Sony PCG-NV200 User's Guide

Welcome Congratulations on your purchase of this Sony VAIO® computer, and welcome to the online VAIO® Computer User Guide. This user guide provides de

the battery. Alarms tab — Displays the alarm settings, which notify you when the battery is fully charged or too low. You canchange your computer&apo

Disconnecting a mouse or keyboard You can disconnect a USB mouse or keyboard when the computer is on or off. Disconnecting the USB mouse or keyboardwh

Frequently asked questions Why doesn't the computer recognize the USB mouse? Make sure the mouse is securely plugged into the USB port. See Conn

Floppy Disk Drives and PC Cards Using Floppy Disk Drives Using PC Cards Page 102

Using Floppy Disk Drives You can install a floppy disk drive into the multipurpose bay in your computer. The floppy disk drive enables you to readdata

Inserting and removing floppy disks Floppy disks are portable devices that store data. To protect your floppy disks, keep them away from magnets and d

Notes on handling floppy disks Do not open the shutter manually and touch the surface of the floppy disk. Keep floppy disks away from magnets. Keep

Frequently asked questions Why doesn't the Safety Remove Hardware icon appear on the taskbar when the drive is inserted? The computer does not r

Using PC Cards Your computer includes one or more PC Card slots. A PC Card enables you to connect portable external devices such asanother hard disk d

Inserting PC Cards Your computer may contain PC Card slot protectors. Remove these protectors before you insert a PC Card into the slot.See To remove

Removing PC Cards You can remove PC Cards while the computer is on or off. PC Cards draw power from the computer when they are insertedinto the PC Car

Charging a battery You will need to charge the battery if battery power drops below 10 percent or you have not used the battery for a longtime. The li

Connecting and disconnecting PC Card drives The PC Card drive enables you to read data stored on a DVD or CD. Your computer may come with an external

Frequently asked questions Why doesn't my PC Card work? Make sure the PC Card is inserted properly. See Inserting PC Cards for more information.

Audio and Video Connections Using i.LINK Digital-Video Recorders Using Computer Monitors and Projectors Using Speakers Using Microphones Page 112

Using i.LINK Digital-Video Recorders You can connect an i.LINK®1 digital-video (DV) recorder, such as an i.LINK digital video camera recorder, to the

Connecting an i.LINK digital video recorder You can connect an i.LINK digital video (DV) recorder when the computer is on or off. Connecting the DV re

Disconnecting the i.LINK digital video recorder You can disconnect the i.LINK digital video recorder when the computer is on or off. Simply unplug the

Using a digital video camera recorder Your computer comes with preinstalled driver software that is compatible with most Sony digital video camera rec

Notes on connecting an i.LINK device Do not connect more than one digital video camera recorder at a time. The programs supplied with your computerwi

Frequently asked questions Why can't I use the DV recorder? You may not be able to use the DV recorder and the message, DV equipment seems to be

Using Computer Monitors and Projectors You can connect an external display (such as a computer monitor or a projector) to your computer. Connecting a

Notes on batteries Never leave the battery in temperatures above 140°F (60°C), such as under direct sunlight or in a car parked in thesun. While the

Connecting a computer monitor You can display the images on the computer screen (LCD) onto an external computer monitor. The external monitor displays

Connecting a multimedia computer monitor A multimedia computer monitor has built-in speakers and/or a microphone device. Before you can connect your c

Connecting a projector You can use a projector to display the actions and images on the computer screen (LCD). To connect a projector 1.Plug the proje

Selecting a display mode This computer uses the ATI video controller. When you connect your computer to an external display (projector, computermonito

Disconnecting a computer monitor or projector You can disconnect the external computer monitor or projector by unplugging the display or Monitor (VGA)

Using Speakers Your computer comes with built-in stereo speakers. If you wish to enhance the sound quality of your computer, you canpurchase and conne

Connecting speakers You can connect speakers to your computer to enhance the sound quality of your computer. Do not place floppy disks on the spea

Disconnecting external speakers You can disconnect external speakers when the computer is on or off. Simply unplug the speaker cable from the Headphon

Notes on using the speakers Do not connect external speakers to the A/V OUT jack. Connecting speakers to this jack will not damage thespeakers, but o

Adjusting the volume To adjust the volume for playing CDs and DVDs, use the Volume icon on the Windows® taskbar or the volume dial control.Adjusting

Frequently asked questions How do I know when the battery is charged? To determine the remaining battery charge, see Displaying battery information. W

To adjust the volume using the volume dial control Rotate the volume dial control clockwise to increase the volume. Rotate the volume dial control c

Enabling the audio feature If you do not hear sound when playing a CD or DVD, you may need to enable the audio feature. To enable the audio feature 1.

