Sony Laptop PCG 9312 User Manual

VAIO Notebook

User Guide

PCG-F650

PCG-F650K

PCG-F680

PCG-F680K

PCG-F690

PCG-F690K

4-650-675-11

www.sony.com

Printed in USA

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VAIO® Notebook

User Guide

PCG-F650/PCG-F650K/PCG-F680/

PCG-F680K/PCG-F690/PCG-F690K

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

Updates and additions to software may require

an additional charge. Subscriptions to online

service providers may require a fee and credit

card information. Financial services may

require prior arrangements with participating

financial institutions.

Notice to Users

reserved. This manual and the software

described herein, in whole or in part, may not

be reproduced, translated, or reduced to any

machine-readable form without prior written

approval.

As an ENERGY STAR

Partner, Sony Corporation

has determined that this

product meets the

SONY ELECTRONICS INC. PROVIDES NO

WARRANTY WITH REGARD TO THIS

MANUAL, THE SOFTWARE, OR OTHER

INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN AND

HEREBY EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY

IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF

MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR

ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE WITH

REGARD TO THIS MANUAL, THE

SOFTWARE, OR SUCH OTHER

ENERGY STAR

guidelines for energy

efficiency.

The International ENERGY STAR Office

Equipment Program is an international program

that promotes energy saving through the use of

computers and other office equipment. The

program backs the development and

dissemination of products with functions that

effectively reduce energy consumption. It is an

open system in which business proprietors can

participate voluntarily. The targeted products

are office equipment such as computers,

displays, printers, facsimiles and copiers. Their

standards and logos are uniform among

participating nations. ENERGY STAR is a U.S.

registered mark.

INFORMATION. IN NO EVENT SHALL

SONY ELECTRONICS INC. BE LIABLE

FOR ANY INCIDENTAL,

CONSEQUENTIAL, OR SPECIAL

DAMAGES, WHETHER BASED ON TORT,

CONTRACT, OR OTHERWISE, ARISING

OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS

MANUAL, THE SOFTWARE, OR OTHER

INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN OR

THE USE THEREOF.

Sony, Handycam, i.LINK, Mavica, Media Bar,

MovieShaker, PictureGear, VAIO and the VAIO

logo are trademarks of Sony Corporation.

Microsoft, Windows Me, Windows Media,

Windows, Windows NT, and the Windows logo

are registered trademarks of Microsoft

Corporation. Intel, SpeedStep, and Pentium are

trademarks of Intel Corporation. PS/2 is a

registered trademark of IBM.

Sony Electronics Inc. reserves the right to make

any modification to this manual or the

information contained herein at any time

without notice. The software described herein is

governed by the terms of a separate user license

agreement.

This product contains software owned by Sony

and licensed by third parties. Use of such

software is subject to the terms and conditions

of license agreements enclosed with this

product. Some of the software may not be

transported or used outside the United States.

Software specifications are subject to change

without notice and may not necessarily be

identical to current retail versions.

This product incorporates copyright protection

technology that is protected by method claims

of certain U.S. patents and other intellectual

property rights owned by Macrovision

Corporation and other rights owners. Use of this

authorized by Macrovision Corporation, and is

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intended for home and other limited viewing

uses only unless otherwise authorized by

Macrovision Corporation. Reverse engineering

or disassembly is prohibited.

❑

Use caution when installing or

modifying telephone lines.

Avoid using the modem during an

electrical storm.

All other trademarks are trademarks of their

respective owners.

Do not use the modem or a

telephone to report a gas leak in

the vicinity of the leak.

Owner’s Record

❑

A socket outlet should be as close

as possible to the unit and easily

accessible.

The model number and serial number are

located on the bottom of your Sony VAIO®

Notebook. Refer to the model and serial

number when you call your Sony Service

Center.

To change the backup battery,

please contact your nearest Sony

Service Center.

Model Numbers:PCG-931A, PCG-9312, PCG-

932A, PCG-9322, PCG-933A, PCG-9332

Caution - The use of optical

instruments with this product will

increase eye hazard. As the laser

beam used in this product is

harmful to the eyes, do not

attempt to disassemble the

cabinet. Refer servicing to

qualified personnel only.

Serial Number:________________________

Safety Information

WARNING

❑

To prevent fire or shock hazard,

do not expose your notebook

computer to rain or moisture.

For DVD-ROM: Danger - Visible

and invisible laser radiation when

open. Avoid direct exposure to

beam.

❑

To avoid electrical shock, do not

open the cabinet. Refer servicing

to qualified personnel only.

❑

Never install modem or telephone

wiring during a lightning storm.

For CD-RW: Danger - Invisible

laser radiation when open. Avoid

direct exposure to beam.

Never install telephone jacks in

wet locations unless the jack is

specifically designed for wet

locations.

Caution: To reduce the risk of fire,

use only No. 26 AWG or larger

telecommunication line cord.

❑

Never touch uninsulated

telephone wire or terminals

unless the telephone line has been

disconnected at the network

interface.

AVERTISSEMENT

❑

Pour prévenir tout risque

d’incendie ou d’électrocution,

garder cet appareil à l’abri de la

pluie et de l’humidité.

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

❑

Pour prévenir tout risque

d’électrocution, ne pas ouvrir le

châssis de cet appareil et ne

confier son entretien qu’à une

personne qualifiée.

Pour changer la pile de rechange,

veuillez contacter votre centre de

service Sony le plus près.

Avertissement - L'utilisation

d'instruments optiques avec ce

produit augmente les risques pour

les yeux. Puisque le faisceau

laser utilisé dans ce produit est

dommageable pour les yeux, ne

tentez pas de désassembler le

boîtier. Adressez-vous à un agent

de service qualifié.

❑

Ne jamais effectuer l’installation

de fil modem ou téléphone durant

un orage électrique.

Ne jamais effectuer l’installation

d’une prise téléphonique dans un

endroit mouillé à moins que la

prise soit conçue à cet effet.

❑

Ne jamais toucher un fil

Pour les DVD-ROM : Danger :

Radiation laser visible et invisible

si ouvert. Évitez l’exposition

directe au faisceau.

téléphonique à découvert ou un

terminal à moins que la ligne

téléphonique n’ait été débranché

de l’interface réseau.

Pour les CD-RW : Danger :

Radiation laser visible et invisible

si ouvert. Évitez l'exposition

directe au faisceau.

Soyez très prudent lorsque vous

installez ou modifiez les lignes

téléphoniques.

Attention : Afin de réduire les

risques d'incendie, n'utilisez

qu'un cordon de communication

N0. 26 AWG ou plus gros.

❑

Évitez d’utiliser le modem durant

un orage électrique.

N'utilisez pas le modem ni le

téléphone pour prévenir d'une

fuite de gaz vous êtes près de la

fuite.

If you have questions about this product, you

can reach the Sony Customer Information

Service Center at 1-888-4SONYPC; or write to

the Sony Customer Information Service Center

at 12451 Gateway Blvd., Ft. Myers, FL 33913

or find Sony Customer Service on the web at:

http://www.sony.com/pcsupport

❑

L’appareil doit être le plus près

possible d’une prise murale pour

en faciliter l’accès

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equipment does cause harmful interference to

radio or television reception, which can be

determined by turning the equipment off and

on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the

interference by one or more of the following

measures:

Regulatory

Information

Declaration of Conformity

Trade Name:

Model No.:

SONY

❑

Reorient or relocate the receiving

antenna.

PCG-931A

PCG-9312

PCG-932A

PCG-9322

PCG-933A

PCG-9332

Increase the separation between

the equipment and the receiver.

Connect the equipment into an

outlet on a circuit different from

that to which the receiver is

connected.

ResponsibleParty:

Address:

Sony Electronics Inc.

1 Sony Drive

Park Ridge, NJ 07656

❑

Consult the dealer or an

experienced radio/TV technician

for help.

Telephone:

201-930-6972

You are cautioned that any changes or

modifications not expressly approved in this

manual could void your authority to operate this

equipment.

This phone number is for FCC-related

matters only.

This device complies with Part 15 of the

FCC rules. Operation is subject to the

following two conditions:

Only peripherals (computer input/output

devices, terminals, printers, etc.) that comply

with FCC Class B limits may be attached to this

computer product. Operation with non-

(1) This device may not cause harmful

interference, and

compliant peripherals is likely to result in

interference to radio and television reception.

(2) this device must accept any interference

received, including interference that may

cause undesired operation.

All cables used to connect peripherals must be

shielded and grounded. Operation with cables,

connected to peripherals, that are not shielded

and grounded, may result in interference to

radio and television reception.

This equipment has been tested and found to

comply with the limits for a Class B digital

device, pursuant to Part 15 of the Rules. These

limits are designed to provide reasonable

protection against harmful interference in a

residential installation. This equipment

FCC Part 68

generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency

energy and, if not installed and used in

accordance with the instructions, may cause

harmful interference to radio communications.

However, there is no guarantee that interference

will not occur in a particular installation. If this

This equipment complies with Part 68 of the

FCC rules. On the bottom of this equipment is a

label that contains, among other information,

the FCC equivalence number (REN) for this

equipment. If requested, this information must

be provided to the telephone company.

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

This modem uses the USOC RJ-11 telephone

jack.

state and possible provincial tariffs. (Contact

the state or provincial utility service

commission, public service commission, or

corporation commission, for information.)

The REN is used to determine the quantity of

devices which may be connected to the

telephone line. Excessive RENs on the

Telephone Consumer

Protection Act of 1991

(United States)

telephone line may result in the devices not

ringing in response to an incoming call. In

most, but not all areas, the sum of the RENs

should not exceed five (5.0). To be certain of

the number of devices that may be connected to

the line, as determined by the total RENs,

contact the telephone company to determine the

maximum REN for the calling area.

The Telephone Consumer Protection Act of

1991 makes it unlawful for any person to use a

computer or other electronic device to send any

message via a telephone facsimile machine

unless such message clearly contains, in a

margin at the top or bottom of each transmitted

page or on the first page of the transmission, the

date and time it is sent and an identification of

the business, other entity, or individual sending

the message, and the telephone number of the

sending machine or such business, other entity,

or individual.

If the terminal equipment causes harm to the

telephone network, the telephone company will

notify you in advance that temporary

discontinuance of service may be required. But

if advance notice is not practical, the telephone

company will notify the customer as soon as

possible. Also, you will be advised of your right

to file a complaint with the FCC if you believe

it is necessary.

In order to program this information into your

facsimile machine, see your fax software

documentation.

The telephone company may make changes in

its facilities, equipment, operations or

procedures that could affect the operations of

the equipment. If this happens, the telephone

company will provide advance notice in order

for you to make the necessary modifications in

order to maintain uninterrupted service.

Telephone Consumer

Guidelines (Canada)

Please refer to your telephone directory under

‘Privacy Issues’ and/or ‘Terms of Service.’ For

more detailed information, please contact:

If trouble is experienced with this equipment,

you can reach the Sony Customer Information

Service Center at 1-888-4SONYPC; or write to

the Sony Customer Information Service Center

at 12451 Gateway Blvd., Ft. Myers, FL 33913

or find Sony Customer Service on the web at:

http://www.sony.com/pcsupport

CRTC

Terrasses de la Chaudiére, Tour centrale

1 promenade du Portage, 5 étage Hull

PQ K1A 0N2.

This Class B digital apparatus complies with

Canadian ICES-003.

Repair of this equipment should be made only

by a Sony Service Center or Sony authorized

agent. For the Sony Service Center nearest you,

call 1-888-4SONYPC (1-888-476-6972).

Cet àppareil numérique de la classe B est

conforme à la norme NMB-003 du Canada.

This equipment cannot be used on public coin

service provided by the telephone company.

Connection to Party Line Service is subject to

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DISPOSAL OF LITHIUM ION

BATTERY

The battery pack used in this

device may present a fire or

chemical burn hazard if

mistreated. Do not disassemble,

heat above 212°F (100°C) or

incinerate.

You can return your unwanted lithium ion

batteries to your nearest Sony Service Center or

Factory Service Center.

✍ ^{In some areas the disposal of lithium}

ion batteries in household or

Dispose of used battery promptly.

Keep away from children.

business trash may be prohibited.

La manutention incorrecte du

module de batterie de cet appareil

présente un risque d'incendie ou

de brûlures chimiques. Ne pas

démonter, incinérer ou exposer à

une température de plus de 100°C.

Évacuer promptement la batterie

usée. Garder hors de portée des

enfants.

For the Sony Service Center nearest you, call 1-

888-476-6972 in the United States or 1-800-

961-7669 in Canada.

Do not handle damaged or leaking

lithium ion batteries.

Ne pas manipuler les batteries au

lithium-ion qui fuient ou sont

endommagées.

INDUSTRY CANADA NOTICE

NOTICE: The Industry Canada label identifies

certified equipment. This certification means

that the equipment meets certain

telecommunications network protective,

operational and safety requirements as

prescribed in the appropriate Terminal

Equipment Technical Requirements

document(s). The Department does not

guarantee the equipment will operate to the

user’s satisfaction.

Danger of explosion if battery is

incorrectly replaced. Replace only

with the same or equivalent type

recommended by the

manufacturer. Discard used

batteries according to the

manufacturer’s instructions.

Une batterie non conforme

présente un danger d'explosion.

La remplacer seulement par une

batterie identique ou de type

équivalent recommandé par le

fabricant. Évacuer les batteries

usées selon les directives du

fabricant.

Before installing this equipment, users should

ensure that it is permissible to be connected to

the facilities of the local telecommunications

company. The equipment must also be installed

using an acceptable method of connection.

The customer should be aware that compliance

with the above conditions may not prevent

degradation of service in some situations.

