Acer Aspire 5242 Service Guide

							Chapter 113
NOTE: Illustrations are for reference only. The exact configuration of your PC depends on the model 
purchased.
NOTE: When using the touchpad, keep it — and your fingers — 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 touchpads responsiveness.
NOTE: By default, vertical and horizontal scrolling is enabled on your touchpad. It can be disabled under 
Mouse settings in Windows Control Panel.
Using the Keyboard
The keyboard has full-sized keys and an embedded numeric keypad, separate cursor, lock, Windows, function 
and special keys.
Lock Keys and embedded numeric keypad
The keyboard has three lock keys which you can toggle on and off.
The embedded numeric keypad functions like a desktop numeric keypad. It is indicated by small characters 
located on the upper right corner of the key caps. To simplify the keyboard legend, cursor-control key symbols 
are not printed on the keys.
FunctionLeft button (2)Right button (3)Main touchpad (1)
Execute Quickly click twice. Tap twice (at the same speed as double-clicking 
a mouse button).
Select Click once. Tap once.
Drag Click and hold, then use 
finger on the touchpad 
to drag the cursor.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.
Access 
context menuClick once.
Lock keyDescription
Caps Lock When Caps Lock is on, all alphabetic characters typed are 
in uppercase.
Num Lock 
 + 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.
NOTE:  +  works only for certain models.
Scroll Lock  + 
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.
Desired accessNum Lock onNum Lock off
Number keys on 
embedded keypadType numbers in a normal manner.
Cursor-control keys on 
embedded keypadHold  while using cursor-
control keys.Hold  while using cursor-
control keys. 
						

							14Chapter 1
Windows Keys
The keyboard has two keys that perform Windows-specific functions. Main keyboard keys Hold  while typing letters on 
embedded keypad.Type the letters in a normal 
manner.
KeyDescription
Windows 
keyPressed 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:
< >: Open or close the Start menu
< > + : Display the desktop
< > + : Open Windows Explore
< > + : Search for a file or folder
< > + : Cycle through Sidebar gadgets
< > + : Lock your computer (if you are connected to a network domain), or 
switch users (if youre not connected to a network domain)
< > + : Minimizes all windows
< > + : Open the Run dialog box
< > + : Cycle through programs on the taskbar
< > + : Open Ease of Access Center
< > + : Open Windows Mobility Center
< > + : Display the System Properties dialog box
< > + : Restore minimized windows to the desktop
< > + : Cycle through programs on the taskbar by using Windows Flip 3-
D
< > + : Bring all gadgets to the front and select Windows 
Sidebar
 + < > + : Search for computers (if you are on a network)
 + < > + : Use the arrow keys to cycle through programs on the 
taskbar by using Windows Flip 3-D
Note: Depending on your edition of Windows Vista, some shortcuts may not 
function as described.
Application 
key This key has the same effect as clicking the right mouse button; it opens the 
applications context menu.
Desired accessNum Lock onNum Lock off 
						

							Chapter 115
Hot Keys
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 hot keys, press and hold the  key before pressing the other key in the hotkey combination.
HotkeyIconFunctionDescription
 +  Acer eSettings Launches Acer eSettings in Acer Empowering 
Technology. 
 +  Bluetooth Enables/disables Bluetooth function.
 +  Sleep Puts the computer in Sleep mode.
 +  Display toggle Switches display output between the display 
screen, external monitor (if connected) and 
both.
 +  Screen blank Turns the display screen backlight off to save 
power. Press any key to return.
 +  Speaker toggle Turns the speakers on and off.
 + < > Brightness up Increases the screen brightness.
 + < > Brightness down Decreases the screen brightness.
 + < > Volume up Increases the sound volume
(only for certain models).
 + < > Volume down Decreases the sound volume
(only for certain models).  
						

							16Chapter 1
Special Key (only for certain models)
You can locate the Euro symbol and the US dollar sign at the upper-center 
and/or bottom-right of your keyboard. 
The Euro symbol
1.Open a text editor or word processor.
2.Either press < > on the keyboard, or hold  and then press the  key at the upper-center of 
the keyboard.
NOTE: Some fonts and software do not support the Euro symbol. Please refer to www.microsoft.com/
typography/faq/faq12.htm for more information.
The US dollar sign
1.Open a text editor or word processor.
2.Either press < > at the bottom-right of the keyboard, or hold  and then press the  key at the 
upper-center of the keyboard.
NOTE: This function varies according to the language settings. 
						