Frequently asked questions Why won't my speakers work? Make sure the speakers are properly connected and the volume is turned up loud enough to

Your volume control dial will work only when the Volume icon is set to an audible level. Use the Volume icon toincrease the volume. 1.Double-click t

Using Microphones You can connect an external microphone to your computer to enhance the sound input to your computer. Make sure yourmicrophone is des

Connecting a microphone Plug the microphone cable into the Microphone jack1 on the computer. Connecting a Microphone Jack See the guide that ca

Disconnecting a microphone You can disconnect an external microphone when the computer is on or off. Simply unplug the microphone cable from theMicrop

Using a microphone or other device to record You can record messages, memos, or other recordings in analog by connecting a microphone or other audio d

Frequently asked questions Why doesn't my microphone work? If you are using an external microphone, make sure the microphone is properly plugged

Preinstalled Programs Software Programs On Your Computer DVgate Program Notes Program Support Information Page 139

Conserving Battery Power You may use the power saving modes and PowerPanel utility to conserve battery power. Conserving battery power maysignifican

Software Programs On Your Computer Your computer may not be supplied with all of the programs listed in Program overview, depending on the configurati

Program overview Adobe® Acrobat® Reader® Adobe Systems Inc. Acrobat Reader software enables you to view, navigate, and print electronic documents in A

EarthLink, one of the world's largest Internet Service Providers, offers dial-up and broadband access to the Internet.Member benefits include e-m

easy to learn and use. You can even pay your bills online. Quicken software manages all of your finances, bank accounts,credit cards, investments, and

Frequently asked questions What do I do when my program stops responding or crashes? Try restarting your computer. 1.Click Start on the Windows® task

DVgate Program Notes Recording images to a digital video device Adjusting image resolution Saving to your hard disk drive Page 145

Recording images to a digital video device If your system displays the message, "Failed to record to DV deck, please check deck's power stat

Adjusting image resolution If the images on the computer screen (LCD) do not display smoothly, the resolution may not be set correctly. To check the r

Saving to your hard disk drive In order to improve the performance of your computer's DVgate motion software, the hard disk on your computer ha

Program Support Information Sony Service Center Adobe® Acrobat® Reader®, Photoshop® Elements, Premiere® LE (Adobe Systems Inc.) Web site http://www.

Using power saving modes In addition to the normal operating mode, which allows you to turn off specific devices, your computer has two distinctpower

Web site http://www.intuit.com/support telephone 900-555-4932; 800-644-31931 hours M-F, 5 A.M.-5 P.M. (Pacific time) 1 Support from 900-555-4932 is

Sony Service Center For the Sony Service Center nearest you, call 1-888-4-SONY-PC (1-888-476-6972) or find Sony Customer Service on theWeb at http://w

Memory Upgrades Upgrading Your Computer's Memory Page 152

Upgrading Your Computer's Memory Before you begin upgrading your computer's memory, make sure you read Precautions and procedures. See the W

Precautions and procedures The procedures described below assume familiarity with the general terminology associated with personal computers andwith t

Typical expansion memory configuration Total System Memory (MB) On board (MB) Slot (MB) 256 256 0 384 256 128 512 256 256 Page 155

Removing and installing memory modules Make sure you read Precautions and procedures before you remove or install a memory module. When installing a m

3.Snap the connectors into place when the board is correctly seated, and close the computer cover. 4.Replace the fastening screws on the bottom of the

Confirming added memory capacity After you've installed a new memory module, make sure the operating system's memory corresponds with the me

Using the Recovery CDs Application and System Recovery CDs Using Your Recovery CDs Page 159

Using PowerPanel utility The PowerPanel utility enables you to select and customize a predefined power management profile to conserve batterylife. The

Application and System Recovery CDs Your computer comes with the following Application Recovery and System Recovery CDs. You will need an optical driv

Using Your Recovery CDs The following sections describe how to use the Application Recovery and System Recovery utilities. Using the Application Reco

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

17.Wait 30 seconds, and turn on your computer. If you have any questions about using the Application Recovery CD(s), visit http://www.sony.com/pcsuppo

Using the System Recovery CD(s) The System Recovery CD(s) enables you to format your hard disk and restores all original software programs. Yourcomput

Your system may include one or more System Recovery CDs. If you have more than one System Recovery CDs,insert the first CD to run the System Reco

Troubleshooting and Support This section describes how to solve common problems you may encounter when using your computer. Many problems havesimple s

Troubleshooting Your Computer Why doesn't my computer start? Make sure the computer is securely plugged into a power source and is on. Make sure

2.Turn off the computer. 3.Remove any peripheral devices connected to the computer. 4.Restart the computer. 5.Press F2 when the Sony logo appears. The

To reduce fan noise 1.Right-click the CPU icon on the taskbar, and select Edit/Create Profiles. The AC Power Profile Editorwindow appears. 2.Double-c

Do not choose the Automatic Profile Selection when connected to AC power. To select a profile 1.Right-click the CPU icon on the Windows taskbar.

