NOTE: You, the customer, are solely responsible for data security. WinBook strongly recommends that you perform a backup of all personal data contained on your system prior to performing this procedure. Warning: WinBook will NOT be held responsible for any data loss incurred during this process.

Congratulations on your purchase of the WinBook Si/Si2! We are proud to offer Windows 98 Second Edition (SE) as the operating system on the unit you purchased.

Please do not remove the Certificate of Authenticity sticker (Product Key xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx) that is attached to the bottom of your WinBook Si/Si2, as another number cannot be issued. We CANNOT provide a replacement!

Helpful Tips

Check for missing items. In addition to your WinBook unit, you should receive a WinBook Si/Si2 User's manual, Windows 98 SE User's manual, AC adapter, a power cord, and a WinBook Si/Si2 Restore CD. If any of these items are missing, contact Customer Service immediately.

The included User's Manual should be read thoroughly before operating your new WinBook.

A compilation of Frequently Asked Questions is included in this file to help in resolving common problems. Also included for reference/troubleshooting purposes is the Help file accessed by the "Si/Si2 Help" Icon located on your desktop.

It is strongly recommended that you fully charge your WinBook battery before using the computer for the first time.

Your WinBook Si/Si2 has Windows 98 SE preinstalled. This gives you all the components necessary to begin using your computer and exploring the World Wide Web. Please store the included WinBook Restore CD and Windows 98 SE manual in a safe place in the event that you need to reinstall or reconfigure your software in the future.

It is a good idea to keep a backup of important data currently on your hard disk at all times. The most important and crucial information to back up is the data (spreadsheets, word processing documents, etc.) that you create. Your operating system and programs can always be reinstalled using the original manufacturers' disks or CDs. You will need to decide if you want to try to do this on floppy disks, an LS-120 Super Disk, or an external device, such as a tape drive or other removable media drives.

NOTE: An on-line version of the WinBook Si/Si2 User's Manual can be accessed through the icon labeled "Si/Si2 Help" on your Windows 98 desktop.

You can access the BIOS setup program by pressing the F2 key at boot-up. A message will display at the bottom of the screen telling you to "Press F2 to enter setup". You should familiarize yourself with the section of the WinBook Si/Si2 Users manual that references the BIOS configuration.

WinBook Si/Si2 Frequently asked questions.

How do I tell what WinBook model I have?

The model of the unit can be found on the bottom of the unit on the FCC sticker.

Are there things I can do to extend the battery charge life?

Battery life will vary from user to user depending on how the computer is being used. To help increase your battery life, you can configure the power management features within the Power Management properties of Windows 98.

To access Power Management properties click on the Start button, go to Settings and choose Control Panel. Next, click on the Power Management Icon. You can customize these settings as you choose. You should be aware that any power management features would be of benefit only if there are periods of inactivity, which allow the settings to engage. Please note that the battery in the WinBook Si/Si2 takes about 4.5 hours to fully charge, with the machine turned OFF.

How do I cycle my battery?

Cycling your battery every month or so will extend the life expectancy of your WinBook Si/Si2 battery.

1. Check that unit is fully charged (use battery gauge within windows, as the charge light can show as fully charged even though the battery isn't quite fully charged). This is a design specification for the charging circuit, in which the charge LED shows full whenever charge status is between 95 and 100 percent.

2. Enter the BIOS, by pressing the [F2], and go to the Power menu.

3. Select battery calibration and you will be prompted to disconnect AC power and continue.

4. The battery starts to drain and shows decreasing capacity status on the screen until unit turns off.

5. When unit is powered off, place the AC power back on the unit and let the unit charge until the Power LED turns GREEN.

When I close the lid, the computer goes into hibernation mode, is this normal?

Yes, you can set the computer to go into hibernation mode, standby mode, or shutdown when the lid is closed.

To change this setting, go to the Control Panel. Double-click on the Power Management icon. Click on the Advanced tab. Change the "When I close the lid of my portable computer" option to the desired action.

None- Nothing happens when the lid is closed, it continues normal operation.

Standby - The computer goes into hibernation mode. This mode will conserve battery power. Not for use with an external monitor.

Hibernate - The computer goes into save to disk mode. This mode saves your information to the hard drive and shuts down. Not for use with an external monitor.

Shutdown -The computer shuts down. Warning! Closing the lid, while running programs with option selected could cause data loss.

My computer will not Hibernate, what could cause this?

You may be missing the hibernation file. Do a search on your computer for a file named Save2dsk.bin. If you cannot find this file, the hibernation feature will not work.

To recreate this file, go to Start, Shut Down, and Restart in MS-DOS Mode. Type CD\ and hit Enter. Then type CD drivers\phdisk and hit Enter. Now type phdisk /create /file and hit Enter. The program will detect your memory configuration and create the appropriate size file. When prompted, hit Any key to reset the system.

When I tell Windows 98 SE to "Shutdown", the machine turns itself off. It says, "It is now safe to turn off your computer" for a brief moment and then turns off. Is this normal?

