Start Here
The only warranties for Hewlett-Packard products and services are set forth in the express statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein. HP assumes no responsibility for the use or reliability of its software on equipment that is not furnished by HP. This document contains proprietary information that is protected by copyright.
Table of Contents Setting Up Your Computer ........................................................................1 Putting Your Computer Together ...............................................................................1 Placing the computer in the proper location ..........................................................1 Using surge protection .......................................................................................2 Connecting to the computer .......................................
Connecting the Computer to a Home Audio System ..................................................28 Y adapter cables .............................................................................................28 2.1 home stereo installation ..............................................................................29 5.1 home audio installation ..............................................................................30 5.1 home audio installation procedure ..........................................
Getting Help ..........................................................................................59 Finding Onscreen Guides ......................................................................................59 Finding Guides on the Web...................................................................................59 Using the Onscreen Help and Support Center ..........................................................60 Using the PC Help & Tools Folder .............................................
vi Start Here
Setting Up Your Computer WARNING: The power supply is preset for the country/region in which you purchased your computer. If you move, please check the voltage requirements before plugging your computer into an AC power outlet. WARNING: Please read “Safety Information” in the Warranty and Support Guide before installing and connecting your computer to the electrical power system. Putting Your Computer Together Follow the steps on the setup poster to set up your computer.
Using surge protection Help protect your monitor, computer, and accessories by connecting all power cords for your computer and peripheral devices (such as a monitor, printer, or scanner) to a surge protection device such as a power strip with surge protection or an uninterruptible power supply (UPS). Many surge protection devices have surge protection inputs and outputs for modem or telephone lines. Telephone lines are a common path for lightning spikes to get into your system.
Connector Icon/label Description and function (continued) Monitor Serial Serial port for some digital cameras or other serial devices Audio Line Out (powered speakers) Audio Line In Headphones Microphone FireWire® (IEEE 1394) for video cameras or other devices with very fast transfer rates Digital audio in and digital audio out Side speaker out Setting Up Your Computer 3
Connector Icon/label Description and function (continued) Rear speaker out Center/subwoofer S-video S-Video 2 Composite Video 2 Secondary S-video connector to connect your VCR, video camera, or other analog source to the computer. Secondary Composite video connector (yellow) to connect to a VCR, video camera, or other analog source to the computer. Secondary Left audio input connector (white). A/V In Audio 2 L NOTE: This Audio In connector is connected to the TV tuner.
Connector Icon/label Description and function (continued) FireWire (IEEE 1394) connector to connect video cameras and other devices with very fast transfer rates. NOTE: You must use a 6-pin FireWire (IEEE 1394) transfer cable with this 6-pin connector. Power connector Mouse connector to connect a mouse. Keyboard connector to connect a keyboard. Printer (parallel) connector to connect a parallel printer. (Select models only.) Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.
Connector Icon/label Description and function (continued) Digital video output connector to connect a TV or monitor. (Select models only.) See the documentation that came with your display device. Microphone In (Mic) (pink) to connect to a microphone. The Mic connector also functions as a center/subwoofer Line Out when a multichannel audio configuration is activated. Audio Line Out (green) to connect front speakers.
Connector Icon/label Description and function (continued) Primary right audio input from set-top box connector (red). A/V In Audio 1 R TV/Cable Ant NOTE: Audio can be recorded by using this Audio In connector which is connected to the motherboard. Some computers include this primary right audio input connector on the front of the computer. (Select models only.) TV In (TV antenna or cable input from wall outlet with no set-top box.) FM In (radio antenna input) connects to the FM antenna cable.
Connecting a Digital Camera (Photo or Video) The following instructions apply only to digital photo cameras and digital video cameras. NOTE: When connecting an analog video camera to the computer, use the Video and Audio In connectors on the front or back of the computer. Refer to the documentation that came with your digital photo camera or digital video camera.
If the computer does not recognize the digital photo camera or the digital video camera: 1 Click the Windows Start Button® on the taskbar, and then click Control Panel. 2 Click System and Maintenance, and then click System. 3 Click Device Manager. 4 Click the plus sign (+) next to the camera port. If the name of the camera appears, the device is ready. If the name is not there, try the following: Click Action, and then click Scan for hardware changes.
