Instruction/ maintenance manual of the product VGC-RC300 Sony
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N User Guide P ers onal Computer V GC-RC300 Series.
2 nN Cont ents Before Use ................. ............ ............. ............. ............. ............. ............. ................... .... ......... ............. ............. ............. .... 6 Documenta tion ................. .......
3 nN Using P eripheral Devices .............. ............. ................... ............. ............. ............. ............. ..... ........ ............. ............. ........ 72 Connectin g an Exte rnal Microp hone .......... ............
4 nN Precauti ons ................ ............ ............. ............. ............. ............. ............. ................... ............. .................... ............. ...... 127 On Handling the LCD Screen .............. ...........
5 nN Suppor t Options .. ................... ............. ............. ............. ............. ............. ............. ............. ............. ................... ............. 164 Sony Su pport Info rmation ............. ............. .
6 nN Befo re Use Bef ore Use Congrat ulatio ns on your pur chase o f this Sony VA IO ® compute r, and wel come t o the on -screen U ser Gu ide. Sony has combin ed lea ding- edge te chnology in au dio, vid eo, co mputing , and com munic ations to provide state- of-the- art per sonal computi ng.
7 nN Befo re Use Non-printed Documentation ❑ User Guid e (thi s manual) — Contain s f eatur es of your comput er . It also inc ludes in f or mati on abou t the sof tware programs includ ed with your computer , as well as informa tion on solv ing com mon pr oblems.
8 nN Befo re Use ❑ MCE guide (Sel ected models o nly) — P rovides infor mation about u sing the Windows XP Media Center Edition operating system. To acce ss this on-screen guide: 1 Click Start , p oint to All Programs , and click V AIO Support Central .
9 nN Befo re Use Ergonomic Considerations Whenev er po ssible , you sho uld atte mpt to take account of the f ollowi ng ergono mic con sidera tions: ❑ Stable work surfac e — Use a stable work sur f ace lar ge eno ugh to suppo r t the compu ter and other per iphera l equip ment.
10 nN Befo re Use ❑ Furniture and postu re – Sit in a ch air with go od back suppor t and ar mres ts. Adjust the lev el of the cha ir so your feet are flat on the floor. A f ootr est may mak e you more comfor table. Sit with relaxed, upr ight postur e — av oid slouchin g f orward or lean ing far backward.
11 nN Getting Started Getting Star ted This sect ion desc ribes h ow to ge t started with us ing y our VAI O comput er. ! Before star ting your computer fo r the first time , do not conn ect any n ew har dware that di d not normal ly com e with yo ur co mpute r .
12 nN Getting Started Locating Cont rols and P or ts Take a mome nt to id entify the contr ols and ports s hown on t he followi ng pag es. ! Y our compute r may no t be equ ipped wi th all of the h ardware feat ures de scribed in t his sec tion.
13 nN Getting Started F ront A Optic al disc dr ive 1 (page 38) See the online Spe ci fic at io ns f or y our comp uter 's h ardw are conf igur ati on. B Dri ve 1 eject button (page 38 ) C Opti cal disc driv e 2 (page 38) See the on line Specifications for your computer's har dware configura tion.
14 nN Getting Started Bac k A Modem port (p age 22) B AC In port (p age 25) C S/PD IF OPTICAL OUT port Conn ect digital equipm ent such as an A V amplifier.
15 nN Getting Started About the Indicator Lights Your c omput er is eq uipped with th e followin g indi cator l ights. Indicat or Functions V AIO power Illuminates when the c omputer is on and tur ns off wh en the computer is off. Standby Illuminates in orange only when the computer is in Standby mode.
16 nN Getting Started Setting Up Y our Computer Your com puter may n ot be e quipped wi th all of the har dware fea tures de scribe d in th is sect ion. Th e locati on of the control s, ports , and ja cks may vary from the i llustrati ons show n be low, dep endin g on the model yo u purc hased.
17 nN Getting Started ✍ Y ou can also co nnect yo ur TV m onitor to your co mputer . Use an S Video c able or a video ca ble to c onnect t he TV mo nitor t o the T V Out port. Y ou will hear audio from the speak ers conne cted to your co mputer , not from th e TV .
18 nN Getting Started ! Y our computer is compli ant with t he High-b andwidt h Digita l Conte nt Prote ction (HDCP ) specif icati on and ca pable of e ncr ypting th e transm issio n channel of digi tal vide o signal s for the pu rpose of cop yright p rotecti on.
19 nN Getting Started Connecting S peaker Systems Note t hat speak er confi guration varies depen ding on th e spea ker com ponent s in u se. To set up the sp eakers with the computer ❑ Match th e colo r of the m ini stereo plugs (from th e speaker system ) to th e color of t he spe aker jacks on the ba ck of the compu ter .
20 nN Getting Started Connecting the Radio F requency Receive r f or the Wirele ss K e yboard and Mouse Along w ith a wi reless keyboa rd and mo use, a radio frequ ency receiver is also s uppli ed wit h your comp uter t o enable th e compute r to comm unic ate with the wi reless keyboa rd and mouse.
21 nN Getting Started To connect t he radi o frequen cy receive r 1 Plug the radio fre quency r eceiver cable (1) in to one o f the USB p or ts (2) on the back of the compu ter .
22 nN Getting Started Connecting the T elephone and Modem Your com puter is equip ped wit h a si ngle mode m port to connec t the inter nal mode m with a telep hone wall jack. To u se the wall jac k for both te lephon e and mode m lines, pu rcha se an add itional RJ -11 phone c able an d a "1-to-2 " port adap ter devic e (splitte r).
23 nN Getting Started To connect t he tele phone an d modem 1 Unplug th e phone cable to your tele phone f rom th e wall jack. 2 Plug it into on e of the por t s on a "1-to-2 " por t adapter device (splitte r) (1). 3 Plug on e end of a second phone cable (not supplie d) in to the o ther por t on the splitter device.
24 nN Getting Started ! Y our computer has a pro tective st icker covering the network (E t hernet) port l ocated o n the back o f the compu ter . Co nnect 10 BAS E-T , 10 0BASE- TX, or 1000BA SE-T cabl es to th e netwo rk (Et hernet) port, de pendin g on y our computer' s network (Et herne t) port speci fication.
