Acer Altos 500L User Manual
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Acer Altos 500L User Manual

Acer Altos 500L User Manual

Acer aceraltos 500l home computer user's guide
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  • Page 1 AcerAltos 500L User’s Guide...
  • Page 2 Copyright Copyright 1999 by Acer Incorporated. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language or computer language, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, magnetic, optical, chemical, manual or otherwise, without the prior written permission of this company.

  • Page 3: Important Safety

    IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS Read these instructions carefully. future reference. Follow all warnings and instructions marked on the product. Unplug this product from the wall outlet before cleaning. Do not use liquid cleaners or aerosol cleaners. Use a damp cloth for cleaning.
  • Page 4 Do not allow anything to rest on the power cord. Do not locate this product where persons will walk on the cord. 10. If an extension cord is used with this product, make sure that the total ampere rating of the equipment plugged into the extension cord does not exceed the extension cord ampere rating.
  • Page 5 15. Warning! Battery may explode if not handled properly. Do not recharge, disassemble or dispose of in fire. Keep away from children and dispose of used battery promptly. 16. Use only the proper type of power supply cord set (provided in your keyboard/manual accessories box) for this unit.
  • Page 6 FCC Class B Radio Frequency Interference Statement Note: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation.

  • Page 7: About This Manual

    About this Manual Getting Started This user’s guide aims to give you all the necessary information to enable you to operate the AcerAltos 500L system. Manual Structure Chapter 1 System Housing This chapter describes the assembly and disassembly of the system housing.
  • Page 8 Conventions The following are the conventions used in this manual: Text entered by user Option Items , etc. viii Represents text input by the user. Represents options that you can select on the screen. Represent the actual keys that you have to press on the keyboard.

  • Page 9: Table Of Contents

    Table of Contents Chapter 1 System Housing Standalone System...1-1 Features...1-2 Front Panel ...1-2 Rear Panel ...1-3 Internal Structure ...1-4 Opening the Housing Panels ...1-5 Front Panel ...1-5 Left Panel...1-6 Installing Disk Drives...1-7 3.5-inch Floppy Drive ...1-7 5.25-inch Drives ...1-8 Hard Disk Drives...1-9 Installing Expansion Cards ...1-10 Chapter 2 System Board Major Components ...2-2...
  • Page 10 Installing a Pentium II Processor... 2-11 Removing a Pentium II Processor... 2-13 Memory Upgrade... 2-15 Memory Configurations ... 2-15 Installing a DIMM... 2-16 Removing a DIMM... 2-17 Reconfiguring the System ... 2-18 Error Messages ... 2-19 Software Error Messages... 2-19 System Error Messages ...
  • Page 11 Serial Port 2 ...3-7 Parallel Port ...3-7 PS/2 Mouse ...3-7 Product Information ...3-8 Product Name...3-8 System S/N ...3-8 Main Board ID ...3-8 Main Board S/N...3-9 System BIOS Version ...3-9 DMI BIOS Version...3-9 Disk Drives...3-10 Floppy Drives ...3-10 LS-120 Drive Compatible As...3-11 IDE Drives...3-11 Onboard Peripherals...3-16 Serial Ports 1 and 2 ...3-16...
  • Page 12 Num Lock After Boot ... 3-25 Memory Test ... 3-25 Configuration Table ... 3-25 Boot from LANDesk Service Agent ... 3-25 Date and Time... 3-26 Date... 3-26 Time ... 3-27 System Security... 3-28 Setup Password ... 3-28 Power-on Password ... 3-31 Disk Drive Control ...

  • Page 13: Chapter 1 System Housing

    Chapter 1 System Housing This chapter describes the features of the system housing and tells you how to install the basic system components such as disk drives, a system board, or expansion boards. accompany the installation procedures. If you receive a complete system, the basic components are already installed.

  • Page 14: Features

    Features Front Panel Panel Door Keylock AcerAltos 500L User’s Guide...

  • Page 15: Rear Panel

    Rear Panel COM port slots System Board connectors Expansion Port Slots Chapter 1 System Housing Power Supply Power Socket SCSI Expansion Slots Housing Fan Expansion Slots...

