Sony PCG-SRX77 User Manual

Welcome

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Welcome

Congratulations on your purchase of this Sony VAIO® computer, and
welcome to the VAIO User Guide.
This User Guide provides detailed information on all aspects of using
your new VAIO computer, from keyboard functions to preinstalled
software applications.
In the left navigation window, click the topics you want to learn more
about, and that information will be displayed in this main window.

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Table of contents

Document Outline

Welcome
- Congratulations on your purchase of this Sony VAIO® computer, and welcome to the VAIO User Guide....
Using Your VAIO Computer
- This section describes the following aspects of your new computer:
Using the Keyboard
- Keyboard
- Functions of the keyboard keys
- Combinations and functions with the Windows key
- Indicators
- Combinations and functions with the Fn key
Using VAIO Action Setup
- VAIO Action Setup functions
  - Jog Dial
  - Memory Stick
  - i.LINK
  - USB
  - Timer
Using the Jog Dial Control
- Using the Jog Dial Control
- Launcher mode
  - Using Launcher mode
  - 1 Turn the Jog Dial control to select the item you want, then press the Jog Dial control. The win...
    - Jog Dial Launcher Dialog Box
      - 2 Turn or press the Jog Dial control to use the desired function.
      - 3 To select another item, switch to the launcher mode and repeat from step 1.
- Guide mode
  - Using guide mode
- To use the Jog Dial control with Sony software
- To use the Jog Dial control with other software
  - Using a dialog box
    - Jog Dial Guide Dialog Box
- Internal timer
  - 1 Rotate or push the Jog Dial™ control, and select VAIO Action Setup in the Jog Dial Launcher win...
Using Memory Stick Media
- Types of Memory Stick media
- VisualFlow
  - To use VisualFlow
  - 1 From the Start menu, point to All Programs, and select VisualFlow.
- Notes on using Memory Stick media
Using PC Cards
- To insert PC card
  - 1 Insert the PC Card into the PC Card slot with the front label facing up.
    - Inserting PC Card
      - 2 Gently push the PC Card into the slot until it is firmly seated in the port and the release but...
- To remove a PC Card
  - 1 Double-click in the task tray. The “Safely remove ... PC Card” dialog box appears.
- Notes on PC Cards
Using Power Saving Modes
- Normal mode
- Standby mode
  - To activate Standby mode
  - 1 Press the key combination Fn+Esc. You can also use the PowerPanel™ utility to enter Standby mode.
    - 2 Press any key to return to normal mode.
- Hibernate mode
  - To activate Hibernate mode
  - 1 To activate Hibernate mode, press the key combination Fn+F12, or press the power button and rel...
    - 2 Press the power button to return to normal mode.
- Notes on power saving modes
Connecting a Phone Line
- How to connect a phone cable
  - 1 Open the phone line jack cover, located on the left side of the computer near the front.
    - Opening Phone Line Jack Cover
      - 2 Plug one end of the phone cable into the jack on the inside of the phone line jack cover. Make ...
      - 3 Plug the other end into the wall jack.
    - Plugging in Phone Cable
Connecting to a LAN
- Connecting to LAN
- To set up your ethernet connection
- To connect to a network
  - 1 Click Start, select My Computer, and click My Network Places under the Other Places header.
Connecting to a Wireless LAN
- Turning On Wireless LAN
  - Connecting to a wireless LAN
- The Wireless LAN Access Point
- Communicating with Access Point (infrastructure)
  - To communicate with an Access Point, proceed as follows:
  - 1 Turn on the Wireless LAN switch located on the left side of the computer, above the PC Card slo...
- Communicating without Access Point (ad-hoc)
  - To communicate without an Access Point, proceed as follows:
  - 1 Turn on the Wireless LAN switch located on the left side of the computer, above the PC Card slo...
- Turning Off Wireless LAN
- Notes on using Wireless LAN
- Connecting Peripheral Devices
  - You can add functionality to your computer by connecting a variety of peripherals, as discussed i...
Connecting a Floppy Disk Drive
- To connect the floppy disk drive
  - Plugging in USB Cable
- To insert a floppy disk
  - 1 Hold the floppy disk with the label side facing up.
    - 2 Gently push the floppy disk into the drive until it clicks into place.
    - Inserting a floppy disk
- To remove a floppy disk
  - Removing a floppy disk
- To remove the floppy disk drive when the computer is on
  - 1 Double-click the Remove Hardware icon in the task tray.
- To carry the floppy disk drive
- Notes on handling floppy disks
Connecting a PC Card Bus Drive
- To connect an optical drive
  - 1 Remove the PC Card slot protector from the PC Card slot. See “To remove the floppy disk drive w...
- To insert a disc
  - 1 Press the Eject button. The disc tray slides out.
- To remove the drive