Repairs to certified equipment should be

coordinated by a representative designated by

the supplier. Equipment malfunctions or any

repairs or alterations made by the user to this

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

equipment may give the telecommunications

company cause to request that the user

disconnect the equipment.

qu’il est possible que la conformité aux

conditions énoncées ci-dessus n’empêche pas la

dégradation du service dans certaines

situations.

Users should ensure for their own protection

that the electrical ground connections of the

power utility, telephone lines and internal

metallic water pipe system, if present, are

connected together. This precaution may be

particularly important in rural areas.

Les réparations de matériel homologué doivent

être coordonnées par un représentant désigné

par le fournisseur. L’entreprise de

télécommunications peut demander à

l’utilisateur de débrancher un appareil à la suite

de réparations ou de modifications effectuées

par l’utilisateur ou à cause de mauvais

fonctionnement.

Caution: Users should not attempt to make such

connections themselves, but should contact the

appropriate electric inspection authority, or

electrician, as appropriate.

Pour sa propre protection, l’utilisateur doit

s’assurer que tous les fils de mise à la terre de la

source d’énergie électrique, des lignes

téléphoniques et des canalisations d’eau

métalliques, s’il y en a, sont raccordés

ensemble. Cette précaution est particulièrement

importante dans les régions rurales.

NOTICE: The Ringer Equivalence Number

(REN) assigned to each terminal device

provides an indication of the maximum number

of terminals allowed to be connected to a

telephone interface. The termination on an

interface may consist of any combination of

devices subject only to the requirement that the

sum of the Ringer Equivalence Numbers of all

the devices does not exceed 5. The Ringer

Equivalence Number for this equipment is 0.0.

Avertissement: L’utilisateur ne doit pas tenter

de faire ces raccordements lui-même; il doit

avoir recours à un service d’inspection des

installations électriques, ou à un électricien,

selon le cas.

AVIS DE L’INDUSTRIE

CANADA

AVIS: L’indice d’équivalence de la sonnerie

(IES) assigné à chaque dispositif terminal

indique le nombre maximal de terminaux qui

peuvent être raccordés à une interface.

AVIS: L’étiquette d’Industrie Canada identifie

le matériel homologué.

La terminaison d’une interface téléphonique

peut consister en une combination de quelques

dispositifs, à la seule condition que la somme

d’indices d’équivalence de la sonnerie de tous

les dispositifs n’excède pas 5. L’indice

d’équivalence de la sonnerie de ce matériel est

de 0.0.

Cette étiquette certifie que le matériel est

conforme aux normes de protection,

d’exploitation et de sécurité des réseaux de

télécommunications, comme le prescrivent les

documents concernant les exigences techniques

relatives au matériel terminal. Le Ministère

n’assure toutefois pas que le matériel

fonctionnera à la satisfaction de l’utilisateur.

Avant d’installer ce matériel, l’utilisateur doit

s’assurer qu’il est permis de le raccorder aux

installations de l’entreprise locale de

télécommunication. Le matériel doit également

être installé en suivant une méthode acceptée de

raccordement. L’abonné ne doit pas oublier

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Contents

Welcome ....................................................11

Features ....................................................................11

Unpacking Your Notebook ......................................12

Ergonomic Considerations .......................................15

Setting Up Your VAIO® Notebook ..........19

Locating Controls and Connectors ...........................19

Connecting a Power Source .....................................23

Starting Your Computer ...........................................29

Shutting Down Your Computer ...............................30

Using Your VAIO® Notebook ..................31

Using the Keyboard ..................................................31

Using the Touchpad .................................................36

Using the Floppy Disk Drive ...................................38

Using the DVD-ROM Drive ....................................41

Using PC Cards ........................................................46

Using Infrared Communication Devices ..................49

Using a Second Battery Pack ...................................51

Using the Weight Saver ............................................54

Connecting Peripheral Devices ..............57

Connecting an i.LINK® Device ...............................58

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

Power Saving Modes ...............................60

Connecting a Phone Line .........................................63

Using Ethernet to Connect to a Network .................64

Connecting a Printer ................................................65

Connecting an External Mouse or Keyboard ...........66

Connecting an External Display ..............................67

AV Devices ..............................................................70

Connecting the Port Replicator ................................71

Connecting External Speakers .................................75

Connecting an External Microphone .......................76

Connecting a Universal Serial Bus (USB) Device ..77

Adding Memory ........................................79

About the Software on Your Notebook ..83

About Your Software ...............................87

PictureGear™ ..........................................................90

About Your Recovery CDs ......................................92

For Answers to Your Software Questions ...............92

Using the System and Application Recovery CDs ..95

Troubleshooting .......................................99

Specifications ........................................111

Index ........................................................115

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Welcome

Congratulations on your purchase of the Sony VAIO® notebook. Sony has

combined leading-edge technology in audio, video, computing, and

communications to provide you with state-of-the-art personal computing.

Features

✍ ^{For a complete description of the specifications of your VAIO® Notebook, see}

page 111.

❑

Exceptional performance — Your notebook includes a mobile Intel^®

Pentium^®III processor featuring Intel^®SpeedStep™ and a V.90 compatible

K56flex modem.^*

❑

Portability — Rechargeable battery pack provides hours of use without AC

power.

Sony audio and video quality — High-quality MPEG1/MPEG2 video,

which supports full-screen display and enables you to take advantage of

today’s advanced multimedia applications, games, and entertainment

software.

❑

Multimedia features — Enjoy the stereo speakers or use a headphone (not

supplied) to listen to audio and video CDs.

Microsoft^®Windows^®operating system — Your system includes

Microsoft^®Windows^®Millennium Edition or Microsoft® Windows® 2000

Professional.

❑

Communications — Access popular online services, send e-mail, browse

the Internet, and use fax features.

Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) — This new optical storage technology that

provides increased storage capacity and a rich multimedia computing

experience. DVD-ROM drives play both DVD-ROM and CD-ROM discs.

* Actual upload and download speeds may vary due to line conditions, ISP support, and gov-

ernment regulations.

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

Unpacking Your Notebook

Remove the following hardware items from the box:

Main unit

Power cord

AC adapter

Video cable

Rechargeable

battery pack

Weight saver

* Removable floppy disk drive is in the multipurpose bay.

Manuals

❑

VAIO® User Guide — Contains information on setting up your notebook,

supplementary updates and software information. This manual describes the

features and specifications of your notebook, the applications included with

your system, how to contact software vendors, and solve common problems.

❑

Microsoft® Windows® Millennium Edition Getting Started manual or the

Microsoft® Windows® 2000 Professional Getting Started manual —

Explains how to use the basic features of this latest Windows operating

system.

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Unpacking Your Notebook

Software CDs

❑

Microsoft® Word 2000 — Allows you to reinstall Microsoft Word to the

VAIO notebook you purchased.

Recovery CDs

❑

System Recovery CD(s) — Allows you to restore the software titles that

shipped with your computer if they become corrupted or are erased. It can

only be used to restore the hard disk of the VAIO notebook you purchased.

❑

Application Recovery CD(s) — Allows you to reinstall individual

applications or device drivers if they become corrupted or erased.

Other

❑

Setting up your VAIO® Notebook (poster)

Packet containing special product offers

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

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Ergonomic Considerations

You will be using your notebook computer as a portable device in a variety of

environments. Whenever possible, you should attempt to apply the following

ergonomic considerations to both stationary and portable environments.

Ergonomic Position

Computer positioned

directly in front of you

Arms at desk

level

Wrists relaxed

and flat

❑

Position of your computer — Place the computer directly in front of you as

you work. Keep your forearms horizontal, with your wrists in a neutral,

comfortable position while using the keyboard, touchpad, or external mouse.

Let your upper arms hang naturally at your sides. Take breaks during

sessions with your computer. Excessive use of the computer may strain

muscles or tendons.

Furniture and posture — Sit in a chair with good back support and

armrests. Adjust the level of the chair so your feet are flat on the floor. A

footrest may make you more comfortable. Sit in a relaxed, upright posture

and avoid slouching forward or leaning far backward.

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

❑

Viewing angle of the computer’s display — Use the display’s tilting

feature to find the best position. You can reduce eye strain and muscle

fatigue by adjusting the tilt of the display to the proper position. Adjust the

brightness setting of the display also.

Lighting — Choose a location where windows and lights do not create glare

and reflection on the display. Use indirect lighting to avoid bright spots on

the display. You can also purchase accessories for your display that help

reduce glare. Proper lighting adds to your comfort and work effectiveness.

Placement of an external display — When using an external display, set

the display at a comfortable viewing distance. Make sure the display screen

is at eye level or slightly lower when you are sitting in front of the monitor.

Notes on Setup

❑

Do not place your computer in a location subject to:

❑

Heat sources, such as radiators or air ducts

Direct sunlight

Excessive dust

Moisture or rain

Mechanical vibration or shock

Strong magnets or speakers that are not magnetically shielded

Ambient temperature of more than 95º F (35º C) or less than 18º F

(10º C)

❑

High humidity

❑

Do not place electronic equipment near your computer. The computer’s

electromagnetic field may cause a malfunction.

Provide adequate air circulation to prevent internal heat buildup. Do not

place your computer on porous surfaces such as rugs or blankets, or near

materials such as curtains or draperies that may block its ventilation slots.

Leave a space of at least 8 inches (20 cm) behind the back panel of the

computer.

❑

If the computer is brought directly from a cold location to a warm one,

moisture may condense inside your computer. In this case, allow at least an

hour before turning on your computer. If any problems occur, unplug your

computer, and contact your Sony Service Center.

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Ergonomic Considerations

❑

The computer uses high-frequency radio signals and may cause interference

to radio or TV reception. Should this occur, relocate the computer a suitable

distance away from the set.

Use only specified peripheral equipment and interface cables; otherwise,

problems may result.

❑

Do not use cut or damaged connection cables.

If the telephone company makes a service call to your home or office and

determines that your computer is responsible for a problem, the telephone

company may bill you for the service call. Also, if you do not disconnect

your computer when it is adversely affecting the telephone line, the

telephone company has the right to disconnect your service until you correct

the problem.

Handling Your Notebook

❑

Clean the cabinet with a soft, dry cloth or a soft cloth lightly moistened with

a mild detergent solution. Do not use any type of abrasive pad, scouring

powder, or solvent such as alcohol or benzine, as these may damage the

finish of your computer.

❑

Should any solid object or liquid fall into the computer, shut down your

computer and then unplug it. You may want to have the computer checked by

qualified personnel before operating it any further.

Do not drop the computer or place heavy objects on top of the computer.

Cleaning Your Notebook

❑

Make sure to disconnect the power cord before cleaning the computer.

Avoid rubbing the LCD screen as this can damage the screen. Use a soft, dry

cloth to wipe the LCD screen.

❑

Clean the computer with a soft cloth lightly moistened with a mild detergent

solution. Do not use any type of abrasive pad, scouring powder or solvent,

such as alcohol or benzine.

Handling the LCD Screen

❑

Do not leave the LCD facing the sun as it can damage the LCD. Be careful

when using the computer near a window.

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

❑

Do not scratch the LCD or exert pressure on it. This could cause

malfunction.

Using the computer in low temperature conditions may produce a residual

image on the screen. This is not a malfunction. When the computer returns to

normal temperature, the screen returns to normal.

❑

The screen becomes warm during operation. This is normal and does not

indicate a malfunction.

The LCD is manufactured using high-precision technology. You may,

however, see tiny black points and/or bright points (red, blue, or green) that

continuously appear on the LCD. This is a normal result of the

manufacturing process and does not indicate a malfunction.

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Setting Up Your VAIO® Notebook

This section describes how to start using your notebook and how to use your

computer’s internal and external devices, such as the touchpad, floppy disk drive,

and DVD-ROM drive.

Locating Controls and Connectors

Front

LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) screen

Speakers

Keyboard

Touchpad

Left/right buttons

Power indicator

Battery 1 and 2 indicators

Hard disk drive indicator

Num Lock indicator

Caps Lock indicator

Scroll Lock indicator

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

Left

i.LINK® (IEEE1394) S400 connector

Infrared port

Video out

Headphone connector

Microphone connector

PC card slots

Battery bay

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Locating Controls and Connectors

Right

PPK buttons

Power button

DVD-ROM drive

Multipurpose bay

Back

cover

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

Modem jack

PS/2 Mouse/Keyboard connector

Serial connector

Printer connector

Monitor connector

USB connectors

DC In connector

✍ ^{There is a ventilation slot located between the USB connector and the DC In connector.}

Do not cover the ventilation slot when your computer is on.

Bottom

Port replicator connector cover

Multipurpose bay RELEASE lever

Tilt stands

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Connecting a Power Source

You can use either AC power or a rechargeable battery pack as a power source.

Using the AC Adapter

Plug the cable attached to the AC adapter into the DC In connector on the

computer.

Plug one end of the power cord into the AC adapter.

Plug the other end of the power cord into an AC outlet.

Connecting the AC adapter

Notebook

AC adapter

(supplied)

Power cord (supplied)

DC In

Notes on the AC Adapter

❑

Your computer operates on 100V-240V AC 50/60 Hz.

Do not share the AC outlet with other power-consuming equipment, such as

a copy machine or shredder.

❑

You can purchase a power strip with a surge protector. This device prevents

damage to your computer caused by sudden power surges such as those that

may occur during an electrical storm.

❑

Do not place heavy objects on the power cord.

To disconnect the cord, pull it out by the plug. Never pull the cord itself.

Unplug your computer from the wall outlet if you will not be using the

computer for a long time.

❑

When the AC adapter is not used, unplug it from the AC outlet.