  • Page 16: Internal Structure

    The figure below shows the housing internal structure and some of the basic system components. Power Supply Housing Fan Expansion Card Slots 5.25-inch Drive Bays 3.5-inch Drive Bay Power Switch Power LED Hard Disk Drive LED System Status LED AcerAltos 500L User’s Guide...

  • Page 17: Opening The Housing Panels

    Opening the Housing Panels Front Panel Keylock Unlock the housing with the key and then pull the panel to access the drive trays. Chapter 1 System Housing...

  • Page 18: Left Panel

    To remove the left panel: 1. Use a screw driver to remove the two screws securing it to the rear panel. 2. Pull the panel handle to slide the left panel open. Left panel screws Left Panel Handle AcerAltos 500L User’s Guide...

  • Page 19: Installing Disk Drives

    Installing Disk Drives Turn off the power switch and unplug the power cord before installing or removing disk drives. 3.5-inch Floppy Drive To install a 3.5-inch floppy drive: 1. Open the front panel and remove the left panel of the housing. See the Opening the Housing Panels section for more information.

  • Page 20: 5.25-Inch Drives

    3. Attach the drive bracket to the 5.25-inch drive with four screws. Insert the drive into the drive bay and secure it with two screws. Connect the signal and power cables to the drive. AcerAltos 500L User’s Guide...

  • Page 21: Hard Disk Drives

    Hard Disk Drives To install a 3.5-inch hard disk drive or other 3.5-inch drives to the 5.25- inch drive bay: 1. Open the front panel and the left panel of the system. See the Opening the Housing Panels section for more information. 2.

  • Page 22: Installing Expansion Cards

    Connect the signal and power cables to the drive. Installing Expansion Cards To install an expansion card: 1. Locate an empty PCI, ISA, or AGP slot on the system board and then remove its expansion slot bracket. Save the screw for later use. 1-10 AcerAltos 500L User’s Guide...
  • Page 23 2. Insert an PCI, ISA, or AGP card into the slot. Make sure that the card is properly seated. 3. Secure the PCI card to the housing with the screw. When you turn on the system, BIOS automatically detects and assigns resources to these expansion cards.

  • Page 25: Chapter 2 System Board

    Chapter 2 System Board This high-performance system board supports the Intel Pentium II CPU running at speeds ranging from 233 to 400 MHz. Integrated with the Intel 440BX system controller, which consists of the PCI/AGP controller and the PCI/ISA IDE accelerator (PIIX4), this system board combines the new generation of Pentium II power with unmatched graphics performance.

  • Page 26: Major Components

    256-KB Flash ROM for system BIOS Enhanced IDE hard disk and diskette drive interface PS2 power connector System controller chipset External ports: USB connector Parallel port PS/2-compatible keyboard port PS/2-compatible mouse port Serial port 1 and 2 AcerAltos 500L User’s Guide...

  • Page 27: System Board Layout

    System Board Layout PS/2 mouse port PS/2 keyboard port USB connectors Serial port 2 Parallel port Serial port 1 BIOS ISA slots PCI slots 10 AGP slot Chapter 2 System Board Battery Intel 82371EB IDE1 connector IDE2 connector FDD connector Intel 440BX DIMM sockets Voltage regulators...

  • Page 28: Jumpers And Connectors

    Jumpers and Connectors Jumper and Connector Locations The blackened pin of a jumper or connector represents pin 1. AcerAltos 500L User’s Guide...

  • Page 29: Jumper Settings

    SCSI disk LED connector CN15 Wake up On LAN connector (reserved Reserved items are items that are supported by the system board but not available in the current version. Chapter 2 System Board Function Check password Bypass password Acer Function...
  • Page 30 Connector CN16 Power switch CN19 Housing fan connector CN20 Audio line-in connector (reserved CN21 Modem Ring-In wake up connector (reserved*) CN22 Turbo LED connector Power LED connector System reset connector Housing intrusion switch connector Function AcerAltos 500L User’s Guide...

