Quick Reference Guide
Table Of Contents
- Contents
- About This Reference
- Checking Out Your Computer
- Setting Up and Getting Started
- Working safely and comfortably
- Preparing power connections
- Connecting to a broadband modem or network
- Connecting a dial-up modem
- Starting your computer
- Turning off your computer
- Restarting (rebooting) your computer
- Using the keyboard
- Using the mouse
- Adjusting the volume
- Configuring the audio jacks
- Installing a printer, scanner, or other device
- Setting up RAID
- Upgrading Your Computer
- Preventing static electricity discharge
- Opening the case
- Closing the case
- Adding or replacing memory
- Replacing the system battery
- Adding or replacing an optical disc drive
- Adding or replacing an optional diskette drive
- Adding or replacing the memory card reader
- Adding or replacing a harddrive
- Replacing the front fan
- Replacing the rear fan
- Replacing the power supply
- Replacing the heat sink and processor
- Replacing the I/O board
- Adding or replacing an expansion card
- Replacing the system board
- Maintaining Your Computer
- Troubleshooting
- Safety guidelines
- First steps
- Troubleshooting
- Add-in cards
- Audio
- CD or DVD drives
- DVD drives
- Ethernet
- File management
- Hard drive
- Internet
- Keyboard
- Media Center
- The Media Center video display looks bad on your TV
- You need to configure your Media Center computer to output to aTV
- You want to change display settings to get better TV or DVD image quality
- You want to know whether you can burn programs that were recorded with your Media Center computer...
- You want to know whether you can play recorded programs on other computers
- You want to know whether you can play recorded programs on your home DVD player
- You get a “Download Error” message when the Media Center tries to update the Program Guide:
- Memory
- Memory card reader
- Modem (cable or DSL)
- Modem (dial-up)
- Your modem does not dial or does not connect
- You cannot connect to the Internet
- Your 56K modem does not connect at 56K
- Your fax communications program only sends and receives faxes at 14,400bps when you have a 56K m...
- The modem is not recognized by your computer
- The modem is noisy when it dials and connects
- Monitor
- Mouse
- Networks
- Passwords
- Power
- Printer
- Sound
- Recovering your system
- Recovering pre-installed software and drivers
- Using Microsoft System Restore
- Recovering your system to its factory condition
- Recovering your system using the WindowsDVD
- Telephone support
- Legal Notices
- Index

CHAPTER 6: Troubleshooting
110
• To recover software and device drivers that were
pre-installed at the factory, see “Recovering
pre-installed software and drivers” on page 110.
• To return your system to a previous condition when it
was working correctly, see “Using Microsoft System
Restore” on page 116.
• To completely recover your system to its factory
condition, see “Recovering your system to its factory
condition” on page 119.
If you upgrade or exchange your hard drive, or if your hard
drive is completely erased or corrupted, your only option for
system recovery may be to reinstall Windows from the
Windows DVD, then recover your pre-installed software and
device drivers using recovery discs that you created. (Your
computer must have a recordable disc drive to use these
options.)
• To re-install Windows using the Windows DVD, see
“Recovering your system using the Windows DVD” on
page 120.
• To re-install your pre-installed software and device
drivers using recovery discs, see “Recovering
pre-installed software and drivers using recovery discs”
on page 114.
Recovering pre-installed software and drivers
You can perform a partial recovery by recovering the software
and device drivers that were pre-installed at the factory. If you
need to recover software that did not come pre-installed on
your system, you need to follow that software’s installation
instructions.
You can recover pre-installed software and drivers from a set
of recovery discs (you must create the discs) or by using
Gateway Recovery Center.
Caution
To prepare your computer for additional system recovery options, you
should create a set of software and driver recovery discs as soon as possible.
For instructions, see “Preparing for software and device driver recovery” on
page 111.
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