors, click Properties, then click the Tools tab. 3 Click Check Now, then click Start. Your drive is checked for errors. This process may take several minutes. Important Error checking cannot scan a drive while the drive is being used, so if you try to check your hard drive for errors, you see a prompt asking you if you want to scan the hard drive later (the next time you restart your notebook). If you see this prompt, click Schedule disc check. After Windows has finished checking the drive for errors, it provides a summary of the problems that it found. 4 Correct any problems that are found by following the on-screen instructions. 5 Click OK. Help For more information about checking the hard drive for errors, click Start, then click Help and Support. Type checking for disk errors in the Search Help box, then press ENTER. Defragmenting the hard drive When working with files, sometimes Windows divides the file information into pieces and stores them in different places on the hard drive. This is called fragmentation, and it is normal. In order for your notebook to use a file, Windows must search for the pieces of the file and put them back together. This process slows the hard drive performance. Disk Defragmenter organizes the data on the drive so each file is stored as one unit rather than as multiple pieces scattered across different areas of the drive. Defragmenting the information stored on the drive can improve hard drive performance. While Disk Defragmenter is running, do not use your keyboard or mouse because using them may continuously stop and restart the defragmenting process. Also, if you are connected to a network, log off before starting Disk Defragmenter. Network communication may stop the defragmentation process and cause it to start over. Tip Because defragmenting a drive may take hours to complete (depending on the size of the drive being defragmented), consider starting the process when you will not need your notebook for several hours. 89

Section	Page
Getting Help	7
Thank you for purchasing our notebook!	8
Using the Gateway Web site	8
Using Help and Support	8
Contacting Gateway	9
Getting help for Windows Media Center	9
Using online help	9
Using Windows	11
Using the Windows desktop	12
Using the Start menu	13
Adding icons to the desktop	14
Identifying window items	14
Working with files and folders	15
Viewing drives	15
Creating folders	16
Copying and moving files and folders	16
Deleting files and folders	17
Searching for files	18
Using the Windows Search	18
Using advanced search options	19
Browsing for files and folders	19
Using Tablet PC	19
Calibrating your tablet	20
Using gestures	21
Using the digital pen	21
Digital pen button	21
Tips	21
Using the Tablet Input Panel (TIP)	22
Working with documents	23
Creating a new document	23
Saving a document	23
Opening a document	24
Printing a document	24
Shortcuts	25
Using the Internet and Faxing	27
Learning about the Internet	28
Setting up an Internet account	28
Accessing your Internet account	29
Using the World Wide Web	29
Connecting to a Web site	30
Downloading files	30
Using e-mail	31
Sending e-mail	31
Checking your e-mail	31
Using Windows Fax and Scan	32
Sending a Fax	32
Setting up your cover page template	35
Faxing a scanned document or faxing from programs	35
Canceling a fax	36
Receiving and viewing a fax	36
Playing and Creating Media Files	37
Playing music and movies	38
Playing audio and video files	38
Playing optical discs	39
Playing an optical disc using Windows Media Player	39
Creating audio files and music libraries	41
Creating music files	41
Recording audio files	41
Creating WMA and MP3 music files	42
Building a music library	42
Editing track information	43
Creating music CDs and video DVDs	43
Creating a music CD	43
Creating a video DVD	44
Creating and copying data discs	47
Creating a data disc	47
Using Windows Media Center	47
Starting Windows Media Center	48
Networking Your Notebook	49
Introduction to Networking	50
Networking terms you should know	50
Ethernet networking	50
Wired Ethernet networking	50
Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, or Gigabit Ethernet	50
Using a router	50
Equipment you need for a router-based Ethernet network	51
Setting up wired Ethernet network hardware	52
Wireless Ethernet networking	53
Wireless Ethernet standards	53
Using an access point	54
Equipment you need for an access point-based network	54
Setting up wireless Ethernet network hardware	55
Establishing your Ethernet network connection	55
Naming the computers and the workgroup	55
Configuring the TCP/IP protocol	56
Connecting to a wireless Ethernet network	56
Wireless security	58
Testing your network	58
Adding a printer to your network	58
Sharing resources	58
Sharing drives and printers	58
Using the network	60
Viewing shared drives and folders	60
Creating a shortcut to a network drive	60
Opening files across the network	60
Copying files across the network	61
Printing files across the network	61
Bluetooth networking	61
Protecting Your Notebook	63
Hardware security	64
Kensington lock slot	64
CompuTrace	64
Data security	65
Trusted Platform Module (TPM)	65
Computrace	65
Startup and hard drive password	65
Windows user accounts	65
Protecting your notebook from viruses	66
Using Norton Internet Security	66
Removing viruses and spyware	67
Updating your virus and spyware definitions	67
Using Windows Security Center	68
Modifying security settings	68
Security updates	69
Windows Update	69
Scheduling automatic updates	70
BigFix	70
Traveling securely	70
Customizing Windows	71
Changing screen settings	72
Changing color depth and screen resolution	72
Changing the appearance of windows and backgrounds	73
Selecting a screen saver	74
Changing gadgets	75
Using a gadget’s control panel	76
Configuring the gadget Sidebar	76
Changing system sounds	77
Changing mouse, touchpad, or pointing device settings	78
Changing mouse settings	78
Changing touchpad or pointing device settings	79
Adjusting tablet, digital pen, and input panel settings	80
Adding and modifying user accounts	81
User account tips	81
Changing accessibility settings	82
Using the Ease of Access Center	82
Using voice recognition	83
Using the Windows Mobility Center	84
Setting up parental controls	86
Filtering Internet access	86
Scheduling notebook and Internet use	87
Restricting game access	87
Restricting specific programs	89
Creating activity reports	89
Maintaining Your Notebook	91
Setting up a maintenance schedule	92
Updating Windows	92
Using BigFix	92
Managing hard drive space	93
Checking hard drive space	93
Deleting unnecessary files	94
Checking the hard drive for errors	94
Defragmenting the hard drive	95
Backing up files	96
Scheduling maintenance tasks	97
Moving from your old computer	97
Transferring files and settings with Windows Easy Transfer	97
Transferring files and settings manually	98
Finding your documents	98
Finding other files	98
A	101
B	101
C	101
D	101
E	101
F	101
G	102
H	102
I	102
K	102
L	102
M	102
N	102
O	102
P	102
R	103
S	103
T	103
U	103
V	103
W	103

