Gateway E4500d Manual

							6www.gateway.com
Chapter 1: Getting Help
Identifying your computer
You can find your computer’s serial number on a label on the side of the computer case.
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							Chapter 2
7
Checking Out Your 
Gateway Computer
 Identifying features
 Locating your computer model and serial 
number
 Locating the Microsoft Certificate of 
Authenticity
 Locating the specifications for your 
computer
 Purchasing accessories
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Chapter 2: Checking Out Your Gateway Computer
Front
Your computer includes the following components.
DVD/CD drive 
Headphone jack Power button/
Pow er  i n di ca t o r Empty 5.25-inch 
drive bay
Diskette drive 
(optional)
USB ports Microphone jack
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Front
Component Icon Description
DVD/CD  drive Use this drive to listen to audio CDs, install games and programs, watch 
DVDs, and store large files onto recordable discs (depending on drive 
type). 
This drive may be a CD, recordable CD, DVD, or recordable DVD drive. 
To identify your drive type and for more information about your drive, see 
“Identifying drive types” on page 34.
Empty 5.25-inch 
drive bayInstall additional removable media drives (DVD, CD, or tape backup) in 
this empty drive bay.
Zip drive (optional - 
not shown)Use a Zip drive to store larger files on Zip disks. For more information, 
see “Using the Zip drive” on page 33.
Diskette drive 
(optional)Insert a standard 3.5-inch diskette into the optional diskette drive. For 
more information, see “Using the diskette drive” on page 32.
Power button / 
Power indicatorPress this button to turn the power on or off. You can also configure the 
power button to operate in Standby/Resume mode or Hibernate mode.
The button lights when the computer is turned on.
Microphone jack Plug a microphone into this jack. This jack is color-coded red or pink.
Headphone jack Plug powered, analog front speakers, an external amplifier, or 
headphones into this jack. This jack is color-coded green.
USB ports  Plug a USB (Universal Serial Bus) device (such as a printer, scanner, 
camera, keyboard, or mouse) into this port. For more information, see 
“Installing a printer, scanner, or other peripheral device” on page 29.
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Chapter 2: Checking Out Your Gateway Computer
Back
Your computer includes the following components:
Parallel port
Serial port
PS/2 keyboard port PS/2 mouse port Voltage switch Power connector
Ethernet (network) jack
Video port (integrated) Audio in/side speaker jack Case cover
thumbscrew
Headphone/front speaker jack
Microphone jack
USB ports Cover release lever
Case cover
thumbscrewPCI card slots (behind 
EMI shields)
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Back
Component Icon Description
Power connector Plug the power cord into this connector.
Voltage  switch Before turning on your computer, make sure that this switch is 
in the correct position for the correct power available. The 
switch is preset at the factory with the correct voltage for your 
area.
In the United States, the utility power is supplied at a nominal 
115 volts at 60 Hz. The power supply should always be set to 
this when your computer is operating in the United States. In 
other areas of the world, such as Europe, the utility power is 
supplied at 230 volts at 50 Hz. If your computer is operating 
in an environment such as this, the voltage switch should be 
moved to 230.
Case cover 
thumbscrewsRemove these screws before opening the case.
Cover release lever Squeeze toward the side of the case to open the computer 
cover.
Audio input (Line 
in) jack (blue)
-OR-
Side speaker jackIf the back of your computer has five audio jacks, this jack is 
user configurable for one of the following:
■Stereo in: plug an external audio input source (such as a 
stereo) into this jack so you can record sound on your 
computer (Default).
■Stereo out: plug your side left and right speakers into this 
jack.
For information on configuring this jack, see “Configuring the 
audio jacks” on page 27.
If the back of your computer has three audio jacks, this jack is 
the audio input (line in) jack. Plug an external audio input 
source (such as a stereo) into this jack so you can record sound 
on your computer. 