Use only the AC adapter supplied. Do not use any other AC adapter.

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

Using Battery Power

You can use one or two battery packs as a source of power. The second battery

pack inserts into the multipurpose bay on the right side of the computer. (See

“Power Saving Modes” on page 60.) Additional battery packs are available as a

separate option.

The battery pack that comes with your computer is not fully charged at the time

of purchase. Follow the steps below to insert and charge the battery pack.

To insert the battery pack

To open the battery bay, press cover down.

✍ ^{Cover swings out but does not detach.}

Battery bay

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Connecting a Power Source

Insert the battery pack into the battery bay on the left side of the computer.

Inserting battery pack

Battery pack

(supplied)

Label side facing down

Close the cover of the battery bay until it clicks.

✍ ^{If the port replicator is attached to your computer, do not attempt to insert or remove}

the battery pack. Lifting and turning the computer with a port replicator attached could

cause a temporary loss of power.

To charge the battery pack

Connect the AC adapter to the computer.

Insert the battery pack.

The computer automatically charges the battery (the battery indicator light flashes in a

double blink pattern as the battery charges).

When the battery is 85% full, the battery indicator light turns off. This

process takes approximately two hours.

✍ ^{To charge the battery completely, continue charging for an additional hour. See}

“Displaying Battery Information” in the online manual “Customizing Your VAIO®

Notebook” .

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

There are two battery indicator lights on the computer

Battery indicator lights

Battery indicators

Secondary battery pack

(optional)

Battery pack (supplied)

Battery

Indicator

Meaning

Indicates the status of the battery pack in the battery bay on the

left side of the computer.

Indicates the status of the battery pack in the multipurpose bay on

the right side of the computer.

Battery

Indicator Light

Status

Meaning

The computer is using battery power.

The battery is running out of power.

The battery is charging.

Single blink

Double blink

Off

The computer is using AC power.

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Connecting a Power Source

To remove the battery pack

Open the battery bay cover.

Pull out the battery pack.

Removing the battery pack

Close the cover of the battery bay.

You will lose data if you remove the battery pack while the computer is on

and not connected to the AC adapter or if you remove the battery while the

computer is in a power-saving mode

Notes on the battery

❑

To determine the remaining battery charge, see “Displaying Battery

Information” in the online manual “Customizing Your VAIO® Notebook”

When the battery power is running low, both the battery and power

indicators blink.

When the computer is directly connected to AC power and has a battery pack

in the battery bay, it uses power from the AC outlet.

See “Using a Second Battery Pack” on page 51 for information on installing

and charging a battery pack in the multipurpose bay.

Keep the battery pack in the computer while it is directly connected to AC

power. The battery pack continues to charge while you are using the

computer.

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

❑

If the battery level falls below 10%, you should either attach the AC adapter

to recharge the battery or shut down your computer and insert a fully charged

battery.

❑

You can extend battery life by changing the power-management modes in

the PowerPanel utility. See “Power Saving Modes” on page 60.

The battery pack supplied with your computer is a lithium-ion battery and

can be recharged at any time. Charging a partially discharged battery does

not affect battery life.

❑

The battery indicator light is on while you use the battery pack as a power

source. When battery life is nearly depleted, the battery indicator starts

flashing.

For some software applications and some peripheral devices, your computer

may not enter System Hibernation mode when the battery life is low. To

avoid loss of data when using battery power, you should save your data

frequently and manually activate a power-management mode, such as

System Suspend or System Hibernation.

❑

Never leave the battery pack in temperatures above 140° F (60° C), such as

under direct sunlight or in a car parked in the sun.

Battery life is shorter in a cold environment. This is due to decreased battery

efficiency at low temperatures.

Charge the batteries at temperatures between 50° F and 80° F (10° C to

30° C). Lower temperatures require a longer charging time.

While the battery is in use or being discharged, the battery pack heats up.

This is normal and is not cause for concern.

❑

Keep the battery pack away from all sources of heat.

Keep the battery pack dry.

Do not open or try to disassemble the battery pack.

Do not expose the battery pack to any mechanical shock.

If you are not using the computer for an extended period of time, remove the

battery pack from the computer to prevent damage to the battery.

❑

If, after fully charging the battery pack, the battery power is still low, the

battery pack may be reaching the end of its life and should be replaced.

❑

You do not need to discharge the battery before recharging.

If you have not used the battery pack for a considerable amount of time,

recharge the battery.

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Starting Your Computer

Slide the LCD lock lever in the direction of the arrow, and lift the cover.

Opening the computer

LCD lock lever

Power

button

Press the power button on top of the computer until the green power

indicator light turns on.

✍ ^{(Windows Me only) When starting your notebook for the first time, the VAIO}

InitManager dialog box will appear. Please select “OK” to begin initial setup. If you do

not execute the initial setup, you cannot use VAIO original hardware functions such as

PPK, Power Management tools, the scroll function of the touchpad, and keyboard

shortcut key combined with Fn key.

Power button

Power indicator

Power button

✍ ^{If you hold the power button in the On position for more than four seconds, the}

computer turns off.

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

If necessary, adjust the brightness controls for the LCD display:

❑

Decrease brightness, press Fn+F5 and then the down or left arrow key.

Increase brightness, press Fn+F5 and then the up or right arrow key.

Shutting Down Your Computer

To avoid potential loss of data, follow these steps to shut down your computer.

Click the Start button on the Windows® taskbar.

Click Shut Down at the bottom of the Start menu to display the Shut Down

Windows dialog box.

Select Shut down.

Click OK.

✍ ^{Respond to any prompts warning you to save documents.}

Wait for your computer to turn off automatically—power indicator turns off.

Turn off any peripherals connected to your computer.

✍ ^{During a period of inactivity, you can conserve battery life by using System Suspend}

mode. See “Controlling Power Management” in the online manual “Customizing Your

VAIO® Notebook” .

If you are unable to shut down your computer:

Close or end all operations:

❑

close all applications

remove the PC cards

disconnect USB devices

end Infrared Communication

Then, restart the computer. You can restart your computer by pressing

Ctrl+Alt+Delete keys (at the same time).

✍ ^{If you are still unable to shut down the computer, you can press the power button and}

hold it for four seconds. This operation may result in data loss.

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Using Your VAIO® Notebook

Using the Keyboard

Your keyboard is very similar to a typewriter’s, but the keyboard has additional

keys that perform specific computer-related tasks.

Keyboard

Correction

keys

Function keys

Escape Key

Print Screen key

Shift key

Ctrl key

Fn key

Applications key

Navigation

keys

Alt key

Windows key

Numeric keypad area

Key

Description

Numeric keypad

area

Contains the keys found on a typical calculator. Use the numeric

keypad area to type numbers or to perform mathematical

calculations such as addition and subtraction. Note that you must

press the Num Lock key to activate the numeric keypad. (When

you do so, the Num Lock light will be on.)

Navigation keys

Correction keys

Several keys are devoted to moving the cursor on the screen.

The Insert, Back Space, and Delete keys enable you to make

corrections in your documents.

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

Key

Description

Function keys

The twelve function keys along the top of the keyboard are used

to perform designated tasks. For example, in many applications,

F1 is the Help key. The task associated with each function key

may vary from one application to the next.

Escape key

The Esc (Escape) key is used to cancel commands.

Print Screen key

The Print Screen key takes an electronic snapshot of the screen

and places it in the Windows Clipboard. You can then paste the

screen shot into a document and print it.

Operator keys

Several keys are always used with at least one other key: Ctrl,

Alt, and Shift. When held down with another key, the Ctrl

(Control) and Alt (Alternate) keys offer another way to give

commands. For example, in many applications, instead of

choosing the Save command from a menu, you can hold down

Ctrl and press S (referred to as Ctrl+S). The Shift key operates

the same way as on a typewriter; it is used to produce capital

letters or special symbols such as @ and $.

Windows key

The key with the Windows logo displays the Windows Start

menu; it is the equivalent of clicking the Start button on the

taskbar. See “Combinations and Functions with the Windows

Key” on page 32.

Fn key

The Fn key is used in combination with other keys to issue

commands. See “Combinations and Functions with the Fn Key”

on page 34.

Applications key

The Applications key displays a shortcut menu of context-

sensitive choices. Pressing this key is the equivalent of clicking

the right mouse button.

Combinations and Functions with the Windows Key

Combination

+ F1

Function

Displays Windows Help.

Switches the selected button on the taskbar.

Displays Windows Explorer.

+ Tab

+ E

+ F

Displays the Windows Find: All Files window to find a file or

folder. This is the equivalent of selecting Find and then Files or

Folders from the Start menu.

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Using the Keyboard

Combination

Function

+ Ctrl + F

Displays the Windows Find: Computer window where you can

locate other computers. This is the equivalent of selecting Find

and then Computer from the Start menu.

+ M

Minimizes all displayed windows.

Shift +

+ R

+ M

Returns all minimized windows to their previous size.

Displays the Run window. This is the equivalent of selecting Run

from the Start menu.

Fn +

+ Insert

Displays the Properties window. This is the equivalent of double-

clicking the System icon in the Control Panel.

Indicators

Indicator

Function

Power

Light is green when the power to the computer is turned on.

Light is red in System Idle mode, and flashes red in System

Suspend mode. The light turns off when the computer is in

System Hibernation mode or powered off.

Battery 1

Indicates the status of the battery inserted in the battery

bay on the left side of the computer.

Battery 2

Indicates the status of the battery inserted in the

multipurpose drive bay on the right side of the computer.

Hard disk

Lights when data is being read from or written to the hard

drive. Do not enter System Suspend mode or turn off the

computer when this indicator light is on.

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

Indicator (continued)

Light

Off

Num Lock

The number keys in the

The alphanumeric

numeric keypad are active.

character keys in the

keypad area are active.

Caps Lock

Scroll Lock

The letters appear in uppercase

as you type. The Shift key

lowers the case of typed letters

when Caps Lock is on.

Letters appear in lower

case as you type (unless

you hold down the Shift

key).

The screen scrolls differently.

(Exactly how it scrolls depends

on the specific application. It

has no effect in many

Information moves

across the display

normally.

applications.)

Combinations and Functions with the Fn Key

Combinations/

Feature

Function

Fn+

(ESC)

Puts the system into System Suspend mode, a power-

management state. To return the system to the active

state, press any key or press the power button on your

computer.

System Suspend

Fn+

(F2)

Displays the power source status, as in the example below:

Display power

source status

Charging a

battery pack

Using AC

power

Fn+

Mute On/ Off

Fn+ (F4)

Speaker volume

(F3)

Toggles the built-in speaker off and on.

Adjusts the built-in speaker volume.

To increase volume, press Fn+F4, then

To decrease volume, press Fn+F4, then

➜

Fn+

Brightness

control

(F5)

Adjusts the brightness of the LCD.

To increase light intensity, press Fn+F5 and then

To decrease light intensity, press Fn+F5 and then or

➜

Adjust the screen contrast (some models only).

Fn+

(F6)

Contrast control

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Using the Keyboard

Combinations and Functions with the Fn Key (Continued)

Combinations/

Feature

Function

LCD

Fn+

(F7)

Toggles through the LCD, external display (connected to

the

Monitor connector) and both LCD and external

Switch to the

external

monitor/ LCD

display.

LCD and external display

Only external display

Only LCD

LCD

Fn+

only/

Toggles between LCD-only and dual LCD/ TV display

modes.

(F8)

Control TV out

LCD and external display

Only external display

Only LCD

Fn+

System

Hibernation

(F12)

Provides for the lowest level of power consumption.

When you execute this command, the state of the system

and state of the peripheral devices are written to the hard

disk and the system power is turned off. To return the

system to its original state, use the power button to turn on

power.

Fn+D

Video standby

Turns off the LCD to save power. To turn the LCD back on,

press any key (Windows® Me only).

Fn+S

System Idle

Puts the system into System Idle mode, a power-

management state. To return the system to the active

state, press any key.

✍ ^{Some functions are not available until Windows launches.}

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

Using the Touchpad

The keyboard contains a cursor-pointing device called a touchpad. You can point

to, select, drag, and scroll objects on the screen using the built-in touchpad.

Touchpad

Pointer

Touchpad

Right button

Left button

Action

Description

Point

Slide one finger on the touchpad to place the pointer on an

item or object.

Click

Press the left button once.

Press the left button twice.

Double-click

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Using the Touchpad

Action

Description

Right-click

Press the right button once. In many applications, this

action displays a shortcut menu of context-sensitive

choices.

Drag

Slide one finger while pressing the left button.

Scroll

Move your finger along the right edge of the touchpad to

scroll vertically. Move your finger along the bottom to

scroll horizontally. (The scroll function is available only

with applications that support a touchpad scroll feature.)

✍ ^{See Mouse Properties for information on touchpad features, such as clicking both}

buttons simultaneously, adjusting touchpad speed, and Easy Launcher functions. To

access Mouse Properties, click the Start button, point to Settings, point to Control

Panel, and then click the Mouse icon in the Control Panel.

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

Using the Floppy Disk Drive

Your computer comes with the floppy disk drive in the multipurpose bay.

To insert a diskette

Hold the diskette the label side facing up.

Gently push the diskette into the drive until it clicks into place.

Diskette

Floppy disk drive

To remove a diskette

❑

When you finish using the diskette, wait until the LED indicator light turns

off and then press the Eject button to remove the diskette.

Eject button

LED indicator

✍ ^{Do not push the eject button when the LED indicator is turned on. Otherwise,}

data maybe lost.

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Using the Floppy Disk Drive

To remove the floppy disk drive

Turn off the computer.