Troubleshooting Batteries How do I know when the battery is charged? To determine the remaining battery charge, see Displaying battery information. Wh

Troubleshooting the Printer Why can't I print a document? Make sure the printer is on, and the printer cable is securely connected to the ports

Troubleshooting the Mouse and Touch Pad Why doesn't the computer recognize the USB mouse? Make sure the mouse is securely plugged into the USB p

2.Press Alt to highlight the menu bar, and press the Right Arrow key to select Shut Down. 3.Press Enter. 4.Press R to restart the computer. If you s

Troubleshooting the Modem Why doesn't my modem work? Make sure the telephone cable is securely plugged into the Modem jack and the wall jack. Se

Troubleshooting Networks Why can't my computer connect to a wireless LAN access point? Connection availability is affected by distance and obstr

3.Check the connection status. Change the access point channel. See your access point instructions for more information. Can I connect to a IEEE 802.

Troubleshooting DVDs and CDs How do I maintain DVDs? Avoid touching the surface of the disc with your fingers. Fingerprints and dust on the surface o

Condensation may cause the computer to malfunction. If this occurs, do not use it for at least one hour. Make sure the digital CD audio is enabled f

Troubleshooting i.LINK Drives Why isn't my i.LINK drive playing a CD or DVD properly? The i.LINK1 optical drive will not play a CD or DVD if the

HDD Standby Timer Controls the time it takes the system to switch the hard disk drive to Standby mode whenthe system is idle. This setting only turns

Troubleshooting Floppy Disk Drives Why doesn't the Safety Remove Hardware icon appear on the taskbar when the drive is connected? The computer d

Troubleshooting PC Cards Why doesn't my PC Card work? Make sure the PC Card is inserted properly. See Inserting PC Cards for more information. 

Troubleshooting Audio-Video Connections Why can't I use the DV recorder? You may not be able to use the DV recorder and the message, DV equipment

5.Click the File menu, and click Save. 6.Close the Profile Editor window. Why doesn't my volume control dial work? Your volume control dial will

Troubleshooting the computer screen (LCD) Why did the computer screen (LCD) go blank? Your computer screen may go blank if the computer has lost powe

Troubleshooting Memory Stick Media Why can't I open my image files? You may need to reformat your Memory Stick® media. Formatting Memory Stic

Troubleshooting Programs What do I do when a program stops responding or crashes? Try restarting your computer. 1.Click Start on the Windows® taskbar

Computer Support Information If you have questions about your computer or the preinstalled programs, refer to the following sources for answers in the

Frequently asked questions Can my computer enter Hibernate mode while using battery power? Your computer can enter Hibernate mode while using battery

Powering Your Computer Your VAIO® computer comes with a battery and an AC adapter. This chapter explains how to install and use these suppliedaccessor

Internet and Network Connections Internet Connections Network Connections Connecting Another VAIO Computer Page 20

Internet Connections This section describes the basic steps for setting up your dial-up or Ethernet connection to the Internet. The NewConnection Wiza

Setting up a dial-up Internet connection Before you can connect to the Internet, you need to connect your computer to a telephone line via a telephone

Setting up an Ethernet Internet connection Your computer accommodates both 10BASE-T and 100BASE-TX Ethernet connections, with data transfer speeds of

Customizing your Internet connection The Internet Properties dialog box enables you to change the way you view the Internet. You can change your home

Frequently asked questions Why doesn't my modem work? Make sure the telephone cable is securely plugged into the Modem jack and the wall jack. S

Network Connections With a Sony computer, you can easily set up or connect to a variety of networks. The New Connection Wizard and NetworkSetup Wizard

Using Ethernet and dial-up connections Local area networks (LANs) comprise a group of computers and associated devices within a small geographic area,

1.Connect an Ethernet or telephone cable to your computer. See To connect an Ethernet cable and Setting up adial-up Internet connection for more infor

Using wireless LAN connections A wireless local area network (LAN) is a network in which you can connect to a LAN through a wireless (radio) connectio

Using AC Power The supplied battery is not charged when you receive your computer. To use your computer immediately, use the suppliedAC adapter as the

5.Select a network from the Available networks list box. 6.Type the network key of the available network in the Network key box. See your network admi

7.Click to select the Network Authentication (Shared mode) check box. 8.Click to cancel the The key is provided for me automatically check box. 9.Type

1.Double-click the Safely Remove Hardware icon on the taskbar. The Safely Remove Hardware windowappears. 2.Select the appropriate device name in the

Checking your network connection status Whether you have a wireless, Ethernet, or dial-up connection, you can check the status of that connection bydo

Frequently asked questions Why can't my computer connect to a wireless LAN access point? Connection availability is affected by distance and obs

3.Check the connection status. Change the access point channel. See your access point instructions for more information. Can I connect to a IEEE 802.