Storing Documentation and Recovery Discs Store all computer user manuals and warranty information in an easy-to-find, safe location. It is a good idea to store your system recovery discs with your documentation. This allows easy access to all important computer documents and files. Adjusting the Monitor To change the screen resolution: 1 Right-click an empty area of the desktop, and then click Personalize. 2 Click the Display Settings.
The preceding illustration shows a home LAN. The desktop computer has a wired connection to a wireless router. The desktop computer also has a printer that it shares with the other computers on the network. Each notebook computer has a wireless connection to the network router.
Setting Up a Wired (Ethernet) Connection The Ethernet connection, which may be called network interface adapter, Network Interface Card, or NIC, provides a high-speed or broadband connection to an Ethernet (10BaseT) or Fast Ethernet (100BaseT) network. After you connect this interface to a network, such as a LAN, you can connect to the Internet through the network. 1 Connect an Ethernet cable to the Ethernet connector (A) on the back of the computer, and to the network router or LAN device.
Wireless wide area networks (WWAN) devices provide access to information anytime and anywhere you have cellular (data) coverage. In a WWAN, each mobile device communicates to a public carrier’s base station. Public carriers install networks of base stations (similar to cell phone towers) throughout large geographic areas, effectively providing coverage across entire states, or even entire countries/regions. For more information about wireless technology, go to: http://www.hp.
Checking the wireless LAN device installation To set up your wireless network, verify that the integrated WLAN device is installed on your computer correctly. 1 Click the Windows Start Button on the taskbar. 2 Type Device Manager into the Search box, and then click Device Manager to open the Device Manager window. 3 Click Network adapters. Your WLAN device should be listed here. The WLAN device may include the term wireless, wireless LAN, or 802.11.
Connecting a Modem For information on connecting to the Internet, see “Connecting to the Internet” in the Getting Started guide. The modem is used for connecting to an ISP that provides a telephone dial-up connection to the Internet. NOTE: Your computer may not come with a modem. Before you can use telephone dial-up to connect to the Internet and send or receive e-mail and faxes, you must connect your telephone service line to the modem (A), which is on the back of the computer (B).
16 Start Here
Connecting Speakers or Microphone NOTE: For cross-references, see “Configuring Speaker and Sound Options” in your product information on the HP Support Web site, go to: http://www.hp.com/support Using Speakers Speakers are included with the monitor (select models only) or are sold separately. For details on connecting stereo speakers to the computer, see the setup poster. NOTE: Speakers may be passive (no power button and no power cord) or active (power button or power cord).
Sound Connector Types Your model may include one of three analog sound connector types on the back of your computer: Three connectors Six connectors Sound card The connectors are 1/8-inch (3.5 mm) stereo mini-jacks that connect from the back of the computer to speakers and microphones. Your system may also have a separate Digital Out connection (select models only). Software configuration is different for each connector type, as noted in the instructions.
Use the sound connectors that match your computer model when installing cables, as shown in the installation procedure steps. The following table shows the sound connectors on the back panel of computer systems. Sound connector Type 3 Type 6 Type S Description Line Side (gray) for side speakers in an eight-speaker system (7.1). A Line C/Sub (gold) for center/subwoofer speakers in a multichannel audio configuration. B Line Rear (black) for rear speakers in a multichannel audio configuration.
Connecting a Microphone Your computer comes with one microphone connector in the back of the computer. Some models have a second microphone connector in the front of the computer. Only one microphone connector works at a time, and the back connector is ready to use unless you have the multichannel audio speakers option. For computers with the multichannel audio speakers option, the microphone connector in the front of the computer, if present, is ready to use.
Name Speaker system See (continued) 8/7.1 Two front speakers, two rear speakers, two side speakers, a center speaker, and a subwoofer (select models only). “Connecting 7.1 (Seven Speakers and a Subwoofer) Audio Speakers” Home audio system Home stereo or home theater audio system with passive speakers. “Connecting the Computer to a Home Audio System” Digital audio Digital speakers or digital input connector on audio system.
