Archive-name: pc-hardware-faq/laptops/compaq-aero
Posting-Frequency: 57 days
Last-modified: 2002/04/29
Version: 3.31
URL: http://www.zenspider.edu/~pwilk/aero/aero-faq.txt

---

Section Contents

• News Headers
• Introduction
• Short Contents
• Long Contents
• 1 General
• 1.1 About this FAQ
• 1.1.1 Where to find the FAQ
• 1.2 Resources
• 1.2.1 Internet
• 1.2.2 Mailing List
• 1.2.2.1 Unsubscribing to the mailing list
• 1.2.3 Companies that carry Aero parts and supplies
• 1.3 Technical Data
• 1.3.1 Exploded View
• 1.3.2 System Unit
• 1.3.3 Passive Matrix Monochrome Display
• 1.3.4 Passive Matrix Color Display
• 1.3.5 Stock Hard Drives
• 1.3.6 Internal Power Supply
• 1.3.7 Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) Battery Pack
• 1.3.8 AC Adapter
• 1.3.9 Convenience Base
• 1.3.10 External Diskette Drive
• 1.3.11 Video Controller
• 1.3.12 Part Numbers
• 1.4 User Opinions
• 1.4.1 Is the machine really that bad?
• 1.4.2 Opinions on Aero features (The Quick FAQs)
• 1.5 Who's using an Aero
• 2 Hardware
• 2.1 Aero
• 2.1.1 CPU
• 2.1.1.1 Is it upgradeable?
• 2.1.1.2 Is it FPU upgradeable?
• 2.1.2 Memory (RAM)
• 2.1.2.1 How do you upgrade?
• 2.1.2.3 How much are memory upgrades?
• 2.1.3 How to disassemble the Aero
• 2.1.3.1 The tale of a journey inside
• 2.1.4 Hard Drive
• 2.1.4.1 Partitions
• 2.1.4.2 Noisy 84Mb hard drives
• 2.1.4.3 Upgrading the hard drive
• 2.1.4.4 Hard Drive Installation
• 2.1.4.4.1 Prequel to the step-by-step tutorial
• 2.1.4.4.2 A step-by-step tutorial
• 2.1.4.5 Installing the old drive in your desktop
• 2.1.4.6 Fixing the Master Boot Record
• 2.1.4.7 Christian's Aero harddrive upgrade list
• 2.1.5 Screen
• 2.1.5.1 The pulsing backlight puzzle
• 2.1.5.2 The screen connection
• 2.1.5.3 What if my screen is unevenly backlit?
• 2.1.5.4 800x600x16 VGA mode
• 2.1.5.5 Special supported 256 color VGA modes
• 2.1.5.6 Special supported text modes?
• 2.1.5.7 Screen hinge problem (the darn "clutch")
• 2.1.5.8 Screen Disassembly
• 2.1.5.9 Backlight Replacement
• 2.1.6 Keyboard
• 2.1.6.1 Aero keyboard diagrams
• 2.1.7 Trackball
• 2.1.7.1 Replacement Trackball
• 2.1.7.2 Cleaning Trackball
• 2.1.7.3 Ballistic Mouse driver?
• 2.1.7.4 Trackball and left-handedness?
• 2.1.8 Battery and Power Brick
• 2.1.8.1 Replacing the Battery
• 2.1.8.2 Conditioning and the Memory effect in NiMH batteries
• 2.1.8.2.1 Conditioning the Battery without a conditioner
• 2.1.8.3 Battery Warning
• 2.1.8.4 Batteries discharging too quickly when suspended
• 2.1.8.5 Super-fast recharge? Charge indicators?
• 2.1.8.6 Battery Monitoring
• 2.1.8.7 Battery Loose?
• 2.1.8.8 Please explain the aero battery
• 2.1.8.9 Recharging in the auto
• 2.1.8.10 Power Brick and other adapters
• 2.1.9 Ports
• 2.1.9.1 Is the printer port an EPP port?
• 2.1.9.2 Mouse on serial port
• 2.1.9.3 PS/2 Mouse port
• 2.1.9.4 Serial Port (16550AF UART)
• 2.1.9.5 Port Expander (the other port)
• 2.1.10 Speaker
• 2.1.11 CMOS (ROM)
• 2.1.11.1 Replacing the CMOS Battery
• 2.1.11.2 CMOS and ROM errors
• 2.1.12 The Year 2000 (Y2K)
• 2.2 Accessories
• 2.2.1 Floppy Drive
• 2.2.1.1 Floppy Drive and BIOS support
• 2.2.1.2 Connecting with out powering down
• 2.2.1.3 Aero does not recognize floppy drive
• 2.2.1.4 Problems reading/formatting disks
• 2.2.1.5 Do you need a floppy?