Connecting Another VAIO Computer The preinstalled Microsoft® Windows® XP operating system enables you to connect a compatible i.LINK®1 cable (not supp

Connecting VAIO computers When you connect two VAIO computers, you can use one computer to edit, copy, or delete files on the other computer. Youcan a

Disconnecting VAIO computers You can disconnect two VAIO® computers when the computers are on or off. To disconnect VAIO computers when the computers

Frequently asked questions Why can't I establish a connection between two VAIO computers? Your computer may not recognize an i.LINK1 connection

Connecting the AC adapter To connect the AC adapter 1.Plug the cable attached to the AC adapter into the DC IN port on your computer. Connecting the

CDs and DVDs Your computer may come with an optical drive, depending on the model you purchased. If you purchased your VAIO®computer with an optical d

Inserting and Ejecting CDs or DVDs Avoid using adhesive labels to identify your CDs or DVDs. Adhesive labels may damage the optical drive if they

4.Lift the disc from the drive. 5.Push the drive tray gently to close it. Page 42

Copying and Playing CDs You can use the optical drive installed in your computer to play CDs and copy files to CD-Rs and CD-RWs. Playing CDs Copying

Playing CDs Before you play an audio CD, you may need to enable your computer's audio feature. To enable the audio feature 1.Click Start on the W

Copying files to a CD-RW or CD-R1 Before you write data to a CD-RW or CD-R, read the following notes to avoid a computer malfunction and ensure the be

Frequently asked questions How do I maintain CDs and DVDs? Avoid touching the surface of the disc with your fingers. Fingerprints and dust on the sur

1.Click Start on the Windows® taskbar, click Control Panel, Performance and Maintenance, andSystem. The System Properties window appears. 2.Select the

Press Fn+F8 to select either the computer or TV display. See Selecting a display mode for more information. The Fn+F8 key combination will not wor

Copying and Playing DVDs The type of optical drive installed in your computer may vary, depending on the model you purchased. Computers equippedwith a

Turning on the computer To turn on the computer 1.Slide the release lever to the right, and lift the cover while holding the bottom of the computer fi

Playing DVDs You can play a DVD on your computer or TV. If you watch DVDs on your computer, use either the AC adapter or the suppliedbattery for power

4.Switch the TV input channel to external input. See the guide that came with your peripheral device for more information on its installation and

Disconnecting the TV from the computer Simply unplug the audio-video (AV) cable from the A/V OUT jack on the computer. Page 52

Copying files to a DVD-R or DVD-RW You can copy files to a DVD-R or DVD-RW if your computer is equipped with a DVD-RW drive. Use the DVD-RW drive and

Frequently asked questions How do I maintain CDs and DVDs? Avoid touching the surface of the disc with your fingers. Fingerprints and dust on the sur

1.Click Start on the Windows® taskbar, click Control Panel, Performance and Maintenance, andSystem. The System Properties window appears. 2.Select the

Press Fn+F8 to select either the computer or TV display. See Selecting a display mode for more information. The Fn+F8 key combination will not wor

Printer Connections Printing With Your Computer Page 57

Printing With Your Computer You can connect a universal serial bus (USB) printer or a parallel port printer to your computer. To print properly, the p

Connecting a printer Your computer is compatible with many popular printers. The New Hardware Wizard guides you through the softwareinstallation proce

Using the Battery A battery is an auxiliary power source you can use when your computer is not plugged into an AC outlet. Your computermay come equipp

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Disconnecting a printer You can disconnect a USB or parallel printer when the computer is on or off. Disconnecting a printer when the computer is ina

Frequently asked questions Why can't I print a document? Make sure the printer is on, and the printer cable is securely connected to the ports o

Computer Features Using the Keyboard Using the Touch Pad Using the Jog Dial Control Using Memory Stick Media Using the Multipurpose Bay Using th

Using the Keyboard Your keyboard is very similar to a typewriter's, but your computer keyboard has additional keys that perform specificcomputer-

Key locations and descriptions Keyboard Key Description Numeric keypad Contains the keys found on a typical calculator. Use the numeric keypad are

