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System Setup Program: Dell Dimension L Series Reference
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System Setup Program: Dell™ Dimension™ L Series Reference
Each time you turn on or restart your computer system, the system compares the hardware
installed in the system to the hardware listed in the configuration information stored in
nonvolatile random-access memory (NVRAM) on the system board. If the system detects a
discrepancy between the two, 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 user password
Dell recommends that you print the system setup program screens (by pressing <Print
Screen>) or write down the information for future reference.
The system setup screens are organized as follows:
- At the top is a menu bar for accessing the main program screens.
- The box on the left side of each screen lists options that define the
installed hardware in the system. Fields next to the options contain settings or values. You can change those that are enclosed in brackets. Values that are grayed out contain status information
reported by the system.
- The box on the right side of each screen displays help information
for the option with a currently highlighted field.
- The bottom right area lists keys and their functions for the
currently displayed screen.
The menu bar provides access to the following screens:
- Main screen — Provides settings for the basic system configuration
- Advanced screen — Provides detailed settings for some system features
- Security screen
— Provides indications and settings for the system password and setup password
- Boot screen — Provides information about which device boots the system
- Exit screen — Provides selections for saving and loading the configurations and
In addition to these screens, options identified by a right arrow
provide access to submenus.
Enter the system setup program as follows:
- Turn on (or restart) your system.
- When the blue Dell logo appears, press <Del>.
If you wait too long and the operating system begins to load into memory, let the
system complete the load operation. Then shut down the system and try again.
Table 1. Main Screen Menu Options
| Option |
Function |
| BIOS Version |
Displays the version of the BIOS being used. |
| Processor Type |
Displays the type of microprocessor installed. |
| Processor Speed |
Displays the internal speed of the microprocessor. |
| Cache RAM |
Displays the cache random access memory. |
| Service Tag |
Displays the service tag for the system. |
| Total Memory |
Displays the total system memory. |
| Memory Bank 0 |
Displays the memory installed in memory bank 0. |
| Memory Bank 1 |
Displays the memory installed in memory bank 1. |
| Processor Serial Number |
NOTE: This option is available only on Dell
Dimension Lxxxr computers. Displays the serial number of
the processor when set to Enabled. Disabled (default)
turns off this feature. |
| System Time |
Resets the time on the system's internal clock. |
| System Date |
Resets the date on
the system's internal calendar. |
Table 2. Advanced
Screen Menu Options
Table
3. Boot Configuration Submenu Options
| Option |
Function |
| Plug and Play OS |
Determines whether the system is configured to support Plug
and Play devices from the operating system or from the system BIOS. Leave this option set
to No so that the BIOS handles all Plug and
Play operations. NOTE: Be sure that this option is
set to No before running Dell Diagnostics. Otherwise, some diagnostics
may incorrectly report failures. |
| Reset Config Data |
Permits resetting of the Plug and
Play configuration data to default values. Yes resets the data; No
(default) retains the current Plug and Play settings. If set to Yes,
configuration data reverts to default values the next time the system boots. This option
automatically reverts back to the No setting. |
| Numlock |
Selects the power-on state for Numlock. |
Table 4. Peripheral Configuration Submenu Options
| Option |
Function |
| Serial port A |
Configures the serial port. Set this option to Auto
(default), Enabled, or Disabled. Depending on the port
setting, you can set the following additional options:
| Base I/O Address |
If port is set to Enabled,
available I/O addresses are 3F8, 3E8, 2F8, and 2E8. |
|
| Interrupt |
If port is set to Enabled, available
interrupts are IRQ3 and IRQ4. |
|
| Parallel port |
Configures the parallel port. Set this option to Auto
(default), Enabled, or Disabled. Depending on the port
setting, you can set the following additional options:
| Mode |
If port is set to Auto or Enabled,
available modes are Output Only, Bi-directional,
ECP (default), and EPP. |
| NOTE: Before changing
this setting, refer to the device manufacturer's documentation for information on which
mode to use. |
|
| Base I/O Address |
If port is set to Enabled,
available I/O addresses are 378 (default), 278, and 228. |
|
| Interrupt |
If port is set to Enabled, available
interrupts are 7 and 5. |
|
| Audio Device |
NOTE: This option is available in integrated audio systems
only. Determines if the
integrated audio controller is Enabled (default) or Disabled.
