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Using the System Setup Program: Dell OptiPlex GX1 Low-Profile Managed PC Systems
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Each time you turn on your computer system or press the reset
button, the system compares the hardware installed in the system to the hardware listed in
the system configuration information stored in nonvolatile random-access memory (NVRAM) on
the system board. If the system detects a discrepancy, it generates error messages that
identify the incorrect configuration settings. The system then prompts you to enter the
System Setup program to correct the setting.
You can use the System Setup program as follows:
- To change the system configuration information after you add, change, or remove any
hardware in your system
- To set or change user-selectable options—for example, the time or date on your
system
You can view the current settings at any time. When you change a
setting, in many cases you must reboot the system before the change takes effect.
After you set up your system, run the System Setup program to
familiarize yourself with your system configuration information and optional settings.
Dell recommends that you print the System Setup screens (by pressing the <Print
Screen> key) or write down the information for future reference.
Before you use the System Setup program, you need to know the kind
of diskette drive(s) and hard-disk drive(s) installed in your computer. If you are unsure
of any of this information, see the Manufacturing Test Report that was shipped with your
system and is located in the Dell Accessories folder.
 |
NOTE: Dell recommends that you upgrade
your basic input/output system (BIOS) to the latest version. Refer to the Dell support Web
site at http://support.dell.com for instructions. |
Enter the System Setup program as follows:
- Turn on your system.
If your system is already on, shut it down and then turn it on again.
- Press <F2> immediately when the
F2 = Setup prompt appears in the upper-right corner of the Dell logo screen.
If you wait too long and your operating system begins to load into
memory, let the system complete the load operation; then shut down the system and try
again.
|
NOTE: To ensure an orderly system
shutdown, consult the documentation that accompanied your operating system. |
You can also enter the System Setup program by responding to certain
error messages. See "Responding to Error Messages."
The two System Setup screens, Page 1 and Page 2, display the current
setup and configuration information and optional settings for your system. (Typical
examples are illustrated in Figure 1.)
Figure 1. System Setup Screens
Information on the two System Setup screens is organized in five boxed areas:
- Title box
The box at the top of both screens lists the system name, page number (Page 1 or Page
2), and the revision number of the BIOS.
- Configuration options
The box on the left half of both screens lists the options that define the installed
hardware in your computer.
Fields beside the options contain options or values; those that appear bright on the
screen can be changed. Options or values that you cannot change because they are
determined by the system appear less bright.
Some options have multiple fields, which may show options or values as bright or less
bright depending upon what options or values you entered in other fields.
- Help
The box on the upper-right half of both screens displays help information for the
option with a currently highlighted field.
- System data
The box in the lower-right corner of both screens displays information about your
system.
- Key functions
The line of boxes across the bottom of both screens lists keys and their functions
within the System Setup program.
Table 1 lists the keys you use to view or change information on the
System Setup screens and to exit the program.
Table 1. System-Setup Navigation Keys
| Keys |
Action |
 |
Moves to the next field. |
 |
Moves to the previous field. |
 |
Cycles through the options in a field. In
many fields, you can also type the appropriate value. |
 |
Scrolls through help information. |
 |
Switches between Page 1 and Page 2. |
 |
Exits the System Setup program without
rebooting the system and returns the system to its previous state—the boot routine.
For most of the options, any changes you make are recorded but do not take effect until
the next time you boot the system. For a few options (as noted in the help area), the
changes take effect immediately. |
 |
Exits the System Setup program and
reboots the system, implementing any changes you have made. |
 |
Resets the selected option to its default
setting. |
 |
Enters the Device List screen when the
Boot Devices menu option is set to Device List. See Table 2 for more information on the keys you use in the Device
List screen. |
The following subsections explain in detail each of the options on
the System Setup screens.
Time resets the time on the computer's internal clock.
Time is kept in a 24-hour format (hours:minutes:seconds). To
change the time, press the right-arrow key to increase the number in the highlighted field
or press the left-arrow key to decrease the number. If you prefer, you can type numbers in
each of the appropriate fields.
Date resets the date on the computer's internal calendar.
Your system automatically displays the day of the week corresponding
to the settings in the three fields that follow (month, day-of-month, and year).
