Click the Windows. Click the Office Trial icon to write letters or create a spreadsheet

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1 STARTERGUIDE

2 Thank you! Thank you for your purchase! We want to make your experience a satisfying one, so we ve put together tips to help you get started with your Gateway computer.

3 Contents We do Windows... 4 Getting things started... 5 Maintaining order... 6 Improving performance... 7 Need additional help?... 8 Surfing the net...10 Welcome to !...11 For your listening and viewing pleasure...12 Keeping your computer safe...13 Backing up a bit...15 Prepare to recover...16

4 we do Windows After you start your computer and complete the Windows setup, the first thing you ll see on your screen is the Windows desktop. The desktop includes a taskbar, Start button, and Recycle Bin icon. Other icons can be added depending on your computer s configuration. Click the Windows Media Player icon to play audio and video Click the AOL icon to set up and send Click the Office Trial icon to write letters or create a spreadsheet This is the Windows desktop Add icons of your own - see your user guide for instructions Click the Start button to access programs and to turn your computer off Drag items to the Recycle Bin to delete them 4 For more information about Windows, see Windows basics under Help and Support in the Start menu.

5 getting things started The Start menu is the command center of your computer. Whether you want to start a program, find a file, or change settings on your system, the Start menu is where it all begins. Click here to access the Internet, , and your most frequently used programs Click here to find a file or folder, to change settings on your computer, or to get help. Click here to see all your programs Click here to shut down your computer For more information about Windows, see Windows basics under Help and Support. 5

6 maintaining order Managing files and folders starts with My Computer. From there, you can see everything on your computer. To get to My Computer, click the Start button, then click My Computer. To save something right away, use the My Documents folder that has already been set up for you. To access that folder, click the Start button, then click My Documents. My Documents Already created for you, this folder is ready for immediate use My Computer Look here to see what s on your computer 6 For more information about Windows, see Windows basics under Help and Support.

7 improving performance Keep your computer in top running condition with regular maintenance. Click Start, Control Panel, then click Performance and Maintenance. Select an option and follow the instructions. Do this regularly and you ll have a smoother-running system. Clean it up Click here to eliminate performance and hard drive space problems Speed it up Click here to help programs run faster and to open files more quickly For more information, see Performance and maintenance under Help and Support. 7

8 If you need a little extra help with something on your computer, Gateway offers several options designed to meet your needs: Gateway Web support Available 24/7, Gateway s online support provides current drivers, product specifications, tutorials, and personalized information about your computer. Visit us at Help and Support This collection of Windows help and troubleshooting information, along with automated support, is easily accessible. Just click Start, then click Help and Support. Click a link, do a search, or simply browse to find what you re looking for. need additional help? Gateway s Web support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week Help and Support is a quick and easy way to get information 8

9 help, continued... User guide For detailed information on using your Gateway computer, see the provided Reference Guide or online User Guide. To access the online guide, click Start, All Programs, then click Gateway Documentation. Tech support For help and advice you can trust, talk to people who know computers. You can find the number on the setup poster that came with your computer. Check your User Guide for easyto-understand information on a variety of topics 9

10 surfing the net Explore the World Wide Web with an Internet connection. Just connect your computer to a telephone line, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), or cable TV line and sign up with an Internet Service Provider (ISP) like America Online. To get to the Internet, click Start, then click Internet Explorer or the ISP you ve connected with. Type in an Internet address, such as click Go, and you re on your way. The address bar is where you type in the Internet address or URL (Universal Resource Locator) This is a Web page This is a linked Web page If your pointer arrow turns into a hand when you move over something, it s a link. Click on it and see where it takes you! 10 To learn more about America Online, click the AOL icon on your Windows desktop.

11 welcome to ! Staying in touch with family and friends is easy with and is usually free with your Internet account. To send , connect to your ISP, click Start, then click . When your default program opens. Complete any setup required, then click New and type the address of the person that you want to send a message to in the To box. Add a description in the Subject box, type the message, then click Send. Your message will arrive at most addresses in seconds. This is the user name part of an address This is the Internet domain name part of an address Type the address of the person you want to send a message to here Include others in your message by typing their addresses here or in the To box Type a short description of your message here For more information about , see Using the Internet in your online user guide. 11

12 for your listening and viewing pleasure... Enjoy listening to your favorite music or watching a movie with software already installed on your new Gateway computer. To listen to music or watch a movie, click the Windows Media Player icon on your Windows desktop. Select media files on your computer, then click the Play button ( ). You can control how the music or video plays from Windows Media Player. Note: You must have a external CD or DVD drive and related software to play a CD or DVD. Songs or scene selections from media files you are playing are listed here. Click these buttons to play, pause, or stop media files. You can also control the volume here. 12

13 keeping your computer safe Your Gateway computer comes with hardware and software features that can help you keep your computer secure and up-to-date. To view or change Windows XP security settings, click Start, Control Panel, then click Security Center. Use these tools regularly to improve the security of personal information stored on your computer: Windows Security Provides access to security features such as Security Center, Windows Firewall, Windows Update, and all built into Windows XP Get more resources of security information Select and control the type and level of protection you want for your computer For more information on security, see Protecting Your Computer in your online user guide. 13

14 safe and sound Windows Update If a hacker finds a way to bypass the security features built into Windows XP, Microsoft creates a high-priority Windows update to fix the problem. You should update Windows regularly to keep your computer secure. To run Windows Update, click Start, All Programs, then click Windows Update. Click Express to download high priority updates including those that are security-related. You can schedule automatic updates with Windows Update 14 For more information on security, see Protecting Your Computer in your online user guide.

15 Take a trip back in time Microsoft System Restore lets you roll back your computer to a previous state when everything worked right. Every time you install new software, and every 24 hours (while your computer is turned on), Microsoft System Restore takes a snapshot of your system settings and saves it as a restore point. In most cases of hard-to-resolve software problems, you can return to one of these restore points to get your computer running again. 1 Click Start, Help and Support, then click Undo changes to your computer with System Restore. 2 Click Restore my computer to an earlier time, then click Next. 3 Click a bold date on the calendar (Step 1 on the screen), click a restore point in the list (Step 2 on the screen), then click Next. 4 Read all notices on the screen, click Next, then follow the on-screen instructions to finish the restoration. backing up a bit For more information on restoration, see Recovering Your System in your online user guide. 15

16 prepare to recover When you first get your computer, it is a good idea to make a backup of the software that came with your system. Before you create these recovery discs, make sure that you have blank discs ready. To create discs, click Start, All Programs, Gateway, then click Gateway Recovery Management. To create recovery discs for your factory-loaded hard drive contents (Windows Vista, pre-installed software and drivers), click Create factory default disc or, to create recovery discs for only the factory-loaded drivers and software, click Create driver and application backup disc. Follow the on-screen instructions to finish. Caution: External optical disc drive required. Please see your retailer for more details. 16

17 restoring to factory condition If you can run Windows... 1 Click Start, All Programs, Gateway, then click Gateway Recovery Management. Gateway Recovery Management opens. 2 Click the Restore tab, then click Restore system to factory default. The Confirm Restoration dialog box opens. 3 Follow the on-screen instructions to finish. 17

18 If you cannot run Windows... 1 Restart your computer, then press the ALT+F10 keys during startup. 2 Follow the on-screen instructions to finish. IMPORTANT If your hard drive has failed and you can t restore the software from the hard drive or recovery discs, contact Gateway Customer Care for help. After you restore your computer, it will appear with the same files and programs it had when it shipped from the factory. You still need to download Windows updates and antivirus updates to bring your computer s software up to date. 18

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