System Setup Program: Dell Dimension 4100 System Reference
System Setup Program: Dell™ Dimension™ 4100 System
Reference
Each time you turn on or restart your computer system, the computer
compares the hardware installed in the computer to the hardware listed in the
configuration information stored in nonvolatile random-access memory (NVRAM) on the system
board. If the computer detects a discrepancy between the two, it generates error messages
that identify the incorrect configuration settings. The computer 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 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.
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 computer. Fields beside 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 computer configuration
- Security screen
— Provides indications and settings for system password and setup password
- Boot screen —
Provides information about which device boots the computer
- Exit screen —
Provides selections for saving and loading the configurations and options
In addition to these screens, options identified by a right arrow
provide access to submenus.
- Turn on (or restart) your computer.
- 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 computer 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. |
| System Bus Frequency |
Displays the external speed of the microprocessor. |
| Cache RAM |
Displays the cache random access memory. |
| Service Tag |
Displays the service tag for the computer. |
| Total Memory |
Displays the total computer memory. |
| Memory Bank 0 |
Displays the memory size and type in memory bank 0. |
| Memory Bank 1 |
Displays the memory size and type in memory bank 1. |
| Processor Serial Number |
Displays the serial number of the microprocessor when
set to Enabled. Disabled (default) turns off this
feature. |
| System Time |
Resets the time on the computer's internal clock. |
| System Date |
Resets the time on the computer's internal calendar. |
| NOTE: The Glossary defines abbreviations and acronyms. |
Table 2. Advanced
Screen Menu Options
Table
3. Boot Configuration Submenu Options
| Option |
Function |
| Plug and Play OS |
Determines whether the computer is configured to support Plug and
Play devices from the operating system or from the system BIOS. Leave this option set to Yes
so the operating system handles all Plug and Play operation. NOTES: Be
sure that this option is set to No before running Dell Diagnostics.
Otherwise, some diagnostics may incorrectly fail.
The system setup program automatically checks the configuration
of a Simple Boot Flag-compatible operating system at power-on self-test (POST). Depending
on its configuration, the system setup program may automatically set this option to No
or Yes. |
| Reset Config Data |
Permits resetting 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 computer boots. This option automatically reverts back
to the No setting. |
| Numlock |
Selects power on state for Numlock. |
| NOTE: The Glossary defines abbreviations and acronyms. |
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
(default), ECP, and EPP.
|
| NOTE: See the device manufacturer's documentation
for information on which mode to use before changing this setting. |
|
| 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. |
|
| Onboard Audio Device |
Appears only on computers with an optional built-in
audio controller and sets the controller to either Enabled (default) or Disabled. |
| Onboard LAN Device |
Appears only on computers with an optional built-in
NIC and sets the NIC to either Enabled (default) or Disabled. |
| Legacy USB Support |
Set to Enabled (default) to allow
support for legacy USB. Set to Disabled if legacy USB support is
not desired. |
| NOTE: The Glossary defines abbreviations and acronyms. |
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 drive. See Primary IDE Master Submenu. |
| Primary IDE Slave |
Identifies the second drive attached to the primary
EIDE interface, usually a second hard 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, CD-RW, or DVD drive. The format of this submenu is the same
as the one described in Primary IDE Master
Submenu. |
| NOTE: The Glossary
defines abbreviations and acronyms. |
Table 6. Primary IDE Master Submenu Options
| Option |
Function |
| Type |
Specifies the type of hard drive. Settings for this
option are User, Auto, CD-ROM, ATAPI
Removable, Other ATAPI, IDE Removable, and None. |
| NOTE: The Glossary defines abbreviations and acronyms. |
Table 7. Diskette Configuration Submenu Options
| Option |
Function |
| Diskette Controller |
Configures the floppy drive interface. Options are Enabled
(default) and Disabled. |
| Floppy A |
Selects the floppy drive 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 floppy disk from being written to when set
to Enabled. When this option is set to Disabled
(default), the floppy disk is not protected unless the write-protect tab is in place. |
