Instruction/ maintenance manual of the product VAIO VAIO MicroTower Sony
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i V AIO Micr o T ower User Guide ® ®.
Notice to Users © 1998 Sony Elect r onics Inc. Rep r oduction in whole or in part with out written permission is p r ohibited. All rights r eserved. This manual and th e softwa r e described he r ein, in whole or in part, ma y not be r ep r oduced, t ranslated, or r educed to any machin e- r eadable form wit hout prior written app r oval.
Regulatory Information This e quipment ha s been tes ted and found to comply with the limit s f or a Class B digital device, purs uant to Part 1 5 of the FCC rule s. These limits ar e de signed to pro vide r e a sonable pr otection agai nst harmful interfer ence in a r esidential installation.
This equipment cannot b e used on telephone-company-pr ovided coin service. Connection to Party Line Service is subject to state tariffs. Repair of the modem sh ould be made o nly by a Sony Service Center or Sony authorized agent. For the Sony Service Center near est you, call 1-888-4SON Y -P C (1-888-4 76- 6972).
v Contents Welcome ............................................................................... 1 About the User Guide ..................................................................... 1 Setting Up Your VAIO MicroTower .........................
V AIO MicroT ower User Guide vi Getting Started With VAIO Space ......................................................................... 27 Starting VAIO Space ...................................................................... 27 VAIO Space Centers.
Contents vi i Computer Basics ................................................................. 71 Using the Keyboard ....................................................................... 71 Changing the Function of the Programmable Buttons ........
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1 W elcome Congratulations on your pur chase of the Sony V AIO ® Micr oT ower Computer . Sony has combined leading-edge technology in audio, video, computing, and communications to pr ovide you with state-of-the-art personal computing. About the User Guide The User Guide of fers a quick intr oduction and refer ence to your Sony computer .
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3 Setting Up Y our V AIO MicroT ower Y our V AIO MicroT ower comes with the softwar e titles pr einstalled on your hard disk drive. Just follow these simple steps to connect the cables and turn on the computer , and your V AIO MicroT ower is ready to use.
V AIO MicroT ower User Guide 4 ❑ Furniture and posture— Sit in a chair with good back support and armre sts. Adjust the level of the chair so your feet ar e flat on the floor . A footr est may make you mor e comfortable. Sit in a r elaxed, upright postur e—avoid slouching forwar d or leaning far backward .
Setting Up Y our V AIO MicroT ower 5 Connecting the Sony Multimedia Computer Display The Sony Multimedia Computer Display (sold separ ately) is an integrated audio/video unit with built-in speakers and a micr ophone. Follow these steps to connect it to your computer .
V AIO MicroT ower User Guide 6 Connecting a Display , Speakers, and a Micropho ne If you did not pur chase the Sony Multimedia Computer Display , you need speakers and a micr ophone to use the computer ’s audio featur es. 1 Use the blue symbol t o locate the MONIT OR (display) connector .
Setting Up Y our V AIO MicroT ower 7 Connecting the Optional Palmrest The keyboar d that comes with your computer is equipped with an optional palmr est that you can attach to your keyboar d. Follow th ese steps to connect the palmr est. 1 Place the keyboar d and palmr est upside down on a flat surface.
V AIO MicroT ower User Guide 8 Connecting the Keyboard and Mouse Follow these steps to connect the keyboard and mouse. 1 Use the dark gr ey symbol to locate the USB connector .
Setting Up Y our V AIO MicroT ower 9 Connecting the Phone Line and Phone Y ou need to connect a phone line to take advantage of online services, the Internet, and faxing. T o use Sony Online Support (SOS), you must also connect a phone. Ther e ar e two phone jacks on the back panel.
V AIO MicroT ower User Guide 10 Connecting t he Power Co rd s Follow these steps to connect the power cords. 1 Plug the power cor d into the connector on the computer .
Setting Up Y our V AIO Micro T o wer 11 Connecting Peripherals Y ou can add functionality to your computer by connecting any of the following per ipherals. * Some models of th e VAIO MicroTower may not in clude this feature. Connecting En ables Y ou T o For Details T elevisio n Send audio and video f r om the computer to the T V .