Connecting 2/2.1 (Two Speakers and a Subwoofer) Audio Speakers To connect simple left/right stereo active speakers or two speakers and a subwoofer for two-channel (2.1 speaker) output: 1 Turn off the computer. 2 Connect the speaker cable to the lime green Audio Line Out connector that matches the back of your computer. 6 3 S NOTE: Type 3 is three connectors. Type 6 is six connectors. Type S is sound card. 3 Connect the cable to the audio system. For 2.
Connecting 4.1 (Four Speakers and a Subwoofer) Audio Speakers To connect two front speakers, two rear speakers, and a subwoofer for four-channel (4.1 speaker) output: 1 Turn off the computer. 2 Connect the front speaker cable to the lime green Audio Line Out connector that matches the back of your computer. 3 6 S NOTE: Type 3 is three connectors. Type 6 is six connectors. Type S is sound card. 3 Connect the rear speaker cable to the black connector that matches the back of your computer.
8 Turn on the speaker system. 9 After the speakers are connected to the computer, configure the audio software for sound output for your computer model. See “Configuring Speaker and Sound Options.” Type 3: See “Configuring Audio Output with Multichannel Sound Manager.” Type 6: See “Configuring Audio Output with Sound Effect Manager.” Sound card: See “Configuring Audio Output with a Sound Card.” The following diagram shows a typical 4.1 audio installation: OUT IN Connecting 5.
3 Connect the rear speaker cable to the black connector that matches the back of your computer. 3 6 S For type 3-connector systems, the blue Audio Line In connector functions as a Rear Line Out when a multichannel audio configuration is activated. 4 Connect the center/subwoofer speaker cable to the gold (or pink Mic) connector that matches the back of your computer.
The following diagram shows a typical 5.1 audio installation: OUT IN Connecting 7.1 (Seven Speakers and a Subwoofer) Audio Speakers (Select models only) To connect two front speakers, two side speakers, two rear speakers, a center speaker, and a subwoofer for eight-channel (7.1 speaker) output: 1 Turn off the computer. 2 Connect the front speaker cable to the lime green Audio Line Out connector on the back of your computer.
6 Connect the cables to the audio system. 7 Connect the front, rear, side, and center speakers to the subwoofer. Refer to the speaker documentation. 8 Turn on the computer. NOTE: Always turn on the computer before you turn on the speaker system. 9 Plug in the speaker system power. 10 Turn on the speaker system. 11 After the speakers are connected to the computer, configure the audio software for sound output for your computer model. See “Configuring Speaker and Sound Options.
Connecting the Computer to a Home Audio System You can connect your computer to your home stereo or home theater multichannel audio receiver/amplifiers by using your existing speakers. For examples, see “2.1 home stereo installation” or “5.1 home audio installation.” Y adapter cables Most home receiver/amplifiers have RCA-type input connectors. You may need to connect Y adapter cables between your computer and your receiver/amplifier. Y adapter cables have one 1/8-inch (3.
2.1 home stereo installation The following diagram shows a typical two-channel (2.1 speaker) installation that uses passive stereo speakers and plugs into a home stereo standard left and right input. This is only a suggested configuration. Your system may be different. IN OUT A B Center C Front E Surr. Back Sub C D E Computer to 2.
5.1 home audio installation The following diagram shows a typical advanced home theater audio six-channel (6/5.1 speaker) installation that requires multichannel inputs on a receiver/amplifier. This is only a suggested configuration. Your system may be different. IN OUT A B Center C Front F E Surr. Back C Sub D G Computer to 5.
3 Connect the front stereo mini-jack end of a Y adapter cable into the lime green Audio Line Out connector that matches the back of your computer. 3 6 S NOTE: Type 3 is three connectors. Type 6 is six connectors. Type S is sound card. NOTE: Receiver/amplifier input connectors may be labeled Surround, 5.1 Channel inputs, 6 Channel inputs, CD, DVD, or DVD In.