| NOTE: The Glossary defines abbreviations and acronyms. |
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 computer 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. |
| NOTE: The Glossary
defines abbreviations and acronyms. |
Table 9. Video Configuration Submenu Option
| Option |
Function |
| AGP Aperture Size |
Sets the AGP aperture size to either 64 MB
(default) or 32 MB. |
| Primary Video Adapter |
Supports the Windows� 98 and Windows 2000
multiple-monitor feature. Select AGP (default) to specify the AGP video
card as the primary video adapter. Select PCI to specify a PCI video card
as the primary video adapter. |
| NOTE: The Glossary defines abbreviations and acronyms. |
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. If a
supervisor password is set, a User Access Level option appears that
enables you to set the user access level as Full (default), Limited,
No Access, or View Only. |
| Set User Password |
Sets and confirms a user password. |
| NOTE: The Glossary defines abbreviations and acronyms. |
Table 11. Boot Screen Options
| Option |
Function |
| Quiet Boot |
Enabled (default) displays the Dell
logo during POST. Disabled displays the normal POST messages. |
| Quick Boot |
When set to Enabled, this option
shortens POST by eliminating some tests. If set to Disabled (default),
all POST tests occur. NOTE: The system setup program
automatically checks the configuration of a Simple Boot Flag-compatible operating system
at POST. Depending on its configuration, the system setup program may automatically set
this option to Enabled or Disabled. |
| Restore on AC/ Power Loss |
Determines what state the computer enters when AC power is restored
after a power loss. Settings are as follows:
- Last State (default) — Computer returns to the
state it was in when power was lost.
- Stay Off — Computer stays off when power is
restored; you must press the power button to turn on the computer.
- Power On — Computer turns on when power is
restored.
|
| On LAN |
Determines what state the computer enters
when a LAN wake-up event occurs. Settings are Power On (default) and
Stay Off. |
| On PME |
Determines what state the computer enters when a
PCI Power Management Enable wake-up event occurs. Settings are Power On
and Stay Off (default). |
| 1st Boot Device |
Determines which device the computer
tries to boot from first. Use the up- or down-arrow key to highlight one of the following
settings:
|
| 2nd Boot Device — 7th Boot Device |
Determines which device the computer
tries to boot from if it cannot boot from the previous boot device in the list. Settings
for this option are the same as for 1st Boot Device. If you select Disabled
for any of these devices, no further boot devices appear on the list. NOTE: The computer displays only the bootable devices that are installed.
Therefore, you may see less than seven settings in this option. |
| IDE Drive Configuration |
Determines the primary master IDE, primary slave IDE,
secondary master IDE, and secondary slave IDE drive boot order. |
| NOTE: The Glossary
defines abbreviations and acronyms. |
Table 12. Exit Screen Options
| Option |
Function |
| Exit Saving Changes |
Saves any changes you have made, exits the system
setup program, and restarts the computer. |
| Exit Discarding Changes |
Discards any changes you have made, exits the system
setup program, and restarts the computer. |
| 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 settings saved using Save Custom
Defaults option. |
| 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. |
| NOTE: The Glossary
defines abbreviations and acronyms. |
To clear NVRAM for all devices and restart the computer:
- Enter the system setup
program.
- Press the right-arrow key to move to the Advanced
menu.
- Select the Boot Configuration submenu by pressing
<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 computer.
The Intel� Pentium� III microprocessor includes a processor serial
number feature designed to provide additional user security and manageability benefits. By
default, this feature is disabled on Dell computers to protect your privacy. However, it
can be enabled through the Processor Serial Number option in the system
setup program.
|
NOTICE: Do not change this setting by any means other than
the system setup program. Otherwise, your computer may become unusable. |
- Enter the system setup
program.
- When the Main screen appears, use the down-arrow key
to highlight the Processor Serial Number option, and then press
<Enter>.
- Select Enabled from the menu, and then press
<Enter>.
- Use the right-arrow key to highlight Exit, and then
press <Enter>.
- When prompted to confirm the changes you made, press <Enter>.
- The computer restarts with the processor serial number feature
enabled.
 |
NOTE: The processor serial number feature remains enabled until
you disable it in the system setup program. |
To disable the processor serial number feature, repeat steps 1
through 5, selecting Disabled in step 3.
|