Set this option to Disabled if you are using a sound card instead of the
integrated audio controller or if the resources used by the controller are needed. |
| LAN Device |
NOTE: This option is available in integrated NIC systems only. Determines if the integrated NIC is Enabled
(default) or Disabled. Set this option to Disabled if
you are using a network card instead of the integrated NIC or if the resources used by the
controller are needed. |
| Legacy USB Support |
Set to Disabled if legacy
USB support is not desired. Auto (default) and Enabled allow
support for legacy USB. |
| IRQ5 |
Reserved (default) indicates that the IRQ is reserved for use by legacy systems. Available
indicates that a specific IRQ is available on the system. |
Table 5. IDE Configuration Submenu Options
| Option |
Function |
| IDE Controller |
Configures the integrated primary and secondary EIDE
controllers and detects the types of drives attached to them. If set to Primary,
Secondary, or Both, the designated controller(s) are
enabled, and the types of drives attached are displayed. If set to either Primary
or Secondary, the other controller is not enabled and the IRQ it normally
uses becomes available. If set to Disabled, the system cannot detect any
drives attached to the controllers and displays None for all four IDE
drive options. |
| Primary IDE Master |
Identifies the first drive attached to the
primary EIDE interface, usually the boot hard-disk drive. See "Primary IDE Master Submenu." |
| Primary IDE Slave |
Identifies the second drive attached to the
primary EIDE interface, usually a second hard-disk drive. The format of this submenu is
the same as the one described in "Primary IDE Master Submenu" |
| Secondary IDE Master |
Identifies the first drive attached to the secondary
EIDE interface, if there is one. The format of this submenu is the same as the one
described in "Primary
IDE Master Submenu." |
| Secondary IDE Slave |
Identifies the second drive attached to the
secondary EIDE interface, usually a CD-ROM or tape drive. The format of this submenu is
the same as the one described in "Primary IDE Master Submenu" |
Table 6. Primary IDE Master Submenu Options
| Option |
Function |
| Type |
Specifies the type of hard-disk drive. Settings for
this option are User, Auto, CD-ROM, ATAPI
Removable, Other ATAPI, IDE Removable, and None. |
| LBA Mode Control |
Determines LBA mode control. Set to Enabled
(default) unless directed to change it by a Dell technical support representative. |
| Multi-Sector Transfers |
Determines the number of sectors per block during
multiple-sector transfers. If Type is set to User, set Multi-Sector
Transfers to 2 Sectors, 4 Sectors,
8 Sectors, 16 Sectors, or Disabled
(turns off the feature). |
| PIO Mode |
Determines the method of moving data to and
from the EIDE drive. Options include PIO modes 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4. The PIO modes can
improve the performance of a hard-disk drive. (The higher the PIO number, the faster the
transfer; most newer drives support PIO 4.) For the
optimum transfer mode, set Type to Auto. |
| Ultra DMA |
Sets the Ultra DMA mode for the drive. Options are Disabled
(default), Mode 0, Mode 1, Mode 2,
Mode 3, or Mode 4. |
Table 7. Diskette Configuration Submenu Options
| Option |
Function |
| Diskette controller |
Configures the diskette drive interface. Options are Enabled
(default) and Disabled. |
| Diskette A |
Selects the diskette type from Not
Installed, 360 KB 5 1/4", 1.2
MB 5 1/4", 720 KB 3 1/2", 1.44/1.25 MB 3
1/2", or 2.88 MB 3 1/2". |
| Diskette Write Protect |
Protects a diskette from being written to when set to Enabled.
