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Listen to the line using your telephone. Dial a single number (such as 1). 
When the dial tone stops, listen for line noise. Wiggle the modem cable 
to see if that makes a difference. Make sure that the connectors are free 
from corrosion and all screws in the wall or telephone wall jack are secure.
You can also call your telephone service and have the telephone line 
checked for noise or low line levels.
■Try another telephone line (either a different telephone number in your 
house or a telephone line at a different location). If you can connect on 
this line, call your telephone service.
■Try connecting with the modem at a lower connection speed. If reducing 
the connect speed lets you connect, call your telephone service. The 
telephone line may be too noisy.
You cannot connect to the Internet
■The ISP may be having technical difficulties. Contact your ISP for technical 
support.
■See if the modem works with a different communications program. The 
problem may be with just one program.
Your 56K modem does not connect at 56K
Current FCC regulations restrict actual data transfer rates over public telephone 
lines to 53K. Other factors, such as line noise, telephone service provider 
equipment, or ISP limitations, may lower the speed even further.
If your notebook has a v.90 modem, the speed at which you can upload (send) 
data is limited to 33.6K. If your notebook has a v.92 modem, the speed at which 
you can upload data is limited to 48K. Your ISP may not support 48K uploads.
You can check modem connection speeds and dial-up network (DUN) 
connections by accessing the gateway.your.way dial-up server. The server also 
contains drivers, patches, and updates for current Gateway hardware and 
software.
The server provides a secure connection and is a stand-alone server. You cannot 
use it to access the Internet. The server cannot be accessed Mondays from 
8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. CT. 
						

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To access the gateway.your.way dial-up server:
1Insert the red Gateway CD into the CD or DVD drive.
2Click Help, then click Support Web Site.
3To check your modem connection speed, click the Direct Dial option. 
After your modem connects, move the mouse pointer over the 
Dial-Up Networking icon (located next to the clock on your taskbar). 
Your modem connection speed appears.
Your fax communications program only sends and receives faxes at 
14,400 bps when you have a 56K modem
Current fax technology only supports a maximum send and receive rate of 
14,400 bps.
The modem is not recognized by your notebook
■Make sure that the line connected to the modem is working and plugged 
into the appropriate port on your notebook. See “Left side” on page 3 to 
make sure that the connections have been made correctly.
■If the modem shares the telephone line with another device, make sure 
that the telephone line is not in use (for example, someone is on the 
telephone, or another modem is in use).
■Use the modem cable that came with your notebook. Some telephone 
cables do not meet required cable standards and may cause problems with 
the modem connection.
■Shut down and restart your notebook.
■Run Windows modem diagnostics.
To run modem diagnostics in Windows XP:
1Close all open programs.
2Click Start, then click Control Panel. The Control Panel window opens. 
If your Control Panel is in Category View, click 
Printers and Other 
Hardware
.
3Click/Double-click the Phone and Modem Options icon, then click the 
Modems tab. 
						

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4Click your modem, then click Properties. The Modem Properties dialog 
box opens.
5Click the Diagnostic tab, then click Query Modem. If information 
about the modem appears, the modem passed diagnostics. If no 
modem information is available, a white screen appears with no 
data, or if you get an error such as port already open or the modem 
has failed to respond, the modem did not pass diagnostics.
To run modem diagnostics in Windows 2000:
1Close all open programs.
2Click Start, Settings, then click Control Panel. The Control Panel 
window opens.
3Double-click the Modems icon. The Modems Properties window opens.
4Click the Diagnostic tab, click the COM port next to the name of 
the modem, then click 
More Info. The Modem Info dialog box opens. 
If information about the modem appears, the modem passed 
diagnostics. If no modem information is available, a white screen 
appears with no data, or if you get an error such as port already open 
or the modem has failed to respond, the modem did not pass 
diagnostics.
The modem is noisy when it dials and connects
When your modem tries to connect to another modem, it begins handshaking. 
Handshaking is a digital “getting acquainted” conversation between the two 
modems that establishes connection speeds and communication protocols. You 
may hear unusual handshaking sounds when the modems first connect. If the 
handshaking sounds are too loud, you can turn down the modem volume.
Help and 
SupportFor more information about modem troubleshooting in 
Windows XP, click Start, then click Help and Support.
Type the keyword modem troubleshooting in the 
HelpSpot Search box  , then click 
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To turn down the modem volume in Windows XP:
1Click Start, then click Control Panel. The Control Panel window opens. 
If your Control Panel is in Category View, click 
Printers and Other 
Hardware
.
2Click/Double-click the Phone and Modem Options icon, then click the 
Modems tab.
3Click the modem you want to adjust, then click Properties.
4Click the Modem tab, then adjust the Speaker volume control.
5Click OK twice to close the Phone and Modem Options dialog box.
To turn down the modem volume in Windows 2000:
1Click Start, Settings, then click Control Panel. The Control Panel 
window opens.
2Double-click the Modems icon. The Modems Properties dialog box 
opens.
3Click the General tab, click the modem you want to adjust, then click 
Properties.
4Adjust the Speaker volume control.
5Click OK.
Mouse
The external mouse does not work
■Make sure that the mouse cable is plugged in correctly.
■Shut down and restart your notebook.
■Remove all extension cables and switch boxes.
■Try a mouse you know is working to make sure that the mouse port works. 
						