To change the date, press the right-arrow key to increase the number
in the highlighted field or press the left-arrow key to decrease the number. If you
prefer, you can type numbers in the month and day-of-month fields.
Diskette Drive A and Diskette Drive B identify the type of diskette
drives installed in your computer. With the standard cabling configuration, Diskette Drive
A (the boot diskette drive) is the 3.5-inch diskette drive installed in the top externally
accessible drive bay; Diskette Drive B is any drive installed in the bottom externally
accessible drive bay that is connected to the system's diskette/tape drive interface.
The option settings always match the physical locations of the
drives in your computer—the first drive listed on Page 1 of the System Setup screens
is the top drive in your computer.
The options are:
- 5.25 Inch, 360 KB
- 5.25 Inch, 1.2 MB
- 3.5 Inch, 720 KB
- 3.5 Inch, 1.44 MB
- Not Installed
The diskette option labeled "Use ZIP as A or B" is used to
control the operation of an internally installed ATAPI Zip drive. The options are On and
Off. When set On, the Zip drive operates as a diskette drive and can be booted. When set
to Off, the Zip drive operates as a normal ATAPI device.
You can have a total of two diskette devices, either diskette drives
or Zip drives.
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NOTE: Tape drives are not reflected in
the Diskette Drive A and Diskette Drive B options. For example, if you have a single
diskette drive and a tape drive attached to the diskette/tape drive interface cable, set
the Diskette Drive A option to match the characteristics of the diskette drive and set the
Diskette Drive B option to Not Installed. |
Primary identifies drives attached to the primary enhanced
integrated drive electronics (EIDE) interface connector (labeled "IDE1") on the
system board; Secondary identifies drives connected to the secondary EIDE interface
connector (labeled "IDE2"). Dell recommends that you use the secondary EIDE
interface connector for EIDE CD-ROM and EIDE tape drives.
|
NOTES: For all devices from Dell that
use the built-in EIDE controller, set the appropriate Drive option to Auto. For small
computer system interface (SCSI) devices, set the appropriate Drive option to None. |
| You must have an EIDE device connected
to the primary EIDE interface if you have an EIDE device connected to the secondary EIDE
interface. |
For older EIDE hard-disk drives not shipped with the system from
Dell and less than 528 megabytes (MB) in capacity, you can use one of the following
options if the Autodetect feature does not work:
- A specific drive-type number
- Usr1 or Usr2
For each drive, seven parameters can be chosen as a group by
drive-type number or entered individually from the keyboard. A drive-type number specifies
the parameters of a hard-disk drive, based on a table recorded in the system's BIOS.
|
NOTE: Operating systems that bypass
the system BIOS may not obtain optimum hard-disk drive performance. |
If you choose the Usr1 or Usr2 option, you must supply the following
parameters for the drive:
- Type is the drive-type number for the selected hard-disk drive (in this case, Usr1 or
Usr2).
- Cyls is the number of logical cylinders.
- Hds indicates the number of logical heads in the drive.
- Pre (precompensation cylinder) is the cylinder number at which the electrical current
for the drive head changes to compensate for differences in data density across the disk
surface (this parameter has no effect for EIDE drives).
- Lz is the cylinder number that is used as the drive's landing zone for the heads when
the drive is not in use.
- Sec is the number of logical sectors per track.
- Size (automatically calculated by the system) indicates the number of millions of bytes
of storage provided by the drive.
Reserved Memory allows you to designate a region of system board
memory that can be supplied by an expansion card. You should not enable the reserved
memory feature unless you are using an expansion card that requires special addressing.
For example, you may have a memory expansion card that needs to be
addressed starting at 15 MB. Selecting the 15M - 16M option in the Reserved Memory option
specifies that the base memory from 15 to 16 MB comes from the memory expansion card (the
base memory below the 15-MB address comes from the dual in-line memory modules [DIMMs] on
the system board).
The Reserved Memory option has the following options:
- None (the default option)
- 512K - 640K
- 15M - 16M
CPU Speed indicates the processor speed at which your system boots.
Press the left- or right-arrow key to toggle the CPU Speed option
between the resident microprocessor's rated speed (the default) and a lower compatibility
speed, which lets you accommodate speed-sensitive application programs. A change to this
option takes effect immediately (rebooting the system is not required).
