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Gateway DX4200 8513028 - Gateway Hardware Reference Guide - Page 102

Technical support

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CHAPTER 6: Troubleshooting Technical support Before calling Gateway Customer Care If you have a technical problem with your computer, follow these recommendations before contacting Gateway Customer Care: • Make sure that your computer is connected correctly to an AC power outlet that is supplying power. If you use a surge protector or power strip, make sure that it is turned on. • If a peripheral device, such as a keyboard or mouse, does not appear to work, make sure that all cables are plugged in securely. • If you have recently installed hardware or software, make sure that you have installed it according to the instructions provided with it. If you did not purchase the hardware or software from Gateway, see the manufacturer's documentation and technical support resources. • If you have "how to" questions about using a program, see: • Its online Help • Its printed documentation • Its publisher's Web site • See the troubleshooting section of this chapter. • Have your customer ID, serial number, and order number available, along with a detailed description of your problem, including the exact text of any error messages, and the steps you have taken. • Make sure that your computer is nearby at the time of your call. The technician may have you follow troubleshooting steps. Calling Customer Care For the contact number, see your setup poster. The label on top of your computer contains information that identifies your computer model and serial number. Gateway Customer Care will need this information if you call for assistance. 96

Section	Page
Contents	3
About This Reference	7
About this guide	8
For more information	8
Accessing the online User Guide	8
To access your User Guide:	8
Gateway contact information	8
Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity	9
Checking Out Your Computer	11
Front	12
Back	14
Setting Up and Getting Started	17
Working safely and comfortably	18
Reducing eye strain	19
Setting up your computer desk and chair	19
Sitting at your computer	20
Avoiding discomfort and injury from repetitive strain	20
Preparing power connections	20
Protecting from power source problems	20
Checking the voltage selection	21
To set the voltage selection switch:	21
Connecting to a broadband modem or network	21
To connect to a broadband modem or to an Ethernet network:	21
Connecting a dial-up modem	22
To connect the modem:	22
Starting your computer	22
To start your computer:	22
Waking up your computer	23
Turning off your computer	23
To put your computer to sleep:	24
To turn off your computer:	24
Restarting (rebooting) your computer	24
To restart your computer:	24
Using the keyboard	25
Using the mouse	26
Using optical drives	29
Features	29
Loading an optical disc	29
To insert an optical disc:	29
Identifying optical drive types	29
Playing discs	31
Playing a CD	31
Playing a DVD	31
Playing a Blu-ray Disc	31
Creating discs	32
Recording to optical discs	32
Creating audio and video files	32
Copying optical discs	32
Using the memory card reader	32
Memory card types	33
Using a memory card	33
To insert a memory card:	33
To remove a memory card:	33
Adjusting the volume	34
To adjust the overall volume using hardware controls:	34
To adjust the volume from Windows:	34
Configuring the audio jacks	36
To configure the audio jacks:	36
Installing a printer, scanner, or other device	36
Upgrading Your Computer	39
Preventing static electricity discharge	40
Opening the case	41
Removing the left side panel	41
To remove the left side panel:	41
Removing the right side panel	42
To remove the right side panel:	42
Removing the front bezel	43
To remove the front bezel:	43
Closing the case	44
Replacing the front bezel	44
To replace the front bezel:	44
Replacing the side panels	45
To replace the side panels:	45
Replacing the color panel	46
To replace the color panel on the front bezel:	46
Installing memory	47
To install or replace a memory module:	47
Adding or replacing an optical disc drive	49
To add replace an optical drive:	49
Replacing the memory card reader	51
To replace the memory card reader:	51
Adding or replacing a hard drive	53
To add or replace a hard drive:	53
Adding or replacing an expansion card	54
To add or replace an expansion card:	54
Maintaining Your Computer	57
Setting up a maintenance schedule	58
Creating system recovery discs	58
Caring for your computer	59
Cleaning your computer	60
Cleaning the exterior	60
Cleaning the keyboard	61
To clean the keyboard:	61
Cleaning the monitor	61
To clean the monitor:	61
Cleaning the mouse	61