• 2.2.1.6 You still do not think you need a floppy?
• 2.2.1.7 Repairing the Floppy Drive
• 2.2.2 PCMCIA
• 2.2.2.1 Should I install the new V1.25 PCMCIA driver disk?
• 2.2.2.2 Compaq-approved cards
• 2.2.2.3 PCMCIA type III cards?
• 2.2.2.4 PCMCIA modems (& FAX/Modems), reviews
• 2.2.2.5 PCMCIA FAX/Modems and Suspend/Resume
• 2.2.2.6 External Monitor
• 2.2.2.7 Sound
• 2.2.2.8 Ethernet Adapters
• 2.2.2.9 Storage Devices and Multiple function cards
• 2.2.3 Parallel Port Devices
• 2.2.3.1 Sound
• 2.2.3.2 Storage Devices
• 2.2.6 Port Expanders
• 2.2.6.1 Can I make my own expander?
• 2.2.6.2 Mobile Port Expander
• 2.2.6.3 Convenience Base
• 2.2.7 Power Supplies
• 2.2.8 Case
• 2.2.9 SCSI
• 2.2.10 Other Things
• 3 Software
• 3.1 Upgrades
• 3.1.1 Service Files
• 3.1.1.2 PCMCIA Drivers and Utilities
• 3.1.1.3 Enhanced Parallel Port (EPP) Drivers
• 3.1.1.4 Windows Stuff
• 3.1.1.5 Utilities
• 3.1.1.6 Diagnostics and Portable Setup
• 3.1.1.7 Mouse Drivers
• 3.1.2 Softpaq
• 3.1.2.1 Rundown on Softpaq installation procedure
• 3.1.2.2 ROMPaq versions
• 3.1.2.3 Install a Softpaq without using the floppy drive?
• 3.1.2.4 Determining the BIOS date
• 3.2 Configuration
• 3.2.1 Tabular Rasa (clean slate)
• 3.2.2 Power-Management
• 3.2.2.1 Problems when Power-up from standby
• 3.2.2.2 PCMCIA modems and Suspend/Resume crashing
• 3.2.2.3 Forcing hibernation
• 3.2.2.4 Spin down disk/disable powersaver when on AC power
• 3.2.2.5 Is there a disk sleep hotkey?
• 3.2.2.7 Windows vs. power management and the date problem
• 3.2.3 Networking/Linking
• 3.2.3.1 Lap2Desk and WinLink
• 3.2.3.2 WinLink problems
• 3.2.3.3 Network File System (NFS)
• 3.2.4 Diagnostics Partition
• 3.3 Operating Systems
• 3.3.1 MS-DOS
• 3.2.1 DOS Setup
• 3.2.1.1 Standard CONFIG.SYS & AUTOEXEC.BAT
• 3.2.1.2 What is in CONFIG.SYS & AUTOEXEC.BAT?
• 3.2.1.3 Memory managers
• 3.2.1.4 Disk compression
• 3.3.2 Windows 3.1
• 3.3.2.1 Problems with WinFax Lite
• 3.3.2.2 Windows Video driver
• 3.3.2.3 Problems with Windows Speaker Driver
• 3.3.2.4 PCMCIA stuff
• 3.3.2.5 Problems with Modems/Serial Devices
• 3.3.2.6 32 bit disk access or no?
• 3.3.2.7 Windows for Workgroups
• 3.3.2.8 Speaker Driver
• 3.3.3 Windows95
• 3.3.3.1 The path to '95 by copying setup to the aero
• 3.3.3.2 The path to '95 by installing via Winlink (Lap2desk)
• 3.3.3.3 Win95 upgrade inventory
• 3.3.3.4 PCMCIA, the floppy drive, and getting it to work
• 3.3.3.5 Networking
• 3.3.3.6 Running Windows 95 and Windows 3.x
• 3.3.3.7 Repartitioning
• 3.3.3.8 Contura Aero, EPP, and Parallel Port Zip Drive
• 3.3.3.9 Common Problems
• 3.3.3.10 Internal Speaker Driver
• 3.3.3.11 Hibernate, Suspend, Power Management, and ilk
• 3.3.4 Windows 98
• 3.3.5 Windows NT
• 3.3.6 Linux
• 3.3.6.1 Linux and APM (Advance Power Management)
• 3.3.6.2 Recommended Kernel
• 3.3.6.3 Conserving memory
• 3.3.6.4 Installation without Floppy
• 3.3.6.5 X-configuration for color
• 3.3.6.6 X-configuration for mono
• 3.3.6.7 HD configs, Windows, and other musings
• 3.3.6.8 Parallel Port Things
• 3.3.6.9 Monkey Distribution
• 3.3.7 Other UNIX
• 3.3.8 OS/2
• 3.3.8.1 Can I run OS/2 on the Aero?
• 3.3.8.2 OS/2 Installation Problems
• 3.3.8.3 OS/2 Warp in 4MB RAM?
• 3.3.8.4 Aero floppy under Warp?
• 3.3.8.5 PCMCIA supported under OS/2?
• 3.4 Original Compaq Software Disks

Some parts © 2009 Advameg, Inc.