You can also toggle between the rated processor speed and the
compatibility speed while the system is running in real mode by pressing
<Ctrl><Alt><\>. (For keyboards that do not use American English, press
<Ctrl><Alt><#>.)
Num Lock determines whether your system boots with the Num Lock mode
activated on 101- or 102-key keyboards (it does not apply to 84-key keyboards).
When Num Lock mode is activated, the rightmost bank of keys on your
keyboard provides the mathematical and numeric functions shown at the tops of the keys.
When Num Lock mode is turned off, these keys provide cursor-control functions according to
the label on the bottom of each key.
Chassis Intrusion displays the status of the system chassis
intrusion monitor. The settings for this option are Enabled, Enabled-Silent, or Disabled.
The default is Enabled.
If the computer cover is removed while the intrusion monitor is set
to Enabled, the setting changes to Detected, and the following message appears during the
boot sequence at the next system start-up:
Alert! Cover was previously removed.
If the computer cover is removed while the intrusion monitor is set
to Enabled-Silent, the setting changes to Detected, but the alert message is not displayed
during the boot sequence at the next system start-up.
If the intrusion monitor is set to Disabled, no intrusion monitoring
occurs and no messages are displayed.
To reset the Detected setting, enter the System Setup program during
the system's power-on self-test (POST). Highlight the Chassis Intrusion option and press
the left- or right-arrow key to choose Enabled, Enabled-Silent, or Disabled.
|
NOTE: When the setup password is
enabled, you must enter the setup password before you can reset the Chassis Intrusion
option. |
DAC Snoop lets you correct video problems that may occur when
certain video add-in cards are used. The default is Off. If you are using a video add-in
card and problems such as incorrect colors or blank windows occur, set DAC Snoop to On.
This option controls the operation of the system's Advanced
Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) feature.
When ACPI is set to On, momentarily pressing the power button places
the system in a power-saving mode. To turn the system off completely, press the power
button for more than 4 seconds. When ACPI is set to On, interrupt request (IRQ) line 9 is
not available for use by an expansion card.
When ACPI is set to Off, momentarily pressing the power button turns
off the system completely. With this setting, IRQ9 is available for use by an expansion
card.
Keyboard Errors enables or disables reporting of keyboard errors
during the POST, which is a series of tests that the system performs on the hardware each
time you turn on the system or press the reset button.
This option is useful when applied to self-starting servers or host
systems that have no permanently attached keyboard. In these situations, selecting Do Not
Report suppresses all error messages relating to the keyboard or to the keyboard
controller during POST. This option does not affect the operation of the keyboard itself
if a keyboard is attached to the computer.
System Password displays the current status of your system's
password security feature and allows you to assign and verify a new password. No one can
assign a new password unless the current status is Not Enabled, which is displayed in
bright characters.
The settings for the System Password option are the following:
- Not Enabled (the default option)
- Enabled
- Disabled by Jumper
When Setup Password is set to Enabled, Password Status allows you to
prevent the system password from being changed or disabled at system start-up.
To lock the system password, you must first assign a setup password
in the Setup Password option and then change the Password Status option to Locked. In this
state, the system password cannot be changed through the System Password option and cannot
be disabled at system start-up by pressing <Ctrl><Enter>.
To unlock the system password, you must enter the setup password in
the Setup Password option and then change the Password Status option to Unlocked. In this
state, the system password can be disabled at system start-up by pressing
<Ctrl><Enter> and then changed through the System Password option.
Boot Sequence can be set to Diskette First (the default), Hard Disk
Only, CD-ROM First, or Device List.
The term boot refers to the system's start-up procedure. When
turned on, the system "bootstraps" itself into an operational state by loading
into memory a small program, which in turn loads the necessary operating system. Boot
Sequence tells the system where to look for the files that it needs to load.
Selecting Diskette First causes the system to boot from drive A
first. If the system finds a diskette that is not bootable in the drive or finds a problem
with the drive itself, it displays an error message. If it does not find a diskette in the
drive, the system boots from the hard-disk drive (drive 0), then from the CD-ROM drive,
and finally from the Plug and Play network adapters in the order found.
Selecting Hard Disk Only causes the system to boot first from the
hard-disk drive and then from the Plug and Play network adapters in the order found.
