Sony PCV-W20 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

Connections for i.LINK compatible digital devices (IEEE 1394). 7 CD-RW/DVD combo drive eject button Ejects a disc from the combo drive. 8 Ethernet p

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

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

Sony Computing Support Web site Online help and support are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, when you visit the Sony Computing SupportWeb

Sony Customer Information Services Center If other support options do not resolve your issue, you can contact a Sony Support representative directly.

3 Memory Stick® media slot Reads and writes data from a Memory Stick media. 4 AC Input port Connection for the supplied power cord. Page 11

Setting Up Your Computer You can set up your system quickly and easily with the instructions provided in this section. For details on your system&apos

Connecting a USB Optical Mouse 1.Plug the USB optical mouse connector into the USB mouse port, located on the right panel of your computer. 2.Place th

To use an optical mouse An optical mouse requires an ideal surface texture in order to provide precision pointing and tracking. Use surfaces such as

Connecting the Telephone and Modem Cables 1.Unplug your telephone cable from the wall jack. 2.Plug the telephone cable into the telephone jack on the

Connecting the Power Cord 1.Plug the power cord into the AC input port on the left panel of the computer. 2.Plug the power cord into a grounded AC wal

Turning on Your Computer Initially when you start your system, the computer may detect new hardware and prompt you to restart your computer.Respond to

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

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

5.Follow the on-screen instructions to finish setting up your dial-up connection. Page 20

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

To turn off your computer 1.Click Start in the Windows taskbar, then select Turn Off Computer. The Turn Off Computer dialog box appears. 2.Select the

About the power button If your system stops responding, press and hold the Power button for more than six seconds to force your system to shutdown. Yo

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 To improve the performance of Sony audio and video software applications, the hard disk drive on your computer has beenform

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

About i.LINK Compatibility Your VAIO computer has two 4-pin i.LINK ports available to connect your digital devices. A 4-pin i.LINK port does not suppl

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.

About the Memory Stick Media Slot Your VAIO® computer is configured to support Memory Stick® media. A Memory Stick media is a compact, portable, andve

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

To insert a Memory Stick media 1.Insert the Memory Stick media into the Memory Stick media slot, located on the left panel. Inserting a Memory Stick

To remove a Memory Stick media A small portion of the Memory Stick media remains extended when it is inserted into the Memory Stick media slot. 1.Pres

Protecting data on Memory Stick media from accidental changes Memory Stick media contain a write-protect tab. The write-protect tab prevents accidenta

About the PC Card Slot Your computer has a card bus PC Card slot that supports Type I or Type II PC (PCMCIA) Cards. You do not need to shutdown your c

Inserting a PC Card 1.With the label facing upwards, insert the PC Card into the PC Card slot. Inserting a PC Card 2.Push the PC Card gently into th

Removing a PC Card 1.Close all applications that may access the PC Card to avoid data loss. 2.Double-click the Safely Remove Hardware icon in the Wi

VAIO Action Setup VAIO® Action Setup manages the settings for your computer's Shortcut keys (S Keys). Page 36

Shortcut keys The programmable S Keys are set to launch the following applications: S1—Microsoft® Outlook® Express S2—Microsoft® Internet Explorer 

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

Upgrading and Maintaining your VAIO Computer In the future you may want to increase the functionality of your VAIO computer. This section provides inf

1.Click Start in the Windows taskbar, then click Help and Support. 2.From the VAIO Help and Support Center menu, click VAIO User Guide. 3.Click the We

Overview Sony recommends that you contact your local dealer for upgrade or maintenance of your new computer. Your local dealer isknowledgeable of this

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

Replacing the Lithium Battery The lithium battery weakens after several years and the system settings, such as the date and time stored in CMOS RAM,ma

Installing a Hard Disk Drive Your computer has an installed ATA-100, 3½-inch hard disk drive. Do not attempt to replace the hard drive. Contact yourlo

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

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

Using the Application Recovery CD(s) The Application Recovery CD utility enables you to reinstall your system's original software, drivers, and t

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

Planning An Ergonomic Work Space Before you set up your new computer, find the best location for your new computer and plan your work space. There are

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 may encounter when using your computer. Manyproblems have simple soluti

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

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

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

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

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 video resolution of my display? 1.Click Start in the Windows taskbar and then select Control Panel. 2.Select Appearance and Themes

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

How do I change the parallel port type to ECP, EPP, or bi-directional? You can change the parallel port1 type using the System Setup utility (CMOS Set

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

About Software Your computer may not be supplied with all of the software discussed in this section, depending on the systemconfiguration you purchase

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

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 or DVD? You can copy files to CD-R or CD-RW media, using the installed CD-RW or DVD-RW drive. To copy files and

Where can I find a listing of my computer's preinstalled software titles? You can find details about the software that is preinstalled on your sy

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 specific

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

The message, "You must insert the application CD into your drive" appears and the software does notstart. Some software applications requir

About the Front Panel The front panel of your VAIO® computer is equipped with built-in stereo speakers and indicator lights. Opening the computer

Why can't I play a DVD or CD media? After inserting your CD or DVD, wait a few seconds for the system to detect it before trying to access it. 

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? Certain VAIO® computers are equipped with a DVD-RW drive. If you ar

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 Mouse and Keyboard Why doesn't my mouse work properly? Confirm that the mouse is plugged securely into the mouse port. If you are usin

About the Mouse and Keyboard Why doesn't my mouse work properly? Confirm that the mouse is plugged securely into the mouse port. If you are usin

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 keyboard1is securely plugged into the keyboard port. Save and close all open applications

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

4 CD-RW/DVD combo drive access indicator Light is amber while reading and writing data from and to the combo drive. 5 Power button Turns the compute

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 Speakers Why is there no sound in any application? Adjust the volume control dial, located on the left panel, to adjust speaker volume. If

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

About Using a Microphone Why doesn't my microphone work properly? Check that the microphone is plugged into the Microphone jack. Page 84

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 Using Peripheral Equipment How do I install a printer? Connect your USB or IEEE 1394 printer to the appropriate port on your computer's fr

About Using Peripheral Equipment How do I install a printer? Connect your USB or IEEE 1394 printer to the appropriate port on your computer's fr

The connected printer does not function properly when the computer resumes from a power saving mode. Clear the printer memory by turning the printer o

Notes On Use The information in this section provides basic procedures for handling your system and common peripheral devices, usingstorage media, and

About the Side Panels The side panels of your computer contain the connections for supplied and optional accessories. The icons on the sidepanels help

About the Power Source Before opening your computer, turn the system off and let it cool down for 10 minutes. This protects you againstinternal co

About Disposing of the Lithium Battery Dispose of the lithium battery properly. In some areas, the disposal of lithium batteries in household or busin

About Handling the Computer System Your computer uses high-frequency radio signals and may cause interference to radio or TV reception. If this occurs

About the LCD Screen (Built-in Display) Do not place the display near a strong magnetic force. Do not block the ventilation slots on the display. U

About DVD, CD, and Floppy Disk Media Handling CD or DVD media Do not touch the surface of the disc. Do not drop or bend the disc. Do not use adhesi

About DVD, CD, and Floppy Disk Media Handling CD or DVD media Do not touch the surface of the disc. Do not drop or bend the disc. Do not use adhesi

Cleaning CD or DVD media Fingerprints and dust on the surface of a disc may cause read errors. Proper care of the disc is essential to maintainits re

Handling floppy disks1 Do not open the shutter manually and touch the surface of the floppy disk. Keep floppy disks away from magnets. Keep floppy

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