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The external mouse works erratically
■Clean the mouse. For more information, see “Cleaning the mouse” on 
page 220.
■Some mouse pad patterns “confuse” optical mice. Try the mouse on a 
different surface.
Networks
You cannot connect to your company network
Every network is unique. Contact your company computer department or 
network administrator for help.
Passwords
Your notebook does not accept your password
Make sure that CAPS LOCK and PAD LOCK are turned off, then retype the 
password.
You forgot your startup password
The password feature (which is set in the BIOS Setup utility) is very secure, with 
no easy way to recover a forgotten password. You must return your notebook 
for repair. Call Gateway Technical Support for instructions.
Help and 
SupportFor a video tutorial about cleaning the mouse, click Start, 
then click Help and Support.
Type the keyword mouse troubleshooting in the 
HelpSpot Search box  , then click 
the arrow.
Help and 
SupportFor more information about network troubleshooting in 
Windows XP, click Start, then click Help and Support.
Type the keyword network troubleshooting in the 
HelpSpot Search box  , then click 
the arrow. 
						

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PC Cards
You installed a PC Card and now your notebook is having problems
■Make sure that you have correctly installed required software for the 
PC Card. For more information, see your PC Card’s documentation.
■Make sure that the PC Card you installed is not causing a system resource 
conflict. For more information on resource conflicts, see “Device 
installation” on page 252.
Power
Your notebook is not working on AC power
■Make sure that your AC power adapter is connected correctly to your 
notebook. For more information, see “Connecting the AC adapter” on 
page 16.
■If your notebook is plugged into a surge protector, make sure that the surge 
protector is connected securely to an electrical outlet, turned on, and 
working correctly. To test the outlet, plug a working device, such as a lamp, 
into the outlet and turn it on.
■Make sure that the AC power adapter cables are free from cuts or damage. 
Replace any damaged cables.
Your notebook is not working on battery power
■Make sure that the battery is installed correctly. For more information, see 
“Changing batteries” on page 145.
■Make sure that the battery is fully recharged. For more information, see 
“Recharging the battery” on page 143.
■Make sure that the battery is calibrated correctly. For more information, 
see “Recalibrating the battery” on page 144.
Printer
The printer will not turn on
■Make sure that the printer is online. Many printers have an online/offline 
button that you may need to press.
■Make sure that the power cable is plugged into an AC power source. 
						

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The printer is on but will not print
■Check the cable between the printer and your notebook. Make sure that 
it is connected to the correct port.
■Make sure that the printer is online. Many printers have an online/offline 
button that you may need to press so the printer can start printing. Press 
the button to put the printer online.
■Check the port and cable for bent or broken pins.
■If the printer you want to print to is not the default printer, make sure 
that you have selected it in the printer setup.
To set a default printer in Windows XP:
1Click Start, then click Control Panel. The Control Panel window opens. 
If your Control Panel is in Category View, click 
Printers and Other 
Hardware
.
2Click/Double-click the Printers and Faxes icon. The Printers and Faxes 
window opens.
3Right-click the name of the printer you want to be the default 
printer, then click 
Set as Default Printer.
To set a default printer in Windows 2000:
1Click Start, Settings, then click Printers.
2Right-click on the name of the printer you want to be the default 
printer, then click 
Set as Default.
■Reinstall the printer driver. See the guide that came with your printer for 
instructions on installing the printer driver.
You see a “Printer queue is full” error message
■Make sure that the printer is not set to work offline. 
						