Selecting CD-ROM First causes the system to boot from the CD-ROM
drive first. If the system finds a CD that is not bootable in the drive or finds a problem
with the drive itself, it displays an error message. If it does not find a CD in the
drive, the system boots from drive A, then from drive C, and finally from the Plug and
Play network adapters in the order found.
Device List provides access to the Device List screen, where you can
choose from a list of available boot devices to boot from and specify the order in which
your computer attempts to boot from these devices. To view the Device List screen, press
<Ctrl> and the right-arrow key. Table 2 lists other navigation keys used on the
Device List screen.
Table 2. Device-List Screen Navigation Keys
| Keys |
Action |
 |
Returns the boot device lists to the
default settings |
 |
Moves the selected item up or down in the
boot sequence |
 |
Exits to Page 2 of the System Setup
screens |
 |
Moves the selected item from one Boot
Device Priority list to the other |
NOTICE: Only a technically knowledgeable person should change
the settings in the Device List screen.
The Device List screen (see Figure 2)
provides three options for listing and prioritizing the available boot devices in your
system.
Figure 2. Sample Device List Screen
- Boot Device Priority
The Boot Device Priority option lists all bootable devices (hard-disk drives, CD-ROM
drives, and so on) that are controlled by the system BIOS and any Plug and Play network
adapters installed in the computer.
- Exclude From Boot Device Priority
The Exclude From Boot Device Priority option allows you to remove from the Boot Device
Priority option any boot devices that you want the system to ignore during system
start-up.
- Device Controller Priority
The Device Controller Priority option lists the system BIOS controller; any non-Plug
and Play devices, such as network adapter cards; and any secondary controller cards, such
as a SCSI adapter, installed in the computer.
|
NOTE: Non-Plug and Play devices appear
in this list as Adapters without ID support. |
When determining the order of devices to boot from, the system first
considers the order of the devices listed under the Device Controller Priority option,
then the order of devices under Boot Device Priority.
To specify your priority preferences, order the devices under these
options so that the highest-priority controller is at the top of the Device Controller
Priority option and the highest-priority device is at the top of the Boot Device Priority
option. Order the remainder of the devices in the Boot Device Priority option according to
your preferences. Move any devices that you want the system to ignore during system
start-up into the Exclude From Boot Device Priority option.
|
NOTE: The system defines drive C in
the Boot Device Priority option as the first hard-disk drive attached to the
highest-priority device controller. Therefore, if you have a SCSI adapter installed in
your computer and you want SCSI drive 0 to be drive C, you must move the SCSI adapter item
to the top of the Device Controller Priority option. |
To change the order of the devices, press <Ctrl> and the up-
or down-arrow key. If you want to revert to the original Boot Device Priority option
settings, press <Ctrl><Del>.
|
NOTE: If you exit the Device List
option by pressing <Esc> or <Alt><b> without making any changes, the
Boot Sequence option is set to the Device List option. |
Setup Password indicates whether a password is required before you
can change option settings on the System Setup screen. The settings for this option are
normally Enabled or Not Enabled. A third setting, Disabled By Jumper, displays if the
Setup Password option is deactivated. (You can set a jumper on the system board to
deactivate the Setup option.)
If Setup Password is set to Enabled, you must enter the correct
setup password before you can change the settings for the majority of the System Setup
options. If you do not enter the correct password in three tries, the system lets you
view, but not change, the settings on the System Setup screen, with one exception: if
Password Status is Unlocked, you may change the system password.
Auto Power On allows you to set the time and days of the week to
turn on the computer system automatically. You can set Auto Power On to turn on the system
either every day or every Monday through Friday.
|
NOTE: This feature does not work if
you turn off your system using a power strip or surge protector. |
Time is kept in a 24-hour format (hours:minutes). To change
the start-up time, press the right-arrow key to increase the number in the highlighted
field or press the left-arrow key to decrease the number. If you prefer, you can type
numbers in both fields.
The default for Auto Power On is Disabled.
For certain types of monitors and most EIDE hard-disk drives, you
can reduce system power consumption by enabling the power management feature. With Power
Management enabled, these monitors and drives automatically switch into low-power mode
during periods of system inactivity.
Power Management can be implemented at three levels—Maximum,
Regular, and Minimum. (The different levels apply to the monitor only; hard-disk drive
operation is the same for all three.) The default for this option is Disabled.