  • Page 31: Esd Precautions

    ESD Precautions Always observe following precautions before installing any system component: Do not remove any system component from its packaging unless you are ready to install it. Wear a wrist grounding strap before handling electronic components. Wrist grounding straps are available at most electronic component stores.

  • Page 32: Installing The Pentium Ii Processor

    The lower set of holes are smaller and should match the narrow ends of the fan sink clips. Wide Clip Ends Wide Holes Narrow Holes The new fan sink Metal Retention bracket AcerAltos 500L User’s Guide...
  • Page 33 Follow these steps when installing the fan sink and fan into the Pentium II processor module: 1. Remove the thermal tape protector at the back of the fan sink. Insert the wide clip ends into the wide holes on the processor and the narrow clip ends into the narrow holes.
  • Page 34 3b. Using your fingers, push down the metal brackets until they click into the CPU cartridge and then push the metal bracket handles to lock the metal brackets into place. 2-10 AcerAltos 500L User’s Guide...

  • Page 35: Installing A Pentium Ii Processor

    Installing a Pentium II Processor Follow these steps to install a Pentium II processor into the socket on the CPU board. 1a. Place the retention mechanism over the processor socket on the CPU board. Secure it with the screws that came with the package.
  • Page 36 Make sure that the module groove matches the one on the processor socket. Press down the processor module until the golden fingers completely fit into the socket. 2-12 AcerAltos 500L User’s Guide...

  • Page 37: Removing A Pentium Ii Processor

    Press the latches on the sides to lock the processor module into place. Removing a Pentium II Processor Follow these steps to remove the Pentium II CPU module from the slot. Unlock the latches that secure the processor module. Chapter 2 System Board 2-13...
  • Page 38 Firmly hold the processor module and pull it out of the socket. 2-14 AcerAltos 500L User’s Guide...

  • Page 39: Memory Upgrade

    Memory Upgrade The three 168-pin sockets onboard support SDRAM-type DIMMs only. You may install 16-MB, 32-MB, 64-MB, or 128-MB DIMMs for a maximum 384-MB system memory. The SDRAM DIMMs should work under 3.3 volts; 5-volt memory devices are not supported. Memory modules with a timing setting of 66 MHz are defined under unbuffered DIMM specifications, while 100 MHz modules are defined under Intel PC-100 SDRAM specifications.

  • Page 40: Installing A Dimm

    If you slip in a DIMM but it does not completely fit, you may have inserted it the wrong way. Reverse the orientation of the DIMM. 2-16 Bank 2 Total Memory 256 MB 384 MB AcerAltos 500L User’s Guide...

  • Page 41: Removing A Dimm

    Removing a DIMM To remove a DIMM, press the holding clips on both sides of the socket outward to release the DIMM. Place your forefingers on the top of the DIMM before you press the holding clips to gently disengage the DIMM from the socket. Chapter 2 System Board 2-17...

  • Page 42: Reconfiguring The System

    Reboot the system. A memory error message appears, indicating that the total memory does not match the value stored in CMOS. Press Press twice to exit Setup and reboot the system. The system boots with the new memory configuration. 2-18 AcerAltos 500L User’s Guide...

  • Page 43: Error Messages

    Error Messages Do not continue using the computer if you receive an error message of any type. Note the message and take corrective action. This section describes the types of error messages and lists their corresponding corrective measures. There are two general types of error messages: Software System Software Error Messages...
  • Page 44 Check all cable connections. Replace hard disk. Run Setup. Run Setup. Contact your dealer. Check and connect the keyboard to the system unit. Replace the keyboard or contact your dealer. Check DIMMs on the system board. Contact your dealer. AcerAltos 500L User’s Guide...
  • Page 45 Message Memory Size Mismatch CPU Clock Mismatch Onboard Serial Port 1 Conflict Onboard Serial Port 2 Conflict Onboard Parallel Port Conflict Pointing Device Error Pointing Device Interface Error Press F1 key to continue or Ctrl-Alt-Esc for Setup Real Time Clock Error Press Esc to turn off NMI, any key to reboot Chapter 2 System Board...

  • Page 46: Correcting Error Conditions

    If you are sure that your configuration values are correct and your battery is in good condition, the problem may lie in a damaged or defective chip. In either case, contact an authorized service center for assistance. 2-22 AcerAltos 500L User’s Guide...