25 nN Getting Started Connecting the P ower Cord Your com puter 's power c ord mus t be plugg ed into an AC p ower sou rce, su ch as an AC w all outle t, surge p rotector , or Uninter ruptibl e Power S upply (UPS) , before y ou ca n esta blish co mmunica tion wi th your wireles s keybo ard a nd wirel ess mouse.
26 nN Getting Started To connect t he powe r cord 1 Inser t the power cord into the AC In por t (1) on the back of the compu ter . 2 Inser t the power cor d plug s from th e display , compu ter , and spea kers into a ground ed AC wall outlet, surge pr otector, or Unive rsal P ower Sup ply (UPS) (2).
27 nN Getting Started ✍ T o disc onne ct the compu ter com pletely from AC power , unpl ug the p ower cor d. Make sure that the AC ou tlet is easi ly accessi ble. If you are in terrupte d and n eed to leave your co mputer s udden ly , place the co mputer i nto Hib ernate m ode.
28 nN Getting Started Shutting Down Y our Computer Saf ely To av oid lo sing uns aved data, be sure to shut do wn you r comput er prop erly, as desc ribed b elow. To shut dow n your com puter 1 T ur n off any per iphe rals conn ected to th e comp uter .
29 nN Using Y our V AIO Computer Using Y our V AIO Comput er This se ction des cribe s how to ge t the mo st out o f using y our VAI O compu ter. ❑ Using the K eyboar d (page 30) ❑ Usin g t he M o.
30 nN Using Y our V AIO Computer Using the K eyboard A wire less k eyboa rd is s upplied wi th yo ur co mputer. The wi reless k eyboard uses a s tandar d key a rrangem ent with additiona l key s that pe rform s pecif ic functi ons. Using the Wireless K eyboard A Function keys P erform cer tain task s.
31 nN Using Y our V AIO Computer Bef ore Y ou Use the K eyb oard Two AA alkali ne batt eries a re suppl ied with y our com puter for use in the w ireless k eyboar d. Before attempt ing to use the wireless keyb oard, you mus t insta ll the batter ies and estab lish com municati on between the comput er and the keyboar d.
32 nN Using Y our V AIO Computer To connect t he wireless keyboa rd 1 Inser t the suppl ied two A A batter ies (1) into the b atter y compa r tme nt (2) on the bottom of the wi reless keyboard. 2 T ur n on the c omputer . 3 Pres s the CONNECT button on the bot tom of th e radio fre quency r eceiver .
33 nN Using Y our V AIO Computer ✍ Y ou can check the key board's ba tter y power level by cli cking (wireless keybo ard icon ) on the taskbar . A warning messag e may al so ap pear on the comput er screen when t he keyboard' s batte ry po wer become s low.
34 nN Using Y our V AIO Computer Using the Mouse A wire less mo use is s upplied with y our comp uter. Using the Wireless Mou se The wi reless optical mouse has n o cables to plug i n and u ses a light-e mittin g diode (LED) instea d of a b all. A Left b utton Click or double-clic k the left b utton to select it ems.
35 nN Using Y our V AIO Computer Bef ore Y ou Use the Mouse Two AA alkalin e batterie s are sup plied with your com puter fo r use in th e wireles s mouse. Befor e using the wi reless mouse, you m ust i nstall the ba tteries and e stablis h co mmunicat ion b etween your c ompute r and t he mou se.
36 nN Using Y our V AIO Computer To connect t he wireless m ouse 1 Inse r t the suppl ied two AA b atter ies i nto the wireles s mouse as sh own below . 2 T ur n on the c omputer . 3 Pres s the CONNECT button on the bot tom of th e radio fre quency r eceiver .
37 nN Using Y our V AIO Computer ✍ Y ou can check the batter y power level f or the mouse by clickin g (wireless mouse icon ) on the taskbar . If the wireless mo use do es not opera te properl y , the batt eries may n eed to b e replaced .
38 nN Using Y our V AIO Computer Using the Optical Disc Dr ive Your co mput er may b e equip ped wit h one or tw o optic al disc drive s. See the onli ne Speci fication s for your compu ter's speci fic h ardware config uration. To insert a disc 1 T ur n on the c omputer .
39 nN Using Y our V AIO Computer Reading and Writing CDs, D VDs , and Blu-r a y Discs Your com puter plays a nd records CDs, DVDs , and Blu -ray dis cs, depe nding on th e model you pur chased. Check your specif ication s for the ty pe of opti cal disc dri ve instal led on your mode l.
40 nN Using Y our V AIO Computer ! This p roduct i s design ed to playback discs that con form to the Comp act Di sc Digit al Audi o stan dard speci ficatio ns (CD St andard) . A Du alDisc is a tw o sided di sc produ ct which ma tes DVD reco rded materi al on on e side with di gital au dio mate rial on th e other sid e.
41 nN Using Y our V AIO Computer ✍ Suppo rts wri ting da ta to DV D-RW dis cs co mpli ant w ith DVD -RW v ersi on 1 .1/ 1.2. Suppor ts writing d ata to DVD- R discs c ompliant with DVD-R f or Genera l version 2 .0/2.1. Suppor ts 8c m disc read ing, bu t does n ot s upport 8 cm di sc wri ting.
42 nN Using Y our V AIO Computer Notes on writing data to a disc ❑ T o m ake the data on a d isc reada ble on an opt ical disc dr ive, y ou need to cl ose the s ession before you eject it. T o complete this pr ocess, follow the instru ction s included with your sof tware.
43 nN Using Y our V AIO Computer Notes on pla ying D VDs To achie ve op timum p erforma nce when p laying DV Ds, you sho uld fol low these recomm endati ons. ❑ Close al l open ap plic ations be f ore playing a D VD movie. ❑ Do not u se memor y-residen t utili ty software to s peed up disc ac cess when playing a D VD .
44 nN Using Y our V AIO Computer Pla y ing CDs To pl ay an au dio CD 1 Inser t a disc into the optical disc dr ive. 2 If nothing appear s on the de sktop, then click Star t , point to All Programs , and click to star t the desi red CD software, such as the SonicStage software.
45 nN Using Y our V AIO Computer Cop ying Files to CD s See the onlin e Specificati ons to find the ty pe of your optical disc d rive, an d then Reading and Writing CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray D iscs (page 39 ) t o find abou t the s upported disc med ia. To copy files to a disc ! Do not st rike or shak e the compu ter while writ ing data to a disc.