There is a RELEASE lever on the bottom of the computer. Slide this lever in

the direction of the arrow.

Multipurpose bay release lever

Multipurpose RELEASE lever

Slide the drive out of the multipurpose bay.

Insert the weight saver. See “Using the Weight Saver” on page 54.

To reinsert the floppy disk drive

Turn off the computer.

If another device is in the multipurpose bay, remove the device. See “To

remove the second battery pack” on page 53.

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

Insert the floppy disk drive into the multipurpose bay with the VAIO label

facing up. Continue pushing the drive into the bay until the RELEASE lever

locks into place.

Inserting the floppy disk drive

Multipurpose bay

Floppy disk drive

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Using the DVD-ROM Drive

Your computer comes with a DVD-ROM drive, which plays both DVD and CD.

To insert a disc

Turn on the computer.

✍ ^{When the computer is in}System Suspend or System Hibernation mode, you

cannot insert a disc. See “Controlling Power Management” in the online manual

“Customizing Your VAIO® Notebook” for more information on System Suspend

and System Hibernation modes.

Press the Eject button to open the DVD-ROM drive.

The tray slides out.

DVD eject

Eject button

Place a CD or DVD on the tray with the label side facing up. For DVDs

which can be played on both sides, the side of the disc facing up is the side

that plays.

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

Push the disc onto the hub until the disc clicks securely into place.

Inserting a DVD/CD

Label side facing

facing up

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Using the DVD-ROM Drive

Close the tray by pushing it gently.

✍ ^{Be sure to seat the disc firmly over the hub fingers. If you do not seat the disc firmly,}

you could damage your DVD-ROM drive and you may not be able to open the tray.

When you finish using a disc, wait until the LED indicator light turns off, then press the

Eject button to remove the disc.

When the computer is in Power Saving modes, you cannot remove a disc. See

“Controlling Power Management” in the online manual “Customizing Your VAIO®

Notebook” for more information about Power Saving modes.

If the disc does not come out when you press the Eject button, turn off the computer

and insert a thin, pointed object into the manual eject hole.

Manual eject hole

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

Playing a DVD

To achieve optimum performance when playing DVDs, it is recommended that

your computer not be connected to the port replicator while playing DVD movies

or using DVD applications. Close any open applications before playing a DVD

movie.

✍ ^{When playing DVD movies on battery power, set the power management profile to}

DVD. With other profiles, the movies are choppy. As an alternative, you can set the

power management profile to Automatic Profile Selection, which will cause the DVD

profile to be selected automatically whenever you insert a DVD. See “Controlling

Power Management” in the online manual “Customizing Your VAIO® Notebook” for

information on how to set the power management profile.

❑

You can play DVDs using a DVD-ROM drive and the Media Bar software.

See the online manual that came with the Media Bar software for details.

Some discs recorded at 20 or 24 bits may produce noise while playing. If you have

audio devices connected, this may cause damage to your hearing and the speakers.

Reduce the volume before playing such discs.

You cannot switch between LCD and TV if you press Fn+F8 when a DVD is inserted in

the DVD-ROM drive.

If you have connected a TV, follow the instructions in “Selecting the Display

Mode” in the online manual Customizing Your VAIO® Notebook.

(PCG-F690/PCG-F690K only) When a TV is connected, a part of the video

screen will not appear with the factory setting. Adjust the display resolution to

1024 x 768 as described in the online manual “Customizing Your VAIO®

Notebook” .

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Using the DVD-ROM Drive

Notes on CD and DVD media

❑

Do not drop or bend the disc.

Do not touch the surface of the disc. Fingerprints and dust on the surface of a

disc may cause read errors. Proper care of the disc is essential to maintain its

reliability. Do not use solvents such as benzine, thinner, commercially

available cleaners or anti-static spray, as they may cause damage to the disc.

❑

For normal cleaning, hold the disc by its edge and use a soft cloth to wipe the

surface from the center out.

If the disc is badly soiled, moisten a soft cloth with water, wring it out well,

and use it to wipe the surface of the disc from the center out. Wipe off any

remaining moisture with a dry soft cloth

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

Using PC Cards

Your computer includes two PC card slots. PC cards allow you to connect

portable external devices such as another hard disk drive, or to connect a

network.

✍ ^{The PC card slots can accommodate two Type II PC cards, or one Type III PC card.}

These slots are compatible with Card Bus. Use the lower slot for Type III PC cards. You

do not need to shut down your notebook before inserting or removing a PC card.

To insert a PC card

Pull the PC card release button out from the computer, and then push it in

toward the computer. This will extend the PC card slot protector.

PC card release lever

Remove the PC card slot protector.

When you use a Type III PC card, you need to remove both the top and

bottom PC card slot protectors.

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Using PC Cards

PC card slot protector

Insert the PC card into the PC card slot, front label facing up. Gently push

the card into the slot until the card is fixed into the connector.

The release button extends. Fold the release button back down into the

notebook.

Inserting a PC card

Insert with the

arrow facing forward

PC card

Do not force a PC card into the slot as this may damage the connector pins.

Do not carry your computer while touching the head of a PC card (such as a

wireless LAN card), pressure or shock may damage the connector pins.

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

To remove a PC card

✍ ^{If your computer is turned off, you do not have to follow these instructions.}

Double-click

in the system task tray.

The “Unplug or Eject hardware” dialog box appears.

In the Unplug or Eject Hardware dialog box, select the appropriate option,

and then click Stop.

Confirm the device and click OK.

A message appears informing you that the device can now be safely removed

from the system.

Press the PC card RELEASE button to remove the PC card.

Notes on using PC cards

❑

For some PC cards, if you alternate between normal power operation and the

System Suspend or System Hibernation power-management modes while

the card is inserted, you may find that a device connected to your system is

not recognized. Reboot your system to correct the problem.

❑

Some PC cards may require that you disable idle devices when using the PC

card. You can use Sony Notebook Setup to disable devices. See “Displaying

the Sony Notebook Setup Screen” in the online manual “Customizing Your

VAIO® Notebook” for details.

❑

Be sure to use the most recent software driver provided by the PC card

manufacturer.

If an “!” mark appears on the Device Manager tab in the System Properties

dialog box, remove the software driver and then reinstall it.

You may not be able to use some PC cards or some functions of the PC card

with this computer. If you have difficulty inserting a card, check that you are

orienting the card correctly. See the manual that came with your PC card for

more information on use.

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Using Infrared Communication Devices

Your computer includes an infrared port, located on the left side. You can use this

port to communicate with other infrared-equipped devices with compatible

protocols, such as a digital still camera or other computers.

To use infrared communication with another computer

Align the infrared ports on the two computers so that they are in a direct line.

Connecting with Infrared

✍ ^{Infrared communication capability can be turned on and off. By default, it is disabled}

when your system is shipped. Use the infrared icon in the Windows Control Panel to

enable/disable infrared communication.

To enable infrared for Windows Me™

Click Wireless Link icon in the Windows Control Panel.

Wireless link dialogue box displays.

Select File Transfer Options Allow others to send files to your computer

using infrared communications and/or Display status while receiving files.

Click OK.

Infrared Monitor icon appears in the task tray, open the monitor to verify that

your computer has detected a nearby unit.

Once another unit is detected, your computer is ready to send/receive data.

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

To enable infrared for Windows 2000

Click Infrared icon in the Windows Control Panel.

Wireless link dialogue box displays.

Select Enable infrared communication on the Options tab.

Click OK.

Infrared Monitor icon appears in the task tray, open the monitor to verify that

your computer has detected a nearby unit.

Once another unit is detected, your computer is ready to send/receive data.

Infrared range

Infrared port

approximately

15 degrees

Notes on using the Infrared Port

❑

If the devices are too far apart or too close together, data transfer may be

interrupted or there may be noise in the transmission. The active area of

infrared transmission extends about 39 /₈inches (1 meter) with a radius of

approximately 15 degrees.

❑

Covering the infrared ports with your hand or any other object will disrupt

data transfer.

Avoid direct sunlight, fluorescent light, or flashing incandescent light near

the infrared ports.

Disable infrared communication when you are not using it to conserve

battery life.

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Using a Second Battery Pack

You can purchase a second rechargeable battery pack. With two battery packs,

you can extend the time that you use your computer with battery power. When

using two battery packs, the battery pack you insert first charges first. The battery

pack you insert second charges when the first battery pack is 85 percent full. You

can monitor which battery pack is charging by observing the battery indicator

lights.

To insert a second battery pack

If another device is in the multipurpose bay, remove the device.

Insert the battery pack into the multipurpose bay.

If the battery is being used, the battery 2 indicator light turns on.

Second battery in multipurpose bay

Multipurpose bay

Battery pack

Label side facing down

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

Attach the weight saver to the computer to stabilize the battery pack. There

is a RELEASE lever on the bottom of the weight saver. Slide the lever

toward the front of the computer to lock the weight saver. See also “Using

the Weight Saver” on page 54.

Using weight saver for second battery cover

Battery pack

Weight saver

To charge the second battery pack

Keep the battery pack in the computer while it is connected to AC power. The

battery indicator flashes while the battery is charging. See also “To charge the

battery pack” on page 25 for more information.

Charging the second battery

Battery indicators

Second battery pack

(optional)

Battery pack (supplied)

✍ ^{To determine the amount of time the battery lasts, see “Displaying Battery}

Information” in the online manual “Customizing Your VAIO® Notebook” .

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Using a Second Battery Pack

To remove the second battery pack

If you attach two battery packs, you can remove either of them without shutting

down the computer. When removing one battery pack, make sure that the other

battery pack’s indicator light is on. If the indicator light of the battery pack you

are removing is on, right-click the battery icon on the task tray and click the

“Switch discharge battery” option.

There is a Release lever on the bottom of the weight saver. To remove the

battery pack, slide this lever in the direction of arrow 1, then slide the

RELEASE lever on the bottom of the computer in the direction of arrow 2.

Multipurpose bay release levers

Arrow 1: Weight saver Release lever

Arrow 2: RELEASE lever

Remove the weight saver, and then pull out the battery pack.

Reinsert the weight saver. See “Using the Weight Saver” on page 54.

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

Using the Weight Saver

The weight saver protects the multipurpose bay when it is empty.

To attach the weight saver

If another device is in the multipurpose bay, remove the device. See “To

remove the second battery pack” on page 53.

Fold out the hinged arm of the weight saver and then push on the hinged arm

to lock it into place. Slide the weight saver in the direction of the arrow until

it clicks.

Inserting the weight saver

Weight saver (supplied)

Manually lock the weight saver’s Release lever.

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Using the Weight Saver

To remove the Weight Saver

There is a release lever on the bottom of the weight saver. To remove the

weight saver, slide this lever in the direction of arrow 1, then slide the

Release lever on the bottom of the computer in the direction of arrow 2.

Multipurpose bay release levers

Arrow 1: Weight saver Release lever

Arrow 2: Release lever

After removing the weight saver, pull out the weight saver’s hinged arm and

fold it into the weight saver.

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

Using Smart Connect

Windows Me™

You can connect your VAIO® notebook to another VAIO computer that has the

preinstalled Windows Me operating system or the Sony Smart Connect 3.0

software preinstalled. You may use an i.LINK® cable (optional) to connect the

two systems and then use one computer to edit, copy, or delete files on the other

computer. You can also print from a printer that is attached to either computer.

Select the STD mode in Smart Connect 3.0 software to connect with another

computer that has Windows Me preinstalled.

Connecting with an i.Link cable

i.LINK cable

Windows 2000

The preinstalled Smart Connect software allows you to use an i.LINK® cable

(optional) to connect your VAIO notebook to another VAIO computer that also

has Smart Connect or preinstalled Windows Me. You can then use one computer

to edit, copy or delete files on the other computer. You can also print from a

printer attached to either computer.

See Smart Connect online help for more information.

✍ ^{When you connect two VAIO computers, you must assign each computer a unique}

name. The computers can be identified by this unique name when the two computers

are networked together.

✍ ^{If you have previously purchased a VAIO computer or notebook that does not have the}

Windows Me operating system or Smart Connect 3.0 software preinstalled, consult

the Sony website for support options (http://www.sony.com/pcsupport).

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Connecting Peripheral Devices

You can add functionality to your computer by connecting any of these

peripherals:

❑

i.LINK device (page 58)

Phone line (page 63)

Local Area Network (LAN) (page 64)

External display (page 67)

Universal Serial Bus (USB) device (page 77)

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

Connecting an i.LINK® Device

You can connect an i.LINK-enabled digital video camera recorder to

the i.LINK® S400 (IEEE1394) connector.

To connect a digital video camera recorder

❑

Plug one end of the i.LINK cable (not supplied) into the i.LINK connector

on the left side of the computer and the other end into the DV In/Out

connector on the digital video camera recorder.

✍ ^{i.LINK cables compatible with your VAIO notebook include cables with the following}

part numbers: VMC-IL4415 (a 1.5-meter cable with a 4-pin connector at each end),

VMC-IL4615 (a 1.5 meter-cable with a 4-pin connector at one end and a 6-pin

connector at the other), and VMC-IL4408A (a 0.8-meter cable with a 4-pin connector

at each end). You can purchase these cables from your local retailer, through the Sony

VAIO® Direct Web site (http://www.sonydirect.com/), or by calling 1-888-315-7669 (toll

free).

Connecting digital video camera recorder to i.LINK connector

Digital video

camera recorder

to i.LINK

to DV In/Out

i.LINK cable

(optional)

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Connecting an i.LINK® Device

✍ ^{The Sony digital video camera recorder is pictured; you may need to connect your}

camera differently.

On Sony digital video cameras, connectors labeled “DV In/Out” or “i.LINK” are i.LINK-

compatible.