If you have a Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA®)
Display Power Management Signaling (DPMS)-compliant monitor, enabling the Power Management
option reduces monitor power consumption during periods of keyboard and mouse inactivity
| NOTICE: Check your monitor documentation to make sure you have a
DPMS-compliant monitor before you enable this feature. Otherwise, you risk damaging the
monitor. |
|
NOTE: The power management feature
monitors activity of a mouse connected to the Personal System/2 (PS/2)-compatible mouse
port. |
By setting Power Management to Maximum, Regular, or Minimum, you can
set predefined time-out periods (see Table
3) for the two successive monitor shutdown stages, standby and off.
|
NOTE: Each monitor manufacturer
defines the details of the shutdown stages for its own monitors. But in all cases, power
consumption decreases with each stage from "on" (full power) to
"standby" (reduced power; the display image usually disappears) to
"off" (where power consumption is minimal). To define these stages for your
monitor, see the documentation that came with the monitor. |
From either shutdown stage, you can return full power to the monitor
in one of the following ways:
- For most DPMS-compliant monitors, any subsequent activity—including moving the
mouse—should return full power to the monitor.
- A few DPMS-compliant monitors require that you turn monitor power off and then on again
to return to full power.
Check your monitor documentation for information on how your monitor
is designed to operate.
For most systems, enabling Power Management at any level causes EIDE
hard-disk drives to switch to low-power mode after about 20 minutes of system inactivity
(see Table 3).
|
NOTES: All EIDE drives shipped with
your system support this feature. (For more information on ENERGY STAR® systems,
see "ENERGY STAR® Compliance".) |
| However, not all EIDE hard-disk drives
support this feature. Enabling this feature for drives that do not support it may cause
the EIDE drive to become inoperable until the computer is restarted and the Power
Management option is disabled. |
In low-power mode, the disks inside the drive stop spinning. They
remain idle until the next drive access, which causes them to start spinning again.
(Because the disks take a few seconds to regain full speed, you may notice a slight delay
when you next access the hard-disk drive.)
When Power Management is set to Disabled (the default), the disks
spin constantly as long as the system is turned on.
Table 3. Power Time-Out Periods
Power
Management
Setting |
EIDE Drive
Spindown
Time-Outs |
Monitor
Standby
Time-Outs |
Monitor Off
Time-Outs |
| Disabled |
Never |
Never |
Never |
| Maximum |
20 minutes |
10 minutes |
1 hour |
| Regular |
20 minutes |
20 minutes |
1 hour |
| Minimum |
20 minutes |
1 hour |
Never |
Wakeup On LAN determines whether the Wakeup On LAN feature is set to
On or Off. You must reboot your system before a change takes effect.
Sound determines whether the integrated audio controller is On or
Off. You must reboot your system before a change takes effect.
NIC determines whether an integrated network interface controller
(NIC) is On or Off. You must reboot your system before a change takes effect.
Mouse enables or disables the system's built-in PS/2-compatible
mouse port. Disabling the mouse allows an expansion card to use IRQ 12.
For more information about built-in ports, port designations, IRQs,
and the remapping of ports, see "Connecting External Devices" in your online System
User's Guide.
Serial Port 1 and Serial Port 2 configure the system's built-in
serial ports. These options can be set to Auto (the default) to automatically configure a
port, to a particular designation (COM1 or COM3 for Serial Port 1; COM2 or COM4 for Serial
Port 2), or to Off to disable the port.
If you set a serial port to Auto and add an expansion card
containing a port configured to the same designation, the system automatically remaps the
built-in port to the next available port designation that shares the same IRQ setting as
follows:
- COM1 (input/output [I/O] address 3F8h), which shares IRQ4 with COM3, is remapped to COM3
(I/O address 3E8h).
- COM2 (I/O address 2F8h), which shares IRQ3 with COM4, is remapped to COM4 (I/O address
2E8h).
|
NOTES: When two COM ports share an IRQ
setting, you can use either port as necessary, but you may not be able to use them both at
the same time. If the second port (COM3 or COM4) is also in use, the built-in port is
turned off. |
| If you are using the Microsoft®
Windows® 95 or IBM® OS/2® operating system, you cannot use both
serial ports at the same time. |
For more information about built-in ports, port designations, IRQs,
and the remapping of ports, see "Connecting External Devices" in your online System
User's Guide.