To clean the mouse:	61
Cleaning optical discs	62
To clean an optical disc:	62
Updating Windows	62
Using BigFix	63
To start BigFix:	63
Managing hard drive space	64
Checking hard drive space	64
To check hard drive space:	64
Deleting unnecessary files	65
To delete unnecessary files:	65
Checking the hard drive for errors	66
To check the hard drive for errors:	66
Defragmenting the hard drive	67
To defragment the hard drive:	68
Backing up files	68
To back up files:	69
Scheduling maintenance tasks	70
To start the Task Scheduler:	70
Moving from your old computer	71
Transferring files and settings automatically	71
To move files and settings from your old computer:	71
Transferring files and settings manually	72
Finding your documents	72
To find files in the documents folder:	72
Finding other files	73
To find files using Find or Search:	73
Troubleshooting	75
Safety guidelines	76
Try these steps first	76
Error messages	77
Internet and networking	78
Internet	78
You cannot connect to the Internet	78
You see an “Unable to locate host” message and are unable to browse the Internet	78
People are sending you e-mails, but you have not received them	79
E-mails you send are returned as undeliverable	79
Modem (cable or DSL)	79
My computer cannot connect to the Internet.	79
Modem (dial-up)	80
Your modem does not dial or does not connect	80
To check the dialing properties:	80
You cannot connect to the Internet	81
Your 56K modem does not connect at 56K	81
The modem is not recognized by your computer	81
To run modem diagnostics:	81
The modem is noisy when it dials and connects	81
To turn down the modem volume:	81
Networking	82
You cannot see the other computers on your network	82
Your wired network is running slower than you expect	82
Power	83
Your computer will not turn on	83
Display	83
The screen resolution is not correct	83
The computer is on, but there is no picture	83
The color is not uniform	84
The text on the display is dim or difficult to read	84
Printing	84
The printer will not turn on	84
The printer is on but will not print	84
To set a default printer:	84
Optical discs	85
The computer does not recognize a disc or the disc drive	85
An audio disc does not produce sound	85
A movie disc will not play	85
Memory card reader	86
Drive letters for the memory card slots do not appear in the Computer window	86
Mouse	86
The mouse does not work	86
The mouse works erratically	86
Keyboard	87
The keyboard does not work	87
Liquid spilled in the keyboard	87
Files	87
You get an “Insufficient disk space” error message	87
A file was accidentally deleted	88
To restore deleted files:	88
You get a “Data error” message	88
The hard drive cannot be accessed, or you see a “General failure reading drive C” error message	88
You get an “Operating system not found” error message	88
You need to restore your computer to a working condition	88
Checking the hard drive for errors	89
To check the hard drive for errors:	89
Memory	89
You see a “Memory error” message	89
You see a “Not enough memory” error message	90
Audio	90
You are not getting sound from the speakers	90
Passwords	90
Your computer does not accept your password	90
Expansion cards	91
The computer does not recognize an expansion card	91
Media Center	91
The Media Center video display looks bad on your TV	91
You want to change monitor settings to get better TV or DVD image quality	92
You need to burn programs that were recorded with your computer to a DVD using Media Center	92
You want to play recorded programs on other computers	92
You get a “Download Error” message when Media Center tries to update the Program Guide	92
Checking for device problems	93
To check for device problems:	93
Recovering your system	94
To recover your system:	94
Creating recovery discs	95
To create recovery discs:	95
Recovering pre-installed software and drivers	97
To recover your pre-installed software and drivers:	97
Returning to a previous system condition	98
To return to a restore point:	98
Returning your system to its factory condition	99
Recovering from within Windows Vista	100
To reinstall Windows Vista and all pre-installed software and drivers:	100
Recovering from the hard drive during startup	101
To reinstall Windows Vista and all pre-installed software and drivers:	101
Recovering from your recovery discs	101
To reinstall Windows Vista and all pre-installed software and drivers:	101
Technical support	102
Before calling Gateway Customer Care	102
Calling Customer Care	102
Legal Notices	103
If your computer has a DVD-compatible drive and an analog TV Out port, the following paragraph applies:	111
A	113
B	113
C	113
D	114
E	115
F	115
G	115
H	116
I	116
J	116
K	116
L	116
M	116
N	117
O	117
P	118
R	118
S	118
T	119
U	120
V	120
W	120