See the manual that came with your digital video camera recorder for more

information on installation and use.

Do not connect more than one digital video camera at a time. The software supplied

with your computer will not recognize multiple cameras.

The i.LINK connector on the computer does not supply power to external devices. If

the external device requires power from the i.LINK connector, you cannot use the

device with the computer.

The computer supports transfer rates up to 400 Mbps; however, the actual transfer

rate is the lowest transfer rate of the external device.

The i.LINK features available may vary depending on the software applications you

use. See the documentation that came with your software for more information.

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

Power Saving Modes

When you use a battery as the source of power for your computer, you can take

advantage of power management settings to conserve battery life. In addition to

the normal operating mode, which allows you to turn off specific devices, your

computer has three distinct power saving modes: System Idle, System Suspend,

and System Hibernation. When using battery power, be aware that the computer

automatically enters System Hibernation mode when the remaining battery

charge drops below 5 percent, regardless of the power management setting you

select.

✍ ^{If the battery level falls below 10 percent, you should either attach the AC adapter to}

recharge the battery or shut down your computer and insert a fully charged battery.

Normal Mode

Normal mode is the normal state of your computer when it is in use. The power

indicator light displays green when your computer is in this mode. To save power,

you can turn off a specific device such as the LCD or the hard disk.

System Idle Mode

Use the System Idle mode when your computer is not in use for a brief period.

Selecting this option places your hard disk and video display in a low power

state, and the CPU clock and processor stop. The power indicator light is umber

in this mode.

To activate System Idle mode

To activate System Idle mode, press the key combination Fn+S, or use the

PowerPanel utility to activate the System Idle mode.

To return to normal mode

Press any key to return to normal Mode.

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Power Saving Modes

System Suspend Mode

In System Suspend Mode the computer saves the current state of the system in

RAM and switches off power to the CPU. The umber power indicator light

flashes in this mode.

To activate System Suspend mode

To activate System Suspend mode, press the key combination Fn+Esc, or press

the power button and release it immediately. You can also use the PowerPanel

utility to enter System Suspend mode.

To return to normal mode

Press any key to return to normal mode.

System Hibernation Mode

In the System Hibernation mode, the state of the system is saved on the hard

drive and power is turned off. The power indicator light is off in this mode.

To activate System Hibernation mode

To activate System Hibernation mode, press the key combination Fn+F12.

✍ ^{(Windows 2000) The “Save to Disk Manager” screen appears, and then the computer}

enters System Hibernation mode.

✍ ^{Do not move the notebook until its power indicator light turns off.}

To return to normal mode

To return to normal mode, turn on the computer by pressing the power button.

The computer returns to its previous state.

✍ ^{When returning from System Hibernation mode, the system status stored on the hard}

disk is erased and the computer starts normally if you press the power button and

hold for more than four seconds.

❑

Time required to return to normal mode

System Idle requires less time than System Suspend, and System Suspend

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

requires less time than System Hibernation to return to normal mode.

❑

Power consumption

System Idle uses more power than System Suspend, and System Suspend

uses more power than System Hibernation.

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Connecting a Phone Line

You need to connect a phone line to take advantage of online services and the

Internet.

✍ ^{In order to register your Sony VAIO notebook, register your software online, and use}

Sony Customer Support, you must connect to a phone line.

Plug one end of the phone cable into the phone line jack on the computer.

Connecting phone cable

Phone line jack

Wall jack

Phone cable (optional)

Plug the other end into the wall jack.

✍ ^{Your computer does not work with party lines, cannot be connected to a coin-operated}

telephone, and may not work with multiple phone lines or a private branch exchange

(PBX). Some of these connections may result in excess electrical current and could

cause a malfunction in the internal modem.

If you connect a phone line coming through a splitter, the modem or connected device

may not work properly.

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

Using Ethernet to Connect to a Network

You can exchange data with other devices on a network by connecting your

notebook to your Local Area Network (LAN).

To connect the notebook to a network, you need a network PC card or a port

replicator (PCGA-PRF1A). For more information on using PC cards, see “Using

PC Cards” on page 46 . Consult the network system administrator to find out

about the accessory settings required to access the network.

Setting Up Your Ethernet Connection

Windows Me™ models

Right-click Network Neighborhood and select Properties.

Click Add to add a client, adapter, protocol, or service.

Click File and Print Sharing to enable these functions.

Select a Primary Network Logon.

Click the Identification tab to set the computer name, workgroup, and

computer description.

Click the Access Control tab to set the share level or user level access

control.

Windows 2000 models

To connect to the network

Right-click My Network Places and select Properties.

Click Advanced and select Network Identification to set the computer name,

domain, workgroup, and DNS suffix. You can also use the Network

Identification Wizard.

To set the connections, bindings, and provider order

Right-click My Network Places and select Properties

Click Advanced and select Advanced Settings. This will give you access to

Adapters and Protocol Bindings and Provider Order.

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Connecting a Printer

You can connect a Windows Me/Windows 2000-compatible printer to your

computer to print documents.

To connect a printer

❑

Use the

symbol to locate the Printer connector. Plug the printer cable

(supplied with the printer) into this port on the computer.

Printer connector

Power cord

Printer

Printer cable

(supplied with the printer)

Printer

✍ ^{See the manual that came with your printer for more information on installation and}

use.

If your printer stops functioning after resuming from a power-saving mode, see

“Troubleshooting the printer” on page 109.

Before using the printer, you may need to change the Printer setting in the Sony

Notebook Setup software. See “Displaying the Sony Notebook Setup Screen” in the

online manual “Customizing Your VAIO® Notebook” .

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

Connecting an External Mouse or Keyboard

You can connect a USB or PS/2® style mouse or keyboard.

Plug the keyboard cable or mouse cable into the appropriate connector with

the mark facing up.

USB and PS/2 ports

USB

PS/2

Mouse

Keyboard

To connect both a PS/2 mouse and keyboard at the same time, use an optional PS/

2 division connector.

You can also use one or both of the USB ports to connect a mouse and keyboard

at the same time.

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Connecting an External Display

✍ ^{See “Using the Keyboard” on page 31 for more information on using the keyboard.}

See the manual that came with your mouse or keyboard for more information on

installation and use.

Before you connect or disconnect the mouse or keyboard, turn off the computer.

Do not connect or disconnect the PS/2 device (keyboard or mouse) when the

computer is on. It may cause malfunction.

A Sony USB mouse PCGA-UMS1 series(not supplied) is a USB device. You must

connect it to the USB connector.

Connecting an External Display

You can connect an external display to your notebook. For example, you can use

the computer with any of the following:

❑

Computer display (monitor) (page 67)

Multimedia computer display (page 68)

Projector (page 68)

To connect a computer display

❑

Use the

symbol on the back of the computer to locate the Monitor

connector. Plug the display cable (not supplied) into this connector on the

back of the computer.

❑

If necessary, plug one end of the display power cord into the display, and the

other end into an AC outlet.

Connecting external computer display

Computer display

Power cord

Display cable (optional)

Monitor

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

✍ ^{See the manual that came with your computer display for more information on}

installation and use.

To connect a multimedia computer display

You can connect the notebook to a multimedia computer display that includes

built-in speakers and a microphone.

Use the

into this connector.

symbol to locate the Monitor connector. Plug the display cable

Use the symbol to locate the Headphone connector. Plug the speaker cable

into this connector.

Use the symbol to locate the Microphone connector. Plug the microphone

cable into this connector.

✍ ^{See the manual that came with your multimedia computer display for more}

information on installation and use.

To connect a projector

You can use a projector, such as the Sony LCD Projector, as an external display.

Connecting projector

Projector

Monitor

Power cord

RGB signal cable (optional) Audio cable (optional)

✍

See the manual that came with your projector for more information on installation and use.

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Connecting an External Display

To select a display

When you connect an external display to the monitor connector, you can toggle

the output between the Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), the external monitor, or

both devices.

Use the Fn+F7 keys to select a display. See also “Selecting the Display Mode” in

the online manual “Customizing Your VAIO® Notebook” for more information.

Press

Result

Switch to an

external

display

Fn+F7

Toggles between the LCD, the external display

connected to the Monitor connector, or both the

LCD and external display.

LCD and external display

Only external display

Only LCD

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

AV Devices

You can enjoy playing audio/video by connecting AV devices to your computer.

See also the manuals supplied with your AV devices.

To Connect a TV

❑

Connect the computer to a TV using audio/video cables. Switch the input

channel of the TV to external input. You also need to set up the TV

configuration system.

To AC

To audio input

Power cord

Audio cable

(not supplied)

To video input

Video cable (supplied)

✍ ^{See the manual that came with your peripheral device for more information on}

installation and use.

✍ ^{If you insert a DVD in your DVD drive to watch a video on your TV, the Fn+F8 key}

combination might not activate the function to toggle between your LCD and TV. Take

the following steps:

1. Eject your DVD from your computer.

2. Once the DVD is ejected, toggle between your LCD and your TV with the

combination Fn+F8.

Your image displays now on both LCD and TV. Re-insert your DVD to launch you DVD

software.

✍ ^{(PCG-F690/PCG-F690K only)The desktop image on your computercannot be displayed}

on your TV display. TV’s are capable of displaying only up to 1024x768. The hidden

area on your TV display can be seen by moving the cursor on your computer.

(PCG-F690/PCG-F690K only) If you want to display full image of your desktop, change

the resoltuion of your computer to 1024x768.

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Connecting the Port Replicator

Your notebook supports the use of an optional port replicator (PCGA-PRF1A).

Attaching a port replicator enables you to connect additional peripherals to your

computer.

Port replicator

USB

Network (Ethernet 10 Base T)

Monitor

Serial

Mouse/Keyboard

Printer

DC In

✍ ^{The port replicator can be powered only with an AC power adapter. Do not remove the}

AC adapter from the port replicator or the AC outlet while using the port replicator; this

may cause data damage or hardware malfunctions.

When you attach your computer to the port replicator for the first time, the installation

of the network driver starts automatically.

To attach your computer to the port replicator

To supply power to your computer while it is connected to the port replicator, you

can connect the AC adapter directly to the port replicator.

✍ ^{When attaching your computer to the port replicator, do not attempt to insert or}

remove the battery pack. Lifting and turning the computer with an attached port

replicator could cause a temporary loss of power.

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

Turn off your computer and disconnect all peripheral devices.

On the bottom of the computer, slide the port replicator connector cover

open.

Port replicator connector

Port repilcator connector

Attach the bottom of the computer to the port replicator connector until it

clicks.

Attaching computer to port replicator

Notebook

Port replicator

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Connecting the Port Replicator

Plug the cable attached to the AC adapter into the ^{DC IN}connector on the port

replicator. Plug the power cord into the AC adapter and an AC outlet.

Connecting AC adaptor to port replicator

AC adapter

Power cord

✍ ^{Use the AC adapter that comes with your computer or the optional Sony PCGA-}

AC19V1 adapter.

The power indicator light turns green.

Power indicator light

Release lever

Power

Port replicator connector

Turn on the computer.

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

To remove your computer from the port replicator when the power is off

Turn off your computer and the connected peripherals.

Pull the levers on each side of the port replicator to disengage the computer

from the port replicator.

Disengaging computer from port replicator

Lever

Lift the computer away from the port replicator.

Port replicator connector cover

Close the port replicator connector cover on the bottom of your computer.

✍ ^{It is extremely important to close the port replicator connector cover after removing}

your computer from the port replicator. If the cover is left open, dirt may get inside and

damage the computer.

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Connecting External Speakers

You can enhance the sound quality of your computer by connecting external

speakers.

✍ ^{Make sure your speakers are designed for computer use}

Turn down the volume of the speakers before you turn them on.

Do not place diskettes on the speakers; the speakers’ magnetic field may damage the

data on the diskettes.

To connect external speakers

❑

Use the symbol to locate the Headphone connector. Plug the speaker cable

into this connector.

Connecting speakers to Headphone connector

Speakers

Speaker cable

(supplied with speakers)

Headphone

✍ ^{See the manual that came with your speakers for more information on installation and}

use.

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

Connecting an External Microphone

You can enhance the quality of sound input by using an external microphone.

✍ ^{Make sure your microphone is designed for computer use. The microphone should be}

compliant with the plug-in power microphone.

To connect an external microphone

❑

Use the to locate the Microphone connector. Plug the microphone

cable into this connector.

Connecting microphone to microphone connector

Microphone

(optional)

Microphone

✍ ^{See the manual that came with your microphone for more information on installation}

and use.

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Connecting a Universal Serial Bus (USB) Device

You can connect a USB device to your computer.

To connect a USB device

❑

Use the symbol to locate the USB connector. Plug one end of the USB

cable into this port and the other end into the USB device.

Connecting USB device to USB connector

USB device

USB connecting cable

(optional)

USB

You can use the optional Sony USB mouse PCGA-UMS1 series with this

computer. The USB mouse software driver is preinstalled in the computer.

Therefore, you only need to plug the USB mouse into the USB connector.

✍ ^{See the manual that came with your USB device for more information on installation}

and use.

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

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Adding Memory

In the future you may want to install memory modules to expand the

functionality of your computer. You can increase memory up to 256 MB

(128 MB x 2), by installing optional memory modules. For PCG-F690 and PCG-

F690K, 128 MB of memory is pre-installed (128 MB x 1). For PCG-F680 and

PCG-F680K, PCG-F650 and PCG-F650K configurations, 64 MB of memory is

pre-installed (64 MB x 1). You can add an expansion memory module (64 MB or

128 MB) in the memory module bay. Expansion memory modules are available

as options. For memory upgrades, use only PC-100 SDRAM SO-DIMM (gold

lead contacts).