Parallel Port configures the system's built-in parallel port. This
option can be set to 378h (the default), to alternate addresses 278h or 3BCh, or to Off to
disable the port.
|
NOTE: Do not set Parallel Port to 278h
if you have an Enhanced Capabilities Port (ECP) device connected to the port. |
Parallel Mode controls whether the system's built-in parallel port
acts as an AT-compatible (unidirectional) or PS/2-compatible (bidirectional) port.
Your system also supports ECP mode, which can be used by Windows 95
and Windows 98. Windows 95 and Windows 98 use ECP protocol automatically if the operating
system detects an ECP-capable device, eliminating the need for an ECP setting in this
option.
Set this option according to the type of peripheral device connected
to the parallel port. To determine the correct mode to use, see the documentation that
came with the device.
IDE Hard Disk enables or disables the system's built-in EIDE
hard-disk drive interface.
With Auto (the default) selected, the system turns off the built-in
EIDE interface when necessary to accommodate a controller card installed in an expansion
slot.
As part of the boot routine, the system first checks for a primary
hard-disk drive controller card installed in an expansion slot. If no card is found, the
system enables the built-in EIDE interface to use IRQ14 and IRQ15.
If a primary controller is detected on the expansion bus, the
built-in EIDE interface is disabled.
Selecting Off disables the built-in EIDE interface.
Diskette controls the operation of the system's built-in diskette
drive controller.
With Auto (the default) selected, the system turns off the built-in
diskette drive controller when necessary to accommodate a controller card installed in an
expansion slot.
With Write Protect selected, nothing can be written to diskette
drives and tape drives using the system's built-in diskette drive controller. (The system
can still read from the drives.) When this option is selected, the Auto option (whereby
the system turns off the built-in diskette drive controller as necessary) is also in
effect.
Selecting Off turns off the built-in diskette/tape drive controller;
this option is used primarily for troubleshooting purposes.
Speaker determines whether the on-board speaker is On (the default)
or Off. A change to this option takes effect immediately (rebooting the system is not
required).
The following options, which are not selectable, display information
about the system. The microprocessor type is also listed in the System Data box.
- Level 2 Cache displays the size of the integrated cache.
- System Memory indicates the entire amount of installed memory detected in your system,
except for memory on Expanded Memory Specification (EMS) expansion cards. After adding
memory, check this option to confirm that the new memory is installed correctly and is
recognized by the system.
- Video Memory displays the amount of video memory detected in your system.
- Service Tag displays the system's five-character service tag number, which was
programmed into NVRAM by Dell during the manufacturing process. Refer to this number
during technical assistance or service calls. The service tag number is also accessed by
certain Dell support software, including the diagnostics software.
- Asset Tag displays the customer-programmable asset tag number for the system if an asset
tag number has been assigned. You can use the Asset Tag utility, which is included with
your system utilities, to enter an asset tag number up to ten characters long into NVRAM.
More information is available on the Dell ResourceCD.
| NOTICE: The password features
provide a basic level of security for the data on your system. However, they are not
foolproof. If your data requires more security, it is your responsibility to obtain and
use additional forms of protection, such as data encryption programs. |
Your Dell system is shipped to you without the system password
feature enabled. If system security is a concern, you should operate your system only with
system password protection.
You can assign a system password, as described in "Assigning a System
Password," whenever you use the System Setup program. After a system
password is assigned, only those who know the password have full use of the system.
When the System Password option is set to Enabled, the computer
system prompts you for the system password just after the system boots.
To change an existing system password, you must know the password
(see "Deleting or Changing an Existing System Password"). If you
assign and later forget a system password, you need to be able to remove the computer
cover to change a jumper setting that disables the system password feature (see "Disabling a Forgotten
Password"). Note that you erase the setup password at the same time.
| NOTICE: If you leave your system
running and unattended without having a system password assigned, or if you leave your
computer unlocked so that someone can disable the password by changing a jumper setting,
anyone can access the data stored on your hard-disk drive. |
Before you can assign a system password, you must enter the System
Setup program and check the System Password option.
When a system password is assigned, the setting shown in the System
Password option is Enabled. When the system password feature is disabled by a jumper
setting on the system board, the option shown is Disabled by Jumper. You cannot change or
enter a new system password if either of these options is displayed.