							Chapter 117
Using the System Utilities
Acer GridVista (dual-display compatible)
NOTE: This feature is only available on certain models.
To enable the dual monitor feature of the notebook, first ensure that the second monitor is connected, then 
select Start, Control Panel, Display and click on Settings. Select the secondary monitor (2) icon in the 
display box and then click the check box Extend my windows desktop onto this monitor. Finally, click 
Apply to confirm the new settings and click OK to complete the process.
Acer GridVista is a handy utility that offers four pre-defined display settings so you can view multiple windows 
on the same screen. To access this function, please go to Start>All Programs and click on Acer GridVista. 
You may choose any one of the four display settings indicated below:
Double (vertical), Triple (primary at left), Triple (primary at right), or Quad Acer Gridvista is dual-display 
compatible, allowing two displays to be partitioned independently.
Acer Gridvista is dual-display compatible, allowing two displays to be partitioned independently.
AcerGridVista is simple to set up:
1.   Run Acer GridVista and select your preferred screen configuration for each display from the task bar.
2.Drag and drop each window into the appropriate grid.
3.Enjoy the convenience of a well-organized desktop.
Note:
Start  Control Panel  Display
Settings (2)
Extend my windows desktop onto this monitor
Apply OK
Start  All Programs Acer GridVista 
						

							18Chapter 1
NOTE: Please ensure that the resolution setting of the second monitor is set to the manufacturers 
recommended value. 
						

							Chapter 119
Hardware Specifications and Configurations
Processor
Throttling 50%: On= 99 C; OFF=93 C
OS shut down at 105 C; H/W shot down at 110 .C
 
ItemSpecification
CPU type Aspire 5738DG: Intel® Core™2 Duo Mobile Processor P7350 (2.0 GHz)
Aspire 5738DZG: Intel® Core™2 Duo Mobile Processor  T4300 (2.1 GHz)
Aspire 5738G:  Intel® Core™2 Duo Mobile Processor P7450 (2.13GHz), T6400 
(2.0 GHz) and T6600 (2.2GHz) 
Aspire 5738ZG: Intel® Core™2 Duo Mobile Processor T4200 (2.0 GHz)
Aspire 5738Z:    Intel® Core™2 Duo Mobile Processor T4200 (2.0 GHz)
Aspire 5738:       Intel® Core™2 Duo Mobile Processor T6400 (2.0 GHz)
Aspire 5338:       Intel CMT1600
Aspire 5542G:  AMD Turion M620 2.5G 2M and AMD Turion M600 2.4G 2M 
Aspire 5542: AMD Turion II M520 2.3G
Aspire 5242: Mobile AMD Sempron M100 2.0G
Aspire 5536/5536G/5236 Series: 
AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 dual-core mobile processor 2.1GHz
AMD Turion™ X2 Ultra dual-core mobile processor 2.2GHz/2.1GHz
Mobile AMD Sempron™ processor 2.1GHz
Core logic Aspire 5738DG/5738DZG and Aspire 5738G/5738ZG/5738Z/5738/5338: 
Mobile Intel® GM45/GL40/PM45 Express Chipset
Aspire 5536/5536G/5236: AMD M780G Chipset
CPU package  Aspire 5738DG/5738DZG and Aspire 5738G/5738ZG/5738Z/5738/5338: 478-pin 
micro-FCPGA
Aspire 5536/5536G/5236: Socket S1
CPU core voltage Aspire 5738DG/5738DZG and Aspire 5738G/5738ZG/5738Z/5738/5338: 1.0375V 
to 1.3V
Aspire 5536/5536G/5236: 1.35V to 1.5V
CPU Fan True Value Table
DTS(degree C)Fan Speed (rpm)Acoustic Level (dBA)
45-50 0-3000 29
55-66 0-3300 33
68-74 3300-3800 38
78-83 3800-4100 40
86-91 4100-4800 40
BIOS
ItemSpecification
BIOS vendor Phoenix
BIOS Version 1.04c

 
						

							20Chapter 1
 
NOTE: Above table lists some system memory configurations. You may combine DIMMs with various 
capacities to form other combinations. On above table, the configuration of slot 1 and slot 2 could be 
reversed.
LAN Module    System Memory
ItemSpecification
Memory controller Built-in 
Memory size 0MB (no on-board memory)
DIMM socket number 2 sockets
Supports memory size per socket 2048MB
Supports maximum memory size 4G for 64bit OS (with two 2GB SODIMM)
Supports DIMM type DDR 3 synchronous DRAM
DDR 2 synchronous DRAM
Supports DIMM Speed 800/1066 MHz; 667/800 MHz
Supports DIMM voltage 1.5V 
Supports DIMM package 240-pin soDIMM
Memory module combinations You can install memory modules in any combinations as long as 
they match the above specifications.
Memory Combinations
Slot 1Slot 2Total Memory
0MB 512MB 512MB
0MB 1024MB 1024MB
0MB 2048MB 2048MB
512MB 512MB 1024MB
512MB 1024MB 1536MB
512MB 2048MB 2560MB
1024MB 0MB 1024MB
1024MB 512MB 1536MB
1024MB 1024MB 2048MB
1024MB 2048MB 3072MB
2048MB 0MB 2048MB
2048MB 512MB 2560MB
2048MB 1024MB 3072MB
2048MB 2048MB 4096MB
ItemSpecification
LAN Chipset Broadcom BCM5784
Supports LAN protocol 10/100/1000 Mbps
LAN connector type RJ45
LAN connector location Left side
Features Integrated 10/100 BASE-T transceiver
Wake on LAN support compliant with ACPI 2.0
PCI v2.2 
						