Make sure you observe the proper safety precautions when you install memory mod-

ules in your computer. See the bulleted list below. Be careful when adding memory.

Mistakes when installing or removing a memory module may cause a malfunction.

Before you start

❑

The procedures described below assume you are familiar with the general

terminology associated with personal computers and with common safety

practices required for using and modifying electronic equipment.

❑

Disconnect your system from its power source and from any

telecommunications links, networks, or modems before you open the system

or follow any of the procedures described below. Personal injury or

equipment damage may result from failure to take these precautions.

❑

Electrostatic discharge (ESD) can damage memory modules and other

components. Perform the procedures described below only at an ESD

workstation. If such a station is not available, do not work in a carpeted area,

and do not handle materials that produce or hold static electricity

(cellophane wrappers, for example). Ground yourself by maintaining contact

with an unpainted metal portion of the chassis while performing the

procedure.

Do not open the memory module package until you are ready to install the

module. The package protects the module from ESD.

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

❑

Use the special bag for preventing ESD or use aluminum foil when you store

the memory module.

PCG-F650/PCG-F650K and PCG-F680/PCG-F680K

Typical expansion memory configuration

Total System Memory (MB)

Slot 1 (MB)

Slot 2 (MB)

128

192

256

128

PCG-F690/PCG-F690K

Typical expansion memory configuration

Total System Memory (MB) Slot 1 (MB)

Slot 2 (MB)

192

256

128

To remove a memory module

Shut down your computer and disconnect all peripheral devices, such as your

printer.

Unplug the computer and remove the battery pack(s).

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Adding Memory

After the computer has cooled, loosen and remove the screw that secures the

cover of the memory bay on the bottom of your computer. Use an

appropriate screwdriver.

Removing the memory module cover

screw

Touch a metal object (such as the connector panel on the back of your

computer) to discharge any static electricity.

Remove the memory module.

Removing memory module

2 Pull the memory module in

the direction of the arrow.

1 Pull the tabs in the direction of the arrows.

The memory module is released.

Tighten the screw on the memory bay cover.

✍ ^{Your computer comes with a memory module installed in the memory slot. To}

upgrade your memory, remove this module from the slot before installing your

upgrade memory module.

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

To install a memory module

Follow steps 1 to 4 of “To remove a memory module.”

Remove the memory module from its packaging.

Install the memory module.

Installing memory module

1 Slide the memory module into the slot.

2 Press the module into place until it clicks.

Tighten the screw on the cover of the memory bay.

To view the amount of memory

Restart the computer.

Click the Start button on the Windows status bar, point to VAIO option, and

click “Sony Notebook Setup.”

The Sony Notebook Setup screen appears.

Click the “About This Computer” tab to view the amount of system memory.

If the additional memory is not shown, repeat steps 1 through 4 in “To install

a memory module.”

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About the Software on Your

Notebook

Your VAIO notebook is ready to help you work, play, learn, and

communicate as soon as you turn it on. This section gives you an

overview of the activities you can perform with your software titles. For

support information, see “For Answers to Your Software Questions” on

page 92.

Adobe Acrobat Reader®

Adobe Systems Inc.

Acrobat Reader software allows you to view, navigate, and print electronic documents in

Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF), an open file format that is intended to preserve

the fidelity of documents created on all major computer platforms.

Adobe PhotoDeluxe® Home Edition

Adobe Systems Inc.

Create amazing photo effects with Adobe PhotoDeluxe. Without learning complex

software, you can enhance, restore, and be creative with your photos. Includes built-in

guided activities, stock photos, clip art and templates to assist you.

Adobe Premiere® LE

Adobe Systems Incorporated

Adobe Premiere LE offers an interface and editing tool for producing movies for video,

multimedia, or the Web. View source clips and edited footage simultaneously on the

monitor window. Create video clips up to three hours long with complete audio-video

synchronization.

America Online® (Windows Me only)

America Online

America Online is a popular Internet online service. Stay in touch with family and friends

with easy-to-use e-mail, manage your personal finances, get the latest news and sports

scores, and chat with thousands of others who share your interests.

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

ArcSoft® PhotoPrinter™ 2000 Pro

ArcSoft, Inc.

ArcSoft PhotoPrinter 2000 is an easy-to-use, advanced printing program that lets you

quickly lay out multiple images in multiple sizes on a single sheet of paper. PhotoPrinter

Pro offers a wide selection of templates including landscape, portrait, free style, mixed

sizes, custom templates and more. The application includes enhancement tools and special

effects for improving photos while giving you the ability to add text to any image.

CompuServe® 2000 (Windows Me only)

CompuServe, Inc.

CompuServe is the most comprehensive source of organized business and educational

information online today. CompuServe allows you to access the vastness of the Internet,

without wasting time wading through it. Maximize your time online with CompuServe.

DVgate™

Sony Electronics

Connect a digital video camera recorder to the i.LINK® connector and capture your own

video clips and still images. You can edit clips from your video, add others, and combine

clips into new movie segments. You can also save your images in a variety of popular file

formats.

EarthLink Network TotalAccess® (Windows Me only)

EarthLink Network, Inc.

An Internet Service Provider that supplies access, information, and assistance to its

customers, introducing them to the Internet. Member benefits include e-mail, newsgroups,

a personal start page, a free 6 MB web site, a member newsletter, and 24-hour technical

support.

McAfee® VirusScan®

Network Associates, Inc.

Protect your computer from viruses. VirusScan can detect viruses from floppy disks,

Internet downloads, e-mail attachments, intranets, shared files, CD-ROMs, and online

services.

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About the Software on Your Notebook

Media Bar™

Sony Electronics

Media Bar software is your all-in-one solution for audio/video playback. Media Bar

software handles all common computer multimedia formats and controls selected Sony

devices. In addition to audio/video library cataloging and playlist management, Media Bar

software includes digital video quality control and effects features. Media Bar software

seamlessly integrates a variety of new media formats with an easy-to-use software

interface.

Microsoft® Internet Explorer

Microsoft Corporation

Internet Explorer delivers the web the way you want it. It is safe, easy to use, and you can

personalize how you access the web. Outlook Express and other tools in Internet Explorer

also help you have a great experience when you are on the web.

Microsoft® Word 2000

Microsoft Corporation

Microsoft Word 2000 makes it easy to create shared Web, e-mail, and print documents for

use around the world. It embraces HTML as a first-class file format and extends Word’s

ease-of-use to the Web and e-mail. Word 2000 also extends that ease-of-use to

international users, making it simple to create multilingual documents.

MovieShaker™

Sony Electronics

Sony’s original MovieShaker software creates personal movies that have transitions,

background music and text. Just import your video clips and “shake” with a click of the

mouse. Your personal movies are easy to create and fun to share with family and friends.

Netscape Communicator®

Netscape Communications

Netscape Communicator is an all-in-one Internet tool that makes it easy to browse the

web, send Internet e-mail, chat, read newsgroups, and compose great web documents.

PictureGear^™

Sony Electronics

This image management software displays images from your hard drive, a Sony digital

still camera, or a Sony Mavica® camera. The images appear in a convenient light-table

format, so that you can easily view the contents of an entire folder.

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

Prodigy Internet®

Prodigy Communications Corporation

An online service that helps you find what you need online faster and smarter. Prodigy

delivers powerful online content such as sports scores, stock quotes, news, and easy access

to Excite, plus quality customer service, all at a competitive price.

Quicken® Basic 2000

Intuit, Inc.

Quicken is a fast, easy way to organize your finances. Quicken works just like your

checkbook, so it is easy to learn and use. Quicken manages all your finances, bank

accounts, credit cards, investments, and loans. You can even pay your bills online.

Smart Capture

Sony Electronics

Smart Capture is a fun new way to send multimedia messages via e-mail. Smart Capture

manages the i.LINK® connection between your computer and a Sony Digital Handycam®

Camcorder that supports the i.LINK interface. It allows you to capture compressed video

or still images that you can save or share via e-mail. A smart solution to computer, digital

audio/video and network convergence.

Smart Connect (Windows 2000 only)

Sony Electronics

Smart Connect allows you to use an i.LINK cable to connect your VAIO computer to

another VAIO computer that supports Smart Connect. You can then use one computer to

copy, delete, and edit files on the other computer. You can also print from a printer

attached to either computer.

Sound Forge® XP

Sonic Foundry

Sound Forge XP allows you to put powerful audio processing tools and effects to work on

your notebook. Simply cut, copy, and paste your way to striking multimedia files for use in

everything from Web pages to desktop presentations.

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About Your Software

MovieShaker™

This application can be used to create fun and innovative movies without any

knowledge of film editing. In a few simple steps, motion pictures can be

combined with special effects, still images (pictures), and music files and then

saved in a format most computers can play.

Main Window

Working Panel

Editing trays

Clip tray

Help

Product tray

Trash

Importing Images and Sound Clips

Click

Find the file you want to add.

Select the file.

Click Open. The file is added to the Clip tray.

✍ ^{Importing files over 75 seconds in length may cause MovieShaker to stop}

responding.

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

Create a Movie using Shaker

After adding clip(s) to the Clip tray, you can create a short movie using the

Shaker feature. Shaker randomly select clips from the Clip tray to create a 30-

second scene.

Click the Shake tab.

Select a mood by clicking a face in the Shaker tray.

Shaker Tray

Click

. A thirty second scene is automatically generated and

saved to the Product tray.

To preview, switch the Work Panel to Product tray mode and press play.

✍ ^{Scenes created with Shaker begin with black frame and after processing are placed in}

the first available slot on the Product tray. Limit the number of scenes placed on the

Product tray to 10 or less. MovieShaker may stop responding if too many scenes are

placed on the Product tray.

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About Your Software

Editing Clips and Scenes

You can edit your movie by adding effects and text, adjusting the color and

contrast, and modifying the length of clips.

Working Panel

Sound

Color

Monitor

Speed

Effect Palette

Trim Palette

Effect Knobs

Adding effects to a scene or a clip:

Double-click the clip or scene to move it to the Working Panel.

Select the Effects tab from the Editing tray.

Drag and drop the Effect you want to add from the Effects tray to the Effects

palette on the Working Panel.

✍ ^{To preview an Effect, click on the clip in the Working panel monitor. Your clip displays}

with the new effect on the Effect tray monitor.

See help for instructions on adjusting effect duration and replaying clips/

scenes.

Saving a Movie

Verify that the clip(s) you want to save is on the Product tray. See Help for

more details on saving movies.

Click Export.

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

Select the format in which you want the document to be saved.

Click Next.

Locate the folder to which you want the file saved.

Name the file.

Click Save.

Exporting movies may take a long time to complete—Save movie as DV (Digital

Video) takes the longest and Quick-Save is the fastest. MovieShaker can play

video files up to 65 MB in length.

✍ ^{For DV playback and smooth video playback, we recommend the following resolution/}

refresh rates: 1024 x 768/75 Hz or lower.

PictureGear™

PictureGear is a digital image management application that allows you to see all

the images stored in any directory on your computer. Thumbnail views provide

quick reminders of your pictures. Brighten, contrast, enhance, resize, crop, and

color-correct your pictures. Create panoramic views, animations, screen savers,

wallpaper, still pictures from MPEG, and even html photo albums.

Managing Your Pictures

Use the collection feature to manage your pictures.

Click the Folder tab and browse to locate your pictures.

Select the pictures you want to have in a collection.

From Collection menu, select Create New Collection.

Enter a name for the collection and then click okay.

Creating a Photo Album

Select the pictures you want to use to make an album.

From the Utilities menu, select Album Maker.

Choose the type of Album you want and click Okay.

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PictureGear™

Now add more pictures, frames, text, and effects.

When you are finished, select Create Album in File menu or click the Create

Album icon on the toolbar.

Designate the folder you where want to save the Album.

Enter the Target Album name, select Thumbnails and click Okay.

The new album can be viewed using most internet browsers.

Using Panorama Maker

Panorama Maker stitches a group of still images into a 360 degree panoramic

picture. The source images should be the same size and overlap 20%.

How to stitch a panoramic picture:

Gather the source images into the same folder or collection.

Select the images you want to use.

✍ ^{We recommend 12 landscaped or 16 portrait pictures.}

From the Utilities menu select Panorama Maker.

Select the correct lens and click Okay. (If 35mm lens is selected the prompt,

does not appear; to select a different lens, click the lens icon.)

Click the panoramic icon, near the bottom of the window.

Click Full Stitch.

Making Still Images and Panoramic from MPEG

Select the MPEG file.

From the Movie/Sound menu, select Scene break down.

Then select Movie Stitch, to create a panoramic picture.

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

About Your Recovery CDs

Application Recovery CD(s)

Sony Electronics

This program allows you to reinstall individual applications and device drivers. Use it to

restore corrupted or accidentally erased files.

System Recovery CD(s)

Sony Electronics

This program allows you to restore the software titles that shipped with your computer if

they become corrupted or are erased accidentally. It can be used only to restore the hard

disk of this Sony computer.

For Answers to Your Software Questions

Acroba Reader, Adobe PhotoDelux Business Edition, Adobe

t® e®

Premiere® LE (Adobe Systems Incorporated)

Web site

phone

fax

http://www.adobe.com/

206-628-2746 (fee-based support)

206-628-5737

e-mail

hours

[email protected]

M-F, 6 AM-5 PM PT

America Online® (America Online)

Web site

phone

http://www.aol.com

800-827-3338

hours

7 days a week, 24 hours a day

CompuServe® 2000 (CompuServe, Inc.)

