Advent 6415 Laptop

Specification

Drivers

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

The 6415 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 + F2 - Mute sound
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 + F9 - Increase screen contrast (only DSTN)
FN + F10 - Decrease screen contrast (only DSTN)
FN + Num Lock - Activate Numeric Keypad
FN + Scroll Lock - Scrolls the screen up/down using the arrow keys.

In the Box

Disks Supplied

• Advent recovery CD
• Driver and utility v.0.9 CD
• Microsoft Works Suite 2001
• InterVideo WinDVD 2000

Items Supplied

• Advent 6415 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

Replacement recovery discs can be ordered from a company called "The Tech Guys". More information is available on their website - http://support.thetechguys.com//recoverymedia/.

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 The Tech Guys (http://www.thetechguys.com/), if you laptop is covered under warranty then you need to contact them for repairs.

If your laptop is out of warranty then there are a number of other companies who do either repairs or supply spare parts, here are 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

Accessories

There are plenty of internet sites that sell power cables, adapters, batteries, etc. for Advent laptops, here are just a selection -

MDS Battery - http://www.mdsbattery.co.uk
PartMaster - 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.

Contrast Control Keys Not Working

The Fn + F9/F10 contrast control keys don't work when pressed. According to Advent this feature was only meant for older models which had a Dual Scan DSTN screen, as the 6415 has a TFT screen the function won't work.

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)