CTX Notebooks FAQ

My battery does not seem to be charging. How long does it to take to charge my battery? (700 series)

Normally it takes two hours to charge the battery if you are not operating the system. If the battery does not seem to be charging, cycle the battery. In other words, discharge then recharge it. The 700 Series battery can be charged in either media bay. Try both bays. If the charging function stops, which is indicated by the battery icon on the status panel, and the battery has still not fully charged, unplug the AC-adapter then reconnect it. If it still does not charge, you may need a new battery, as the old one may be shot.

Does my EzBook accept Lithium or NiMH batteries? (All Models)

Depends on the model. EzBook 700 and 300 (Pentium-based) systems will accept Lithium Ion batteries. Earlier models use Nickel Metal Hydride type batteries.

How long does the battery last? (Any notebook)

Battery run time will vary depending on usage. A typical high-drain usage is when the CD-ROM and hard drives are being accessed. On average the battery will last between 2-3 hours.

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Why is my EzBook 700 suspend to RAM feature not enabled?

The "suspend to RAM" feature is currently disabled by default factory setting for the 700 and 300 Series. In any event, the suspend to disk feature is the better option for the following reasons: 1) suspend to disk saves more power by reducing hard drive power consumption; 2) data is less likely to be lost or corrupted when the suspend to disk feature is used rather than suspend to RAM.

Why, after I flash my EzBook's BIOS, does the computer not turn on?

The computer was flashed incorrectly. You may have flashed the BIOS with the hard drive in the system. If you have a 700 Series system, remove the hard drive and flash the system using the floppy drive.

My 486 notebook CMOS lost its setup.

Take the main battery out and let the system run. The smaller CMOS battery which powers the CMOS chip which holds the setup information (like hard drive type, time and date) will charge on its own. Charge the CMOS battery for 48 hours.

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System won't boot.

First check the obvious possible causes. If you are running on AC power (as when it is plugged into the wall socket) check to make sure the AC connection is good. Plug in another appliance that you know works. Flip the wall switch on and off. If you are running the system on DC (battery power), try using AC. Connect the AC adapter and plug in the notebook. If it still refuses to boot, the internal AC-DC converter may have a short. Call CTX customer service for repair.

My system is telling me "controller failure/internal stack overflow," and the system locks up.

The CPU is not seated firmly, possibly one of the CPU pins is broken. Call CTX customer service.

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Why does my floppy disk drive say 5.25" underneath the MY COMPUTER when the drive is a 3.5"?

You have set up the supervisor or user password in the BIOS, however, you did not provide the password when you were asked by the system during the bootup phase. You will not be able to access the floppy drive until you reboot the system, and enter the proper password.

I get a message "not a bootable diskette" or "disk failure drive A."

If your notebook floppy disk drive won't work with diskettes that you are sure good (you can check them by trying them on another personal computer system) then your floppy disk drive has probably gotten out of alignment. A malfunctioning floppy disk drive can scratch diskettes on the boot sector, causing the boot failure message. This problem is especially prevalent on older drives.

I have tried using brand new floppy diskettes, but my floppy drive still won't read/write.

If your notebook floppy disk drive won't work with diskettes you have tried on another system, your floppy disk drive may need service. This problem is especially prevalent on older drives. Contact CTX customer service for repair information.

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My system freezes while accessing the Internet.

Download "V.90 flash.exe" file to upgrade the modem to V.90.

My system will not warm boot.

The wrong CD-ROM driver is installed. Copy the driver called tricd.sys from the EzBook utility CD to the Windows directory (the driver is located in D:\cdrom\torisan directory). Then edit the config.sys file by replacing the word "Oakcdrom.sys" with "tricd.sys" in the line:

DEVICE=C:\WINDOWS\OAKCDROM.SYS/D:OEMCD001

With a battery installed in the floppy drive bay I get the following error message:
"Warning no bootable floppy drive 0 installed"
"Warning - Floppy information invalid - run SCU"
"Hit F1 to continue"

On boot up, the BIOS will always search for the floppy drive first, anticipating that normally the floppy drive will be inserted in the bay, rather than a battery. Simply press F1 to continue.

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Windows 98 battery status is always the same, I can't tell what my battery status is?

Currently there is no fix; the work around is to reboot the computer.