When no system password is assigned and the password jumper on the
system board is in the enabled position (its default), the option shown for the System
Password option is Not Enabled. Only when this option is set to Not Enabled can you assign
a system password, using the following procedure:
- Verify that the Password Status option is set to Unlocked.
For instructions on changing the setting for Password Status, see "Password Status."
- Highlight the System Password option, and then press the left- or right-arrow key.
The option heading changes to Enter Password, followed by an empty seven-character
field in square brackets.
- Type your new system password.
You can use up to seven characters in your password.
As you press each character key (or the spacebar for a blank space), a placeholder
appears in the field.
The password assignment operation recognizes keys by their location on the keyboard,
without distinguishing between lowercase and uppercase characters. For example, if you
have an M in your password, the system recognizes either M or m as
correct.
Certain key combinations are not valid. If you enter one of these combinations, the
speaker emits a beep.
To erase a character when entering your password, press the <Backspace> key or
the left-arrow key.
|
NOTE: To escape from the field without
assigning a system password, press the <Tab> key or the <Shift><Tab> key
combination to move to another field, or press the <Esc> key at any time prior to
completing step 5. |
- Press <Enter>.
If the new system password is less than seven characters, the whole field fills with
placeholders. Then the option heading changes to Verify Password, followed by another
empty seven-character field in square brackets.
- To confirm your password, type it a second time and press <Enter>.
The password setting changes to Enabled. Your system password is now set; you can exit
the System Setup program and begin using your system. Note, however, that password
protection does not take effect until you reboot the system by pressing the reset button
or by turning the system off and then on again.
Whenever you turn on your system, press the reset button, or reboot
the system by pressing the <Ctrl><Alt><Del> key combination, the
following prompt appears on the screen when the Password Status option is set to Unlocked:
Type in the password and...
- press <ENTER> to leave password security enabled.
- press <CTRL><ENTER> to disable password security.
Enter password:
If the Password Status option is set to Locked, the following prompt
appears:
Type the password and press <Enter>.
After you type the correct system password and press <Enter>,
your system boots and you can use the keyboard and/or mouse to operate your system as
usual.
If a wrong or incomplete system password is entered, the following
message appears on the screen:
** Incorrect password. **
Enter password:
If an incorrect or incomplete system password is entered again, the
same message appears on the screen.
The third and subsequent times an incorrect or incomplete system
password is entered, the system displays the following message:
** Incorrect password. **
Number of unsuccessful password attempts: 3
System halted! Must power down.
The number of unsuccessful attempts made to enter the correct system
password can alert you to an unauthorized person attempting to use your system.
Even after your system is turned off and on, the previous message is
displayed each time an incorrect or incomplete system password is entered.
|
NOTE: You can use the Password Status
option in conjunction with System Password and Setup Password to further protect your
system from unauthorized changes. For more information, see "Password Status." |
To delete or change an existing system password, perform the
following steps:
- Enter the System Setup program, and verify that the Password Status option is set to
Unlocked.
Refer to "Entering the
System Setup Program." For instructions on changing the setting for Password
Status, see "Password Status."
- Reboot your system to force it to prompt you for a system password.
- When prompted, type the system password.
- Press the <Ctrl><Enter> key combination to disable the existing system
password, instead of pressing <Enter> to continue with the normal operation of your
system.
- Confirm that Not Enabled is displayed for the System Password option of the System Setup
program.
If Not Enabled appears in the System Password option, the system password has
been deleted. If you want to assign a new password, continue to step 6. If Not Enabled is
not displayed for the System Password option, press the <Alt><p> key
combination to reboot the system, and then repeat steps 3 through 5.
- To assign a new password, follow the procedure in "Assigning a System Password."
Your Dell system is shipped to you without the setup password
feature enabled. If system security is a concern, you should operate your system with
setup password protection.
You can assign a setup password, as described in "Assigning a Setup Password,"
whenever you use the System Setup program. After a setup password is assigned, only those
who know the password have full use of the System Setup program.
To change an existing setup password, you must know the setup
password (see "Deleting or Changing an Existing Setup Password"). If you
assign and later forget a setup password, you need to remove the computer cover to change
a jumper setting that disables the setup password feature (see "Disabling a Forgotten
Password"). Note that you erase the system password at the same time.
