The Top Questions

This is the most current list of the frequently asked questions. These questions are created based on a survey of our Customer Support Technicians and what seem to be the most popular questions asked of them by you, our customers. We try to keep this updated as much as possible, so check here often for new questions and answers. This is current as of July 29, 1997.

General Modems and Communication Software Portables Destination
General
Modems and Communication
Software
Portables
Destination



General
Q: My screen is telling me to "Push and adjust to Save as user mode" every time I reboot my system.
A: Push the knob in the monitor control panel and turn it in a counterclockwise direction 2 times. Press the knob in again when USER MODE is highlighted. It will flash a Red " OK " message. Now the user mode is saved. This will prevent the message from appearing the next time you boot up.

Q: Where can I find my Customer ID and order number?
A: You will find the Customer ID and order # on the first page of the packing slip, located in the upper right hand corner of the page.

Q: Where is my reset button located on my "new look" case?
A: Our new cases don't have a reset button built into the new design.

Q: Where can I find the serial number for my Gateway 2000 desktop computer system?
A: The system serial number is located on the back of the case. It's also located on the original system invoice.

Note: On the New Look Mini Tower, you will find a secondary serial number located on the front of the case. The secondary serial number is located on the left hand side of the front bezel. This will be the same as the serial number located on the back of the case.

Q: My CD-ROM will not work if I choose "Restart in MS-DOS mode". What's the deal?
A: Windows95 uses its own drivers to make the CD-ROM work, so if you "Restart in MS-DOS mode", there won't be any "real mode" CD-ROM drivers loaded. This means you can't use the CD-ROM if you choose to restart in this method. For just this reason, we have created a "Run MS-DOS Applications" shortcut on your desktop. Double-clicking on this will restart your computer into a DOS mode and provide you with the necessary drivers. To get back to Windows, just type "exit" from the DOS prompt.

Q: I have a "new look" case and can not find the headphone jack or volume control on the CD-ROM!
A: These controls are covered by the front bezel of the computer on our new look case, and are not accessible without removing the front bezel. It just pops off the front.

Q: I have Windows95 and a tape Backup unit, but when I open up My Computer I don’t see my Tape Drive listed! Is something wrong? How do I backup?
A: Everything is as it's supposed to be. Tape backup units will not appear under My Computer and are not given a drive letter. To use your tape backup, all you need to do is run your tape backup software, the name of which will vary, depending on your tape drive. Through this software, your computer will be able to use the tape drive and back up your files. These programs are pretty straight forward and contain comprehensive help files if you happen to get lost.

Q: What’s this little wheel on my mouse for?
A: It can be used to scroll in applications that support it, such as Microsoft Internet Explorer and Office 97. For more information, refer to your help files for MS Intellipoint. Click Start, Programs, Microsoft Input Devices, and Intellitype Online Users Guide Help.

Modems and Communication
Q: Is my modem upgradeable to X2 technology?
The x2 upgrade is now available online. For complete information on the upgrade and whether or not it applies to you click here.

Q: How do I turn down my modem speaker volume?
A: FaxWorks has an option under Fax Setup which allows you to set the modem speaker volume to low, medium, or high. To adjust the speaker volume for Windows 95 applications, such as Hyperterminal or Dial Up Networking, Check the Properties of your modem under Device Manager. Select the Modem tab and choose the desired volume level.

Q: What modem do I select when configuring my On-Line package?
A: What modem you select will depend on what On-Line package you are using. Some On-Line packages do not contain the correct selections for all the modems Gateway sells. The type of modem received from Gateway 2000 can normally be found on the invoice. The On-line vendors provide their own support for the On-Line software and can direct you on which modem to select.

Q: How do I fax a document?
A: Follow the steps below:
  1. Create your document in your word processor.
  2. Click on File and select Print.
  3. Change the name of the selected printer to Faxworks and click OK.
  4. Type the phone number and all information needed for the recipient and click send. It's really that easy!

Q: My modem drops connection after logging onto internet, but Faxworks and Hyperterminal work fine!
A: Try taking the mouse line out of the autoexec.bat if you currently have a mouse driver loaded. Edit the autoexec.bat and place an REM statement in front of the driver line for the mouse. This may help the problem.

Q: Faxworks is causing the system to lock up when I'm trying to fax from within Microsoft Word. How can I stop this?A: Disable background printing. Under the Tools menu, choose Options. Select the Print tab. Under Printing Options, remove the check from Background Printing. You can then fax without any lockups.

Software
Q: After I reloaded Windows, I now have a Suspend option on my program bar. How do I remove it?
A: In Win95A - double-click the power icon in control panel. Check the "Never show suspend" box and click OK.
In Win95B - double-click the power icon in control panel. Click the Advanced button. Uncheck the "Show Suspend Command on Start Bar" box then click OK.

Q: Mcafee VirusScan tells me I have to boot to an Emergency disk to remove a virus What are they talking about?
 A: You need to boot to a clean write protected virus scanning disk to remove many viruses, this is what you have to do: On a clean computer with Mcafee Viruscan installed:
  1. Format a floppy disk and make it a "System" or "Bootable" disk. To do this, insert a blank floppy diskette in drive A: and from a DOS prompt type in "FORMAT /F:1440 A: /S" without the quotes.
  2. Copy these files to that floppy: Scan.exe, Scan.dat, Clean.dat, and Names.dat *Note: These files are located in the C:\Program Files\VirusScan95 directory with a default installation.
  3. Create a file called autoexec.bat on the floppy that contains this line: A:\Scan.exe /ADL /ALL /CLEAN /REPORT C:\VIRUSES.TXT
  4. Write protect the disk!
When booting to this disk, it will scan and remove all of the viruses it can recognize from all local hard drives. It will also create a file on the C:\ drive called "viruses.txt" that will contain all results of the scan.