8 Turn on the computer. 9 After the audio system is connected to the computer, configure the audio software for sound output for your computer model. See “Connecting Speakers or Microphone.” Type 3: See “Configuring Audio Output with Multichannel Sound Manager.” Type 6: See “Configuring Audio Output with Sound Effect Manager.” Sound card: See “Configuring Audio Output with a Sound Card.” 7.
7.1 home audio installation procedure To connect an eight-channel (7.1 speaker) home audio system to the computer: 1 Turn off the computer. 2 Turn off the receiver/amplifier. 3 Connect the front stereo mini-jack end of a Y adapter cable into the lime green Audio Line Out connector that matches the back of your computer. 3 6 S NOTE: Type 3 is three connectors. Type 6 is six connectors. Type S is sound card. NOTE: Receiver/amplifier input connectors may be labeled Surround, 7.
5 If you have a center/subwoofer speaker, connect the stereo mini-jack of a Y adapter cable into the microphone (pink) connector or the center speaker/subwoofer (gold) connector that matches the back of your computer. 3 6 S Connect the left and right ends of the Y adapter cable into the center/subwoofer inputs on the back of the receiver/amplifier (8/7.1 or higher-channel system). Plug the Y adapter cable into the subwoofer connector on the back of the receiver even if a subwoofer is not used.
To connect digital audio speakers: 1 Turn off the computer. 2 Connect the Digital Out connector on the back panel of your computer to the digital input (S/PDIF) on digital speakers or a digital audio system. 6 3 S NOTE: Type 3 is three connectors. Type 6 is six connectors. Type S is sound card. 3 Turn on the computer. NOTE: Always turn on the computer before you turn on the speaker system. 4 Plug in the speaker system power. 5 Turn on the speaker system.
Connecting Speakers Using the Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Sound Card This section provides an overview of connecting to the Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi sound card. NOTE: For additional information on connecting the speakers, refer to the documentation that came with your speakers. Connecting the speakers Connector Description AD-Link for AD_Link X-Fi I/O Console (the X-Fi console is sold separately) Line Out_3 (orange or yellow) 5.1 audio setup: Front center, subwoofer 6.
Connecting the FlexiJack connector The FlexiJack connector performs three functions: Digital Input/Output Line In Microphone You must select the function in the Creative Console Launcher. NOTE: If you are using the FlexiJack as your Digital In connection and you want to connect digital speakers as your output device, you will need a special connector from Creative.
38 Start Here
Connecting the Television Signal and Video Cables This section describes how to connect your computer to the television and which cables to use. NOTE: Some graphic cards have a DVI connector and a DVI-toVGA converter included in the box (select models only).
Cable Name Description Composite video cable RCA yellow end. Plug into an RCA connector such as Composite Video Out or TV Source In. S-video cable Y/C, 4-pin. Plug into an S-video connector such as S-video Video Out or TV Source In. Delivers a sharper image than composite video cable by providing separate color and black-and-white image signals. Analog video cable/ Used with analog video output connector. adapter (select models only) Provides S-video and composite video output.
Connecting the TV Signal Source Connect the signal source for the TV by using the TV In coaxial connector or the S-video or composite video In connector. NOTE: The location and number of connectors may vary by model. 1 Plug the connector of a coaxial cable from your TV cable into the TV/Cable Ant connector on the back of the computer, and then turn the connector to tighten it.
Connecting a dual tuner (Select models only) NOTE: The Television (Electronic) Program Guide is not available in all countries/regions. The computer records television programs and enables you to control the television channels. The computer supports two tuner configurations: 42 Start Here TV Tuner Description Requirements Single-tuner TV source Watch or record only one program in the NTSC or PAL format.
Connecting the Remote Sensor The remote sensor is a small device that connects to the computer and enables the remote control to work with the Windows Media Center program. 1 If you have a cable TV set-top box, a satellite set-top box, or another set-top box that controls your TV signal, connect the remote control sensor cable (emitter) (A) to connector (1) on the back of the remote sensor; otherwise, skip to step 3. If you have a second set-top box, you can also use connector (2).