Yes, the computer is designed to work this way with Windows 98 SE. This is part of the Plug-n-Play capabilities of Windows 98 SE and the BIOS of the WinBook Si/Si2.

Why do I have to push the "power" button so long to turn the unit off on the WinBook Si/Si2?

The power button on the Si/Si2 is a delayed switch. This means in order to shut it down you have to hold the power button down for 5-6 seconds. This is to prevent accidental shutdown on the computer and is a part of the ACPI standard the Si/Si2 adheres too.

Note: In Windows 98 SE an "Instant Off" feature has been incorporated that allows Windows 98 SE to be properly shut down with one press of the power button. This eliminates the need to select "Start" > "Shut Down" to power down your Si/Si2. To enable this feature, go to the Control Panel. Double-click on the Power Management icon. Click on the Advanced tab. Change the "When I press the power button on my computer" option to Shutdown.

How do I setup a PS/2 mouse to work on my system?

The WinBook Si/Si2 is designed to support two PS/2 pointing devices simultaneously. If you have the trackpoint and the touchpad on your unit, both are PS/2 devices.

To get an external PS/2 mouse working on your computer, plug the mouse into the PS/2 port on the back of the computer then turn it on. The computer will detect the external mouse on boot-up.

Note: If you have a trackpoint and touchpad, the touchpad will be disabled. To go back to the touchpad, shutdown the computer and remove the external mouse. The computer will automatically enable the touchpad the next time you reboot the computer.

My touchpad is not working, but the trackpoint and buttons are working correctly. Is there a problem with my computer?

Probably not. There is a BIOS setting that can cause this symptom. It is possible that pointing device option in the BIOS is set to Trackpoint & External PS/2 Mouse and not for Trackpoint & Touchpad operation.

To choose which devices to use, restart the unit. Press the F2 key when prompted and enter the Setup utility. Choose the "Advanced Setup" menu option. Down arrow to the "PS/2 Device" option. For the touchpad and trackpoint to work simultaneously, change the selection to Auto or TrackP & TouchP. Note: The latter option will disable the use of an external PS/2 mouse. If after verifying the setup of the internal PS/2 pointing devices, there is still a problem with the touchpad, contact your WinBook Technical Support for additional assistance and support.

How do I get a serial mouse to work on the computer?

A serial mouse will attach to the serial port on the back of the computer. Windows automatically detects some serial mice at start-up. Follow the steps below if yours is not detected.

Start with the computer turned off. Attach the mouse. Restart to Windows. Open the Control Panel. Locate the Add New Hardware Icon and double-click on it. Click Next to let Windows search for Plug and Play devices. If your mouse is in the list, the click Yes, and then Next. If not, then click No and click Next. Click Yes to let Windows search for new devices and click Next again. Click Next again to start the search. When Windows has completed the search, it should tell you that it has found your new hardware. Click Finish to install it. If the computer does not find the mouse, you should contact WinBook Technical Support for further assistance.

What is a USB port?

USB is short for Universal Serial Bus. USB is an external bus connection that allows for connection of up to 127 peripheral devices, including HID (Human Interface Devices), modems and printers.

What is the optional LS-120 Drive, and will it work with my regular 3.5" diskettes?

The LS-120 diskette drive is a new type of floppy drive. The diskettes for this drive, called Super disks, will hold up to 120MB of data on one disk. The LS-120 drive is also backwards compatible with all other types of IBM formatted floppy disks.

Can I format LS-120 Super disks?

If you have an optional LS-120 Drive, you should not format these disks. They are preformatted at the factory with a special configuration for the sectors on the disk. Formatting again may cause damage to the LS-120 media. Contact the disk manufacturer for details.

What is the difference between DVD and CD-ROM, and will my old CD disks work with my DVD drive?

DVD is a new type of CD-ROM drive. Short for Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc, a DVD disk will hold anywhere from 4.7 to 17gigabytes of data. The optional DVD drive in the WinBook Si/Si2 is backward compatible with your original CD-ROM disks.

Can I use the DVD drive to play DVD movies?

If you have an optional DVD Drive then yes you can play DVD Movies on your WinBook Si/Si2. This is one of the main features of DVD drives. You can play them on your laptop screen or on your TV through the TV or S-Video connections.

To do this, insert your DVD movie into the DVD drive. Wait for approximately 15 seconds and the DVD movie should begin playing. If the DVD does not start playing by itself, click on Start. Go to Programs, MGI SoftDVD MAX, and MGI SoftDVD MAX. The movie should begin playing as soon as the program opens. If it does not play automatically, click on the play button.

What do I have to do to use CardBus or PCMCIA Cards in my WinBook Si/Si2?

For most cards, you simply need to insert the card in the PCMCIA slot and Windows 98 SE will automatically install any necessary drivers. Some cards require an updated driver from the manufacturer. In that case, you should have the disk ready when Windows 98 SE asks you for a disk from the manufacturer.

Can I use a Zoom Video (ZV Port) PCMCIA card with my unit?

