Aspire 3020/5020 Series
User's Guide
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First things first
We would like to thank you for making the Aspire series of notebook
computers your choice for meeting your mobile computing needs.
Your guides
To help you use your Aspire, we have designed a set of guides:
First off, the Just for Starters... poster helps you get started with
setting up your computer.
The printed User's Guide introduces you to the basic features and
functions of your new computer. For more on how your computer
can help you to be more productive, please refer to the
AcerSystem User's Guide. This guide contains detailed
information on such subjects as system utilities, data recovery,
expansion options, and troubleshooting. In addition it contains
warranty information and the general regulations and safety
notices for your notebook. It is available in Portable Document
Format (PDF) and comes preloaded on your notebook. Follow
these steps to access it:
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2
Click on Start, All Programs, AcerSystem.
Click on AcerSystem User's Guide.
Note: Viewing the file requires Adobe Acrobat Reader. If Adobe
Acrobat Reader is not installed on your computer, clicking on
AcerSystem User's Guide will run the Acrobat Reader setup
program first. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete
the installation. For instructions on how to use Adobe Acrobat
Reader, access the Help and Support menu.
Basic care and tips for using your computer
Turning your computer on and off
To turn on the computer, simply press and release the power button below the
of the power button.
To turn the power off, do any of the following:
•
Use the Windows shutdown command
Click on Start, Turn Off Computer, then click on Turn Off.
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•
Use the power button
Note: You can also use the power button to perform power
AcerSystem User's Guide.
•
Use the customized functions for power management
You can also shut down the computer by closing the display cover, or by
of the AcerSystem User's Guide.
Note: If you cannot power off the computer normally, press and
hold the power button for more than four seconds to shut down
the computer. If you turn off the computer and want to turn it on
again, wait at least two seconds before powering up.
Taking care of your computer
Your computer will serve you well if you take care of it.
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•
Do not expose the computer to direct sunlight. Do not place it near sources
of heat, such as a radiator.
Do not expose the computer to temperatures below 0 ºC (32 ºF) or above
50 ºC (122 ºF).
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Do not subject the computer to magnetic fields.
Do not expose the computer to rain or moisture.
Do not spill water or any liquid on the computer.
Do not subject the computer to heavy shock or vibration.
Do not expose the computer to dust or dirt.
Never place objects on top of the computer.
Do not slam the computer display when you close it.
Never place the computer on uneven surfaces.
Taking care of your AC adaptor
Here are some ways to take care of your AC adaptor:
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•
Do not connect the adaptor to any other device.
Do not step on the power cord or place heavy objects on top of it.
Carefully route the power cord and any cables away from foot traffic.
•
When unplugging the power cord, do not pull on the cord itself but pull
on the plug.
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The total ampere ratings of the equipment plugged in should not exceed
the ampere rating of the cord if you are using an extension cord. Also, the
total current rating of all equipment plugged into a single wall outlet
should not exceed the fuse rating.
Taking care of your battery pack
Here are some ways to take care of your battery pack:
•
Use only batteries of the same kind as replacements. Turn the power off
before removing or replacing batteries.
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Do not tamper with batteries. Keep them away from children.
Dispose of used batteries according to local regulations. Recycle if possible.
Cleaning and servicing
When cleaning the computer, follow these steps:
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2
3
Turn off the computer and remove the battery pack.
Disconnect the AC adaptor.
Use a soft, moist cloth. Do not use liquid or aerosol cleaners.
If either of the following occurs:
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the computer has been dropped or the body has been damaged;
the computer does not operate normally
Caution
Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the manufacturer could
void the user's authority, which is granted by the Federal Communications
Commission, to operate this computer.
Operation conditions
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference,
and (2) This device must accept any interference received, including
interference that may cause undesired operation.
Users are requested to follow the RF safety instructions for wireless option
devices that are included in the user's manual of each RF option device.
An improper installation or unauthorized use may cause harmful interference
to radio communications. Also, any tampering of the internal antenna will void
the FCC certification and your warranty.
To prevent radio interference to the licensed service, this device is intended to
be operated indoors, and installation outdoors is subject to licensing.
For more information about our products, services, and support information,
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An Aspire tour
After setting up your computer as illustrated in the Just for Starters... poster, let
us show you around your new Aspire computer.
Front view
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1
Item
Description
Display screen
Also called Liquid-Crystal Display (LCD), displays
computer output.
2
3
4
5
Power button
Microphone
Keyboard
Turns the computer on and off.
Internal microphone for sound recording.
For entering data into your computer.
Touchpad
Touch-sensitive pointing device which functions
like a computer mouse.
2
#
Item
Description
6
Click buttons
The left and right buttons function like the left
(left, center and right) and right mouse buttons; the center button
serves as a 4-way scroll button.