V AIO MicroT ower User Guide 12 Connecting a T elevision (Audio/Video Out ) Connecting a television to your computer enables you to send audio and video fr om the computer to the television. (Y ou will be able to watch video and hear audio on both the computer and the television.
Setting Up Y our V AIO MicroT ower 13 3 Plug the green audio plug fr om the display cable into the connector on the audio splitter cable . Then use the r ed symbol to locate the MIC connector on the computer . Plug the red micr ophone cable fr om the display cable into this connector .
V AIO MicroT ower User Guide 14 3 Plug the speaker cable into the connector on the audio splitter cable . C A B C Back of TV Cable from Display Audio splitter not included.
Setting Up Y our V AIO MicroT ower 15 Connecting a Printer Y ou can connect a printer to your computer to print documents from your computer . 1 Use the dark gr ey symbol to locate the PRINTER connector .
V AIO MicroT ower User Guide 16 Connecting a Joystick or MIDI Instrument Y ou can connect a joystick or MIDI instrument to your computer . Y ou can also pur chase an adapter to connect additional devices. ❑ Use the dark gr ey symbol to locate the GAME connector .
Setting Up Y our V AIO MicroT ower 17 Connecting an i.LINK (IEEE-139 4) Equipped Device Some models of the V AIO Micr oT ower include i.LINK (IEEE-1394) connectors. See Read Me First for information on your specific model. i.LINK connectors may be located on the fr ont, back, or both the front and back of your sy stem.
V AIO MicroT ower User Guide 18 Connecting an S / PDIF E quipped Digital Audio Devic e Some models of the V AIO Micr oT ower include an S / PDIF (Sony / P hillips Digital Interface) Optical Digital Audio Output connector . See Read Me First for information on your specific model.
Setting Up Y our V AIO MicroT ower 19 Connecting an S-Link (Control A1) Equipped D evice Some models of the V AIO Micr oT ower include an S-Link (Contr ol A1) connector .
V AIO MicroT ower User Guide 20 Connecting a Universal Serial Bus Device Y ou can connect Universal Serial Bus (USB) devices to your computer . Ther e is one USB connectio n on the fr ont of your computer and another one on the back. ❑ Use the dark gr ey symbol to locate the USB connector .
Setting Up Y our V AIO MicroT ower 21 Connecting a Digital Still Camera or Other Serial Peripheral Y ou can connect other computer peripherals, such as Sony’s digital still camera, to the computer ’ s serial port. ❑ Plug the serial cable fr om the digital camera into the serial port.
V AIO MicroT ower User Guide 22 Starting Y our Computer After you connect all the cables and accessories to your computer , you are r eady to turn on the computer . 1 Pr ess the power switch on the display to turn on the power . 2 Pr ess the power switch on the fr ont panel of the computer to turn on the power .
Setting Up Y our V AIO MicroT ower 23 Registering Windows ® 98 The first time you turn on your computer , you need to complete a few steps to register and configure the W indows sof tware that is alr eady installed on your computer . Y ou do not need to repeat the se steps each time you turn on your computer .
V AIO MicroT ower User Guide 24 Registering Y our Computer T ake advantage of Sony’s commitment to quality customer support and r eceive these benefits by registering your computer: ❑ Sony Online Support —T alk to a Support Representative to troubleshoot pr oblem s you may be having with your computer .
Setting Up Y our V AIO MicroT ower 25 Using the Standby Mode When you ar e done using your computer , you can put it in standby mode rather than turn it of f completely . Putting the computer in standby mode allows you to r eturn quickly to normal computer use.
V AIO MicroT ower User Guide 26 Shutting Down Y our Computer When you’r e r eady to turn of f your computer for an exte nded period of time, use the following pr ocedur e to shut down the computer . T o shut down your computer 1 Click the Start button on the W indows taskbar to open the Start menu.
27 Getting Started With V AIO Space V AIO Space is Sony’s or iginal utility that or ganizes the pr einstalled applications on your V AIO Micr oT ower , making it easier for you to find and launch the applications on your co mputer , use the Sony audio and video players, connect to the Internet, and mor e.