  • Page 47: Chapter 3 Bios Utility

    Chapter 3 BIOS Utility Most systems are already configured by the manufacturer or the dealer. There is no need to run Setup when starting the computer unless you get a Run Setup message. The Setup program loads configuration values into the battery-backed nonvolatile memory called CMOS RAM.

  • Page 48: Entering Setup

    Advanced Level. To view the Advanced Level, press . The screen shows the BIOS Utility Advanced Level main menu. Setup Utility press combination while the Detailed system configurations are AcerAltos 500L User’s Guide...

  • Page 49: System Information

    System Information Product Information Disk Drives Onboard Peripherals Power Management Boot Options Date and Time System Security Advanced Options* Load Default Settings Abort Settings Change The asterisk (*) mark indicates that the parameter appears only when you are in the Advanced Level.
  • Page 50 The next screen shows page 2 of the System Information menu. System Information Serial Port 1 ...3F8h, IRQ 4 Serial Port 2 ...2F8h, IRQ 3 Parallel Port ...378h, IRQ 7 PS/2 Mouse ...Installed The sections below explain the parameters. AcerAltos 500L User’s Guide...

  • Page 51: Processor

    Processor The Processor parameter specifies the type of processor currently installed in your system. The system supports Intel Pentium II processors. Processor Speed The Processor Speed parameter specifies the speed of the processor currently installed in your system. The system can support Pentium II processors running at 233, 266, 300, 333, 350, and 400 MHz and Celeron processors running at 266 MHz.

  • Page 52: Ide Primary Channel Master

    DRAM installed in DIMM sockets 1, 2, and 3 respectively. None setting indicates that there is no DRAM installed. For the location of the DIMM sockets, refer to the System Board Layout in Chapter 2. AcerAltos 500L User’s Guide...

  • Page 53: Serial Port 1

    Serial Port 1 This parameter shows the serial port 1 address and IRQ setting. Serial Port 2 This parameter shows the serial port 2 address and IRQ setting. Parallel Port This parameter shows the parallel port address and IRQ setting. PS/2 Mouse The BIOS utility automatically detects if there is a pointing device connected to your system.

  • Page 54: Product Information

    System BIOS Version ...v3.1 DMI BIOS Version ...2.00.1 Product Name This parameter specifies the official name of the system. System S/N This parameter specifies the system’s serial number. Main Board ID This parameter specifies the system board’s identification number. AcerAltos 500L User’s Guide...

  • Page 55: Main Board S/N

    Main Board S/N This parameter specifies the system board’s serial number. System BIOS Version This parameter specifies the version of the BIOS utility. DMI BIOS Version This parameter specifies the version of the DMI (Desktop Management Interface) BIOS version. DMI enables software to collect information about a computer environment.

  • Page 56: Disk Drives

    [1.2 MB, 5.25-inch] [720 KB, 3.5-inch] [1.44 MB, 3.5-inch] [2.88 MB, 3.5-inch] Follow the same procedure to configure floppy drive B. Choose if you do not have a second floppy drive. 3-10 None to view the None AcerAltos 500L User’s Guide...

  • Page 57: Ls-120 Drive Compatible As

    LS-120 Drive Compatible As This parameter allows you not only to enable the LS-120 device installed in your system, but also to specify the function of the device. The setting affects how BIOS will detect the device. Possible settings are: Normal In this setting, BIOS does not support the LS-120 drive.
  • Page 58 The above parameters marked with ‘*’ will only appear if you access the advanced configuration level in the Main Menu. Please refer to the Entering Setup section at the beginning of this chapter for more information. Type 3-12 AcerAltos 500L User’s Guide...
  • Page 59 This parameter lets you specify the type of hard disk installed in your system. If you want BIOS to automatically configure your hard disk, select Auto If you know your hard disk type, you can enter the setting manually. Setting this parameter also sets the Cylinder, Head, Sector, and Size parameters.
  • Page 60 DMA driver to be loaded. By setting this parameter to Auto , BIOS automatically sets the appropriate DMA mode for your hard disk. CD-ROM Drive DMA Mode 3-14 Auto , the BIOS utility automatically However, besides enabling these AcerAltos 500L User’s Guide...
  • Page 61 Set this parameter to Enabled to enable the DMA mode for the CD- ROM drive. This improves the system performance since it allows direct memory access to the CD-ROM. To deactivate the function, set the parameter to Disabled Chapter 3 BIOS Utility 3-15...