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www.gateway.com

To check the hard drive for errors:

Click

(

Start

) then click

Computer

. The

Computer

window opens.

Right-click the drive that you want to check for errors, click

Properties

, then click the

Tools

tab.

Click

Check Now

, then click

Start

. Your drive is checked for errors. This process may take

several minutes.

After Windows has finished checking the drive for errors, it provides a summary of the

problems that it found.

Correct any problems that are found by following the on-screen instructions.

Click

Defragmenting the hard drive

When working with files, sometimes Windows divides the file information into pieces and stores

them in different places on the hard drive. This is called

fragmentation

, and it is normal. In order

for your notebook to use a file, Windows must search for the pieces of the file and put them back

together. This process slows the hard drive performance.

Disk Defragmenter organizes the data on the drive so each file is stored as one unit rather than

as multiple pieces scattered across different areas of the drive. Defragmenting the information

stored on the drive can improve hard drive performance.

While Disk Defragmenter is running, do not use your keyboard or mouse because using them may

continuously stop and restart the defragmenting process. Also, if you are connected to a network,

log off before starting Disk Defragmenter. Network communication may stop the defragmentation

process and cause it to start over.

Important

Error checking cannot scan a drive while the drive is being used, so if you try

to check your hard drive for errors, you see a prompt asking you if you want to scan

the hard drive later (the next time you restart your notebook). If you see this prompt,

click

Schedule disc check

Help

For more information about checking the hard drive for errors, click

Start

then click

Help and Support

. Type

checking for disk errors

in the

Search Help

box, then press

NTER

Tip

Because defragmenting a drive may take hours to complete (depending on the size

of the drive being defragmented), consider starting the process when you will not need your

notebook for several hours.