Connecting the TV Signal Source When You Have an Existing Setup This section describes how to connect the computer to an existing setup for your TV signal source. Wall to VCR to TV, using coaxial cable 1 Disconnect the coaxial cable from the input to the VCR, and connect it to the input of a coaxial cable signal splitter (not included; available at electronics stores). 2 Connect two coaxial cables to the splitter outputs.
Wall to cable TV set-top box or satellite box to VCR to TV, using coaxial cable 1 Disconnect the coaxial cable from the input to the VCR, and connect it to the input of a coaxial cable signal splitter (not included; available at electronics stores). 2 Connect two coaxial cables to the splitter outputs. 3 Connect one of these cables to the input of the VCR, and the other one to the TV connector on the back of the computer.
Wall to cable TV set-top box or satellite box to VCR and TV, using S-video cable or composite video cable between the box and the VCR or TV 1 Do not detach any cables from your existing setup. 2 Connect an additional cable by doing one of the following: Connect one end of an S-video cable (not included) to a second output on the settop box or satellite box. Connect the other end to the S-video In connector on the back of the computer.
Existing setup With a computer A A B B C C L N D D M J E P E O K F F G G E H E H A Wall B Cable outlet C Set-top box/Satellite In D Set-top box/Satellite Out E S-video or composite cable F VCR In G VCR Out H TV In J Add an S-video or composite cable with adapter K S-video In on back of computer L Remote control sensor cable M Remote control sensor N Set-top box/second output O R-Audio P L-Audio Connecting the Television Signal and Video Cables 47
Using Your TV as a Monitor (Select models only) Your computer may have TV-out capability, that is, video output connectors, such as DVIout, Component-out, S-video-out connectors. If so, you can connect a TV to one of the output connector sets, and then view the computer desktop image, watch DVD movies, or play games on the TV screen. TV-out connectors are an optional feature. Cables for connecting the computer to a TV To connect your computer to a TV, you need a video cable and an audio cable.
If your TV has a composite video input jack, and your computer has a composite video output jack, connect a composite video cable (C) to the Video In jack on the TV and to the composite video out jack (D) on the back of the computer (select models only).
Connecting more than one display You can connect more than one display device (CRT monitor, flat panel monitor, TV, and so on) to the computer at a time (select models only). You can quickly change which device displays the computer desktop by pressing Alt+F5. Each time you press Alt+F5, the computer desktop appears on the next device. If pressing Alt+F5 does not work, restart the computer and try again.
8 Right-click an empty area of the desktop, and then click Personalize. 9 Click Display Settings. 10 If necessary, select the monitor or TV. 11 Click the Advanced Settings button. 12 Click the tab for your graphics card. (Your tab may be labeled Displays, ATI Displays, Ge Force xxx, nView, or Devices.) 13 Choose the TV option, and follow the on-screen instructions.
Connecting to a Monitor or High-Definition TV Choosing the AV connection to use When connecting optional equipment as signal sources, the connectors on the equipment may limit the type of connection you can use. When your optional equipment has more than one type of output connector, choose the connection that provides the best-quality playback image. For best results, choose the best-quality connection type that is supported by your optional equipment.
The following table shows the possible AV connection types, listed in order of decreasing video playback quality (from best to good). Cable Port Connection description HDMI transmits an all-digital signal and is the recommended choice for playback from a digital DVD or DVR. It is capable of transmitting both uncompressed digital audio and digital video signals, because it has video, audio and control signals. For more information, see “Connecting an HDMI device.
Connecting an HDMI device This is the recommended connection for video and audio. The HDMI cable is sold separately. 1 Connect the HDMI cable to the HDMI connector on the computer. (There are no separate audio inputs for HDMI.) HDMI Connector on the Computer Output HDMI 2 Connect the cable to the HDMI device. 3 Turn on the HDMI device, and start play. 4 Plug in the computer. 5 Turn on the computer. 6 In the TV Option menu, define the HDMI Setup items.
Connecting a DVI device The DVI cable, DVI-to-HDMI converter, and audio cables are sold separately. 1 Connect the video cables: If your computer has an HDMI connector, use a DVI video cable with a DVI-toHDMI converter. Connect the HDMI end of the converter to the Digital Video connector on the computer and connect the DVI cable to the DVI equipment. Or If your computer has an DVI connector, use a DVI video cable, and connect the cable to the computer and to the DVI equipment.
