The system setup program contains the standard settings for your computer.
NOTICE: Unless you are an expert computer user, do not change the settings for this program.
Certain changes might make your computer work incorrectly.
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 computer
To set or change user-selectable options—for example, the user password
Dell recommends that you write down the system setup program screen information for future reference.
When the blue DELL logo appears, press <F2> immediately.
If you wait too long and the operating system logo appears, continue to wait until you see the Microsoft® Windows® desktop. Then shut down your computer and try again.
See the following figure for an example of the main program screen.
The system setup program screens display the current configuration information for your computer. Information on the screen is divided into five areas:
Title — The box at the top of all screens that lists the computer name.
Computer data — Two boxes below the title box that display your computer processor, L2 cache, service tag, and the version number of the BIOS.
Options — A scrollable box listing options that define the configuration of your computer, including installed hardware, power conservation, and security features.
Fields to the right of the option titles contain settings or values. The fields that you can change appear bright on the screen. The fields that you cannot change (because they are set by the computer) appear less bright. When <Enter> appears to the right of an option title, press <Enter> to access a popup menu of additional options.
Key functions — A line of boxes across the bottom of all screens that lists keys and their functions within system setup.
Help — Press <F1> for information on the option that is selected (highlighted).
This feature allows you to change the boot sequence for devices.
Changing Boot Sequence for the Current Boot
You can use this feature, for example, to tell the computer to boot from the CD drive so that you can run the Dell Diagnostics on the ResourceCD, but you must set the computer to boot from the hard drive when the diagnostic tests are complete.
Turn on (or restart) your computer.
When the blue DELL logo appears, press <F2> immediately.
If you wait too long and the operating system logo appears, continue to wait until you see the Microsoft Windows desktop. Then shut down your computer and try again.
The Boot Device Menu appears, listing all available boot devices. Each device has a number next to it.
At the bottom of the menu, enter the number of the device that is to be used for the current boot only.
Changing Boot Sequence for Future Boots
Enter the system setup program.
Use the arrow keys to highlight the Boot Sequence menu option and press <Enter> to access the pop-up menu.
NOTE: Write down your current boot sequence in case you want to restore it.
Press the up- and down-arrow keys to move through the list of devices.
Press the spacebar to enable or disable a device (enabled devices have a checkmark).
Press plus (+) or minus (�) to move a selected device up or down the list.
Hyper-Threading is an Intel® technology that can enhance overall computer performance by allowing one physical microprocessor to function as two logical microprocessors, capable of performing certain tasks simultaneously. It is recommended that you use the Microsoft Windows XP operating system because Windows XP is optimized to take advantage of Hyper-Threading technology. While many programs can benefit from Hyper-Threading, some programs have not been optimized for Hyper-Threading and may require an update from the software manufacturer. Contact the software manufacturer for updates and information about using Hyper-Threading with your software.
To determine if your computer is using Hyper-Threading technology:
Click the Start button, right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
Click Hardware and click Device Manager.
In the Device Manager window, click the plus (+) sign next to the processor type. If
Hyper-Threading is enabled, the processor is listed twice.
You can enable or disable Hyper-Threading through the system setup program. For more information on Hyper-Threading, search the Knowledge Base on the Dell Support website at support.dell.com.
CAUTION: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions in your Owner's Manual.
If you forget your user or setup password, you cannot operate your computer or change settings in the system setup program until you clear the forgotten password(s).
NOTICE: This process erases both the system and setup passwords.