Combinations and functions with the Windows key Combination Function + F1 Displays the VAIO Help and Support Center window. + Tab Switches the sele

Indicators Indicator Function Power Turns on when the power to the computer is on, blinks in Standby mode, and turns off when the computer isin Hiber

Combinations and functions with the Fn key If you switch user identities during a computing session, the Fn+F7 key functionality (if available on

You can also carry out these functions using the Jog Dial Control. Some functions are not available until the Microsoft® Windows® operating syst

Inserting a battery To insert a battery 1.Push the battery bay cover down to open it. The battery bay cover swings out but does not detach from thecom

Using the Touch Pad The keyboard contains a pointing device called a touch pad. You can point to, select, drag, and scroll objects on the screenusing

Describing the touch pad Locating and Describing the Touch Pad Action Description Point Slide one finger on the touch pad to place the pointer on

Customizing the touch pad Sony Notebook Setup lets you customize your touch pad, such as enable or disable the touch pad. You can also open theMouse P

Frequently asked questions Why doesn't the touch pad work? You may have disabled the touch pad without connecting a mouse to the computer. See C

Using the Jog Dial Control Your computer is equipped with a Jog Dial Control and Jog Dial Navigator software, which enables you to scroll throughpro

Locating the Jog Dial control Jog Dial Control To use the Jog Dial control Rotate the Jog Dial Control to scroll up and down a menu. Press the J

Using the Jog Dial Navigator icon The Jog Dial Navigator icon appears on the taskbar when you turn on your computer. The arrows on the Jog DialNaviga

Using the Jog Dial Bar The Jog Dial Bar appears as a floating window on your desktop when you double-click the Jog Dial Navigator icon onthe taskbar.

Using Jog Dial Launcher Jog Dial Launcher displays a menu of programs installed on your computer. You can use the Jog Dial Control to scroll andopen

Using Application and Scroll modes Jog Dial Navigator operates in one of two modes: Scroll or Application. Once a program is open, you can easily swit

Removing a battery If you are not using the computer for an extended period of time, remove the battery from the computer to avoid damagingthe battery

To select Scroll mode when a program is open Click SCROLL on the Jog Dial Bar . On the Jog Dial Navigator List Display, select SCROLL MODE and pres

Changing Jog Dial Navigator settings You can change the Jog Dial Navigator settings to modify the Jog Dial Navigator functionality and appearance. To

Using Memory Stick Media This compact, portable, and versatile recording medium has a data capacity exceeding that of a floppy disk. The medium isspec

Selecting Memory Stick media The following two types of Memory Stick® media can be used with your computer: MagicGate Memory Stick media (hereafter

Inserting Memory Stick media Before using Memory Stick media, back up important data. The media slot accommodates only one Memory Stick media at atime

Viewing the contents Depending on the model you purchased, the Sony Memory Stick window appears automatically when you insert a MemoryStick media. Fro

Write-protecting Memory Stick media Memory Stick® media is designed with a write-protect tab to protect data from accidental erasure or overwriting. M

Formatting Memory Stick media Memory Stick® media is formatted for immediate use when you purchase it. If you need to reformat Memory Stick media, use

Removing Memory Stick media If the media is removed prematurely, a blue screen with an error message appears prompting you to continue or exit.Reinser

Frequently asked questions Why can't I open my image files? You may need to reformat your Memory Stick media. Formatting Memory Stick media e

Displaying battery information You can display the remaining battery charge on the Battery Information toolbar and/or the Battery Information window.

Using the Multipurpose Bay You may install a variety of devices into the multipurpose bay to expand your computer's functionality. The multipurpo

Installing a device You may install a device into and remove a device from the multipurpose bay while the computer is on or off. Installing andremovin

Removing a device To remove a device while the computer is off 1.Slide and hold the multipurpose bay release switch in the release position while you

Notes on using a device in the multipurpose bay Do not place the compact woofer near any magnetic recording media, such as a hard disk, floppy dis

Using the Multilingual User Interface Language Option (Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional only) After you have initially setup your new VAIO® compute

Changing Numbers, Currency, Time, and Date Formats You can change your operating system's number, currency, time, and date formats to coordinate

Changing the Window Design of Sony Programs This feature is available with UI Design Selector-compatible programs only. To change the window design 1.

Connecting Mice and Keyboards Using External Mice and Keyboards Page 97

Using External Mice and Keyboards You can connect a universal serial bus (USB) mouse or keyboard to your computer. To function properly, the device yo

Connecting a mouse or keyboard Your computer is compatible with many popular mice and keyboards. The New Hardware Wizard guides you through thesoftwar