- Notes on CD and DVD discs
  - Handling CD or DVD discs
  - Cleaning CD or DVD discs
Connecting an i.LINK Optical Disc Drive
- To connect an i.LINK optical disc drive
  - 1 Turn on power to the computer. Insert the L-shaped plug of the VAIO® Computer Peripheral Cable ...
    - Connecting i.LINK optical disc drive
- Notes on using i.LINK optical disc drives
Connecting a USB Mouse
- To connect a USB mouse
  - Connecting a USB Mouse
Connecting VAIO Computers
- Connecting with i.LINK
  - Connecting with an i.LINK cable
Connecting an i.LINK Device
- To connect a digital camcorder
  - Connecting a Digital Camcorder
- Notes on connecting an i.LINK device
Connecting an External Display
- To connect a computer display
  - 1 First make sure the port replicator is connected to the computer.
    - 2 Connect the computer display’s VGA adapter to the supplied port replicator’s Monitor port.
    - Connecting a Display
- To connect a projector
  - 1 First make sure the port replicator is connected to the computer.
- To connect a TV
  - 1 First make sure the port replicator is connected to the computer.
Connecting a USB Printer
- To connect a printer
  - Connecting a Printer
Connecting an External Microphone
- To connect an external microphone
  - Connecting a Microphone
- To record from a microphone or audio equipment
- To switch the microphone jack functionality
  - 1 Double-click on the task tray located in the lower right corner of the Desktop window. The Volu...
- To adjust sound volume in the Recording Control window
  - 1 Select Options and click Properties.
    - 2 Click the item you want to display in Control.
    - 3 Click OK.
- To increase the sound of the microphone
  - 1 Double-click on the task tray located in the lower right corner of the Desktop window. If Micro...
- To adjust sound device volume
  - 1 Select Options and click Properties.
Connecting External Speakers
- To connect external speakers
  - Connecting external speakers
- Notes on using external speakers
Expanding Your Computer’s Capabilities
- Personal Digital Assistant
- The Wireless LAN Access Point
- Customizing Your VAIO Computer
  - You can customize the settings of your computer. The following sections briefly describe how to c...
Displaying the Sony Notebook Setup Screen
- To display the Sony Notebook Setup screen:
- 1 Click Start on the Windows® taskbar.
  - 2 Point to All Programs and click Sony Notebook Setup.
  - Sony Notebook Setup Screen
    - 3 Select the tab for the item you want to change. See “Sony Notebook Setup tabs” for more informa...
    - 4 After you finish making your changes, click OK.
- Sony Notebook Setup tabs
Controlling Power Management
- To view the Power Management status icons
- Power Management profiles
- Power Management commands
- Conserving battery power
Displaying Battery Information
- To activate the Battery Information toolbar
- 1 Right-click the taskbar at the bottom of the screen.
  - 2 Select Toolbars from the pop-up menu, and then click Battery Information. The Battery Informati...
  - Battery Information Toolbar
    - Percentage indicator
    - Time indicator
- Battery icon descriptions
- Displaying detailed battery information
  - Battery Information Window
  - Customizing the Battery Information toolbar and alarm system
- Changing the window design of Sony software
  - To change the window design
  - 1 Click the Start button, then select Control Panel.
Selecting the Display Mode
- To select the display mode
  - 1 Click Start, then point to Control Panel.
- Adding Memory
  - In the future you may want to install memory modules to expand the functionality of your computer...
Precautions and Procedures
- Typical expansion memory configuration
Removing a Memory Module
- 1 Turn off the computer and all peripheral devices.
Installing a Memory Module
- 1 Turn off the computer and all peripheral devices.
Confirming Added Memory Capacity
- 1 Turn on the computer.
- About the Software on Your Computer
  - Your VAIO® computer is ready to help you work, play, learn, and communicate as soon as you turn i...
    - Overview
DVgate application notes
- Digital video captures
- Adjusting image resolution
- Hard disk drive partition
  - To defragment a partition
Application, Driver, and System Recovery CDs
- Application Recovery CD(s)
  - Sony Electronics Inc.
- Driver Recovery CD(s)
  - Sony Electronics Inc.
- System Recovery CD(s)
  - Sony Electronics Inc.
Using Your Recovery CDs
- To use the Application Recovery CD(s)
  - 1 Turn on your computer. If your computer is already on, close all applications.
    - 2 When the Windows desktop appears, insert the Sony Application Recovery CD in the optical drive....
    - 3 When the Application Recovery menu appears, select the icon for the application you want to res...
- To use the Driver Recovery CD(s)
- To use the System Recovery CD(s)
  - 1 Insert the Sony System Recovery CD in the optical drive.