46 nN Using Y our V AIO Computer Pla y ing D VDs To play a DVD 1 Close al l r unning software a pplicati ons. 2 Inser t a D VD into the opt ical disc dr ive. 3 If nothing app ears on the des ktop, then click Star t , po int to All Programs , and click to s tar t the desir ed D VD software to play the D VD .
47 nN Using Y our V AIO Computer Using the TV Function Your com puter may h ave a T V tuner b oard ins talled a long wi th the Microsoft Windows XP M edia Center Editio n operat ing syste m to en hance yo ur co mputin g experi ence. See th e online S pecifi cations for your co mputer 's hardwa re confi guratio n.
48 nN Using Y our V AIO Computer Setting Up TV Connections ! The follo wing co nnecti ons may not be avail able depe ndin g on the cou ntr y or area of your reside ncy .
49 nN Using Y our V AIO Computer Connecting to st andard cab le acce ss (CA TV ) To connect i n CATV mo de (O ption 1) 1 Connect o ne end of a TV c oaxial cable (1) ( not su pplied) to your cable ser vice acc ess (wall o utlet) (2) . 2 Connect t he other e nd to the VHF/UHF po r t (3) on the compu ter .
50 nN Using Y our V AIO Computer To connect i n CATV mo de (O ption 2) 1 Connect one en d of a TV co axia l cable (1) (not s uppli ed) to your cable ser v ice access (wall outlet) (2). Con nect the oth er end to the singl e-conn ection side of a splitte r adap ter (3) ( not su pplied) .
51 nN Using Y our V AIO Computer Connecting to a st andard antenna You ca n con nect your comput er to a n indo or/outdoo r ante nna syst em, usin g Opt ion 1 o r Option 2 from the prev ious section , Connecting to standard cable access (CATV) (page 49) .
52 nN Using Y our V AIO Computer To connect i n terr estrial mode ( Option 2 ) 1 Connect o ne end of a 300 -ohm twin lead c able (1) (not s upplied ) to the s crew-type gr ips at your anten na outl et (2). Connect t he other e nd to the grips on a VH F/UHF RF combiner /transform er (3) (not s uppl ied).
53 nN Using Y our V AIO Computer Connecting with a cab le or satellite set-t op bo x (STB) You ca n conn ect your compute r to c able serv ice a ccess that uses a s et-top box (c able or satell ite).
54 nN Using Y our V AIO Computer.
55 nN Using Y our V AIO Computer To connect i n STB mo de (Opt ion 2) 1 Connect one en d of a TV co axia l cable (1) (not s uppli ed) to your cable ser v ice access (wall outlet) (2). Con nect the oth er end to the VHF/UHF IN p or t o n the ba ck panel of your set-to p box (STB) (3).
56 nN Using Y our V AIO Computer.
57 nN Using Y our V AIO Computer Using the Remote Commander If yo ur comp uter supp orts the TV funct ion, the n a remote command er is supplie d with t he compute r for us ing Me dia Cen ter featu res, incl uding TV chan nel sele ction. A MY MUSIC b utton Press to view and listen to your music playlists.
58 nN Using Y our V AIO Computer D BACK button Press to return to the prev ious window . E VO L bu tto ns Press to increase (+ ) or decrease (-) the v olume. F RECORDED T V b utton Press to view previously recor ded TV pr ograms (In My TV win do w) . G GUI DE bu tto n Pres s to vie w the TV prog ram gu ide fo r y our ar ea.
59 nN Using Y our V AIO Computer Bef ore y ou use the re mote commander Before using the remo te comma nder, you ne ed to insert the supplied AA mangane se batter ies and con nect the remo te sensor to enabl e com municati on betwe en the com puter and the re mote c ommander .
60 nN Using Y our V AIO Computer To connect t he rem ote sensor 1 Choose th e USB por t (1) you prefer to use. 2 Plug the remote s ensor c able (2) into th e USB por t. 3 P o siti on the rem ote se nsor (3 ) to enable uno bstr ucted communi catio n with the r emote comma nder .
61 nN Using Y our V AIO Computer If you a re using a cabl e or satell ite set -top box, yo u can atta ch the re mote se nsor cont rol to the remote sen sor, whic h enable s you to c ontrol the set -top box with the r emote com mander .
62 nN Using Y our V AIO Computer ! Do not cover t he infrared port wh en attac hing t he remo te sens or con trol. The remote sen sor must be vi sible in a line -of-sight with the remo te comman der in order to funct ion prop erly .
63 nN Using Y our V AIO Computer Using the Memor y Stick Media Your compu ter sup ports th e Mem ory Stick media. Memory Stic k medi a is a compa ct, p ortabl e, and versa tile dev ice especi ally design ed for exc hangin g and shari ng digital data with compa tible pr oduc ts, such as dig ital ca mera s, mobile ph ones and other devices .
64 nN Using Y our V AIO Computer Inser t ing a Memory Stic k Media The Memo r y Sti ck PRO/Duo media slot is located behi nd a prot ectiv e cover o n the fr ont o f the comp uter. You ne ed to open the cove r before accessi ng the me mory car d slots.
65 nN Using Y our V AIO Computer ! Be sure to hol d the Memo ry S tick med ia with the arro w pointi ng in the co rrect di rection as you insert it int o the slot. T o avoi d damaging the co mput er or the Memo ry Stick media, do not force the Memor y St ick med ia into th e slot if you cannot i nsert it sm oothl y .
66 nN Using Y our V AIO Computer Removing a Memor y Stic k Media To remove a Me mory Stick media 1 Flip the u pper f ront pane l down, usi ng your finger tip. 2 Check that the Media Acce ss indi cator i s off. 3 Push th e Memor y Stick media in toward the computer.
67 nN Using Y our V AIO Computer Using Other Memor y Cards In ad dition to t he Memo ry Stic k PRO/ Duo medi a slot, y our com puter is equi pped with th ree ot her memo ry car d slots to accom modate many popu lar type s of m emory c ards.
68 nN Using Y our V AIO Computer Bef ore Y ou Use Memor y Cards The me mory c ard slo ts on y our com puter support the fol lowing mem ory cards: ❑ CF (Compac tFlash) memor y card sl ot ❑ CompactF.
