Advent 7053 Laptop

Can You Help?

If you own one of these laptops can you take a couple of minutes to check the information on this page is correct. If you come across any errors or have any other information that can help fill in the gaps then please email me at info@uktsupport.co.uk.

Many thanks, Matt

Specification

* To switch the Wireless LAN card on/off, press the button to the left of the power button.

** There is very little official information available on Advent memory upgrades and while I've done my best to make sure this page is accurate I would recommend double-checking before buying. One way is by running a system scanner like the one provided by Crucial Memory (shameless plug for advert below).

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

Function Keys

FN + F3 - Switches off the Display
Fn + F4 - Enter Standby mode
Fn + F5 - Toggle the display between LCD, CRT, LCD+CRT and TV
Fn + F6 - Decrease display brightness
Fn + F7 - Increase display brightness

Bottom of Laptop

To access most internal components of the notebook, you will need a remove the screws highlighted using a small Philips screwdriver. Please take anti-static precautions and ensure the notebook is not connected to the mains power supply.

In the Box

Disks Supplied

• Recovery CD
• Microsoft Works 8

Items Supplied

• Advent 7053 Laptop
• LiteOn power supply. Output: 19v - 3.16a
• 3-pin "Mickey Mouse" power cable
• UK modem cable

Documentation Supplied

• Advent notebook manual
• Microsoft Windows XP "Start Here" guide

Recovery Disc

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/.

Due to the nature of the recovery process you should not use FDISK or any other partition management software to delete the partition on your Advent computer. Doing so will prevent the recovery from functioning correctly. If the recovery asks for a second CD you will need to obtain an Update CD from Advent.

To recover your Advent PC you will need your Advent System Recovery CD.

• Insert System Recovery CD 1
• Restart your computer.
• Press R on the keyboard when prompted.
• The recovery will load and display a menu of options:
  • Non-destructive recovery: this option will restore Windows, supplied applications, and drivers. This option will not destroy your documents or programs. These will be backed up along with the registry. These are restored at the end of the recovery process.
  To access the recovery options below that erase all data from the computer, click the Advanced button.
  • System Recovery - No format: this will reinstall Windows, supplied applications and drivers. It will move your files to a folder called "My old disk structure". Any applications (except those supplied) will need to be reinstalled.
  • System Recovery - Quick format: this option will erase your hard drive including your personal files. Windows, supplied applications and drivers will be reinstalled.
• Select the Non-destructive recovery option and press Next.
• You will be informed about System Restore in Windows, click Yes.
• The recovery will begin. Once this is complete click Restart.

Additional information.

Press the ALT and D keys at the recovery menu to access a command prompt. This will allow access to C: drive. The command prompt will default to c:\minint\system32 where you can run a variety of tools including CHKDSK.EXE.

Reinstalling applications

From version 2.x of the recovery system onwards you can install applications from the c:\applications folder. Drivers can be installed from the c:\applications\drivers folder and utilities from the c:\applications\tools folder. You will still need to install Microsoft Works from the supplied CD.

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
Advent Spares - http://www.adventspares.co.uk/
DriveMyLaptop (replacement drives) - http://www.drivemylaptop.co.uk
Laptop Solutions - http://www.laptopsolutions.net/index.htm
DAB Solutions - http://www.dab-solutions.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
LaptopShop - http://www.laptopshop.co.uk
PartMaster - http://www.partmaster.co.uk

FAQ

Upsidedown Picture on Screen

When using the laptop the picture appears to be on its side or upsidedown. The Intel Extreme graphics driver has a rotate option which can cause this to happen. To set the screen back to normal hold down CTRL+ALT and press the Up Arrow key. To disable the feature go into Display Properties (right click on a blank part of the screen and select Properties), select the Settings tab, and click on Advanced. Select the "Intel Graphics Media Accelerator Driver" tab and then click on the Graphics Properties button. Finally select Display Settings, take the tick out of the "Enable Rotation" box, and then click on OK to disable the feature.

Realtek 8139 Network Card Not Connecting

Some machines fitted with a network card based on the Realtek 8139 chip will fail to send and receive data correctly. This can happen if the autodetect feature of the card is not detecting the connection properly. To get round this the connection speed of the card must be set manually

• Right-click upon the My Computer icon and select Properties.
• Select the Hardware tab and click on the Device Manager button.
• Click on the + next to Network Adapters.
• Select the entry for Realtek 8139 from the list and double click upon it.
• Select the Advanced tab.
• Select the entry for Link Speed / Duplex Mode.
• Change the Value setting from Auto to one that is appropriate for the connection (often 100 Full for a connection directly to another PC and 10 Full for a broadband connection).