What should I do if my laptop is not running correctly?

Troubleshooting problems on your notebook computer is simple and a matter of narrowing down the problem. In general, some of the most common areas that cause your laptop to function abnormally are:
- You installed new software.
- You added new memory.
- You added new hardware device(s).
The best thing to do is to back-track. If you have added something new and then all of a sudden your notebook starts to misbehave then undo the steps and see if the laptop is back to normal. If it is, then you know that the problem occurring is due to whatever was installed.

What do I do if my system freezes up?

If your laptop system freezes, press Ctrl, Alt and Delete simultaneously. In the 'Close Program' window, select 'Free Access' and click 'End Task'.

My system won't boot. What should I do?

Check the possible causes. If you are running on AC power (as when it is plugged into the wall socket) check to make sure the AC connection is good. Plug in another appliance that you know works. Flip the wall switch on and off. If you are running the system on DC (battery power), try using AC. Connect the AC adapter and plug in the notebook computer. If it still refuses to boot, the internal AC-DC converter may have a short.

After I reinstalled Windows, now my PCMCIA modem is not working, now what do I need to do to get the modem to work?

You probably do not have the right drivers installed. Check to see that you have loaded the appropriate software for the card you are trying to use. If you still have problems getting the card to work, contact the PCMCIA Card manufacturer for product support, and find out if the card is a listed compatible product for the model you have. If your PCMCIA modem is not working, check System Properties, Device Manager, and check to see if the Controller of the PCMCIA socket is Intel PCIC compatible PCMCIA controller. If it is, then go to Control Panel, Modems, click on Diagnostics, click on the COM Port that is listed for use by your modem. Click More Info. That should tell you whether your modem is installed properly or not. If you cannot find a COM port listed with your modem, then you have not loaded the modem driver. If that is the case, try installing and reinstalling the modem driver.

What do I do if the battery cannot be fully charged in the 3.5 hours by the power off method?

The battery pack might be over-discharging. Do the following:
1. Power off the computer.
2. Make sure that the over-discharged battery pack in in the computer.
3. Connect the AC Adapter to the computer and let it charge.
If the battery pack cannot be fully charged in 24 hours, use a new battery pack.

If the Optional Quick Charger is available, use it to charge the over-discharged battery pack.

What if my computer shuts down before the battery status indicator shows empty or my computer operates after the battery status indicator shows empty?

Repeat discharging and charging the battery pack at least three times.

What if the operating time for a fully charged pack is short?

Repeat discharging and charging the battery pack three to six times. If you still have a problem, use a new battery pack.

What if the computer does not operate with a fully charged battery pack?

The over-current protective function in the battery pack might be activated. Power off the computer for 1 minute to reset this function; then power it on again.

When my computer runs from battery it starts beeping after 10-15 min. Why is that?

- Plug your AC adapter in, and power on your system. Go to the CMOS setup by doing a FN + F2 keys. Take a look at the % of the battery, and remove the AC adapter and let it discharge here.
- Your battery icon will start to blink when the % gets low. Press ESC and y (for the Slimnote 8 series) ESC and F4 for the Slimnote 6 series. Try to get the % to the lowest possible it will go. Once this is done then power down your computer.
- Plug the AC adapter in and let the system charge the battery. The charge should take anywhere from one to two hours. Once the charge light goes off then remove the AC adapter and power on your unit. Go into the CMOS settings as in step 1 and verify the charge % on the battery is 100% or close to it. If it is not then exit out and power off your system and plug your AC adapter back in and let it charge further taking note how long the charge light remains on.
- After doing all of this please power on your unit and re-verify your %. You battery should be charged and you should get one hour of time from the battery.

How do I condition the battery to get a better charge?

- Fully charge the battery.
- Power up the system.
- Go into the CMOS setup by hitting 'F2' on power up.
- Run the battery down while staying in the setup screen until the unit completely dies.
- Repeat the process at least 3 times, to get better battery performance.

Battery does not seem to be charging. How long does it to take to charge my battery?

Normally it takes two hours to charge the battery if you are not operating the system. If the battery does not seem to be charging, cycle the battery. In other words, discharge then recharge it again!
- Unplug the laptop from the AC adapter and turn it on.
- Let the computer run under battery power until the laptop turns off.
- Remove the battery pack.
- Using a soft cloth, wipe off the battery packs connectors and the AC adapter connectors.
- Re-insert the battery pack.
- Plug the computer into the AC adapter and check the wall outlet, making sure the connection is firm.
- With the PC turned off, let the battery charge until the battery status light or icon glows green.
- Unplug the AC adapter.
- Remove the battery.
- Wait 30 seconds and re-insert the battery.
- Plug the AC adapter back in.
- Let the battery recharge until the battery status light turns green or the icon displays 100%.
- Now your battery should be fully charged.
- Unplug the laptop from the AC wall outlet and turn it on.

Why don't some laptops charge the battery while the unit is on?

This feature was taken out as it can cause memory effect on batteries. The laptop has to be turned off in order for the battery to be charged.

I ordered a Pentium III computer, but it shows up as Pentium II. What should I do?

We would like to assure you, that indeed you have a Pentium 3 laptop. Probably, you just went to check the processor's speed in windows under My Computer, Properties or some equivalent way. It is well documented that the Windows operating system reports most of the processors' speed and type incorrectly. For more info, please visit the Microsoft Knowledge Base Article - 292606 at : http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb%3ben-us%3b292606.

If you would like to see the real processor type, we suggest you to get a trustworthy software, that shows you the correct info. There are a lot of them available for download at http://www.download.com.

Also, if you check your computer's model number at the bottom of it right next to a barcode, you can visit IBM's website where you can see that the model number corresponds to a P3 computer. For your convenience, here is the link for IBM: http://www-3.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/quickPath. do?quickPathEntry=+2626L0U.

Is there any danger in leaving a laptop on 24 hours a day?

As long as it's in a well ventilated area, there's no danger. At least, no more danger than there would be if you left your desktop computer on all day. The danger to laptops is overheating. Because all the hardware is in such cramped quarters, it tends to get very hot. The bottom gets hot, so be careful where you put it. You may even want to put it on something raised so the air can get to the bottom. If you leave a laptop on blankets or a bed, it will often overheat because the insulation of the material is keeping the heat in. A tip that may help you when you're transporting your laptop is to take out the battery to ensure that you don't accidentally leave the laptop on.

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