69 nN Using Y our V AIO Computer Inser t ing a Memory Card To insert a memory card 1 Flip the u pper f ront pane l down, usi ng your finger tip. Do not us e force to open the cover . 2 Locate th e appr opri ate slot f or the m emor y card you want to u se.
70 nN Using Y our V AIO Computer Removing a Memory Card The co rrect way to r emove a memory ca rd from a me mory card s lot varies, dependi ng on the me dia or slo t. Use care wh en removin g a mem ory card to avoid d amage t o the slot or car d. ! Do not remov e a memor y card while the Medi a Access indicat or ligh t is on.
71 nN Using Y our V AIO Computer Using the Inter ne t Setting Up a Dial-up In ter net Connection Before you can conne ct to th e Internet , you n eed to con nect your compute r to a telephone line w ith a te lephone c able (no t suppli ed). On ce yo u have set up your te lephon e cable con necti on, you' re ready to conne ct to t he Interne t.
72 nN Using P eripheral De vices Using P eripher al De vices You ca n add fu nctio nality to your computer by usi ng the var ious po rts o n the comp uter.
73 nN Using P eripheral De vices Connecting an Exter nal Microphone If yo u need to use a s ound inpu t devi ce ( for exam ple, to chat over the In ternet) you ne ed to plug in an e xternal microp hone. To con nect an exter nal mic rop hone Plug th e micro phone cab le (1) into the microp hone j ack (2) m .
74 nN Using P eripheral De vices Connecting a VC R or Camco rder Your c ompute r has both au dio and video con nection c apabil ities. Yo u can loca te the app ropria te jack s and po rts on the b ack of the c omputer or behi nd the lowe r bott om pane l on th e front.
75 nN Using P eripheral De vices To con nect a V CR or camc ord er with a ster eo A/V dubb ing cab le 1 Connect a stereo A/V du bbing ca ble with tr iple RC A plugs a t each end ( not su pplied) directl y int o the Compos ite V ideo In jack, and the Comp osite Audio In (L/R) jacks on th e computer.
76 nN Using P eripheral De vices Connecting a Universal Se rial Bus (U SB) De vice Connecting a USB Flopp y Disk Dr iv e You ca n purcha se a US B flo ppy dis k drive an d conn ect it to your com puter . To connect a USB floppy d isk drive 1 Choose th e USB por t (1) you prefer to use.
77 nN Using P eripheral De vices Disconnect ing a USB flopp y disk driv e You can di sconne ct a USB flopp y disk drive whe n the comp uter is on or off. Discon necting the drive when the compu ter is in a pow er savi ng mod e (Standb y or Hibernat e) may c ause the compu ter to m alfuncti on.
78 nN Using P eripheral De vices Connecting a Prin ter You ca n conn ect a W indows- comp atible printer to yo ur compu ter to print do cument s. Connecting a Printer Using the USB P or t You ca n conn ect a U SB prin ter comp atible wi th your v ersion of Windo ws to th e comp uter.
79 nN Using P eripheral De vices Connecting a Printer Using the Printer P or t To connect a printer using t he printe r port 1 Plug the pri nter power cord (1) into an AC out let. 2 Plug the pri nter cable (2) supplie d with your pr inter i nto the pr in ter por t (3) on the ba ck of the compu ter .
80 nN Using P eripheral De vices Connecting an i.LIN K De vice Notes on connecting i.LI NK de vices ❑ Y our co mputer is equi pped with an i.LINK po r t, which you can use to connec t to an i.LINK device such as a di gital video camcorde r or to c onnect two V A IO compu ters in order to copy , d elete o r edit fi les.
81 nN Using P eripheral De vices Connecting a Digital Video Camcorder To connect a digital vi deo cam corder 1 Plug on e end o f the i.LIN K cable (1) (not s upplied) into the i.LINK por t (2) on the comp uter and the oth er en d into the D V In/Out po r ts (3) on t he digital video cam corder.
82 nN Using P eripheral De vices Connecting to a Networ k (LAN) You ca n conn ect your compute r to 10 00BASE- T/100B ASE-TX /10BAS E-T-ty pe network s with an Etherne t networ k cable . Connect one end of a netwo rk cab le (not s upplied) to the n etwork (Eth ernet) p ort on the back of the comp uter a nd the ot her end to y our networ k.
83 nN Using P eripheral De vices ! T elep hone lines can not be con nected t o the network (L AN) connec tor on your comp uter . If the netwo rk (LAN) conn ector is con nected to t he telepho ne lines men tione d below, high electric current to the conne ctor may cause dam age, overhe ating or fir e.
84 nN Customizi ng Y our V AIO Computer Customizing Y our V AIO Co mputer This sect ion brie fly de scrib es how to c hange the main s etting s of your comp uter. Am ong othe r things , you wil l learn how to use a nd cus tomiz e the l ook of your So ny so ftwar e and utili ties, etc.
85 nN Customizi ng Y our V AIO Computer Setting the P ass word Use one of the B IOS func tions to set the password. Once you ha ve se t the pass word, you will have to en ter th e passwor d afte r the VAI O log o appea rs to star t your c ompute r. The po wer-on p assword wi ll all ow you to protect y our com puter from unau thorize d acces s.
86 nN Customizi ng Y our V AIO Computer Adding the P ow er-on P ass word The po wer-on p assword is provided to pro tect your c ompute r from u nauthori zed acces s. There ar e two typ es of the p ower-on p assword: mac hine p assword and u ser pa ssword .
87 nN Customizi ng Y our V AIO Computer Changing/Remo ving the P o wer-on P ass wo rd To remove th e powe r-on passwor d 1 T ur n on the c omputer . 2 Pres s the F2 ke y when th e V AIO log o appea rs. 3 Enter th e current passw ord f or Ent er Curr ent Passw ord and press th e Enter key .
88 nN Customizi ng Y our V AIO Computer Setting Up Y our Computer with V AIO C entral The VAIO Central utili ty allow s you to consu lt system i nformati on and specify prefere nces for s ystem be havio r. To use V AIO Cent ral 1 Click St art , poi nt to All Programs , and click VA I O C e n t r a l .