							Chapter 121
 
Bluetooth Interface
ItemSpecification
Chipset Foxconn Bluetooth FOX_BRM_2.0 F/W 300; Foxconn 
Bluetooth BRM 2046 BT2.1
Data throughput 723 bps (full speed data rate)
Protocol Bluetooth 1.1 (Upgradeable to Bluetooth 1.2 when SIG 
specification is ratified).
Interface USB 1.1
Connector type USB
Wireless Module 802.11b/g/n
ItemSpecification
Chipset Aspire 5738DG/5738DZG Series and Aspire 5738G/
5738ZG/5738Z/5738/5338 Series: Unex HB95; LAN Intel 
WLAN 512AN_HMWG Shirley Peak 5100 MM#895373; 
Foxconn Wireless LAN Atheros AR5B91 1x2 BGN/WLAN 
802.11ABGN SHIRLEYPEAK1*2; Lan Intel WLAN 
533AN_MMWG Shirley Peak MM#895362
Aspire 5536/5536G/5236 Series: Foxconn Wireless LAN 
Atheros AR5B91 1x2 BGN; QMI Wireless LAN Atheros 
AR5B91 1x2 BGN; Foxconn FOX_ATH_XB63; Foxconn 
Atheros XB63 minicard b/g
Aspire 5542G/5542/5242 Series: Foxconn Wireless LAN 
Atheros HB95 1x1 BG (HM); QMI Wireless LAN Atheros 
HB93 1x2 BGN (HM)
Data throughput 11~54 Mbps, up to 270 Mbps for Draft-N
Protocol 802.11b+g, Draft-N
Interface PCI bus (mini PCI socket for wireless module)
Hard Disk Drive Interface
Item
Vendor & 
Model NameHDD WD 2.5 
5400rpm 160GB 
WD1600BEVT-
22ZCTO 
SEAGATE 2.5 
5400rpm 160GB 
ST9160314ASHGST 2.5 5400rpm 
250GB 
HTS545025B9A300
SEAGATE 2.5 
5400rpm 250GBHGST 2.5 5400rpm 
320GB 
HTS545032B9A300 
HDD WD 2.5 
5400rpm 320GB 
WD3200BEVT-
22ZCT0 22ZCT0 HGST 2.5 5400rpm 
500GB 
HTS545050B9A300
Capacity 
(MB)160000 250000 320000 500000
Bytes per 
sector512 512 512 512
Data heads 3/4 2 3 4
Drive Format
Disks 2 1 2 2
Spind le 
speed 
(RPM)5400 RPM 5400 RPM 5400 RPM 5400 RPM
Performance Specifications 
						

							22Chapter 1
Buffer size  8MB 8MB 8MB 8MB
Interface SATA SATA SATA SATA
Max. media 
transfer rate 
(disk-buffer, 
Mbytes/s)540 875
(Max. 3.0 Gbit/s 
Buffer-host data 
transfer) 875
(Max. 3.0 Gbit/s 
Buffer-host data 
transfer)875
(Max. 3.0 Gbit/s 
Buffer-host data 
transfer)
DC Power Requirements
Voltage 
tolerance5V(DC) +/- 5% 5V(DC) +/- 5%5V(DC) +/- 5% 5V(DC) +/- 5%
Optical Disc Drive
ItemSpecification
Vendor & model name HLDS Super-Multi Drive DL 8X GT30N LF 
SONY  Super-Multi Drive DL 8X AD-7590S LF
SONY  Super-Multi Drive DL 8X AD-7580S LF
TOSHIBA  Super-Multi Drive DL 8X TS-L633B LF
TOSHIBA Super-Multi Drive DL 8X TS-L633C 
Performance Specification With CD Diskette With DVD Diskette
Transfer rate (KB/sec) Sustained:
Max 3.6Mbytes/secSustained:
Max 10.08Mbytes/sec
Buffer Memory 2MB
Interface SATA
Applicable disc format Applicable disc format
CD: CD-DA, CD-ROM, CD-ROM XA, Photo CD (multi-session), Video 
CD, Cd-Extra (CD+), CD-text
DVD: DVD-VIDEO, DVD-ROM, DVD-R (3.9GB, 4.7GB) DVD-R DL, 
DVD-RW, DVD-RAM, DVD+R, DVD+R DL, DVD+RW
CD:
CD-DA (Red Book) - Standard Audio CD & CD-TEXT 
CD-ROM (Yellow Book Mode1 & 2) - Standard Data
CD-ROM XA (Mode2 Form1 & 2) - Photo CD, Multi-Session
CD-I (Green Book, Mode2 Form1 & 2, Ready, Bridge)
CD-Extra/ CD-Plus (Blue Book) - Audio & Text/Video
Video-CD (White Book) - MPEG1 Video
CD-R (Orange Book Part)
CD-RW & HSRW (Orange Book Part Volume1 & Volume 2
Super Audio CD (SACD) Hybrid type 
US & US+ RW
DVD:
DVD-ROM (Book 1.02), DVD-Dual
DVD-Video (Book 1.1)
DVD-R (Book 1.0, 3.9G) 
DVD-R (Book 2.0, 4.7G) - General & Authoring
DVD+R (Version 1.0) 
DVD+RW
DVD-RW (Non CPRM & CPRM)
DVD°”R Dual  Hard Disk Drive Interface
Item