Sony PCV-RXA842 User's Guide

Welcome Thank you for purchasing your Sony VAIO® computer! Your new computer is a superb blend of high technology andeasy-to-use functionality. The in

Setting Up Your Computer Your computer may not be equipped with all of these hardware features and the location of the controls, ports, and jacksmay v

Connecting a display (monitor) 1.Plug the display cable into the Monitor port. 2.If necessary, plug the display cable into the rear of the display.

Connecting the speakers 1.Plug the cable attached to the back of the left speaker into the L Out jack on the back of the right speaker. 2.Plug the cab

Connecting the keyboard and mouse 1.Plug the keyboard cable into the Keyboard port on the back of the computer. 2.Plug the mouse cable into the Mouse

Connecting the modem cable 1.Unplug your telephone from the wall jack. 2.Plug the modem cable (supplied) into the Modem line jack on the computer, and

Connecting the power cords 1.Plug the power cord into the back of the computer. 2.Plug both the display and power cords into a grounded AC wall outlet

Turning On Your Computer When you start your system for the first time, your computer may detect new equipment and display a dialog box thatprompts yo

Registering Your Computer Take advantage of Sony's commitment to quality customer support and receive these benefits by registering yourcomputer:

Setting Up Your Dial-up Connection The first time you turn your computer on, follow these steps to set up your dial-up connection: 1.Click Start from

5.Follow the on-screen instructions to finish setting up your dial-up connection. Page 19

Getting Started Congratulations on your purchase of the Sony VAIO® computer! Your new, high-performance, multimedia computer combinesaudio, video, and

Turning Off Your Computer Follow these steps when you are ready to turn off your computer for an extended period of time. To avoid loss of data, d

Configuring Your VAIO Computer This section provides basic information about managing your computer's hard disk drive performance, using i.LINK d

About Your Hard Disk Drive Partition To improve the performance of Sony audio and video software applications, the hard disk drive on your computer ha

Defragmenting your hard disk drive If you encounter frame dropping while recording digital video onto your hard disk drive, defragmentation may benece

i.LINK Compatibility Your VAIO® computer may be equipped with a 4-pin and/or a 6-pin i.LINK port, depending on the system configurationpurchased. A 4-

Connecting an i.LINK (IEEE 1394) device 1.Use the symbol to locate the i.LINK port on your compatible i.LINK device and on your computer. Plug the i.

VAIO Action Setup VAIO® Action Setup manages the settings for your computer's Shortcut keys (S Keys). Shortcut Keys The programmable S Keys are s

Changing the settings of the S keys You can reprogram the S keys to launch other applications. 1.Click Start in the Windows taskbar and select All Pro

Changing The Sony Software Window Design You can select from different window designs for certain Sony software applications and create your own perso

Changing the window design 1.Click Start in the Windows taskbar and select the Control Panel. 2.Click Other Control Panel Options. 3.Click UI Design S

Unpacking Your Computer Your computer may not be supplied with all of the accessories shown, depending on the system configuration youpurchased. For d

Using The Memory Stick Media Slot Your computer may not be equipped with a Memory Stick® media slot as described in this section, depending on thehard

Do not remove the Memory Stick media while the media access indicator light is on. The mediaor its data may become damaged. To remove a Memory Sti

Using The PC Card Slot Your computer may not be equipped with a PC card slot as described in this section, depending on the hardwareconfiguration purc

1.Close all applications that may access the PC Card to avoid data loss. 2.Double-click the Safely Remove Hardware icon in the Windows® taskbar. 3.Cli

Setting up the remote control Your computer may not be supplied with the remote control, depending on the hardware configuration purchased. A remoteco

Upgrading And Maintaining Your VAIO Computer In the future you may want to increase the functionality of your VAIO computer. This section describes ho

Overview The procedures in this section assume that you are familiar with the general terminology associated with personalcomputers and with the safet

Removing the Side Panel To remove the side panel 1.Shut down your computer and turn off all peripheral devices, such as your printer. 2.Unplug your co