89 nN Customizi ng Y our V AIO Computer Using the P ow er Sa ving Modes In a ddition t o the norma l ope rating m ode, wh ich allows y ou to turn off spec ific d evic es, your co mputer h as two dist inct powe r saving m odes: S tandby a nd Hibe rnate.
90 nN Customizi ng Y our V AIO Computer Using Standb y Mode Standby mode turns off the co mputer s creen an d sets the hard di sk and th e CPU to a low power consum ption mode . The orange Standb y ind icato r light ill umina tes in thi s mod e. To activate Standby mode 1 Click St art and then T urn O ff Computer .
91 nN Customizi ng Y our V AIO Computer Using Hibernate Mode In Hiber nate mode, the s tate o f the s ystem i s save d on th e hard d isk and power is turned off. T he VAIO power i ndicator is off in this mode. To activate Hibe rnate mode 1 Click St art and then T urn O ff Computer .
92 nN Upgrading Y our V AIO Computer Upgrading Y our V AIO Computer Your co mput er and me mory mod ules use high precis ion comp onents and el ectronic connec tors te chnol ogy. To avoid the inval idation of your guarante e due to mish andling, w e rec ommend that: ❑ Y ou co ntact your de aler to i nstall a new memor y module.
93 nN Upgrading Y our V AIO Computer Bef ore Upgrading Y ou r Computer The u pgrading proc edures descr ibed in this sect ion ass ume th at yo u are fa mili ar with the gen eral ter mino logy as soci ated w ith perso nal comp uters, s afety pra ctices, required regul atory comp lianc es, and t he modi fication of ele ctronic eq uipmen t.
94 nN Upgrading Y our V AIO Computer Opening and Closing the Computer When y ou acces s memor y modul es, add -on cards , and th e lithium batter y insi de you r compu ter, y ou need to remov e and repla ce the si de pane l beforeh and and after ward.
95 nN Upgrading Y our V AIO Computer.
96 nN Upgrading Y our V AIO Computer Closing t he Computer To replace the side panel 1 Inser t the tab s on the bo ttom of t he side p anel d iagona lly into the tracks on the b ottom ed ge of the c hassis frame. 2 Slide t he side p anel toward the front o f the c omputer .
97 nN Upgrading Y our V AIO Computer Adding and Removing Memor y If you want to expan d the f unctional ity of yo ur comp uter, you can incr ease the mem ory b y installi ng optio nal mem ory modu les. Before you upgr ade your compute r's memor y, rea d the notes and proc edures in thi s secti on.
98 nN Upgrading Y our V AIO Computer ❑ Use the spec ial bag delivered wi th the memor y module or wrap t he mod ule i n alum inum foil to prot ect it fr om e lectrostati c dischar ge.
99 nN Upgrading Y our V AIO Computer Removing and Installing a Memor y Module To change or add a memory m odule 1 Remove the side panel . See O pening th e Computer (page 94) f or the detail ed instruc tions. 2 Push th e tabs on t he bracket and lift the bracket out of the c omputer .
100 nN Upgrading Y our V AIO Computer 5 Push down on the la tches ( 1), loca ted on b oth sides of the module, to g ently ej ect it fr om the s lot. 6 Grasp the m emor y module by the sides and remove from the c omputer . Store the modu le in a static -free ba g.
101 nN Upgrading Y our V AIO Computer 7 Remove the memor y module from its ant i-st atic package, han dling it by the edges. 8 Locate t he cen ter no tch (1) o n the bo ttom ed ge of th e memo r y mo dule and a lign it to the c enter bump in the op en mod ule slot.
102 nN Upgrading Y our V AIO Computer Viewin g the Amount of Memor y To view the amount of me mory 1 T ur n on the c omputer . 2 Click St art , poi nt to All Programs , and click VA I O C e n t r a l . 3 Click the System Informat ion tab in the V AIO Central wi ndow .
103 nN Upgrading Y our V AIO Computer Installing an Add -on Card Your c omput er may h ave on e or mor e open expansi on slot s depend ing on the mod el con figur ation. An expan sion sl ot enables you to instal l add-on card s to expa nd the f unctio nalit y of your compute r.
104 nN Upgrading Y our V AIO Computer 2 Locate a n av aila ble e xpansion slot. Remove the slot cover's screw , a nd then remove the slot cover . ! When remov ing a slot cover , be ca reful not t o damage com ponen ts on the syst em board or add-on cards.
105 nN Upgrading Y our V AIO Computer 3 Inser t the add -on car d into the expansion slo t and sec ure it wit h the s crew from the expansion slot cover . 4 Repla ce the si de pan el. See C losing the Computer ( page 96) for the de tailed in str uction s.
106 nN Upgrading Y our V AIO Computer Replacing the Lithium Batter y The li thium batt ery star ts to weak en after s everal years a nd the s ystem s ettings, s uch as th e date a nd time sto red in CM OS RAM, may become inaccur ate. Re place the lithium batter y when thi s occurs .
107 nN Upgrading Y our V AIO Computer 5 Repla ce the si de pan el. See C losing the Computer ( page 96) for the de tailed in str uction s. The v alues s tored in t he CMO S memo ry are now rese t to the factory default v alues .
108 nN Upgrading Y our V AIO Computer Installing the Hard D isk Dr iv e Your com puter may b e equipped with op en inte rnal bay s to hol d addit ional 3.5-inc h hard di sk dri ves. See the online Speci fication s f or detai ls about t he inst alled ha rd disk dri ve.
109 nN Upgrading Y our V AIO Computer About hard disk driv e recov er y When y ou repla ce the origina l hard di sk dri ve, the pr einstal led VAIO Reco very utility cannot r estore t he driv e partiti ons, operati ng system , or origina l software pr ograms.
110 nN Upgrading Y our V AIO Computer Drive le tter assig nment When a n ew ha rd disk drive is inst alled , an ide ntifying driv e letter i s assi gned. The drive l etter assignm ent bec omes effectiv e after you registe r for the first ti me or afte r you r ecover yo ur comp uter with the VAIO Re covery u tilit y.
111 nN Upgrading Y our V AIO Computer Installing an Add itional Hard Disk Driv e You ca n ins tall up to four S A T A hard disk drives to the internal hard di sk dri ve bay. ! If you remov e the hard di sk cover immed iately aft er you shut down the co mputer , the interna l compone nts may be too hot to touc h .