Yes, you can. The top slot in the WinBook Si/Si2 is compatible with Zoom Video. All the software drivers for Zoom Video slots have been preinstalled at the factory. You may however, need to install a driver for the device you are trying to install.

This information is updated and may be different from what is presented in the written documentation for your computer.

What kind of modem do I have in my WinBook Si/Si2?

If you have the optional internal modem, then your computer is equipped with the LT WinModem. This modem is a PCI device and will be installed on COM2.

What kind of sound card is in my WinBook Si/Si2?

The sound card is integrated into the circuitry of your WinBook Si/Si2. It has the ESS Technologies SOLO-1 audio chip set, which is Sound Blaster Pro compatible. It has integrated 3D audio effects, 32-voice polyphony, and MIDI (128 melody and 47 percussion) capability. The sound is controlled by the use of settings within Windows 98 and the volume control thumb wheel on the front of the WinBook Si/Si2. Please see the WinBook Si/Si2 manual.

What kind of external microphone can I use?

If you wish to use an external microphone with your unit, it will need to be a self-amplified microphone. The internal microphone is a mono device.

There is feedback coming from my speakers. What can I do?

Double-click on the Speaker icon (bottom right portion of the screen) on the task bar, then add a check to the "MUTE" box for Microphone Balance.

How do I get the TV output display to work?

Connect your TV to the computer with an S-Video cable. Set your TV to the proper video input (refer to your TV's documentation for instructions). Click on the Start button, go to Settings, and choose Control Panel. Open the Display Icon. Click on the Settings tab. Click on the Advanced button. Click on the ATI Displays tab. Click on the TV tab in the upper left corner of the TV panel. Click Apply then OK to close the menu.

What is an S-Video output?

Super Video is a cable connection that produces sharper video images than standard composite video cables. It accomplishes this by sending the video signal over the cable in two channels, one for color the other for brightness, rather than one.

Connect your S-Video cable to the television and the S-Video port on the computer. Set your TV to the proper video input (refer to your TV's documentation for instructions). Click on the Start button, go to Settings, and choose Control Panel. Open the Display Icon. Click on the Settings tab. Click on the Advanced button. Click on the ATI Displays tab. Click on the tab in the upper left-hand corner of the TV panel. Click Apply, and then OK.

How do I use the Internet Buttons on my WinBook Si/Si2?

There are two internet buttons above the keyboard. These are controlled by the EZ Buttons software installed on your computer. When you press the Internet button, your default web browser will open. When you press the e-mail button, your default e-mail program will open. If you have Windows set to automatically dial, the Dial-Up Networking window will open and ask you to connect. This feature and the default programs can be set under the Internet Options Control Panel.

Common Questions on Windows 98 SE

What is new about Windows® 98 Second Edition?

Microsoft Windows® 98 Second Edition is the upgrade to Windows® 98. Its improvements include easier access to the Internet using Internet Explorer 5.0, better system performance along with easier system diagnostics and maintenance. With Windows® 98 Second Edition, your system will have better support for the latest graphics, sound, multimedia technologies, and the ability to easily add and remove peripheral devices with support for Universal Serial Bus (USB).

I like the themes that came with Windows 95 Plus! Can I install it on Windows 98 SE?

Actually, you do not have to. Windows 98 SE already includes features from Windows 95 Plus! and some Windows 95 Power Toys.

Does Windows 98 SE have a built-in virus detection program?

No, Windows 98 SE does not have a virus protection program built-in. It is in your best interest to buy and install a virus detection program, as some virii can damage any or all of the data that you have stored on your hard drive.

When I run Disk Defragmenter (Defrag), it takes a long time. Is that normal?

Yes, it is normal. The new Defrag uses the process of disk defragmentation to increase the startup speed of your most frequently used applications. Defrag creates a log file which identifies these programs. It utilizes the log file to store files associated with the most commonly run programs in the same location on your hard disk to optimize its startup speed.

How do I install a Printer on my WinBook Si/Si2?

1. Click the Start button, point to Settings, and then click Printers.

2. Double-click Add Printer, and then click Next.

3. Click Local Printer or Network Printer as appropriate, and then click Next.

If you click Network Printer, you are prompted for the network path for the printer. If you do not know the correct path, click Browse, or check with your network administrator. Click either Yes or No in the "Do you print from MS-DOS-based programs?" area, and then click Next.

4. Click the appropriate manufacturer and model for your printer, and then click Next.

5. If you chose to install a local printer, click the correct port and then click Next.

6. Type a name for the printer (or accept the default name), and then click either Yes or No in the "Do you want your Windows-based programs to use this printer as the default printer?" area. Click Next.

7. To print a test page, click Yes. Click Finish.

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Disclaimer: This information is being provided to you as a service from the Technical Support Department of WinBook Computers. It is intended to assist you in the resolution of your technical problems or questions. If you feel uncomfortable implementing any of the information or suggestions contained herein then you should e-mail the WinBook Technical Support Department. WinBook will not be held responsible for any loss of information, data or programming as a result of the use of this TechNote.