V AIO MicroT ower User Guide 28 V AIO Space Centers Ther e ar e five centers within V AIO Space, as follows: Center Name and Icon Contains Description Softwar e Center Applications Acces sories Contains icon s for preinstalled applications and accessories.
Getting Started With V A IO Space 29 Navigating through V AIO Space T o go to a center within V A IO Space 1 Move the mouse pointer over an icon on the V AIO Launcher . Categories for each center appear . 2 Click the category text (such as Appl ications ) to open the V AIO screen.
V AIO MicroT ower User Guide 30 V AIO Space Controls Button Function Goes to the pr evious scr een or page in a sequence. Unavailable until you go to anothe r scree n. Goes to the next scr een or page in a sequence. Unav ailable on the last scr een in a sequence.
Getting Started With V A IO Space 31 Using the Software Center T o launch the Softwa re Center 1 Move the mouse pointer over the Softwar e Center icon on the V AIO Launcher . 2 Click the text of the category ( Applicati ons or Accessories ) to open the V AIO scr een.
V AIO Micro T ower User Guide 32 Using the Audio - V ideo Center The Audio- V ideo Center includes the following p r ograms: For details on using the application, see the application’s on-line help. Program Description V ideo Plays MPEG (.mpg), MPEG2 (.
Getting Started With V A IO Space 33 Using the Online C enter T o launch the Online Center 1 Move the mouse pointer over the Online Center icon on the V AIO Launcher .
V AIO MicroT ower User Guide 34 Using the T ool Center Using T ool Center T ools 1 Move the mouse pointer over the T ool Center icon on the V AIO Launcher . 2 Click the text of the category as described below . Category Description V A IO Find One-button sear ches for picture files, movies, sound files, text docume nts, or Micr osoft W orks files.
Getting Started With V A IO Space 35 Using the Help Center T o launch the Help Center: 1 Move the mouse pointer over the Help Center icon on the V AIO Launcher . 2 Click H elp Cente r to open the V AIO scr een. 3 Follow the on-scr een instr uctions to find the appr opriate sour ce of help for the pr oblem you ar e having.
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37 Getting Help Sony pr ovides several support options for your Sony computer . When you have questions about your computer and the pr einstalled softwar e, check these sour ces for answers, in the fo.
V AIO MicroT ower User Guide 38 7 Sony Fax-on- Demand This service pr ovides you with answers to commonly asked questions. Y ou can use this automated service to r equest a list of available topics and then se lect the topics that you wa nt to r eceive.
Getting Help 39 Calling SOS The SOS application enables you to exchange in formation with a Sony Customer Support Repr esentative (CSR). Here’s how it wor ks: ❑ T ype your name, phone number , and the problem details in the SOS window . ❑ Dial the SOS hotline with a single click of the mouse.
V AIO MicroT ower User Guide 40 customer support r epr esentative until you give the CSR access to your computer . 4 Click the Call SOS button. The c onfirmation scre en appears. 5 Click the OK button. The Dialer scr een appears. 6 Pick up the handset and click the Dial button as instru cted.
Getting Help 41 T roubleshooting This section describes how to solve common pr oblems you may encounter when using your computer . Many pr oblems have simple solutions, so try these suggesti ons befor e you call Sony Online Support. For mor e advanced tr oubleshooting information , see the VA I O Micr oT ower Refer ence Manual .
V AIO MicroT ower User Guide 42 My DVD-ROM drive tray won t open ❑ Make sur e the computer is turned on. ❑ Pr ess the Eject button on the drive. ❑ Double-click the My Computer icon on the W indows desktop. Right- click the CD-ROM icon. Select the Eject option fr om the pop-up menu.
Getting Help 43 When I double-click an application icon, a message such as Y ou must insert the application CD into your CD-ROM drive appears and the software does not start ❑ Some titles r equir e specific files that ar e located on the application’s CD-ROM disc.
V AIO MicroT ower User Guide 44 My modem co nnection is sl ow The computer ’s modem uses K56flex™ technology/V .90. Many factors influence modem connection speed, including telephone line noise or compatibility with telephone equipment (such as fax machines or other modems).