Q. How do I know what version of Windows 95 I have on my system?
A. You can go to Control Panel | System | General and it will list under System the version of windows. Version 4.00.95b indicates the newer revision, called Windows 95B.

Q: I want to learn how to use all of these programs that came with my computer. Can you help me?
A: Gateway 2000 offers tutoring for software programs such as Microsoft applications or for most other software programs we sell, but this is a pay-for-support service. If you have "how-to" questions regarding our bundled software applications, you can call one of the two following numbers:

Phone Number Charge Reference Information Hours
1-800-229-1103 $25 Flat Fee One Significant Issue 24x7x365
1-900-555-4695 $1.95 per Minute Multiple problems or one quick one 24x7x365


Q: What can I do about a virus on my system?
A: If you have System CD version 1.9 or greater, you can load McAfee's program, which can detect and remove most viruses. If you do not have this CD, you can download McAfee or several other Anti-Virus programs from our BBS at 605-232-2224 in the virus library. Also, check out Mcafee's website at www.mcafee.com if you'd rather use the web.

Q: How do I eliminate the four green bars/scrambled video after I loaded my game?
A: This normally happens when DirectX has been installed and writes over your current video drivers. Click here to see the document on this issue.

Q: How do I get video resolution higher than 640x480 with 16/256 colors? A: In Windows95, Right Click on your desktop, and choose properties. Click on the Settings tab of the Display Properties. Adjust the resolution and color depth to your satisfaction. Remember, at the highest resolutions, not all color depths may be available.

Q: How do I print from "Greetings Workshop"? A: In the word bubble of the cartoon guide, there is an option that reads ‘Print Document’ whenever you are working with a document. Clicking on that option is all that is required.

Q: How do I get rid of that Windows 95 Password Box that keeps appearing when the system boots?
A: Some programs may require this log-on screen in order to work properly, so before taking any steps to by-pass this screen, ensure that none of your programs or on-line services require it. If you are confident that you do not need or want this screen, open the Windows 95 Control Panel, Passwords, and click on the User Profiles tab. Select the All Users Use the Same Preferences option. Delete or rename all .pwl files. Reboot your computer. When you're prompted to enter a name and password, enter just your name, not a password. Click OK. When asked to confirm your password, just press Enter. If you happened to forget or lose it, Return to the Passwords icon in the control program and choose Users can customize their preferences. Choose Start, Shut Down, Close all programs and log on as another user, and enter a new user name. After that, however, you'll always be prompted for your username and password when you launch Windows.

Portables
Q: Why does my system tell me I must exit McAffee Antivirus before I can shut the system down?
A: McAffee’s is running and/or in the Start Up group. You have to close the application before shutting the system down.

Q: How do I get my overhead projector to work on my Gateway 2000 portable?
A: Verify that any CRT device will work (see if you can plug a regular monitor into the same port). If so, toggle the video to CRT port only. In most cases this will work. If the projector still doesn't work, you may have to contact the manufacturer of the device. One thing to keep in mind is that this may be a VGA & SVGA incompatibility issue.

Q: Why is my CD-ROM not recognized on my Gateway Solo 2100?
A: Chances are, the CDROM just needs to be removed and reinserted. This ensures a good connection and allows your Solo 2100 to recognize the drive. Power off the system, remove and reseat the CD-ROM firmly. To do this, insert the CD-ROM with the unit standing on end. Push firmly on both sides of the CD-ROM with your thumbs. You should hear a click when the drive is properly seated.

Q: Why is my new portable system automatically looking for a disk in my A:\ drive?
A: Mobile systems now come loaded with McAfee's Anti Virus.To resolve this, right click on your desktop, choose Properties, select Screen Scan and take the check mark out of Enable Scanning While in Screen Saver Mode.

Q: When installing the Toshiba 10X CD-ROM using my System Disk v1.2, the CD-ROM drive wouldn't autoconfigure. What drive do I select??
A: The system will attempt to autodetect your drive, but may not be able to do so. You will need to choose the drive yourself from the list of drive options. Choose the "Solo 2100/2200 10 Speed CD-ROM Internal (Portables Only)" option from the list. This drive will only work if you use this option, which is only available on version 1.2 of the System Disk.

Destination
Q: Can I change the resolution of my monitor resolution to 800x600?
A: The Monitor is only supported at 640 x 480 with up to 32 bit colors.

Q: Why am I not getting sound from the Harman/Kardon stereo with Destination, Radio Station, or an audio CD?
A: If the Tape indicator appears on the harman/kardon display panel press the Tape Mon button. If the Tape indicator is not lit, check the speaker cables. They may be loose or unplugged.





A note on static electricity

The components inside your system are extremely sensitive to static electricity, also known as electrostatic discharge (ESD). Static electricity can cause irreparable damage to your system; however, if you follow these preventions and precautions, you should prevent such damage.

Static Electricity Preventions
  1. Wear a grounding wrist strap (available at most electronic stores).
  2. Turn off the system power.
  3. Touch the back of the power supply fan, located on the back of the case.
  4. Unplug all cords from the wall outlet.
  5. Remove the case cover.
Static Electricity Precautions


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