Owner's Manual

CHAPTER 14: Troubleshooting www.gateway.com
148
Safety guidelines
Warning
Do not try to troubleshoot your problem
if power cords or plugs are damaged, if
your notebook was dropped, or if the case
was damaged. Instead, unplug your
notebook and contact a qualified
computer technician.
Tips & Tricks
For more information about preventing
damage from static electricity, see the
hardware guide.
While troubleshooting your notebook, follow these safety guidelines:
■ Never remove the memory bay or hard drive bay cover while your
notebook is turned on, while the battery(ies) is installed, and while the
modem cable, network cable, and AC power adapter are connected to
your notebook.
■ Make sure that you are correctly grounded before accessing internal
components.
■ After you complete any maintenance tasks where you remove the memory
bay or hard drive bay cover, make sure that you replace the cover, reinstall
any screws, then replace the battery(ies) before you start your notebook.
First steps
Help and Support
For more information about
troubleshooting, click Start, then click
Help and Support. Type the keyword
troubleshooting in the Search box,
then click the arrow.
If you have problems with your notebook, try these things first:
■ Make sure that the AC power adapter is connected to your notebook and
an AC outlet and that the AC outlet is supplying power.
■ If you use a power strip or surge protector, make sure that it is turned on.
■ If a peripheral device (such as a keyboard or mouse) does not work, make
sure that all connections are secure.
■ Make sure that your hard drive is not full.
■ If an error message appears on the screen, write down the exact message.
The message may help Gateway Customer Care in diagnosing and fixing
the problem.
■ If you added or removed peripheral devices, review the installation
procedures you performed and make sure that you followed each
instruction.
■ If an error occurs in a program, see the program’s printed documentation
or the online help.
Troubleshooting
Audio
Audio troubleshooting is covered under “Sound” on page 165.
Battery
Battery troubleshooting is covered under “Power” on page 164.
CD drives
CD drive troubleshooting is covered under “DVD drives” on page 151.