Why is the display quality so much better at 1024 x 768 resolution than 640 x 480?

The display system was created to optimize XGA screen resolutions; therefore, 1024 x 768 will provide a much sharper image than 640 x 480.

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I installed Symantec's Norton Anti-Virus v. 4, and after the computer rebooted I got a message that the file HIMEM.SYS was missing. The computer halted there and it would not go to Windows. How do I get my computer to go to Windows 95?

There is a known problem running Norton Anti-Virus Software. Here is how you can get your system up and running quickly.

• Reboot the system and press the F8 key on the keyboard when the screen appears saying "Starting Windows 95." This will allow you to see a startup menu.
• Select "Safe Mode command prompt only." (Usually option 6 or 7)
• Type the words Edit autoexec.bat and press the enter key
• Modify the autoexc.bat file by inserting the word REM in front of any line that refers to the Norton Virus program.
• Reboot the system.
• If Windows does not boot, then replace the system registry file, SYSTEM.DAT, by using your backup SYSTEM.DAT file.

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What CPUs will my laptop accept or upgrade to? (700-300 series)

Depends on the model. 133MHz up to 150Mhz models can be upgraded to 166MHz. CPUs on the 166 and 200MHz models are not upgradeable.

What size hard drive can I upgrade my EzBook Notebook to? (700 series)

CTX have tested hard drive capacities up to 3GB. Contact CTX technical support for the list of compatible hard drives.

Can I upgrade my system's hard drive to a larger capacity one?

Certainly. CTX notebooks have removable hard drives. If you have an older 486 model, you may want to obtain a newer BIOS version is order to take advantage of large capacity drives

I would like to upgrade my notebook's 486 CPU to a faster one.

The DX4/100 CPU obtainable from CTX customer service. Most 486 EzBook models can be upgraded with a faster CPU, up to a 486/DX4100.

Can my 5x86 CPU be upgraded?

No. There is no upgrade CPU for the 5x86.

Can my Pentium 600 Series CPU be upgraded?

The Pentium 75MHz CPU can be upgraded to a Pentium 90MMHz CPU

What is the maximum memory configuration for the 700-300 series?

The EzBook is upgradeable to 40MB RAM. The 200MHz system is upgradeable to 72MB RAM.

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My laptop has a touchpad. When I try to use the the Windows 95 Enhancements features under Mouse the options are grayed out, why?

If your features are grayed out, you have a Logitech touchpad and need to install the drivers. Check your utility driver CD and load the appropriate driver for that manufacturer's touchpad. Use Control Panel, Mouse, Driver, click on General, and if the name is Synaptics PS/2 touchpad, then click Change. Then click Have Disk, insert Utility CD in the CD-ROM drive, click Browse, then go to the D: drive, Mouse folder, Logitech, then click Next, then keep clicking okay or next to finish the installation.

My trackball is sluggish/not responding/not moving in one or more directions.

The ball and its contact points need cleaning. Refer to your user's manual for directions on how to go about cleaning it.

When I click the left mouse button nothing happens.

Over time, trackball pointing devices can lose their ability to make the connection necessary for the button to work. Contact CTX customer service. You can also use a serial mouse.

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Why do the icons on my 400-500 Series LCM display blink?

If the icons on the LCM blink, the battery is probably overcharging.

My LCD is perfect except for some tiny lines.

If the display is good except for lines on the screen, you may have a loose video chip or loose video cable. Call CTX customer service for further help.

I cannot adjust my notebook dual scan display's contrast and/or brightness.

The internal DC-AC converter may need replacing.

My 600 Series notebook doesn't run my MPEG video software.

MPEG is an optional feature with the 600 notebooks. You must first purchase and install the MPEG video card for the system to run MPEG video files.

Configuring Neomagic Video Drivers for Windows NT

The NeoMagic drivers are included on the Windows NT 4.0 CD from Microsoft Corporation. These drivers can be pulled up in the Change Display menus. The location of the NeoMagic drivers is drvlib/I386/video/neomagic directory of the CD.

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How can I tell what EzBook Model I have?

The first three digits and the following characters on the serial number reveal the model number.

Which set of numbers on the system bottom is the serial number?

The serial number is on the white label. The serial number normally starts with 3 or 7, e.g. 364TK-xxxxxx, 750MS-xxxxxx.

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