Web site

phone

http://www.compuserve.com

800-848-8990

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For Answers to Your Software Questions

EarthLink Network TotalAccess® (EarthLink Network, Inc.)

Web site

http://help.earthlink.net/techsupport/

800-395-8410

phone

e-mail

hours

[email protected]

7 days a week, 24 hours a day

McAfee® VirusScan® (Network Associates, Inc.)

Web site

phone

e-mail

hours

http://support.mcafee.com

408-988-3832

[email protected]

M-F 9AM-5PM Central Time

Netscape Communicator® (Netscape Communications Corporation)

Web site

phone

http://www.netscape.com/

888-4SONYPC (888-476-6972)

7 days a week, 24 hours a day

hours

* Support from 1-888-4SONYPC is free of charge for 90 days after the original date of purchase.

PhotoPrinter™ 2000 Pro (ArcSoft, Inc.)

Web site(s)

http://www.arcsoft.com

http://www.photoisland.com

phone

fax

510-440-9901

510-440-1270

e-mail

hours

[email protected]

M-F, 8:30 AM-5:30 PM PT

Prodigy Internet® (Prodigy Communications Corporation)

Web site

phone

http://www.prodigy.com

800-213-0992

hours

7 AM - 3 AM ET

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

Quicken® 2000 (Intuit Inc.)

Web site

phone

http://www.intuit.com/support

900-555-4688

hours

7 days a week, 24 hours a day

Windows Me Operating System, Internet Explorer (Microsoft Corporation)

Web site

phone

http://www.microsoft.com/support/

888-4SONYPC (888-476-6972)

hours

7 days a week, 24 hours a day

* Support from 1-888-4SONYPC is free of charge for 90 days after the original date of purchase.

Windows 2000 Operating System, Internet Explorer (Microsoft

Corporation)

Web site

phone

http://www.microsoft.com/support/

888-4SONYPC (888-476-6972)

hours

7 days a week, 24 hours a day

* Support from 1-888-4SONYPC is free of charge for 90 days after the original date of purchase.

WinFax™ Basic Edition (Symantec Corporation)

Web site

phone

fax

http://www.symantec.com/techsupp/

800-798-0850

800-554-4403 in North America

541-984-2490 outside North America

Sony Service Center

For the Sony Service Center nearest you, call 1-888-4SONYPC (1-888-476-

6972) or find Sony Customer Service on the Web at http://www.sony.com/

pcsupport.

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Using the System and Application Recovery CDs

The following sections describe how to use the System Recovery and Application

Recovery utilities.

Using the System Recovery CD(s)

You can reinstall software titles that shipped with your computer if they are

corrupted or erased. You may not need to recover the entire contents of your hard

drive. If you experience a problem with your computer, reinstalling an individual

device driver or software title may correct the problem. Use the Application

Recovery CD(s) to reinstall individual applications or device drivers. See “Using

the Application Recovery CD(s)” on page 97.

The System Recovery CD contains a backup copy of all the software originally

installed on your hard disk drive. It can be used only to recover the hard disk

of the notebook you purchased.

The System Recovery utility gives you two options:

❑

Full Restore without Format — restores all the software titles that

originally came with your computer without formatting the hard disk.

✍ ^{If you recover your operating system using the System Recovery CD, Microsoft}

Word 2000 will not be recovered. Use the supplied Word 2000 CD to recover this

application

❑

Full Restore with Format — formats the hard disk drive and then restores

all the original software.

If you choose the Full Restore with Format option, your hard disk will be

formatted, which removes all the information on the hard disk drive. You will lose

any software you have installed and any other files you have created since you

started to use your computer. This means you will have to reinstall any

applications that were not included with the computer when you purchased it. If

you choose the Full Restore without Format option, you may need to reinstall

applications that were not included with the computer when you purchased it. If

you have any questions on using the System Recovery CD, contact Sony Customer

Support.

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

To use the System Recovery CD(s)

Insert the Sony System Recovery CD in the DVD-ROM drive.

Shut down your computer as described in “Shutting Down Your Computer”

on page 48.

Wait four seconds and turn on your computer.

Click OK to signify you have read and accept the Microsoft End-User

License Agreement.

When the System Recovery menu appears, follow the on-screen instructions

to complete the recovery process.

✍ ^{Your system may include one or two System Recovery CDs. If you have two System}

Recovery CDs, insert the first CD to run the System Recovery program. You are

prompted to insert the second CD once the information from the first CD has been

installed.

The recovery process takes from 30 to 60 minutes to complete.

After recovering your system using the SRCD, you may be prompted to insert your

ARCD after restarting Windows. Insert the ARCD to automatically complete recovery

of your system.

If your computer does not start from the Recovery CD

Press the power button and hold it for more than four seconds to turn off the

computer.

Turn on the computer. When the Sony logo is displayed, press the F2 key.

The BIOS setup menu screen appears.

Press the arrow keys to select the Exit menu.

Press the arrow keys to select “Get Default Values” and then press the Enter

key. The message “Load default configuration now?” appears.

Check that “Yes” is selected, then press the Enter key.

Press the arrow keys to select “Exit” (Save Changes) and then press the Enter

key. The message “Save configuration changes and exit now?” appears.

Check that “Yes” is selected, then press the Enter key. The computer restarts

from the Recovery CD.

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Using the System and Application Recovery CDs

Using the Application Recovery CD(s)

The Application Recovery CD(s) allows you to reinstall individual applications

and device drivers if they are corrupted or accidentally erased. Reinstalling an

individual device driver or software title may correct a problem you are

experiencing with your computer, and you may not need to recover the entire

contents of your hard drive. If you do need to reinstall all the software titles that

shipped with your computer, use the System Recovery CD(s). See “Using the

System Recovery CD(s)” on page 95.

You can also use the Application Recovery CD to install Windows 2000 drivers

on your computer.

✍ ^{You must be in Windows to run the Application Recovery CD. If you have any}

questions on using the Application Recovery CD, contact Sony Customer Support.

To use the Application Recovery CD(s)

Turn on your computer. If your computer is already on, close all

applications.

When the Windows desktop appears, insert the Sony Application Recovery

CD in the DVD-ROM drive. The Application Recovery utility loads

automatically.

When the Application Recovery menu appears, select the icon for the

application you want to restore and then follow the on-screen instructions to

complete the recovery process.

✍ ^{Your system may include one or two Application Recovery CDs. If you have two}

Application Recovery CDs, insert the first CD to run the Application Recovery

program. You may be prompted to insert the second CD, depending on the application

you wish to restore.

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

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Troubleshooting

This section describes how to solve common problems you may encounter when

using your notebook. Many problems have simple solutions, so try these

suggestions before you contact Sony PC Support (http://www.sony.com/

pcsupport).

Troubleshooting your notebook

(Windows Me only) When starting your notebook for the first time, the VAIO

InitManager dialog box will appear. Please select “OK” to begin initial setup. If

you do not execute the initial setup, you cannot use part of VAIO original

hardware functions such as Jog Dial, Power Management tool, scroll function of

touchpad, and keyboard shortcut key function combined with the Fn key.

My notebook does not start

❑

Check that the notebook is plugged into a power source and that it is turned

on. Check that the power indicator on the front panel of the notebook

indicates that the power is on.

❑

Check that the battery packs are inserted properly and that they are charged.

Make sure there is no diskette in the floppy disk drive.

Confirm that the power cord and all cables are connected firmly, as described

in “Connecting a Power Source” on page 40.

❑

If you plugged the notebook into a power strip or UPS, make sure the power

strip or UPS is turned on and working.

If you are using an external display, check that it is plugged into a power

source and turned on. Check that the brightness and contrast controls are

adjusted correctly. See the manual that came with your display for details.

❑

Moisture condensation may have occurred. Do not use the notebook for at

least one hour and then turn on the notebook.

Take the battery pack off the notebook, unplug the power cord and plug it

again, then turn on the power.

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

My notebook starts, but my system doesn’t start properly

❑

When the internal backup battery is low on power, it may not start your

system properly. The message “Press <F1> to resume, <F2> to setup”

appears at the bottom of the screen. Follow these steps:

Press F2. The BIOS Setup menu appears.

Set the date (month/day/year). Press Enter.

Press

to select System Time, then set the time (hour: minute:

second). Press Enter.

Press

to select Exit, then press

to select Get Default Values. The

message “Load default configuration now?” appears.

Select Yes and press Enter.

Select Exit (Save Changes), and then press Enter. The message “Save

Configuration changes and exit now?” appears.

Select Yes, and then press Enter. The notebook restarts.

My notebook starts, but the message “ Operating system not found” appears

and Windows does not start

❑

Make sure there is no diskette in the floppy disk drive (non-bootable).

If a non-bootable diskette is in the drive, follow these steps:

Turn off the notebook, and then remove the diskette.

Restart the notebook and confirm that Windows starts properly.

❑

If Windows still does not start, follow the steps below to initialize the BIOS:

Remove any diskette from the floppy disk drive.

Remove any peripheral devices connected to the notebook.

Turn off the notebook and then turn it on.

Press the F2 key when the Sony logo appears. The BIOS setup menu

screen appears.

Press the directional arrow keys to select the Exit menu.

Press the arrow keys to select “Get Default Values” and then press Enter.

The message “Load default configuration now?” appears.

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Troubleshooting

Select Yes, then press Enter.

Use the directional arrow keys to select “Exit” (Save Changes), and then

press Enter. The message “Save configuration changes and exit now?”

appears.

Select Yes, then press Enter. The notebook restarts.

If your notebook continues to display the message “Operating system not found”,

and Windows does not start, contact Sony Customer Support.

My notebook stops responding or does not shut down

It is best to shut down your notebook using the Shut Down command on the

Windows Start menu. Using other methods, including those listed here, may

result in loss of unsaved data.

❑

Try restarting the notebook. On the Windows taskbar, click the Start button,

click Shut Down, and then click Restart.

If you cannot restart as described in the preceding step, you can restart the

notebook by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Delete.

If the previous step does not work, press and hold the power button for at

least four seconds. This turns off the power.

If your notebook stops responding while playing a CD or DVD, stop the CD/

DVD, and restart the notebook by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Delete.

Unplug the notebook from the AC adapter and remove the battery pack from

your notebook.

✍ ^{Pressing Ctrl+Alt+Delete or turning off the notebook with the power switch may result}

in data loss in files that are currently open.

My notebook does not enter the power saving mode I selected. (Windows Me

only)

❑

Click Start, point to Program, point to Accessories, point to System Tools,

and then click System Information.

The Help and Support window appears.

❑

Click System Configuration Utility under the Tools menu.

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

❑

Click the Advanced button on the General tab, and Confirm the following

information:

Enable Deep Sleep is selected with a checkmark.

The message “Standby function is enabled” is displayed. If the message

reads “Standby function is disabled”, click the Enable button.

The message “Hibernation feature is enabled” is displayed. If the

message reads “Hibernation feature is disabled”, click the Enable

button.

Click OK and restart your notebook.

My system enters System Idle mode when System Suspend mode has been

selected

❑

If you are connecting an optical disc drive with a PC card, disconnect it by

stopping the PC card. Use the Sony Notebook Setup utility to disable devices

that you are not currently using. See “To remove a PC card” on page 48 for

more information.

❑

Make sure the PC Card is compatible with your notebook’s Windows®

operating system.

✍ ^{(Windows 2000 only) When the notebook enters and returns from a power saving}

mode after removing the optical drive, the message "Unsafe Removal of Device" may

appear and the device name is shown listed as "Secondary IDE Channel. Click OK.

The Power Management setting is not responding

Your notebook’s operating system may become unstable if a lower power state,

such as system hibernation is initiated and then changed before the notebook

completely enters the lower power state. To restore the notebook to its normal

operating stability:

❑

Close all open applications.

Push and hold the power button for four seconds or longer to shut down

the notebook.

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Troubleshooting

The sound of my notebook’s fan is too loud

Use the PowerPanel utility to change the Thermal Control Strategy setting to

Quiet. This setting slows down the CPU speed. See PowerPanel Help for more

information.

Troubleshooting the LCD screen

My LCD screen is blank

❑

Check that the notebook is plugged into a power source and that it is turned

on.

❑

Check that the power indicator on the notebook is on.

Check that the battery pack(s) is inserted properly and that they are charged.

The notebook may be in LCD (Video) Standby mode. Press any key to

activate the screen.

❑

The display mode may be set to external display mode. Press and hold the Fn

key while pressing F7 several times.

My LCD screen continues to show the previous screen.(Windows Me only)

Press the Windows key and D key twice to refresh the screen.

The image on my connected external display is not centered or sized properly

Use the controls on your external display to adjust the image. See the manual that

came with your display for more information.

I want to change the video resolution of my display

You can use independent controls to change the video resolution of your display.

❑

Click Start, point to Settings, point to Control Panel, and then click the

Display icon.

The Display Properties dialog box appears.

Click on the Settings tab.

❑

Move the Screen Area slider to change your video resolution.

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

Troubleshooting the mouse and touchpad

My mouse does not work

❑

If you are using an external mouse, check that the mouse is plugged into the

mouse connector. See “Connecting an External Mouse or Keyboard” on

page 66 for details.

❑

If you connected an external mouse while your notebook is on, you must

restart your notebook.

If you are using an optional Sony USB mouse PCGA-UMS1, check that the

mouse is plugged into the USB connector.

My touchpad does not work properly

❑

You may have disabled the touchpad without a mouse being connected to the

notebook. You must restart the notebook to make the touchpad work again.

❑

If your touchpad is interpreting a single tap as a double-click, you must

adjust the button assignments. Follow these steps:

Click Start, point to Control Panel, and then click on the Mouse icon.

Change the button assignments in the Mouse Properties dialog box.