Getting Help 45 My micropho ne is too sensitive to back ground noise If you find ther e is too much backgr ound noise when you r ecord sound, you should adjust the microphone gain by following these steps: 1 Right-click the speaker icon (V olume) in the lower right W indows task tray .
V AIO MicroT ower User Guide 46 My keyboard doesn t work Check that the keyboar d is plugged into the USB connector . See “Connecting the Keyboar d and Mouse” on page 8 for details. I cant find the Windows taskbar ❑ Check that the taskbar is not hidden or shrunken.
Getting Help 47 Using the System Recovery CD(s) Y ou can r einstall softwar e titles that shipped with your computer if they ar e corrupted or accidentally erased.
V AIO MicroT ower User Guide 48 T o use the Syste m Recovery CD(s) 1 Insert the Sony System Re covery CD in the DVD-ROM drive. 2 Shut down your computer as descr ibed on “Shutting Down Y our Computer” on page 26. 3 W ait 30 seconds and turn on your computer .
Getting Help 49 Using the Application Recovery CD(s) The Application Recovery CD(s) allows you to reinstall individual applications and device driver s if they ar e corr upted or accidentally erased.
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51 Upgrading and Maintaining Y our V AIO MicroT ower In the futur e you may want to install additional boar ds to expand the functionality of your computer . This section describes ho w to open your computer and insert add-in boar ds, add memory , replace the lithium battery , and install an additional har d disk drive.
V AIO MicroT ower User Guide 52 Inserting an Add-in Board Y ou can add up to two additional PCI boar ds to the system. T o insert an add-in board 1 Shut down your computer and turn off all peripheral devices, such as your printer , display , and speakers.
Upgrading and Maintaining Y our V AIO M icroT ower 53 6 Install the add-in boar d by plugging it into the expansion slot on the system boar d. Attach any internal cables that the boar d r equir es (see the manual for the add-in boar d). 7 Replace the left-side panel as described on page 70.
V AIO MicroT ower User Guide 54 Adding Memory In or der to incr ease your computer's memory , you may need to r emove one of the factory-installed DIMMs and r eplace it with one of gr eater capacity . For details, see the V AIO Micr oT ower Refer ence Manual , which is available at Sony’s website at http://www .
Upgrading and Maintaining Y our V AIO M icroT ower 55 8 Align the DIMM over the socket. 9 Firmly insert the bottom edge of the DIMM into the socke t. 10 Pre ss evenly against the DIMM’s upper corners. The end latches snap into positi on automatically .
V AIO MicroT ower User Guide 56 Replacing the Lithium Battery After several years, when the lithium battery starts to weaken, the system settings stor ed in CMOS RAM, such as the date and time, may be wr ong. When this occurs, you need to r e place the lithium battery .
Upgrading and Maintaining Y our V AIO M icroT ower 57 6 Replace the bottom and left-side panels, as described on pages 68 and 70, r espectively . 7 T o run the Setup utility , pr ess F3 when your computer is starting up. Then pr ess F1 to r un the BIOS setup utility .
V AIO MicroT ower User Guide 58 Installing an Internal Hard Disk Drive Y our V AIO MicroT ower comes with an available bay to hold an additional har d disk drive. The drive you install must not r equir e fr ont panel access. The har d disk drive access light blinks when e ither internal drive is active.
Upgrading and Maintaining Y our V AIO M icroT ower 59 7 Slide the drive holder for war d and then out. 8 Place the drive holder upside down on top of the power supply .
V AIO MicroT ower User Guide 60 9 Slide the new drive into the drive holder and align the holes on each side of the drive bay . 10 Secur e the drive to the drive holder using any two of the thr ee holes on each side of the drive holder (scr ews ar e pr ovided with the new drive).
Upgrading and Maintaining Y our V AIO M icroT ower 61 13 Place the drive holder against the inside of the fr ont chassis and slide it back. Be sure to align the slots on the drive holder with the tabs on the inside of the chassis. Be sur e to slide the drive holder back so that the tabs slip into the notch at the bottom of the slot.