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To make sure that the printer is not set to work offline in Windows XP:
1Click Start, then click Control Panel. The Control Panel window opens. 
If your Control Panel is in Category View, click 
Printers and Other 
Hardware
.
2Click/Double-click the Printers and Faxes icon. The Printers and Faxes 
window opens.
3Right-click the name of the printer you want to use. If the menu 
shows a check mark next to 
Use Printer Offline, click Use Printer Offline 
to clear the check mark.
To make sure that the printer is not set to work offline in 
Windows 2000:
1Click Start, Settings, then click Printers.
2Right-click the name of the printer you want to use. If the menu 
shows a check mark next to 
Use Printer Offline, click Use Printer Offline 
to clear the check mark.
■Wait until files have been printed before sending additional files to the 
printer.
■If you print large files or many files at one time, you may want to add 
additional memory to the printer. See the printer documentation for 
instructions for adding additional memory.
You see a “Printer is out of paper” error message
After adding paper, make sure that the printer is online. Most printers have an 
online/offline button that you need to press after adding paper.
Help and 
SupportFor more information about printer troubleshooting in 
Windows XP, click Start, then click Help and Support.
Type the keyword printer troubleshooter in the 
HelpSpot Search box  , then click 
the arrow. 
						

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Sound
You are not getting sound from the built-in speakers
■Make sure that headphones are not plugged into the headphone jack. For 
the location of the headphone jack, see “Right side” on page 4.
■Make sure that the volume control on your notebook is turned up. For 
more information, see “System key combinations” on page 26.
■Make sure that the Windows volume control is turned up. For more 
information, see “Adjusting the volume in Windows XP” on page 78 or 
“Adjusting the volume in Windows 2000” on page 81.
■Make sure that mute controls are turned off. For more information about 
the mute setting, see “System key combinations” on page 26 or “Adjusting 
the volume in Windows XP” on page 78 or “Adjusting the volume in 
Windows 2000” on page 81.
Video
The external monitor is not working
■Make sure that you have pressed FN+LCD/CRT to activate the external 
monitor option.
■Make sure that the monitor is turned on and that the video cable is 
connected correctly.
TV out is not working
■Make sure that you have activated TV out. For more information, see 
“Viewing the display on a television” on page 122.
■Make sure that the television is turned on and that the S-Video cable is 
connected correctly.
■Televisions in different countries use different standards. If you are 
traveling, you may need to change the TV Out mode. For more 
information, see “Viewing the display on a television” on page 122.
Help and 
SupportFor more information about troubleshooting sound issues 
in Windows XP, click Start, then click Help and Support.
Type the keyword sound troubleshooter in the HelpSpot 
Search box  , then click the arrow. 
						

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Telephone support
Before calling Gateway Technical Support
If you have a technical problem with your notebook, follow these 
recommendations before contacting Gateway Technical Support:
■Make sure that your notebook is connected correctly to a grounded 
AC outlet that is supplying power. If you use a surge protector, make sure 
that it is turned on.
■If a peripheral device, such as a keyboard or mouse, does not appear to 
work, make sure that all cables are plugged in securely.
■If you have recently installed hardware or software, make sure that you 
have installed it according to the instructions provided with it. If you did 
not purchase the hardware or software from Gateway, see the 
manufacturer’s documentation and technical support resources.
■If you have “how to” questions about using a program, see:
■Online Help
■Printed documentation
■The Microsoft Windows documentation
■The software publisher’s Web site
■See the troubleshooting section of this chapter.
■Have your customer ID, serial number, and order number available, along 
with a detailed description of your problem, including the exact text of 
any error messages, and the steps you have taken.
■Make sure that your notebook is nearby at the time of your call. The 
technician may have you follow troubleshooting steps.
WarningTo avoid bodily injury, do not attempt to troubleshoot your 
notebook problem if:
■Power cords or plugs are damaged■Liquid has been spilled into your notebook■Your notebook was dropped■The case was damaged
Instead, unplug your notebook and contact a qualified 
computer technician.