(One of the buttons is assigned to the double-click action.)

The pointer does not move (while using the Touchpad or Mouse)

❑

Click the Start button on the Windows taskbar, and select Shut Down to

display the Shut Down Windows dialog box, then press Enter.

If you cannot turn off your notebook as described in the step above, press

Ctrl+Alt+Delete to restart the notebook.

If you cannot restart your notebook as described in the step above, press and

hold the power button for more than four seconds to turn off the notebook.

If the pointer does not move while playing a disc, press Ctrl+Alt+Delete to

stop playback and restart the notebook.

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Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting drives, PC cards and peripheral devices

I inserted a compatible device into the multipurpose drive bay, but the icon

does not appear in the My Computer window

❑

The device has not been recognized. Put the notebook into System Idle mode

by pressing the Fn and S keys and then resume.

❑

If the device is still not recognized or does not appear in the My Computer

window, remove and reinsert it.

My floppy disk drive can not write to a diskette

❑

If the diskette is write-protected, disable the write-protect feature or use a

diskette that is not write-protected.

❑

Check that the diskette is properly inserted into the floppy disk drive.

My floppy disk drive icon doesn’t appear even though it is connected

❑

Click Start, point to Settings, point to Control panel, and then click System

The System Properties dialog box appears.

❑

Click the Device Manager tab.

Double-click Floppy Disk Controller and then click Standard Floppy Disk

Controller.

❑

Click Delete. The Confirmation window will appear.

Verify that Delete From All Settings is selected and press OK.

Click Update in the System Properties window.

Double click Disk Drive and confirm that GENERIC NEC FLOPPY DISK

is shown.

My CD, DVD, or CD-RW drive is not playing my CD or DVD properly

❑

Make sure the optical drive is inserted correctly into the multipurpose drive

bay.

❑

Make sure the label of the disc is facing up.

If the disc requires software, make sure the software is installed according to

the manufacturer’s instructions.

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

❑

A dirty or damaged disc may cause the notebook to stop responding while it

tries to read the disc. If necessary, restart the notebook, remove the disc, and

then check it for dirt or damage.

If you see video but can not hear audio, check all of the following:

❑

Check that your DVD-ROM drive does not have the mute setting

enabled.

❑

Check the volume setting in the audio mixer.

If you are using external speakers, check the volume settings, and then

check the connections between your external speakers and the notebook.

❑

Click Start >Control Panel > System > Device Manager. Check that the

correct drivers are installed properly.

❑

Do not use adhesive labels to identify the CD. The label may come off while

the disc is in use in the optical drive and cause the drive to malfunction.

If a region code warning appears when you try to use your DVD-ROM drive,

it may be that the DVD you are trying to play is incompatible with the DVD-

ROM drive. Check the region code listing on the DVD packaging.

❑

Moisture condensation may have occurred. Leave the notebook idle for at

least 1 hour with the notebook turned on.

My CD, DVD, or CD-RW drive tray does not open

❑

Make sure the notebook is turned on.

Press the Eject button on the DVD-ROM drive.

If the Eject button does not work, you can open the tray by inserting a sharp,

pointed object into the hole to the right of the Eject button.

I cannot use digital video (DV) devices. The message “ DV equipment seems to

be disconnected or turned off” appears.

❑

Check that the DV device is turned on and that the cables are properly

connected.

❑

If you are using multiple i.LINK devices, the combination of the connected

devices may cause unstable operation. In this case, turn off your notebook

and all connected devices. Disconnect the devices that are not in use. Check

the connections for each device, then restart your notebook.

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Troubleshooting

The i.LINK-compatible devices connected to the Mini Docking Station do

not work

❑

Use the i.LINK connector that is located on your notebook.

If the message “There are no Digital Video devices connected to this

computer, or the power is off” appears, unplug the i.LINK cable and try

plugging it in again.

My PC card is not working

❑

Make sure the PC card is compatible with Microsoft® Windows®.

Use the Sony Notebook Setup utility to disable devices you are not currently

using.

❑

If you are using two PC cards, use the Sony Notebook Setup utility to disable

the devices you are not currently using.

Troubleshooting software

My software program stops responding or crashes

Contact the software publisher or designated provider for technical support. See

the “For Answers to Your Software Questions” on page 92.

When I click an application icon, the message “You must insert the application

CD into your CD-ROM (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) drive” appears and the software does

not start

❑

Some titles require specific files that are located on the application CD.

Insert the disc and try starting the program again.

❑

Make sure you place the CD in the tray with the label side facing up.

I hear background “ noise” while using Windows Media Player to play my music

CDs

Sony suggests using the preinstalled Media Bar software to play audio CDs.

I can not use the DVgate software

If your notebook is using the Ultimate Battery Life profile for its power saving

mode, you cannot use DVgate or Smart Connect software. Please select another

profile.

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

My voice-related software does not work properly

Disable echo function of the microphone by taking the following steps:

Click Start, point to Settings, and then point to Control Panel.

Click Yamaha DS-XG.

Click the Echo tab and remove the checkmark. Click OK.

❑

Contact the software publisher or designated provider for technical support

Troubleshooting the modem

My modem does not work

❑

Check that the phone line is plugged into the line jack. See “Connecting a

Phone Line” on page 63 for details.

❑

Check that the phone line is working. You can check the line by plugging in

an ordinary phone and listening for a dial tone.

❑

Check that the phone number the program is dialing is correct.

Check that the software you are using is compatible with the notebook’s

modem. (All preinstalled Sony programs are compatible.)

My modem connection is slow

Your notebook is equipped with a 56K/V.90 compatible modem. Many factors

may influence modem connection speed, including telephone line noise or

compatibility with telephone equipment (such as fax machines or other modems).

If you think your modem is not connecting properly to other PC-based modems,

fax machines, or your Internet Service Provider, check the following:

❑

Have your phone company check that your phone line is free from any line

noise.

If your problem is fax-related, check that there are no problems with the fax

machine you are calling and that it is compatible with fax modems.

If you are having a problem connecting with your Internet Service Provider,

check that the ISP is not experiencing technical problems.

If you have a second phone line available, try connecting the modem to that

line.

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Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting audio

My speakers have no sound

❑

If the built-in speakers are turned off, press Fn+F3 to turn on the speakers.

You can also turn on the speakers using the Jog Dial control.

❑

If the speaker volume is turned to the minimum, press Fn+F4, and then press

➜

to increase the volume or you can use the Jog Dial control to control

the volume.

❑

If nothing is displayed when you press Fn+F3 or Fn+F4.

Double click System in Control Panel.

Set the sound device to enable in Device Manager.

❑

If your notebook is powered by batteries, check that the battery packs are

inserted properly and that they are charged.

If you are using an application that has its own volume control, check that

the volume is turned up.

❑

Check the volume controls in Windows.®

If you connect external speakers, check that the speakers are properly

connected and the volume is turned up. If the speakers have a mute button,

make sure it is off. If the speakers are powered by batteries, check that the

batteries are inserted properly and that they are charged.

❑

If you have connected an audio cable to the Headphone connector,

disconnect the cable.

My microphone does not work

If you are using an external microphone, check that the microphone is plugged

into the Microphone connector. See “Connecting an External Microphone” on

page 76 for details.

Troubleshooting the printer

I cannot print

❑

The default setting for the printer port mode is correct for most printers. If

you cannot print, try changing the printer port mode. In Sony Notebook

Setup, select the Printer tab. If the printer port mode is set to ECP, change it

to bi-directional. If the printer port mode is set to bi-directional, change it to

ECP. See “Displaying the Sony Notebook Setup Screen” in the

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

“Customizing Your VAIO® Notebook” manual for details on using Sony

Notebook Setup.

❑

Your connected printer may not function after the computer resumes from a

power saving mode. If this occurs, follow these steps to reset the printer

connection:

❑

Right-click the My Computer icon on the desktop, and then select

Properties.

❑

Click the Device Manager tab.

Select Refresh, and then click OK. The printer should function properly.

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Specifications

Model

PCG-F650

PCG-F680

PCG-F690

PCG-F650K

PCG-F680K

PCG-F690K

Processor

600 MHz* Intel®

Pentium® III with

700 MHz* Intel®

Pentium® III with

850 MHz* Intel®

Pentium® III with

Intel® SpeedStep™ Intel® SpeedStep™ Intel® SpeedStep™

†

Technology

‡

Hard Disk Drive

C / D Partition

(Approximate)

12 GB

20 GB

30 GB

40% and 60%

Standard RAM

64 MB SDRAM,

128 MB SDRAM,

expandable to 256 MBexpandable to 256 MBexpandable to 256 MB

LCD Screen

L2 Cache Memory

MPEG

14.1" XGA TFT

15.0" XGA TFT

15.0" SXGA+ TFT

256KB (CPU Intergrated)

MPEG1 and MPEG2 Digital Video; supports full-screen playback

Graphics

3-D graphic accelerator with 8 MB Video RAM

ATI 3D RAGE™ Mobility-M1

Sound Capabilities

Diskette Drive

16-bit CD-quality stereo sound

Removable 3.5" 1.44 MB

DVD-ROM Drive

Reads CD data from 10.3X to 24X variable transfer rate.** Reads

††

DVD data from 1.7X to 8X variable transfer rate.

Laser Diode

Properties

DVD-ROM: Wavelength 780 nm and 650 nm

laser output 50.6 µW

‡‡

Modem

V.90/K56flex compatible modem

Infrared

Drive Bay

Supports 4 Mbps, 1.1 Mbps, and 115 Kbps IrDA Standard

Supports floppy disk drive (included)

Supports second rechargeable battery (optional)

Expansion

Type II PC cards and Type III PC card Card Bus support

Capabilities

Built-in Capabilities

Stereo speakers, Touch pad

‡‡

Telecommun-ication

Capabilities

Data and fax send/receive

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

Model

PCG-F650

PCG-F680

PCG-F690

PCG-F650K

PCG-F680K

PCG-F690K

Connection

Capabilities

2 USB ports

i.LINK

Serial port

Keyboard/mouse (USB and PS/2® style)

VGA monitor

Parallel (printer)

Phone line (RJ-11)

TV out

Microphone

Headphone

Port replicator

Infrared port

Supplied Accessories

Video cable

Floppy disk drive

Rechargeable battery

AC adapter and power cord

Weight saver

Power Requirements

Power Management

58.5 watts maximum (19.5V DC/AC 100-240V)

Energy Star compliant

Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI)

Battery

Lithium-ion, supports dual battery operation

Dimensions

F650/F650K 12.8"(w) x 1.9"(h)*** x 10.3"(d),

(324 x 46.9 x 265.5mm)

F680/680K/690/690K 12.8"(w) x 2.1"(h)*** x 10.3" (d)

(324 x 54.1 x 265.5mm)

7.1 lbs. (3,2 kg) (with battery and weight saver)

7.5 lbs. (3.4 kg) (with battery and floppy disk

drive)

Weight

6.7 lbs. (3.1 kg)

(with battery and

weight saver)

7.1 lbs. (3.2 kg)

(with battery and

floppy disk drive)

Operating

Temperature

41º F to 95º F (+5º C to 35º C) temperature gradient less than 18º F

(10º C) per hour

Operating Humidity

20% to 80% (not condensed), provided that humidity is less than

65% at 95º F (35º C), hygrometer reading of less than 84º F (29º C)

Storage Temperature -4º F to 140º F (-20º C to 60º C), temperature gradient less than 18º F

(10º C) per hour

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Specifications

Model

PCG-F650

PCG-F650K

PCG-F680

PCG-F680K

PCG-F690

PCG-F690K

Storage Humidity

10% to 90% (not condensed) provided that humidity is less than 20%

at 140º F (60º C), hygrometer reading of less than

95º F (35º C)

* MHz denotes microprocessor internal clock speed; other factors may affect application performance.

† The processor may be reduced to a lower operating speed when operating on battery power.

‡ The size of your hard disk may differ if you purchased a specially configured system. GB means one

billion bytes when referring to hard drive capacity. Accessible capacity may vary.

** Data on a CD-ROM is read at a variable transfer rate, ranging from 10.3X at the innermost track to

24X at the outermost track (the data transfer standard 1X rate is 150 kbytes/s). The average data

transfer rate is 17.2X or 2580 kbytes/s.

†† Data on a DVD is read at a variable transfer rate, ranging from 1.7X at the innermost track to 4X at

the outermost track (the data transfer standard 1X rate is 1392 kbytes/s). The average data transfer

standard is approximately 2.85X or 3823 kbytes/s. A DVD-ROM drive reads data on a CD at a

variable transfer rate, ranging from 10.3X at the innermost track to 24X at the outermost track. The

average data transfer rate is approximately 17.15X or 2936 kbytes/s or 2576 kbytes/s.

If a region code warning appears when you are using the DVD player, it could be that the DVD you

are trying to play is incompatible with the DVD-ROM drive in your VAIO notebook. Region code

indicators such as a “1” or “ALL” are labeled on some DVDs to indicate what type of player can

play the discs. Unless a “1” or “ALL” is identified on your DVDs or on the packaging, you cannot

play the disc on this player.

‡‡ Maximum speed for faxing is 14.4 kbps. Your 56K/V.90 compatible modem is capable of

downloading at 53 kbps. Your online service or Internet Service Provider, however, may not

support this technology or operate at this speed.

*** Height measured at thickest point. The thinnest height for PCG-F650/PCG-F650K is 1.4" (35.8

mm). The thinnest height for PCG-F680/PCG-F680K/PCG-F690/PCG-F690K is 1.5" (38.5 mm).

Specifications are subject to change without notice.

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VAIO Notebook User Guide

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Index