  • Page 62: Onboard Peripherals

    2. The options are: 3F8h 2F8h This function lets you assign an interrupt for serial ports 1 and 2. The options for serial ports 1 are IRQ 2 are IRQ 3-16 3E8h 2E8h . The options for serial port AcerAltos 500L User’s Guide...

  • Page 63: Parallel Port

    The Base Address and IRQ parameters for each port are configurable only if the port is enabled. Parallel Port This parameter allows you to enable or disable the parallel port. Base Address This function lets you set a logical base address for the parallel port. The options are: 3BCh 378h...

  • Page 64: Onboard Device Settings

    Onboard Device Settings The Onboard Device Settings menu allows you to configure the onboard communication ports and the onboard devices. Selecting this option from the Onboard Peripherals menu displays the following screen: 3-18 Function Extended Capabilities AcerAltos 500L User’s Guide...
  • Page 65 Onboard Device Settings Floppy Disk Controller ... [Enabled ] IDE Controller ... [Both PS/2 Mouse Controller ... [Enabled ] USB Host Controller ... [Disabled] USB Legacy Mode ... [--------] SMBus Interrupt(IRQ9) ... [Disabled] Floppy Disk Controller This parameter lets you enable or disable the onboard floppy disk controller.
  • Page 66 The System Management Bus (SMBus) is used for controlling and getting information from devices on a motherboard. It was designed for hybrid devices based on analog semiconductor technologies and with limited digital capabilities. This parameter allows you to enable or disable this feature. 3-20 AcerAltos 500L User’s Guide...

  • Page 67: Power Management

    Power Management The Power Management menu allows you to configure the system power-management feature. The following screen shows the Power Management parameters and their default settings: Power Management Power Management Mode ... [Enabled] IDE Hard Disk Standby Timer ... [Off] System Sleep Timer ...

  • Page 68: Power Switch < 4 Sec

    The system wake-up event allows the system to resume operation when the modem ring indicator is enabled. Modem Ring Indicator When Enabled any fax/modem activity wakes up the system from suspend mode. The default setting is Enabled 3-22 AcerAltos 500L User’s Guide...

  • Page 69: Boot Options

    Boot Options This option allows you to specify your preferred setting for bootup. The following screen appears if you select Boot Options from the Basic Configuration menu: Boot Options Boot Sequence [Floppy Disk] [Hard Disk [IDE CD-ROM ] First Hard Disk Drive ... [ IDE] Fast Boot ...

  • Page 70: First Hard Disk Drive

    “Ctrl-Alt-Esc key to enter setup” message on the screen. When set to Disabled , BIOS is in the conventional text mode where you see the system initialization details on the screen. 3-24 AcerAltos 500L User’s Guide...

  • Page 71: Num Lock After Boot

    Num Lock After Boot This parameter allows you to activate the Num Lock function upon booting. The default setting is Enabled Memory Test When set to Enabled , this parameter allows the system to perform a RAM test during the POST routine. When set to Disabled , the...

  • Page 72: Date And Time

    Valid values for weekday, month, day, and year are: Weekday Sun, Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat Month Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec Year 1980 2079 3-26 to set AcerAltos 500L User’s Guide...

  • Page 73: Time

    Time Highlight the items in the Time parameter and press the time following the hour-minute-second format. Valid values for hour, minute, and second are: Hour Minute Second Chapter 3 BIOS Utility to set 3-27...