When this option is set to Disabled (default), the diskette is not
protected unless the write-protect tab is in place. |
Table 8. Event Log Configuration Submenu Options
| Option |
Function |
| Event Log |
Displays the space available for the event log. |
| Event Log Validity |
Displays the validity of the event log. |
| View Event Log |
Press <Enter> to view the event log. |
| Clear All Event Logs |
Clears all event logs when the system restarts if set
to Yes. Retains the event log information if set to No
(default). |
| Event Logging |
Enables or disables event logging. |
| Mark Events As Read |
Press <Enter>, and then select Yes
or No to mark DMI events as either read or unread. |
Table 9. Video Configuration Submenu Option
| Option |
Function |
| Primary Video Adapter |
Selects Onboard or PCI
as the active video controller when the system boots. |
Table 10. Security Screen Options
| Option |
Function |
| Supervisor Password Is |
Indicates whether a supervisor password has been
assigned. |
| User Password Is |
Indicates whether a user password has been assigned. |
| Set Supervisor Password |
Sets and confirms a supervisor password. |
| Set User Password |
Sets and confirms a user password. |
| Clear User Password |
Clears the user password. Settings for this
option are Yes or No (default). |
Table 11. Boot Screen Options
| Option |
Function |
| Quiet Boot |
Enabled (default) displays
the Dell logo. Disabled displays the normal POST messages. |
| Quick Boot |
When set to Enabled, this option
shortens the POST by eliminating some tests. If set to Disabled
(default), all POST tests occur. |
| Restore on AC/ Power Loss |
Determines what state the system enters when AC power is
restored after a power loss. Settings are as follows:
- Last State (default) — System returns to the state it was in when power was lost.
- Stays Off — System stays off when power is
restored; you must press the power button to restore power.
- Power On — System starts up when power is
restored.
|
| On LAN |
This option controls how the system responds to a
Wakeup On LAN event. The settings for this option are Power On or Stays
Off. |
| On PME |
This option controls how the system responds to a PCI
power management enabled (PME) wakeup event. The settings for this option are Power
On or Stays Off (default). |
| 1st Boot Device |
Dell Dimension Lxxxcx,
Lxxxcxe, and Lxxxr: Determines which device the system tries to boot from first. Use the up- or
down-arrow key to to highlight a device. Settings for this option are as follows:
- Floppy
- ARMD FDD
- ARMD HDD
- IDE-HDD
- ATAPI CD-ROM
- SCSI*
- Network*
- Disabled
Dell Dimension Lxxxc:
Determines which device the system tries to boot from first. Use the
up- or down-arrow key to to highlight a device. Settings for this option are as follows:
- Disabled
- 1st IDE HDD through 4th IDE HDD
- Floppy
- ARMD FDD
- ARMD HDD
- ATAPI CD-ROM
- SCSI*
- Network*
*Where SCSI or Network is the
name of the installed device. |
| 2nd Boot Device |
Determines which device the system tries to boot from
if it cannot boot from the device selected for 1st Boot Device.
Settings for this option are the same as those for 1st Boot
Device except for NETWORK. |
| 3rd Boot Device |
Determines which device the system tries to boot from
if it cannot boot from the devices selected for 1st Boot Device and 2nd
Boot Device. Settings for this option are the same as
those for 1st Boot Device except for NETWORK and SCSI. |
| 4th Boot Device |
Determines which device the system tries to boot from
if it cannot boot from the devices selected for 1st Boot
Device, 2nd Boot Device,
and 3rd Boot Device. Settings for this
option are the same as those for 1st Boot Device
except for NETWORK and SCSI. |
Table 12. Exit Screen Options
| Option |
Function |
| Exit Saving Changes |
Saves any changes you have made, exits the system
setup program, and restarts the system. |
| Exit Discarding Changes |
Discards any changes you have made, exits the system
setup program, and restarts the system. |
| Load Setup Defaults |
Discards any changes you have made and reverts all
options to their defaults, but does not exit the system setup program. |
| Load Custom Defaults |
Loads any settings saved using the Save
Custom Defaults option. Press <Enter>. Then press
the spacebar to select Yes or No at the confirmation
pop-up menu, and press <Enter> again. |
| Save Custom Defaults |
Saves any changes you have made, but does not exit the
system setup program. |
| Discard Changes |
Discards any changes you have made and reverts all
options to their last saved settings, but does not exit the system setup program. |
To clear NVRAM for all devices and restart the system, perform the following steps:
- Enter the system setup
program.
- Press the right-arrow key to move to the Advanced
menu.
- Press the down-arrow key to highlight the Boot
Configuration submenu, and press <Enter>.
- Press the down-arrow key to highlight Reset Config Data. Then
change the setting to Yes (see Table 3).
- Press <F10> to exit the program and restart the system.
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