7
8
Launch keys
Buttons for launching frequently used programs.
Status indicators
Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) that turn on and off
to show the status of the computer's functions
and components.
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Palmrest
Comfortable support area for your hands when
you use the computer.
Closed front view
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1
Icon
Item
Description
Speakers
Left and right speakers deliver stereo
audio output.
2
3
4
Bluetooth
communication
button/indicator
Press to enable/disable Bluetooth
function. Lights to indicate the status of
Bluetooth communications
(manufacturing option).
Wireless
communication
button/indicator
Press to enable/disable Wireless function.
Lights to indicate the status of wireless
LAN communications
(manufacturing option).
Line-in/mic-in jack
Accepts input from external microphones.
5
6
Speaker-out/line-out/ Connects to audio line-out devices
headphone jack
(e.g., speakers, headphones).
Battery indicator
Lights when the battery is being charged.
3
#
7
Icon
Item
Description
Power indicator
Lights when the computer is on.
8
Latch
Locks and releases the lid.
Left view
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1
Icon
Item
Description
Ventilation slots
Enable the computer to stay cool,
even after prolonged use.
2
S-video/TV-out
port
Connects to a television or display
device with S-video input
(manufacturing option).
3
4
5
IEEE 1394 port
3 USB 2.0 ports
Infrared port
Connects to IEEE 1394 devices
(manufacturing option).
Connects to USB 2.0 devices
(e.g., USB mouse, USB camera).
Interfaces with infrared devices like
infrared printer and IR-aware
computer (manufacturing option).
6
7
PC Card slot
Accepts one Type II PC Card.
6-in-1 card reader Accepts an MS, MS PRO, MMC, SD,
SM, or xD-Picture card
(manufacturing option).
Note: Only one card can operate at
any given time.
8
PC Card slot eject
button
Ejects the PC Card from the slot.
4
Right view
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1
2
Item
Description
Optical drive eject button Ejects the optical drive tray from the drive.
Optical disk access
indicator
LED that indicates when an optical disk is
being read or written.
3
Optical drive
Internal optical drive; accepts CDs or DVDs
depending on the optical drive type.
Note: The slot-load optical drive is only available on selected
models.
Rear view
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1
Icon
Item
Description
Security keylock
Connects to a Kensington-compatible
computer security lock.
2
3
Power jack
Connects to an AC adaptor.
Modem jack (RJ-11) Connects to a phone line.
4
5
Network jack
USB 2.0 port
Connects to an Ethernet 10/100/1000-
based network.
Connects to USB 2.0 devices (e.g., USB
mouse, USB camera).
5
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6
Icon
Item
External display port Connects to a display device
(e.g., external monitor, LCD projector).
Description
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Ventilation slots
Enable the computer to stay cool, even
after prolonged use.
Base view
#
1
2
3
Item
Description
Wireless LAN bay Houses the computer's wireless LAN.
Battery lock
Locks the battery in place.
Battery release
latch
Releases the battery for removal.
4
5
Battery bay
Cooling fan
Houses the computer's battery pack.
Helps keep the computer cool.
Note: Do not cover or obstruct the opening of the fan.
6
Memory and
hard disk bay
Houses the computer's main memory and hard disk
(secured by a screw).
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Specifications
Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition
Operating
system
Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional
Microsoft® Windows® XP Media Center Edition 2005
Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional x64 Edition
Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition N
Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional Edition N
Aspire 3020 Series
Platform
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Mobile AMD Sempron™ processor 2600+/3000+
or higher with 128 KB L2 cache, or
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Mobile AMD Sempron™ processor 2800+/3100+
or higher with 256 KB L2 cache
Aspire 5020 Series
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AMD Turion™ 64 ML-28/ML-32 processor at
1.6/1.8 GHz or higher with 128 KB L1 cache and
512 KB L2 cache, or
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AMD Turion™ 64 ML-30/ML-34/ML-37/ML-40
processor at 1.6/1.8/2.0/2.2 GHz or higher with
128 KB L1 cache and 1 MB L2 cache
ATI RS480M and SB400 chipset
System memory 256/512 MB of DDR333 memory, upgradeable to 2 GB
using two soDIMM modules
Display and
graphics
Thin-Film Transistor (TFT) displaying at:
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15" XGA (1024 x 768)
15" SXGA+ (1400 x1050)
15.4" WXGA (1280 x 800)
15.4" WSXGA+ (1680 x 1050)
16.7 million colors
ATI MOBILITY™ RADEON® X600 (for selected models), or
ATI MOBILITY™ RADEON® X700 (for selected models)