A setup password can be assigned (or changed) only when the Setup
Password option is set to Not Enabled. To assign a setup password, perform the following
steps:
- Enter the System Setup program and go to Page 2 of the System Setup screens.
Refer to "Entering
the System Setup Program." Press the <Alt><p> key combination to move
to Page 2 of the System Setup screens.
- Highlight the Setup Password option and press the left- or right-arrow key.
The system prompts you to enter and verify the password. If a
character is illegal for password use, the system emits a beep.
|
NOTE: The setup password can be the same as the system
password. |
- Enter and verify the password, and click OK.
A change to the Setup Password option becomes effective immediately (rebooting
the system is not required).
Highlight the Setup Password option and press the left- or
right-arrow key. The system prompts you to enter and verify the password. If a character
is illegal for password use, the system emits a beep.
|
NOTES: The setup password can be the
same as the system password. |
| If the two passwords are different,
the setup password can be used as an alternate system password. However, the system
password cannot be used in place of the setup password. |
After you verify the password, the Setup Password setting
changes to Enabled. The next time you enter the System Setup program, the system prompts
you for the setup password.
If Setup Password is set to Enabled, you must enter the correct
setup password before you can modify the majority of the System Setup options.
When you start the System Setup program, Page 2 of the System Setup
screens appears with the Setup Password option highlighted, prompting you to type the
password.
If you do not enter the correct password in three tries, the system
lets you view, but not modify, the System Setup screens—with the following
exceptions:
If System Password is not enabled and is not locked via the Password Status option, you
can assign a system password (however, you cannot disable or change an existing system
password).
|
NOTE: You can use the Password Status
option in conjunction with Setup Password to protect the system password from unauthorized
changes. For more information, see "Password Status." |
To delete or change an existing setup password, perform the
following steps:
- Enter the System Setup program and go to Page 2 of the System Setup screens.
Refer to "Entering
the System Setup Program." Press the <Alt><p> key combination to move
to Page 2 of the System Setup screens.
- Highlight the Setup Password option, type in the setup password, and press the left- or
right-arrow key to delete the existing setup password.
The setting changes to Not Enabled.
- If you want to assign a new setup password, follow the procedure in "Assigning a Setup Password."
Disabling a Forgotten
Password
If you forget your system or setup password, you cannot operate your
system or change settings in the System Setup program until you remove the computer cover,
change the password jumper setting to disable the passwords, and erase the existing
passwords.
To disable a forgotten password, perform the following steps.
- Remove the computer cover according to the instructions in "Removing the Computer Cover."
- Remove the jumper plug from the PSWD jumper to disable the password feature.
Refer to "Jumpers" for jumper information
and for the location of the password jumper (labeled "PSWD") on the system
board.
- Replace the computer cover.
- Reconnect your computer and peripherals to their power sources, and then turn them on.
Booting your system with the PSWD jumper plug removed erases the existing password(s).
- Enter the System Setup program and verify that the password is disabled. Proceed to step
6 if you want to assign a new password.
|
NOTE: Before you assign a new system and/or setup password, you must
replace the PSWD jumper plug. |
- Remove the computer cover according to the instructions in "Removing the Computer Cover."
- Replace the PSWD jumper plug.
- Replace the computer cover, and then reconnect the computer and peripherals to their
power sources and turn them on.
Booting with the PSWD jumper installed reenables the password feature. When you enter
the System Setup program, both password options appear as Not Enabled, meaning that the
password feature is enabled but that no password has been assigned.
- Assign a new system and/or setup password.
To assign a new system password, see "Assigning a System Password." To
assign a new setup password, see "Assigning
a Setup Password."
If an error message appears on your monitor screen while the system is booting, make
note of the message. Then, before entering the System Setup program, refer to your Diagnostics
and Troubleshooting Guide for an explanation of the message and suggestions for
correcting any errors. However, it is normal to receive an error message the first time
you boot the system after a memory upgrade. In that case, you do not need to refer to the Diagnostics
and Troubleshooting Guide; instead, refer to the instructions in "Adding Memory."
If you are given an option of pressing either <F1> to continue or <F2> to
run the System Setup program, press the <F2> key.
Back to Contents Page
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