Jul. 11, 2008 - Setting Up Your Laptop

Features vary from laptop to laptop: Not every laptop has the same keyboard layout; the CD-ROM or DVD drive may eject forward, to the left, to the right, or may not even exist; connectors and holes may be on the sides, back, or both; and the power button? Well, it could be anywhere!

Beyond the differences, if you squint your eyes tight enough, all laptop computers look basically the same. Each laptop has a similar setup, so this article addresses issues that all laptop owners have to deal with.

If you find any specific instructions regarding setup inside the laptop box or - should you be so lucky - if you find a manual, heed its instructions first.
Do you need to charge the battery?

When setting up your laptop, the holiest piece of hardware is the battery. Om! It either came preinstalled (and perhaps even non-removable) inside the laptop, or it came separately and you have to install it.

Install or set up the battery. Fortunately, this is one of those things where you can find the instructions included with the laptop. The instructions may tell you how to install the battery, which doodad to remove to make the battery work, or other important battery preparations.

Keep these battery-related points in mind when dealing with your laptop:

    * You can use your laptop without the battery, but you probably want to properly set up the battery just to make sure that it works.

    * Some batteries come DOA - you have to charge them before you can use them. You normally charge a battery by installing it inside the laptop, then plugging the laptop's power brick both into the wall and into the laptop. Battery charging takes place automatically.

    * Charging a laptop's battery usually takes a few hours. The exact time that you need depends on the type of battery, power management hardware, and whether or not you're using the laptop at the time.

    * If the battery comes already charged, then simply install it, and you're ready to go! Literally!

    * The manufacturer may claim that the battery is fully charged, but don't be surprised if it isn't. No big deal; just install the battery and plug in the laptop. It will charge.

    * You can let your laptop's batteries charge overnight.

    * Be sure to put any extra or spare batteries in storage when you're not using them.

Is some assembly required?

Beyond that battery, you may have to add some features to your laptop. Pray that such a thing doesn't happen to you! But some laptops have arrived without memory, disk drives, and other options installed. If your laptop isn't ready to go when you get it, you have to properly install the missing items. Best of luck!

Most laptops come fully assembled. In fact, many laptops don't let you install extra features.

Fortunately, if you do have to install some options, you install options such as memory or a network adapter only once. Follow the directions closely. Read them over first before attempting the installation. In most cases, you can get the options installed smoothly. It also helps that you can insert most components in only one direction, so you can't goof things up too badly.

Beware of Electrostatic Discharge (ESD). That tiny little spark that you generate on a dry day can permanently damage your laptop. When installing options, always keep one hand touching the laptop's case. This precaution helps lessen the potential of the dreaded ESD.

If your laptop came with a docking station or port replicator, don't worry about setting up this add-on or using it just yet. The laptop works fine without that optional feature, so you may want to use the laptop for a while before you mount the docking station or port replicator.

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