Simultaneous LCD and CRT display
DualView™ support
MPEG-2/DVD hardware-assisted capability
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Storage
subsystem
One 40 GB or larger hard disk drive
Optical drive options:
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DVD-Super Multi double layer drive
DVD-Dual double layer drive
DVD/CD-RW combo drive
6-in-1 card reader
(MS/MS PRO/MMC/SD/SM/xD-Picture Card)
Dimension and
weight
363 (W) x 278 (D) x 24.0/32.9 (H) mm
(14.3 x 10.9 x 0.9/1.3 inches)
3.07 Kg (6.77 lbs.) for 15.4" LCD model
Power
subsystem
ACPI 1.0b power management standard: supports Standby
and Hibernation power-saving modes
60 W Li-ion battery pack
3.5-hour battery life
2.5-hour quick-charge; 3.5-hour charge-in-use
90 W AC adaptor
Input devices
Audio
88-/89-key keyboard
Touchpad with 4-way integrated scroll button
Six easy-launch buttons
Audio system with two built-in speakers
MS-Sound compatible
Communication Modem: 56K ITU V.90/V.92 with PTT approval;
Wake-on-Ring ready
LAN: gigabit Ethernet (for selected models);
Wake-on-LAN ready
WLAN (manufacturing option): integrated 802.11b/g
dual-mode (for selected models), or 802.11a/b/g dual-band
tri-mode Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ WLAN solution (for selected
models); Acer SignalUp wireless technology support
WPAN (manufacturing option): integrated Bluetooth®
Software
Acer Launch Manager
Acer eManager (ePresentation/eRecovery/eSettings)
Acer GridVista
Acer System Recovery CD
Norton AntiVirus™
Adobe® Reader®
CyberLink® PowerDVD™
NTI CD-Maker™
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I/O interface
Four USB 2.0 ports
IEEE 1394 port
Ethernet (RJ-45) port
Modem (RJ-11) port
External display (VGA) port
S-video/TV-out port
Microphone/line-in jack
Headphones/speaker/line-out port
Infrared (FIR) port
Type II PC Card slot
6-in-1 card reader
DC-in jack for AC adaptor
Kensington lock slot
Security
BIOS user and supervisor passwords
Options and
accessories
256/512 MB and 1 GB soDIMM memory
Li-ion battery pack
90 W AC adaptor
Environment
Temperature:
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Operating: 5° C to 35° C
Non-operating: -20° C to 65° C
Humidity (non-condensing):
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Operating: 20% to 80%
Non-operating: 20% to 80%
System
compliance
Mobile PC 2001
ACPI 1.0b
DMI 2.0
Wi-Fi®
Warranty
One-year International Travelers Warranty (ITW)
Note: The specifications listed above are for reference only. The
exact configuration of your PC depends on the model purchased.
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Indicators
The computer has four easy-to-read status indicators on the upper-right above
the keyboard, and four on the front panel.
The power, battery, and wireless communication status indicators are visible
even when the LCD display is closed.
Icon
Function
Description
Caps Lock
Lights up when Caps Lock is activated.
Num Lock
Lights up when Num Lock is activated.
Media activity Indicates when the hard disk or optical drive is active.
Bluetooth
Wireless LAN
Power
Indicates the status of Bluetooth communication.
Indicates the status of wireless LAN communication.
Lights up when the computer is on.
Battery
Lights up when the battery is being charged.
1. Charging: The light shows amber when the battery is charging.
2. Fully charged: The light shows green when in AC mode.
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Launch keys
Located at the upper-right, above the keyboard are four buttons. These buttons
are called launch keys. They are: mail, Web browser, Acer Empowering Key
"
" and one user-programmable button.
The mail and Web buttons are pre-set to email and Internet programs, but can
be reset by users. To set the Web browser, mail and programmable keys, run the
Launch key
Mail
Default application
Email application (user-programmable)
Internet browser (user-programmable)
Acer eManager (user-programmable)
Web browser
User-programmable
P
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Touchpad
The built-in touchpad is a pointing device that senses movement on its surface.
This means the cursor responds as you move your finger across the surface of
the touchpad. The central location on the palmrest provides optimum comfort
and support.
Touchpad basics
The following items show you how to use the touchpad:
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Move your finger across the touchpad (2) to move the cursor.
Press the left (1) and right (4) buttons located beneath the touchpad to
perform selection and execution functions. These two buttons are similar
to the left and right buttons on a mouse. Tapping on the touchpad is the
same as clicking the left button.
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Use the 4-way scroll (3) button to scroll up or down and move left or right
a page. This button mimics your cursor pressing on the right scroll bar of
Windows applications.
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Right
button (4)
Center
button (3)
Function Left button (1)
Main touchpad (2)
Execute
Quickly click
twice.