  - 1 Press the power button and hold it for more than four seconds to turn off the computer.
- Recovering Microsoft Word
- Troubleshooting
  - This section describes how to solve common problems you may encounter when using your computer. M...
Troubleshooting Your Computer
- My computer does not start.
- My computer starts, but a BIOS error appears.
- My computer starts, but the message “Operating system not found” appears and Windows does not start.
- My computer stops responding or does not shut down.
- The Power Management setting is not responding.
  - 1 Close all open applications.
  - 2 Restart the computer by pressing the Ctrl+Alt+Delete keys at the same time, and then selecting ...
- The sound of my computer’s fan is too loud.
- Why does the System Properties dialog box display a slower CPU speed than advertised?
Troubleshooting the LCD Screen
- My LCD screen is blank.
- The image on my connected external display is not centered or sized properly.
- I cannot simultaneously display movies, DVD video, or the Smart Capture (Finder) window on the LC...
- I want to change the video resolution of my display.
Troubleshooting the Mouse and Touchpad
- My mouse does not work.
- My touchpad does not work properly.
  - 1 Press the Windows® key and use the arrow keys to select Programs, and then Sony Notebook Setup.
    - 2 Select the Touchpad tab using the arrow keys.
    - 3 Select Enable Touchpad, and then press Enter.
  - 1 Press the Windows key and use the arrow keys to select Control Panel, and then Mouse.
    - 2 Change the button assignments in the Mouse Properties dialog box. (One of the buttons is assign...
- The pointer does not move while I am using the Touchpad or Mouse.
Troubleshooting Drives, PC Cards and Peripheral Devices
- My floppy disk drive icon doesn’t appear even though it is connected.
- My optical drive is not playing my disc properly.
- My optical disc drive tray does not open.
- I cannot use digital video (DV) devices. The message “DV equipment seems to be disconnected or tu...
- My PC Card is not working.
Troubleshooting i.LINK devices
- I cannot establish a connection between two VAIO computers when using an i.LINK cable.
  - 1 Disconnect the i.LINK® cable from both computers and reconnect it.
    - 2 Wait for the computers to respond. If neither computer responds after a few moments, restart bo...
Troubleshooting Software
- My software program stops responding or crashes.
- When I click an application icon, the message “You must insert the application CD into your CD-RO...
- I cannot use the DVgate software.
- My computer’s start-up time seems longer after I have installed AOL. What can I do?
  - 1 Click Start in the Windows® taskbar and select Control Panel.
    - 2 Click Network and Internet Connections, and select Network Connections.
    - 3 Right-click on the Local Area Connection with device name “WAN Network Driver,” and select Disa...
- What software do I use for CD-R/CD-RW software functions?
Troubleshooting the Modem
- My modem does not work.
- My modem connection is slow.
Troubleshooting Wireless LAN functions
- I cannot use the Wireless LAN functionality.
- The computer cannot connect to a Wireless LAN Access Point.
- I cannot access the Internet.
- The data transfer speed is slow.
- The communication speed is interrupted or slowed down when MPEG2 data is transferred.
- Data transfers are interrupted.
  - 1 Right-click the Wireless Network Connection icon in the taskbar and select Status. The Wireless...
    - 2 Check the connection status.
  - 1 Click Start and select Control Panel.
Troubleshooting Audio
- My speakers have no sound.
  - 1 Click Start, point to Control Panel, click “Sounds, Speech, and Audio Devices,” and click “Soun...
  - 2 Verify that the Mute box has not been checked, and that the volume is not on the lowest setting...
- There is noise distortion while listening to music with USB speakers or USB headphones.
  - 1 Right-click the CPU icon on the bottom right of the taskbar, and click “Edit/create profiles. T...
- My microphone does not work.
Troubleshooting Memory Stick Media
- Image files do not open even though I insert Memory Stick media into the slot.
- Memory Stick media does not work. I cannot access the removable drive.
- Getting Help
  - Sony provides you with several support options to answer questions about your VAIO® computer or t...
Support Options
Software Support Information
- Adobe Acrobat® Reader™, Photoshop® Elements (Adobe Systems, Inc.)
- America Online® (America Online, Inc.)
- Apple QuickTime™ (Apple Computer Inc.)
- EarthLink™ Network Total Access (EarthLink Network Inc.)
- PhotoPrinter® 2000 Pro (ArcSoft, Inc.)
- PC-Cillin® 2000 (Trend Micro, Inc.)
- Quicken® (Intuit Inc.)
- RealJukebox®, RealPlayer (Real Networks, Inc.)
- Sony Applications (Sony Electronics Inc.)
- Windows® Operating System, Internet Explorer, Word (Microsoft Corp.)
- WinDVD® (InterVideo, Inc.)
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