Installing an Add-on Card Your computer may have one or more open expansion slots, depending on the model configuration. An expansion slotenables you

8.Reconnect all peripheral devices and the power cord, and then turn on the computer. Page 39

Planning An Ergonomic Work Space Before you get started, find the best location for your new computer. Planning your workspace Stable work surface —

Installing Memory The amount of preinstalled memory may vary, depending on the system configuration you purchased. Your computer mayship with all avai

2.Pull the tab that releases the power supply from the chassis. 3.Slide the power supply unit up until it clears the chassis. 4.Rotate the power suppl

Replacing the Lithium Battery The lithium battery starts to weaken after several years and the system settings, such as the date and time stored inCMO

Installing an Additional Hard Disk Drive Your computer comes with an available internal bay to hold a second standard 3.5-inch hard disk drive. Some m

8.Secure the drive to the drive holder with screws, through the two holes on each side of the drive holder. Your new hard disk drive is supplied w

8.Follow the wizard's instructions to complete the process. The Windows® XP operating system recognizes the new hard disk drive and applies the N

Replacing the Side Panel To replace the side panel 1.Align the tabs on the side panel to the chassis rim. 2.Press the side panel firmly against the un

System and Application Recovery CD(s) You can restore your system, individual software applications, or drivers, using the Recovery CDs. Using The Sy

Using The System Recovery CD(s) The System Recovery CD utility formats your hard disk drive and restores the operating system and all the original,pre

System Recovery options Default System Drive Recovery (Recommended) All data on Drive C is deleted. The factory default settings and software applicat

Locating Controls And Ports This section is intended to familiarize you with the controls, ports and jacks that may be available on your computer. You

Using the System Recovery CD(s) Your system may take a few minutes to load necessary files. A blue screen appears during the downloading process. 1.Pr

Using The Application Recovery CD(s) The Application Recovery CD utility enables you to reinstall individual software, individual drivers, and to repa

Reinstalling software 1.Turn on your computer. If your computer is already on, save and close all open applications. 2.Logon to go to the Windows® des

Reinstalling device drivers The Microsoft® Windows® XP operating system is capable of reinstalling the original factory-installed device drivers, with

Reinstalling device drivers using Application Recovery CD(s) 1.Logon to go to the Windows® desktop. 2.Insert Application Recovery CD #1 into the optic

Troubleshooting This section describes how to troubleshoot common problems. You can also find helpful information on how to use yourcomputer's ha

About VAIO Computer Functions My computer does not start. Check that the computer is plugged into a power source and that it is turned on. Check that

About VAIO Computer Functions My computer does not start. Check that the computer is plugged into a power source and that it is turned on. Check that

Why did my computer or software application stop responding? You can try to locate and close the software application that has stopped responding. 1.P

Why does the Windows operating system stop responding during shutdown? The Windows operating system may not shut down properly for many reasons, inclu

About the front panel The front panel of your VAIO Computer enables access to the optical and floppy disk drives. It also includes access to theMemory

I cannot find the Windows taskbar. The Windows taskbar may be hidden or minimized. Use the mouse to locate a hidden taskbar by pointing to the left,

Why is my system running slowly? The system responsiveness varies depending with the number of applications that are open and running. Close anyappli

How do I change the parallel port type to ECP, EPP, or bi-directional? You can change the parallel port type using the System Setup utility (CMOS Setu

Where can I find a listing of my computer's preinstalled software titles? You can find details about the drives, cards, and memory modules, that

About Software How do I create an audio CD with preinstalled Sony software? Your VAIO® computer has SonicStage software preinstalled on your compute

About Software How do I create an audio CD with preinstalled Sony software? Your VAIO® computer has SonicStage software preinstalled on your compute

How do I use the System Restore feature in Windows XP? System Restore is a feature of the Microsoft® Windows® XP operating system that enables you to

How do I copy files to a recordable CD media, using Microsoft Windows XP? You can copy files to CD-R or CD-RW discs, using the installed CD-RW or DVD-

Where can I find a listing of my computer's preinstalled software titles? You can find details about the drives, cards, and memory modules, that

About Using The Optical Disc Drive(s) Your computer may not be equipped with all of the hardware features listed in this section. To view the spec

Light is amber while reading and writing data from and to the hard disk. 7 Power switch and power indicator The power switch turns the computer on/of

Why doesn't my optical drive tray open? Use the Eject button 1.Make sure the computer is turned on. 2.Press the Eject button on the drive. Use th

When I click an application icon, the message, "You must insert the application CD into your drive" appearsand the software does not start.