V AIO MicroT ower User Guide 62 Y our computer automatically re cognizes the new drive and configur es itself accor dingly when you turn it on. Format and partition the new drive following the instr uctions pr ovided with the drive.
Upgrading and Maintaining Y our V AIO M icroT ower 63 Removing the Left-Side Panel T o rem ove the left-side panel 1 Remove the two scr e ws that secure the panel to the chassis. 2 Slide the pan el back until it stops. 3 Pull the panel straight out to r emove it.
V AIO MicroT ower User Guide 64 Removing the Bottom Panel T o remove the bottom panel 1 Remove the scr ew that secur es the bottom panel to the chassis.
Upgrading and Maintaining Y our V AIO M icroT ower 65 Removing the Front Panel T o rem ove the front panel 1 Open the CD tray by inser ting a thin, pointed object into the emer gency eject opening. 2 Slide the CD tray forwar d. 3 Remove the fr ont cover of the CD tray by lifting it upwar ds.
V AIO MicroT ower User Guide 66 Detaching the Diskette Drive T o det ach the dis kette drive 1 Remove the fr ont panel, as described on page 65. 2 Remove the two scr ews that secur e the diskette drive to the fr ont of the chassis. 3 Pull the diskette drive forwar d.
Upgrading and Maintaining Y our V AIO M icroT ower 67 Replacing the Diskette Drive T o replace the diskette dr ive 1 Push the diskette drive straight into the drive slot. 2 Replace the two scr ews that secur e the diskette drive to the fr ont of the chassis.
V AIO MicroT ower User Guide 68 Replacing the Bo ttom Panel T o repla ce the bottom panel 1 Align the bottom panel with the scr ew hole on the bottom of the chassis.
Upgrading and Maintaining Y our V AIO M icroT ower 69 Replacing the Front Panel T o re place the front panel 1 Push the front panel straight onto the front of the chassis until it clicks into place. 2 Replace the fr ont cover of the CD tray by sliding it down onto the fr ont of the open tray .
V AIO MicroT ower User Guide 70 Replacing the Left-Side Panel T o rep lace the left-side pa nel 1 Slide the panel forwar d until it stops. 2 Replace the two scr ews that secur e the panel to the chassis.
71 Computer Basics Using the Keyboard Y our keyboar d is very similar to a typew riter ’s, but the keyboar d has additional buttons that perform specific computer - related tasks. Key Description Pr ogrammable buttons The six pr ogrammable buttons along the top of the keyboar d a r e pr epr ogrammed to perform specific functions.
V AIO MicroT ower User Guide 72 Numeric keypad Contains the keys found on a typical calculator . Use the numeric keypad to type numbers or to perform mathematical calculations such as additio n and subtraction. Note that you must press NUM LOCK to activate the numeric keypad.
Computer Basics 73 The keyboar d also has thr ee lights: Changing the Function of the Programmable Buttons Y ou can change the function of the pr ogrammable buttons as follows: 1 Click the Start button on the W indows taskbar to open the Start menu. 2 Point to Pr ograms and click V A IO Smart Keyboard.
V AIO MicroT ower User Guide 74 Using the Mo use Using a mouse may be dif ficult at first, but after you become comfortable using it, you can save a lot of time. The following terms ar e commonly used to describe actions you perform with a mouse. T erm Descri ption Point Place the mouse point er on an item or object.
Computer Basics 75 Setting Up the Mouse for Left-Hand Use Y ou can contr ol the mouse with your right or left hand. When you use the mouse with your left-hand, you may find it easier to r everse the button functions.
V AIO MicroT ower User Guide 76 Using the DVD-ROM Drive T o use the drive 1 Pr ess the Eject button on the fr ont panel of the computer . The tray slides out. 2 Place the disc in the tray . 3 Close the tray by pushing it gently or by pr essing the Eject button on the fr ont panel.
Computer Basics 77 Using the Diskette Drive Most diskettes contain a write-pro tect tab. The write-pr otect tab pr events accidental changes to a diskette. When the hole is open, the diskette is write-pr otected—you can’t delete, copy , or save information on the diskette.