112 nN Upgrading Y our V AIO Computer 4 Detach th e power and inter face cables from the or igi nal hard disk dr ive that is pr einstal led in the computer. 5 Pull th e dr ive holder h andle stra ight ou t from the ch assis to unlo ck the dr ive holder .
113 nN Upgrading Y our V AIO Computer 7 Slide a new drive into t he dr ive holder and align the hol es on eac h side o f the dr i v e bay . 8 Secur e the dr ive to the d rive hold er with s crews, through th e holes o n each side of the d r ive holder .
114 nN Upgrading Y our V AIO Computer 9 Align t he dr ive holder with the tracks on the ins ide of the chas sis. Slide the dr ive holder i n comp letely .
115 nN Upgrading Y our V AIO Computer 11 Connect t he power connec tors to t he or igina l and new hard d isks. 12 Connect t he inte rn al SA T A c ables to th e hard di sks as follows: ! Make sure to use t he intern al SA T A cables.
116 nN Upgrading Y our V AIO Computer Identify ing the Additional Hard Di sk Space When y ou initia lize the new hard dis k, it mus t be c onfigu red as a n extended partitio n in W indows NT file s ystem (N TFS) form at. To identif y the addi tional hard disk space 1 Log on to Windows a s a user with admi nistrator r ig hts.
117 nN Upgrading Y our V AIO Computer Installing the IDE De vice Your com puter may b e equipped with op en ID E devic e bays t o hold 5-inch IDE devic es. See the onl ine Specifications fo r details about the in stall ed IDE d e vice s. Notes on installing the IDE de vice ❑ Be car eful wh en instal ling an I DE d e vice.
118 nN Upgrading Y our V AIO Computer To install the IDE device ! If you rem ove the c overs and panel s immedi ately af ter you shut do wn the co mputer , the in ternal co mpone nts may b e too ho t to tou ch. Wait about one hour to let the c ompone nts cool do wn before you attem pt to remo ve the p anel.
119 nN Upgrading Y our V AIO Computer 4 Unscr ew the two screws on the back of the co mputer . 5 Slide t he ri ght side panel toward the back of the c omputer, remov e the pan el, and set it as ide.
120 nN Upgrading Y our V AIO Computer 6 Remove the front cover and set it asi de..
121 nN Upgrading Y our V AIO Computer 7 Disenga ge the th ree tabs on the back of the fro nt panel, r emove the panel, and set it as ide..
122 nN Upgrading Y our V AIO Computer 8 Slide a n IDE dr ive into the ID E d e vice bay and align the holes on each s ide of the device bay . 9 Secure th e device to the bay with scr ews , thr ough the ho les o n each side of t he device bay .
123 nN Upgrading Y our V AIO Computer 11 Replace the front panel..
124 nN Upgrading Y our V AIO Computer 12 Repl ace t he fr ont cov er ..
125 nN Upgrading Y our V AIO Computer 13 Slide t he ri ght side panel toward the front of the com puter . 14 Tighten the two screws on th e back of the c omputer t o secure th e panel .
126 nN Upgrading Y our V AIO Computer 15 Repla ce the har d disk cover ..
127 nN Precau tions Precautions This sect ion desc ribes s afety guideli nes an d precau tions to help you pro tect your compute r from p oten tial d amage.
128 nN Precau tions On Handling the LCD Screen ❑ Do not leave the LCD sc reen facing the sun. T his co uld da mage the LCD scr een. Be c areful wh en usi ng the com puter near a w indow . ❑ Do not sc ratch the L CD scree n or ex er t pres sure on it.
129 nN Precau tions On Using the P ow er Source ❑ See the o nline Spec ifications to c heck the power operation of your model . ❑ Do not sh are th e AC outlet with othe r power-consum ing equ ipmen t, such as a photoc opier or s hredder. ❑ Y ou can purchas e a power strip with a surge prote ctor .
130 nN Precau tions On Handling Y our Comput er ❑ Clean the cabin et with a soft cloth, whi ch is dr y or li ghtly moi stene d with a mi ld dete rgent so lution . Do not use any type of abrasi v e pa d, scour ing powder , or solvent suc h as alc ohol o r benzi ne, as these may damage th e finish of the compu ter .
131 nN Precau tions ❑ Do not us e cut o r damaged conne ction cables. ❑ If the comput er is bro ught direc tly from a cold location to a warm one, moisture may condense i nside the co mputer. In this case, allow at least one hour before tur ning on th e compu ter .
132 nN Precau tions On Handling Flopp y Disks ❑ Do not ope n the s hutter manua lly o r touch t he surface of the floppy disk. ❑ K eep flop p y disks away from ma gnets. ❑ K eep flop p y dis ks awa y from direc t sunl ight an d other s ources of h eat.
133 nN Precau tions On Handling Discs ❑ Do not touc h the s urface of the disc . ❑ Do not dr op or ben d the di sc. ❑ Finger prin ts and d ust on t he surface of a disc may cause read e rrors. Always hold the di sc by its edg es and central hol e, as shown below: ❑ Proper c are o f the disc is e ssentia l to it s con tinuous rel iabi lity .
134 nN Precau tions On Handling Memor y Stic k Media ❑ Do not us e the me dia in loca tions that are su bject to static e lectr icity or electr ica l noise. ❑ Do not touc h the M emor y Stick media conne ctor with your finger or metal lic obj ects.
135 nN Precau tions On Handling the Hard Disk The ha rd disk has a high sto rage d ensity a nd reads or wri tes data i n a sho rt time. H owever , it can be eas ily dama ged by mechan ical vibrati on, sh ock o r dust.
136 nN T r oublesho oting T rou b les hooti ng This sectio n des cribes h ow to s olve c ommon proble ms you might encounter when using your c ompute r. Many prob lems ha ve simpl e soluti ons. Try these sug gesti ons befor e visitin g the So ny on line sup port Web site a t http://e suppor t.
137 nN T r oublesho oting Computer What should I do if m y computer does not st ar t? ❑ Make sure your comp uter is sec urely plugged i nto a power sourc e and tu rn ed on. M ake sure the V AIO power indica tor shows the power is on . ❑ Make sure t he opti cal di sc dr ive (if app lica ble) is empty .