Why can't I play a DVD or CD media? After inserting your optical disc, wait a few seconds for it to be detected before trying to access it. Ver

Why isn't my DVD playing properly? If a region code warning appears when you are using the DVD player application, it may be that the region code

Why doesn't my optical drive (DVD-RW) record to CD-RW media at higher speeds? If you are having difficulty formatting CD-RW media for recording p

Why doesn't my optical drive (CD-RW) record to CD-RW media? If you are having difficulty with writing, erasing, or formatting on your CD-RW media

About The Speakers Why is there no sound in any application? Check that the speakers are plugged into the Headphones jack. If your speakers have a m

About The Speakers Why is there no sound in any application? Check that the speakers are plugged into the Headphones jack. If your speakers have a m

About The Modem Why is my modem connection slow? Many factors influence modem connection speed: Telephone line noise Incompatibility with other tele

About The Modem Why is my modem connection slow? Many factors influence modem connection speed: Telephone line noise Incompatibility with other tele

About the back panel The back panel of your computer contains the ports for supplied and optional accessories. The icons on the back panellocate and i

Why doesn't my modem work properly? Your modem may be experiencing equipment or software conflicts. If your modem is not functioning properly, ch

How do I change my modem to rotary or Touch-Tone dialing? 1.Click Start in the Windows taskbar, then click Control Panel. 2.Click Printers and Other H

About The Microphone Why doesn't my microphone work properly? Check that the microphone is plugged into the Microphone jack. Page 82

About The Microphone Why doesn't my microphone work properly? Check that the microphone is plugged into the Microphone jack. Page 83

Why is my microphone so sensitive to background noise? If you find there is too much background noise when you record sound, you should adjust the mic

About The Mouse And Keyboard Why doesn't my mouse work properly? Check that the mouse is plugged securely into the Mouse port. Save and close a

About The Mouse And Keyboard Why doesn't my mouse work properly? Check that the mouse is plugged securely into the Mouse port. Save and close a

How do I set up my mouse for left-hand use? 1.Click Start in the Windows taskbar, then click Control Panel. 2.Click Printers and Other Hardware, then

Why doesn't my keyboard work properly? Check that the keyboard is securely plugged into the Keyboard port. Save and close all open applications

About Using Peripheral Equipment How do I change the video resolution of my display? 1.Click Start in the Windows taskbar and then select Control Pane

6 Universal Serial Bus 2.0 (USB) ports (2) High-speed connections for compatible USB devices. 7 Microphone jack Connection for a microphone (optiona

About Using Peripheral Equipment How do I change the video resolution of my display? 1.Click Start in the Windows taskbar and then select Control Pane

How do I install a printer? If your printer has a USB, IEEE 1394, or infrared connection, contact the printer manufacturer for information orupdates

Why doesn't my connected printer function when the computer resumes from a power saving mode? Clear the printer memory by turning the printer off

Support Options Sony provides several options to help solve common problems or to locate support for your VAIO® computer. This sectiondescribes all av

Immediate Help and Support You can locate helpful information immediately by consulting your hard copy guides and supplements, or by accessing theonli

Software Help and Support When you have questions about your computer and the preinstalled software, check with these software publishers toaccess tro

hours M-F, 8 A.M.-5 P.M. (Pacific time) * Support from 5 1 0 -859-0308 is free of c harge, but s ubjec t to delays . Support from 9 0 0 -820-8324 i

Contacting Sony for Help and Support If the information provided with your VAIO® computer does not provide an immediate solution, or you would like to