  • Page 74: System Security

    JP3 is set to 1-2 (check password). By default, JP3 is set to 2-3 (bypass password). 2. Enable the Setup Password parameter in the System Security menu by pressing appears: 3-28 The Setup Password window AcerAltos 500L User’s Guide...
  • Page 75 Setup Password Enter your new Setup Password twice. may be up to 7 characters long. Enter Password ... [xxxxxxx] Enter Password again ... [xxxxxxx] Set or Change Password 3. Type a password in the Enter Password field. The password may consist of up to seven characters.
  • Page 76 Setup Utility if a password does not exist and JP3 is set to 1-2 (check password). To set JP3 to 2-3 (bypass password): 1. Turn off and unplug the computer. 3-30 arrow key to select None Your AcerAltos 500L User’s Guide...

  • Page 77: Power-On Password

    2. Open the computer housing and set JP3 to 2-3 (Bypass password) to bypass the password function. See Jumpers and Connectors in Chapter 1 for the location of JP3. 3. Close your computer’s housing and reboot your system. To bypass Setup Password: If you forget your setup password, you can bypass the password security feature by hardware.

  • Page 78: Disk Drive Control

    Write Protect Boot Sector Hard Disk Drive Setting 3-32 Power-on , the password prompt does not Description Floppy drive functions normally Disables the write function on all sectors Disables the write function only on the boot sector Description AcerAltos 500L User’s Guide...
  • Page 79 Normal Write Protect All Sectors Write Protect Boot Sector Chapter 3 BIOS Utility Hard disk drive functions normally Disables the write function on all sectors Disables the write function only on the boot sector 3-33...

  • Page 80: Advanced Options

    The following screen shows the Advanced Options parameters: Advanced Options Memory/Cache Options PnP/PCI Options CPU Frequency Memory/Cache Options The Memory/Cache Options allows you to configure the advanced system memory functions. 3-34 AcerAltos 500L User’s Guide...
  • Page 81 Memory/Cache Options Internal Cache(CPU Cache) ... [Enabled ] External Cache ... [Enabled ] Cache Scheme ... Write Back Memory at 15MB-16MB Reserved for ... [System] Memory Parity Mode ... [Disabled] Internal Cache (CPU Cache) This parameter enables or disables the first-level or internal memory, that is, the memory integrated into the CPU.

  • Page 82: Pnp/Pci Options

    (PnP) devices installed on your system. Otherwise, select Refer to your manual for technical information about the PCI card. 3-36 Auto INTA INTB INTC INTD [--] [--] [--] [--] [--] [--] [--] [--] [--] [--] [--] [--] [--] [--] [--] Manual AcerAltos 500L User’s Guide...
  • Page 83 PCI Slots When you set the PCI IRQ Setting parameter to parameters specify the auto-assigned interrupt for each of the PCI devices. If you set the PCI IRQ Setting parameter to to specify the interrupt that you want to assign for each PCI device installed in your system.

  • Page 84: Cpu Frequency

    This parameter displays your CPU’s speed and bus frequency. Selecting this option displays the following screen: 3-38 Check your VGA card manual , BIOS initializes only PnP boot , BIOS initializes all PnP only if your operating AcerAltos 500L User’s Guide...
  • Page 85 CPU Frequency Bus Frequency ... 66/100 MHz CPU Multiple ... [3] Processor Speed ... xxx MHz Bus Frequency The bus frequency refers to the speed by which data is transferred between internal computer components and the CPU or the main memory of the CPU.

  • Page 86: Load Default Settings

    The following dialog box appears when you select Load Default Settings from the main menu: Load Default Settings Do you want to load default settings? [Yes] Select to load the default settings. Select to ignore the message and return to the BIOS utility. 3-40 [No] AcerAltos 500L User’s Guide...

  • Page 87: Abort Settings Change

    Abort Settings Change Use this option to disregard your changes to the BIOS and reload your previous settings. The following dialog box appears when you select Abort Settings Change from the main menu: Abort Settings Change Do you want to abort settings change? [Yes] [No] Select...

  • Page 88: Exit Setup

    Do you want to save CMOS settings? [Yes] Use the arrow keys to select your response. Select changes in CMOS. Select to retain the old configuration values. Press to exit. 3-42 [No] [No] to save the AcerAltos 500L User’s Guide...
  • Page 89 Chapter 4 SCSI/VGA Combo Card...
  • Page 91 LCD Module Event Log List...

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