138 nN T r oublesho oting What should I do if a BIOS error appear s when I turn on my computer? If the message "Press < F1> to resume, <F2> to s etup" appe ars at th e bottom of you r comput er scree n, follow th ese step s: 1 Pres s the F2 ke y when th e V AIO log o appea rs.
139 nN T r oublesho oting What should I do if Windows d oes not star t, sho wing the message "Operat ing system not f ound," when I tur n on my compute r? ❑ Make sure your comp uter do es not have a "non-boot able" CD or D V D in the optic al disc dri v e (if a pplic able).
140 nN T r oublesho oting What should I do if m y comput er or soft ware stops resp onding? ❑ It is bes t to tu rn off your computer using the T urn Off Computer optio n on the Micros oft Wi ndows St art menu, lo cated on the tas kbar . Usin g other me thods, inclu ding t hose listed below , m ay result in l oss of un saved data.
141 nN T r oublesho oting Wh y doesn't my computer enter St andb y or Hiber nate mode? Your co mput er may b ecome unstable if the o perating mode i s cha nged befor e the c omput er compl etely en ters Standby o r Hibernate. To restore you r computer to normal oper ating stability 1 Close al l ope n programs.
142 nN T r oublesho oting What should I do if I cannot remember the BIOS pass word? If you have for gotten the BIO S pass word, contact an a uthoriz ed Sony Serv ice Cent er to reset it. A rese t fee will be cha rged. To fin d the ne arest c enter or agent, vi sit th e Sony on line sup port W eb site.
143 nN T r oublesho oting System Security This sect ion prov ides in format ion ab out kee ping you r comput er ope rating s moothl y and pr otecting against p otent ial thre ats to the comp uter's secu rity.
144 nN T r oublesho oting To visit the Windows U pdates we b site 1 Connect t o the Int er net. 2 T y pe http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/ in the address bar of your browser . The Micr osoft Windo ws Update and Securi ty W arning windows appear . 3 In the Se curity Warning wind ow , star t insta llation a nd ru n Windo ws Update .
145 nN T r oublesho oting Inter ne t What should I do if m y mod em does not work? ❑ Make sure the te lepho ne cable is s ecurel y plugged into th e mode m por t on your com puter and the wall ja ck. ❑ Make sure t he telepho ne cable is worki ng. Plug the cable i nto an o rdinar y teleph one and listen for a di al tone.
146 nN T r oublesho oting Wh y is m y modem connection slow? Your c omput er is eq uipped with a V.92/ V .90 co mpatib le mod em. Man y factor s may influ ence mode m con nectio n speed, inclu ding tele phone line nois e or com patibi lity with telepho ne equi pment, s uch as fax mach ines o r other m odems .
147 nN T r oublesho oting CDs , D VDs , and B lu-r a y Di scs Wh y does my computer freez e when I tr y to read a disc? The di sc that your compu ter i s trying to read may be di rty or damage d. Follo w these s teps: 1 Restar t the comp uter by clicking Star t , T urn Off Computer , and Restar t .
148 nN T r oublesho oting What should I do if I cannot pla y a disc p roperly on m y computer? ❑ Make sure t he disc was inser ted into the opti cal dis c dr ive with the label facing up. ❑ Make sure t he nece ssar y program(s) i s inst alled ac cordi ng to the manufacturer's in str uct ions.
149 nN T r oublesho oting 5 Double-click the optic al disc dr ive de vice t o open t he sub menu. 6 Double-click the listed drive, and selec t the Properties tab. 7 Clic k to se lect the En able digital CD a udio for this CD-ROM device chec k bo x, if it is not sele cted.
150 nN T r oublesho oting What should I do if I cannot write data to CD media? ❑ Do not lau nch any s oftware appli cation o r allow any to la unch auto matic ally , not even a screen saver . ❑ Do not us e the keyboard. ❑ Do not us e a CD-R/RW disc that has an adhesive labe l affixed to it.
151 nN T r oublesho oting What should I do if I cannot wr ite data to D VD-RAM media using Windo ws functions? This Q & A entr y appl ies to selecte d mo dels on ly. See th e onli ne Specifica tions to s ee whether your mode l is e quipped wi th the DVD± RW/RAM dr ive.
152 nN T r oublesho oting Displ a y Wh y did my computer scr een go blan k? ❑ Y our com puter sc reen may go blank if th e computer has lost power or has enter ed a power saving mode (Standby or Hiber na te). If the compu ter is i n Stan dby mode, press a ny ke y to ac tivate the compu ter scr een.
153 nN T r oublesho oting Pr inting What should I do if I cannot print a document? ❑ Make sure your pr inter i s on, and the pr in ter cable is s ecurely conn ected to th e por ts on the p r inter an d comp uter . ❑ Make sure your pr inter i s compa tible wit h the Wind ows operating s ystem i nstalled on your comp uter .
154 nN T r oublesho oting Microphone What should I do if m y microp hone does not work? If yo u are us ing an external mi crophon e, mak e sure th e micro phone i s turned on and is prop erly plugg ed into the mi crophon e jack on your com puter.
155 nN T r oublesho oting Mouse What should I do if m y computer does not re cogniz e m y mouse? ❑ Make sure the s uppli ed AA batter ies ar e proper ly i nstalle d. ❑ Pres s the CONNECT button on your mouse an d radio fr equency rece iver to re-esta blish the connec tion be tween the two de vices .
156 nN T r oublesho oting ❑ If you are usin g a wir eless o ptica l mouse: ❑ Make sure the s uppli ed AA batt er ies ar e proper ly i nstalled . ❑ Press t he CONNECT button o n your mouse and ra dio freq uency recei ver to re- establish t he co nnection betwee n the tw o de vices .
157 nN T r oublesho oting Speak ers What should I do if m y spea kers do not w ork? ❑ Make sure your speakers a re proper ly c onnected a nd the volume is tur ned up loud en ough to hear sou nd. ❑ Make sure your speakers a re desi gned for computer use.
158 nN T r oublesho oting What should I do if I cannot hear sound f rom my speak ers? ❑ If you are usin g a pr ogram that has its own volume c ontrol, m ake sure the volume cont rol is proper ly s et. See the program's h elp file for mor e informat ion.
