Advent 6413B Laptop

Specification

Drivers

Your laptop should have been supplied with a utility CD which contains a backup copy of all the drivers.

The 6413B is basically a rebadged Gericom Webgine N340S8 (you should see this printed on the underside of the laptop) so you can download the drivers from Gericom's website.

You can download the service and user manuals for the Webgine N340S8 from the Acomp Website.

Memory Upgrades

1. Remove the keyboard by releasing the 3 retractable clips at the front of the keyboard with a small screwdriver (clips are below the 'Fn', 'Alt Gr', and 'Down Arrow' keys).
2. Lift the keyboard clear of the notebook, there is a ribbon cable attached to the keyboard so take care.
3. Now lift the metal keyboard protector from the case.
4. Next remove the metal cover in the middle of the case (held in by two screws).
5. You now have access to the 2 memory slots.

Adding RAM is the most cost effective way to boost your computer's performance.

Bottom of Laptop

1. Fixing screw
2. Hard drive bay
3. CPU heatsink / fan grill
4. Fixing screw
5. CPU heatsink cover
6. Battery latches
7. Battery pack

Function Keys

FN + F1 - Hibernate
FN + F3 - Battery Low Warning Beep on/off
FN + F4 - Toggle the display between LCD, CRT, LCD+CRT
FN + F5 - Increase volume
FN + F6 - Decrease volume
FN + F7 - Increase brightness
FN + F8 - Decrease brightness
FN + Num Lock - Activate Numeric Keypad

Note - The Fn + F9/F10 contrast control keys don't work on the 6413b as it has a TFT display. These keys are only designed to work on older models using Dual Scan DSTN screens.

In the Box

Disks Supplied

• Advent recovery CD
• Driver and utility v.0.9 CD

Items Supplied

• Advent 6413B notebook
• Mains power adapter
• Mains power cable
• UK modem cable

Documentation Supplied

• Advent notebook user's manual
• Gettings started with Microsoft Windows Me
• Freeserve leaflet

Recovery

Warning: this process will erase all files from your computer. It is important that you save any personal files to disk before you begin.

A bootable recovery CD is supplied with these machines. To recover the system:-

• Insert CD (and floppy disk if supplied) into the drive.
• Reboot the PC.
• A warning message prompting you to backup data before proceeding.
• Press Y to continue.
• A final warning that all data will be erased is displayed.
• Press Y to continue.
• Finally a message "Remove CD-ROM when prompted" is displayed.
• Press Y to continue.
• The image file will load. Once complete you will be prompted to remove the CD and press CTRL + ALT + DEL to restart.

Driver CD

The notebook is supplied with a Utility CD. This can be used to restore corrupt drivers.

Useful Links

Repairs and Spares

All official service and support is handled by Knowhow (basically "The Tech Guys" under a new name), their website is http://www.knowhow.com/. If you laptop is covered under warranty then you need to contact them for repairs.

There are also plenty of other companies that do repairs or supply spare parts, here is a selection -

TechnoMart - http://www.techno-mart.co.uk
DriveMyLaptop (replacement drives) - http://www.drivemylaptop.co.uk
Laptop Solutions UK - http://www.laptopsolutionsuk.co.uk
PartMaster (spare parts) - http://www.partmaster.co.uk

FAQ

Blank screen or EMM386 error after recovery

Once the recovery has completed the screen goes blank or an EMM386 error message is dispalayed. This happens because the laptop is having problems displaying the message to remove the CD and restart. Simply remove the CD from the drive and restart the laptop, first time setup will begin as normal.

Replacing the CMOS Battery

To get to the CMOS battery you need to remove the CPU heatsink cover underneath the laptop. The battery is a coin sized CR2025. If you have problems reaching the battery then you'll need to take out the CPU heatsink, to do this remove the 4 screws holding it in and lift out carefully.

Repairing a Broken Charger Socket

Kyle Millican has put together a guide for repairing a broken charger socket on this laptop. The guide is in PDF format and can be downloaded from here - Kyle Millican’s - Advent Laptop Charger Socket Repair Guide (2MB)