Tap twice (at the same
speed as double-clicking
a mouse button).
Select
Drag
Click once.
Tap once.
Click and hold,
then use
finger on the
touchpad to
drag the
Tap twice (at the same
speed as double-clicking
a mouse button); rest
your finger on the
touchpad on the second
tap and drag the cursor.
cursor.
Access
context
menu
Click once.
Scroll
Click and
hold to move
up/down/
left/right.
Note: Keep your fingers dry and clean when using the touchpad.
Also keep the touchpad dry and clean. The touchpad is sensitive to
finger movement; hence, the lighter the touch, the better the
response. Tapping harder will not increase the touchpad's
responsiveness.
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Using the keyboard
The keyboard has full-sized keys and an embedded keypad, separate cursor
keys, two Windows keys and 12 function keys.
Lock keys and embedded numeric keypad
The keyboard has three lock keys which you can toggle on and off.
Lock key
Description
Caps Lock
When Caps Lock is on, all alphabetic characters typed are
in uppercase.
Num Lock
<Fn> + <F11>
When Num Lock is on, the embedded keypad is in numeric
mode. The keys function as a calculator (complete with the
arithmetic operators +, -, *, and /). Use this mode when you
need to do a lot of numeric data entry. A better solution
would be to connect an external keypad.
Scroll Lock
<Fn> + <F12>
When Scroll Lock is on, the screen moves one line up or down
when you press the up or down arrow keys respectively. Scroll
Lock does not work with some applications.
The embedded numeric keypad functions like a desktop numeric keypad. It is
indicated by small characters located on the upper right corner of the keycaps.
To simplify the keyboard legend, cursor-control key symbols are not printed on
the keys.
Desired access
Num Lock on
Num Lock off
Number keys on
embedded keypad
Type numbers in a normal
manner.
Cursor-control keys on Hold <Shift> while using
Hold <Fn> while using
cursor-control keys.
embedded keypad
cursor-control keys.
Main keyboard keys
Hold <Fn> while typing
Type the letters in a
letters on embedded keypad. normal manner.
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Windows keys
The keyboard has two keys that perform Windows-specific functions.
Key
Description
Windows
key
Pressed alone, this key has the same effect as clicking on
the Windows Start button; it launches the Start menu. It
can also be used with other keys to provide a variety of
functions:
<
<
<
<
<
<
> + <Tab> Activates the next Taskbar button.
> + <E> Opens the My Computer window.
> + <F1> Opens Help and Support.
> + <F>
> + <R>
Opens the Find: All Files dialog box.
Opens the Run dialog box.
> + <M> Minimizes all windows.
> + <M>
Undoes the minimize all windows action.
Application This key has the same effect as clicking the right mouse
<Shift> + <
key button; it opens the application's context menu.
Hotkeys
The computer employs hotkeys or key combinations to access most of the
computer's controls like screen brightness, volume output and the BIOS utility.
To activate hotkeys, press and hold the <Fn> key before pressing the other key
in the hotkey combination.
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Hotkey
Icon
Function
Description
<Fn> + <F1>
Hotkey help Displays help on hotkeys.
<Fn> + <F2>
<Fn> + <F3>
Acer
eSettings
Launches Acer eSettings in Acer
eManager. See "Acer eManager" on
Power
Launches the Power Scheme window.
management
<Fn> + <F4>
<Fn> + <F5>
Sleep
Puts the computer in Sleep mode.
Display
toggle
Switches display output between the
display screen, external monitor
(if connected) and both.
<Fn> + <F6>
Screen blank Turns the display screen backlight off to
save power. Press any key to return.
<Fn> + <F7>
<Fn> + <F8>
<Fn> + <↑>
Touchpad
toggle
Turns the internal touchpad on and off.
Turns the speakers on and off.
Increases the sound volume.
Speaker
toggle
Volume up
<Fn> + <↓>
<Fn> + <→>
Volume down Decreases the sound volume.
Brightness up Increases the screen brightness.
<Fn> + <
>
Brightness
down
Decreases the screen brightness.
←
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Special keys
You can locate the Euro symbol and the US dollar sign at the upper-center and/
or bottom-right of your keyboard. To type:
The Euro symbol
1
2
Open a text editor or word processor.
Either directly press the <Euro> key at the bottom-right of the keyboard,
or hold <Alt Gr> and then press the <5> key at the upper-center of the
keyboard.
Note: Some fonts and software do not support the Euro symbol.
more information.
The US dollar sign
1
2
Open a text editor or word processor.
Either directly press the <Dollar> key at the bottom-right of the keyboard,
or hold <Shift> and then press the <4> key at the upper-center of the
keyboard.
Note: This function varies according to the language settings.
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