159 nN T r oublesho oting K e yboard What should I do if t he k e yboard configur ation is wrong? ❑ The l anguage l a yout of your com puter 's ke yboa rd is s pecified on th e sticker on the b ox. If you choose a different reg ional ke yboard w hen you complete the Windows setu p, the k ey configurat ion wil l be mis match ed.
160 nN T r oublesho oting Flopp y Disks Wh y doesn't the Saf ely Remov e Hardwar e icon appear on the t askbar when the drive is connected ? Your com puter does n ot recog nize the floppy disk dr ive. Fir st, mak e sure th e USB cab le is proper ly conn ected to th e USB port.
161 nN T r oublesho oting A udio/Video What should I do if I cannot use my D V camcorder? If the message that DV equ ipment seems to be disconn ected or turned off appear s, the i. LINK c able may not be s ecurel y plugged into t he por ts on yo ur c omputer o r ca mcorder.
162 nN T r oublesho oting Memor y Stic k Media What should I do if I cannot open m y image files? You may need to reformat y our Mem ory Sti ck medi a. Form atting Mem ory Sti ck m edia eras es all data, i nclud ing mu sic data prev iously save d to it.
163 nN T r oublesho oting P eripherals What should I do if I cannot connect a USB de vice? ❑ If applic able, check the USB device is tur ned o n and us ing its own power supply . For example, if you are usi ng a digita l camera, che ck the batter y is ch arged .
164 nN Support Options Suppor t Options The se ction cont ains i nformatio n on wher e to go for answ ers to question s about yo ur compute r and the preinsta lled softwa re. Sony Suppor t Inf or m ation See the follow ing so urces for an swers i n the sequ ence l isted bel ow.
165 nN Support Options Program Suppor t Inf or matio n Dependi ng on th e comp uter mode l and p articul ar confi gura tion you p urchas ed, yo ur compu ter ma y not include all of the software p rograms listed bel ow. Contacts for Son y sof tware pro ducts are liste d below : ❑ F or us ers in USA We b S i t e http:/ /esupp or t.
166 nN Support Options America Online ® ( Dial-Up) Ameri ca Onli ne, Inc. ❑ F or use rs in USA and Cana da We b S i t e http:/ /www .a ol.com AOL ® Musi c No w Ameri ca Onli ne, Inc. ❑ F or use rs in USA and Cana da We b S i t e http:/ /www .p remiumser vices.
167 nN Support Options AOL ® Inst ant Messe nger ™ Ameri ca Onli ne, Inc. ❑ F or use rs in USA and Cana da We b S i t e http:/ /www .a im.com Bluetooth ® Utility TOS HIBA Co rpor ati on For cont acts abou t the s oftware, s ee Program Support Information (page 165) .
168 nN Support Options DISCover ™ My Games ™ DISCover ❑ F or use rs in USA and Cana da We b S i t e http:/ /www .d iscoverconsole.com DVgate Plus ™ softwa re Sony E lectron ics Inc . Connect a comp atible digital v ideo camera to your c ompute r's i.
169 nN Support Options Micros oft ® Offi ce Basic Edition , Office Profes sional Edition, O ffice S mall Busin ess Ed ition Micr osoft Corp. ❑ F or use rs in USA and Cana da We b S i t e http:/ /suppo r t.
170 nN Support Options Netscape ® Browser Ameri ca Onli ne, Inc. ❑ F or use rs in USA and Cana da We b S i t e http:/ /browser .netscape.com Norto n Interne t Securi ty ™ Symante c Corporation ❑ F or use rs in USA and Cana da We b S i t e http:/ /www .
171 nN Support Options ROXIO DigitalMedia ® Sonic Sol utions ❑ F or use rs in USA and Cana da We b S i t e http:/ /suppo r t.soni c.com/ SmartWi ™ Connection Utility Sony E lectron ics Inc .
172 nN Support Options SonicStage Maste ring Studio ™ software Sony E lectron ics Inc . Use Son icStage M aster ing Stud io sof tware t o reco rd son gs from a nalog record s or cassette tapes into yo ur com puter and outpu t them to CDs, DVDs , or audio files i n WAV form at.
173 nN Support Options VAIO ® Acti on Setup Sony E lectron ics Inc . VAIO Ac tion Se tup man ages t he setting s for y our comp uter's s hortcut key s. For cont acts abou t the s oftware, s ee Program Support Information (page 165) . VAIO ® Camera Utility Sony E lectron ics Inc .
174 nN Support Options VAIO Me dia ™ software Sony E lectron ics Inc . VAIO Medi a ™ softwa re brin gs multi media to your n etwork, e nablin g you to share music, video , and st ill ima ge fil es between y our VAI O ® co mputer s.
175 nN Support Options VAIO ® Update Sony E lectron ics Inc . The VA IO Update uti lity he lps you k eep you r VAIO ® com puter up to da te by regul arly ch ecking th e Sony online support Web si te for imp ortant s oftware updates a nd info rmation for your s pecif ic VAIO compute r model.
176 nN Support Options Wireless Setup Util ity Sony E lectron ics Inc . The Wi reless Setup Uti lity wal ks you t hrough s etting up y our wir eless n etwork c onnectio n and o ffers us eful diag nostic tests to help kee p your wirele ss networ k runn ing sm oothly .
© 2006 S ony Corp oration n.
An important point after buying a device Sony VGC-RC300 (or even before the purchase) is to read its user manual. We should do this for several simple reasons:
If you have not bought Sony VGC-RC300 yet, this is a good time to familiarize yourself with the basic data on the product. First of all view first pages of the manual, you can find above. You should find there the most important technical data Sony VGC-RC300 - thus you can check whether the hardware meets your expectations. When delving into next pages of the user manual, Sony VGC-RC300 you will learn all the available features of the product, as well as information on its operation. The information that you get Sony VGC-RC300 will certainly help you make a decision on the purchase.
If you already are a holder of Sony VGC-RC300, but have not read the manual yet, you should do it for the reasons described above. You will learn then if you properly used the available features, and whether you have not made any mistakes, which can shorten the lifetime Sony VGC-RC300.
However, one of the most important roles played by the user manual is to help in solving problems with Sony VGC-RC300. Almost always you will find there Troubleshooting, which are the most frequently occurring failures and malfunctions of the device Sony VGC-RC300 along with tips on how to solve them. Even if you fail to solve the problem, the manual will show you a further procedure – contact to the customer service center or the nearest service center