Headphone/analog 
speakers jack 
(green)
-OR-
Front speakers jack If the back of your computer has five audio jacks, this jack is 
user configurable for one of the following:
■Headphone: plug headphones or amplified speakers into this 
jack (Default).
■Stereo out: plug your front left and right speakers into this 
jack.
For information on configuring this jack, see “Configuring the 
audio jacks” on page 27.
If the back of your computer has three audio jacks, this jack is 
the headphone/analog speaker (line out) jack. Plug powered 
speakers, an external amplifier, or headphones into this jack. 
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Chapter 2: Checking Out Your Gateway Computer
Microphone jack 
(red or pink)Plug a microphone into this jack.
Ethernet (network) 
jackPlug a 10/100 Ethernet network cable or a device (such as a 
DSL or cable modem for a broadband Internet connection) into 
this jack.
For more information, see “Networking Your Computer” on 
page 79.
USB ports Plug USB (Universal Serial Bus) devices (such as a printer, 
scanner, camera, keyboard, or mouse) into these ports. For 
more information, see “Installing a printer, scanner, or other 
peripheral device” on page 29.
Video port 
(integrated)Plug a monitor into this port if you do not have an add-in video 
port.
Parallel  port Plug a parallel device (such as a printer) into this port. For more 
information, see “Installing a printer, scanner, or other 
peripheral device” on page 29.
Serial port Plug a serial device into this port. For more information, see 
“Installing a printer, scanner, or other peripheral device” on 
page 29.
PS/2 mouse port Plug a Personal System/2
® (PS/2) keyboard into this port.
PS/2 keyboard port Plug a PS/2 mouse into this port.
PCI card slots Remove the EMI shield from the corresponding PCI card slot 
when installing a PCI card.
Component Icon Description
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Locating your serial number
Locating your serial number
The label on the side of your computer case includes your computer serial number. Gateway 
Technical Support will need this information if you call for assistance.
Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity
The Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity label found on the back or side of your computer 
includes the product key code for your operating system.
Important The labels shown in this section are for informational purposes only. 
Label information varies by model, features ordered, and location.
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Chapter 2: Checking Out Your Gateway Computer
Finding your specifications
For more information about your computer, such as memory size, memory type, and hard 
drive size, visit Gateway’s Support page at support.gateway.com
. The Support page also has 
links to additional Gateway documentation and detailed specifications.
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Accessories
Accessories
To order accessories, visit the Accessory Store at accessories.gateway.com.
Memory
Large programs, such as multimedia games or graphics programs, use a lot of memory. If 
your programs are running more slowly than you think they should, try adding more 
memory.
Printers
You can attach almost any type of printer to your computer. The most common types are 
inkjet and laser printers, which print in color or black and white. See “Installing a printer, 
scanner, or other peripheral device” on page 29 for more information about attaching a 
printer.
Inkjet printers and cartridges are relatively inexpensive, but they are slower than laser 
printers. Using an inkjet color printer, you can print pictures, banners, and greeting cards, 
as well as documents.
Laser printers and cartridges are more expensive, but they print much faster than inkjet 
printers. Laser printers are better than inkjet printers when you are printing large 
documents.
Storage Devices 
If you need additional storage space or you want to back up your files, you can add storage 
devices to you computer.
With a recordable CD or DVD drive, you can free up hard drive space by backing up files, 
then removing them from your hard drive. Writable CDs can hold as much as 700 MB of 
data. Single layer writable DVDs can hold as much as 4700 MB of data. Dual layer writable 
DVDs hold as much as 8500 MB of data. For more information about using recordable 
drives, see “Creating CDs and DVDs” on page 36.
If you need to back up your entire system, you probably need a tape backup (TBU) drive. 
TBU drives, like tape recorders, use magnetic tape cartridges to store data. Tape drive 
cartridges can store 2 GB, 20 GB, 40 GB, 130 GB, or more of data.
If you want to increase your internal storage space, try replacing your existing hard drive 
with a larger drive.
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