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79 Other Information Notes on Use On the Power Source ❑ Y our computer operates on 100–120 V AC 50/60 Hz for North American countries. ❑ The total power draw of in stalled add-in car ds must not e xceed the specifications for the power supply . Do not overload the system by installing add-in car ds that draw excessive curr ent.
V AIO MicroT ower User Guide 80 ❑ If you live in an ar ea that experiences fr equent power fluctuations, you may want to pur chase a UPS (Uninterr upted Power Supply). This device contains both a sur ge pr otector and a battery backup. The sur ge pr otector pr events damage to your computer caused by power sur ges.
Other In formatio n 81 On Handling ❑ Clean the cabinet with a soft, dry cloth or a soft cloth ligh tly moistened with a mild deter gent solution. Do not use any type of abrasive pad, scouring powder , or solvent such as alcohol or benzine, as it may damage the finish of your Sony computer .
V AIO MicroT ower User Guide 82 ❑ Y our computer , keyboard, and mouse consist of high-pr ecision electr onic parts. Do not dr op them or bump them against other objects.
Other In formatio n 83 ❑ When r emoving a slot cover , be car eful not to damage components on the system boar d or add-in cards. Y ou may need to te mporarily r emove add-in car ds that are next to the slot cover you want to r emove. On Using the Hard Disk Drive ❑ Do not place the computer in a location that is subject to vibration or shock.
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85 Limited W arranty Statement The limited warranty on your V AIO Micr oT ower covers parts and labor against defects in material or workmanship for a period of thr ee months fr om the original date of pur chase. Y ou can extend the warranty period for an additional nine months by r egistering your computer .
V AIO MicroT ower User Guide 86 If you do not qualify for on-site warranty service or choose not to take advantage of any applicable on- site warranty service, you must take the Product, or deliver th.
87 Index A accessing online support 24 add-in boards 52 53 adding additional hardware 11 21 add-in boards 52 53 precaution 80 adding additional software problems with 41 adding me mory 54 .
V AIO MicroT ower User Guide 88 shutting down 26 , 80 starting 22 problems with 41 upgrading 51 , 82 connectors addit ional c ompon ents 11 21 keyboard 8 mouse 8 Multimed ia Computer Di s play 5 n.
Index 89 indicator lights keyboard 73 input devices iii setting up 3 INSERT key 72 inserting diskettes into drive 77 installing addi tional hardware 11 21 add-in boards 52 53 precaution 80 ins.
V AIO MicroT ower User Guide 90 connecting 9 service precautions 82 playing CDs 42 point (defined) 74 power cords 79 disconnecting 80 power fluctuations or loss 79 power source, precauti ons 79 80.
Index 91 Tool Center,using 34 troubleshooting 41 turning off your computer 26 , 80 turning on your computer 22 problems with 41 TV interference iii , 81 U Universal Serial Bus de vices, connecting 20 .
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An important point after buying a device Sony VAIO VAIO MicroTower (or even before the purchase) is to read its user manual. We should do this for several simple reasons:
If you have not bought Sony VAIO VAIO MicroTower yet, this is a good time to familiarize yourself with the basic data on the product. First of all view first pages of the manual, you can find above. You should find there the most important technical data Sony VAIO VAIO MicroTower - thus you can check whether the hardware meets your expectations. When delving into next pages of the user manual, Sony VAIO VAIO MicroTower you will learn all the available features of the product, as well as information on its operation. The information that you get Sony VAIO VAIO MicroTower will certainly help you make a decision on the purchase.
If you already are a holder of Sony VAIO VAIO MicroTower, but have not read the manual yet, you should do it for the reasons described above. You will learn then if you properly used the available features, and whether you have not made any mistakes, which can shorten the lifetime Sony VAIO VAIO MicroTower.
However, one of the most important roles played by the user manual is to help in solving problems with Sony VAIO VAIO MicroTower. Almost always you will find there Troubleshooting, which are the most frequently occurring failures and malfunctions of the device Sony VAIO VAIO MicroTower along with tips on how to solve them. Even if you fail to solve the problem, the manual will show you a further procedure – contact to the customer service center or the nearest service center