Connecting to a Standard TV Cables are sold separately. Connecting to component video WARNING: In this example, Input 1 and Input 2 each have both Component and Video connectors, which share the left and right Audio connectors. Connect only one video input for each input set. 1 Connect the component video cable to the Component (Y, Pb, Pr) connectors. The example shows two sets of Component connectors that you can use: Input 1 or Input 2.
Connecting to S-video WARNING: In this example, Input 3 has both S-video and Video connectors, which share the left and right Audio connectors. Connect only one video input for Input 3. 1 Connect the S-video equipment to the S-video connector, Input 3 in this example: 2 Connect the audio cable connectors to the left and right Audio connectors for Input 3. 3 Connect the cables to the device. 4 Turn on the device, and start play. 5 Plug in the computer. 6 Turn on the computer.
58 Start Here
Getting Help Finding Onscreen Guides Onscreen guides are available in the User’s Guides folder (select models only). 1 Click the Windows Start Button on the taskbar. 2 Click All Programs. 3 Click User Guides. 4 Click an item to view it or use it. NOTE: If there are no guide titles listed in the folder, your computer has no onscreen guides. Finding Guides on the Web You can find guides and information for your computer by using the Internet to access the Support Web site. 1 Go to http://www.hp.
Using the Onscreen Help and Support Center Information about your computer is in the onscreen Help and Support Center (select models only). Here you can find links to driver updates, access to technical support options, and information about commonly asked questions. To open the Help and Support Center: Press the Help button (select models only) on your keyboard. Or Click the Windows Start Button on the taskbar, and then click Help and Support.
Getting messages After you view or close a message, it does not automatically display again. To read a previously received message, open HP Connections or Compaq Connections: 1 Click the Windows Start Button on the taskbar. 2 Click All Programs. 3 Click PC Help & Tools. 4 Click HP Connections or Compaq Connections. HP Connections or Compaq Connections window opens.
Reactivating messages When you reactivate the HP Connections or Compaq Connections service, the service runs whenever you are connected to the Internet, and you automatically receive messages as they become available. To turn on the service: 1 Click the Windows Start Button on the taskbar. 2 Click All Programs. 3 Click PC Help & Tools. 4 Click HP Connections or Compaq Connections. HP Connections or Compaq Connections displays. 5 Click Activate to reactivate the service.
Index A adjusting monitor 10 Adjusting the screen resolution 49 analog video cable/adapter 40 Audio and Video Cables 40 audio connector 6 Audio Line Out 6 Audio input left and right connectors 4 B Bluetooth devices 12 C cables Component Video 52 Composite video 52 connecting computer to TV 48 DVI 52 HDMI 52 included 39 S-video 52 TV 39 coaxial cable connecting the TV signal source 45 Composite video cable 40 Composite video connector 4, 6 computer connecting the remote sensor 43 connecting the TV signal
D devices connecting 9 digital camera connecting 8, 9 digital video camera connecting to a computer 8 troubleshooting 9 Disabling the TV-Out Option 51 Disconnecting the TV 51 documentation, onscreen 59 DVI-I or DVI-D cable 40 E Ethernet connection 12 Ethernet network hub 5 F FireWire (IEEE 1394) connector 5 FM In connector 7 FM radio antenna connecting 7 Found New Hardware message, connecting a digital camera 8 H headphones connector 4 Help and Support 60 home stereo system connecting to the computer 28
T Television signal/television signals 39 TV connecting 48 connecting the TV signal source 41, 44, 46 disconnecting 51 using as a monitor 48 TV coaxial cable using 40 TV tuner connecting TV to computer 48 signal source 41 U updates from Compaq Connections, using 60 updates from HP Connections, using 60 USB connector 4, 5 Using coaxial cable 44 Using TV Cables 39 using your TV as a monitor 48 W WEP 14 wired network connection 12 wireless devices 12 wireless LAN connection wireless LAN 13 wireless local are
Part number: 5991-6997 Part number: 5991-7126
