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Advanced Features: Dell OptiPlex GX150 System User's Guide
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Advanced Features: Dell™ OptiPlex™ GX150 System User's
Guide
- Dell OpenManage™ IT Assistant — the Dell software-management application
interface for the Desktop Management Interface (DMI); allows management of system-level
information such as system configuration information and Management Information Format
(MIF) database values.
Fault management features:
- Alerts to warn you about events generated by Self-Monitoring Analysis
and Reporting Technology (SMART) drives on a local or remote system
- An event log that reports System Name, Component Name, Date and Time,
Event Type, Event Severity, Event Class, and Event System
Configuration management features:
- Remote Wake Up support
- A System Properties window that enables network administrators to view, set,
or disable certain hardware configuration settings for the local and remote systems in a
Dell DMI network
- Support for the Microsoft® System Management Server (SMS), which allows
the exporting of one or more groups to an SMS directory that the SMS administrator can
access
- A monitor component for systems running Windows® 2000 and having a display data
channel (DDC)-compliant video subsystem and monitor
- Automated inventory control of one or more groups for the remote systems in a Dell
DMI network
- Network administrators can automate inventory to occur every day, week, or month at a
certain hour, on the hour; or they can enable inventory as needed
- Support for the application program used to create user-definable attributes (UDAs)
Asset management features:
- Remote viewing, entering, and modifying of an asset tag for a remote system in a Dell
DMI network
- Automated and manual mapping of one or more groups to a user-defined directory
For more information about the Dell OpenManage IT Assistant, see the online Dell
OpenManage IT Assistant documentation that accompanied the software.
- Managed boot agent (MBA) — supports multiple preboot environments and allows
network administrators to boot the system from a network server.
- Remote Wake Up — allows remote turn-on of a Managed PC system that is either in a
sleep state or turned off and remote computer setup, software downloading and
installation, file updates, and asset tracking at any time.
Requirements for use: a network interface controller (NIC) that supports Remote Wake Up
in each system; enablement of the Remote Wake Up option in system setup.
 |
NOTE: This feature does
not work if the system is shut off using a power strip or surge protector. |
- Remote system alert — sends predetermined messages from the system about its
operating condition; for example, alert if computer cover is opened
Requirements for use: an integrated NIC that supports remote system alert in each
Managed PC system.
|
NOTE: This feature does
not work if the system is shut off using a power strip or surge protector. |
- Auto power on — enables automatic turn-on of the computer system either every day
or every Monday through Friday at a preset time.
|
NOTE: This feature does
not work if the system is shut off using a power strip or surge protector. |
- Common Information Model (CIM) support — allows access to system management
information for systems running Microsoft Windows 98 or any other Windows operating system
that includes the Web-Based Enterprise Management (WBEM) core components. For information
about WBEM core components, see the Microsoft website at www.microsoft.com.
- Configuration change alerts — generate warning messages if a local or remote system
has a change in hardware configuration.
- Asset info with support for the cost of ownership (COO) MIF Standard — allows
recording and tracking of system costs and stores the information in the coo.mif
file.
- Remote basic input/output system (BIOS) flash — allows remote BIOS upgrades to
systems on a network.
- Remote system configuration — allows changes to the system asset tag, boot
sequence, property ownership tag, and system setup program options.
- Prefailure alerts — generate warning messages about potential failures by SMART II
hard drives.
The computer provides the following methods of physically securing the chassis:
The chassis intrusion monitor can detect when the chassis is opened. The Chassis
Intrusion option in system setup displays the status of the monitor.
- Enter system setup.
- Press the down-arrow keys to move to the System Security option.
- Press <Enter> to access the System Security option's pop-up menu.
- Press the down-arrow keys to move to the Chassis Intrusion option.
- Press the spacebar to select an option setting.
Option settings:
- Enabled — When the computer cover is opened with this setting, a DMI event
is generated, the setting changes to Detected, and the following message appears
during the boot routine at the next system start-up:
Alert! Cover was previously removed.
To reset the Detected setting, enter system setup during the system's power-on
self-test (POST). In the Chassis Intrusion option, press the left- or right-arrow
key to select Reset, and then choose Enabled, Enabled-Silent, or Disabled.
- Enabled-Silent (default) — When the computer cover is
opened with this setting, a DMI event is generated and the setting changes to Detected,
but the alert message does not appear during the boot sequence at the next system
start-up.
- Disabled — No intrusion monitoring occurs and no messages appear.
|
NOTE: When the setup
password is enabled, you must know the setup password before you can reset the Chassis
Intrusion option. |
This ring is used to attach commercially available antitheft devices. To prevent
unauthorized removal of your computer, loop the galvanized security cable around an
immovable object, insert the attached locking device into the security cable slot on the
back of your computer, and lock the device with the key provided.
|
NOTE: Before your
purchase an antitheft device, make sure it works with the cable slot on your computer. |
The computer provides two types of password protection:
System passwords allow only those who know the password to have full use of the system.
Your Dell system does not have the system password feature enabled when you receive it.
NOTICE: Although passwords provide security for the data on your system, 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.
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
drive.
System Password settings in system setup:
- Enabled — a system password is assigned
- Disabled — system password feature is disabled by a jumper setting on the
system board
|
NOTE: You cannot change
or enter a new system password if either of these options is displayed. |
- Not Enabled — no system password is assigned and the password jumper on the
system board is in the enabled position (its default setting)
|
NOTE: You can only assign
a system password when System Password is set to Not Enabled. |
- Verify that Password Status is set to Unlocked.
- Highlight System Password and then press the left- or right-arrow key.
The option heading changes to Enter Password, followed by an empty
32-character field in square brackets.
- Type your new system password.
You can use up to 32 characters.
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 <Backspace> or the
left-arrow key.
|
NOTE: To escape from the
field without assigning a system password, press <Tab> or the
<Shift><Tab> combination to move to another field, or press <Esc> at any
time prior to completing step 5. |
- Press <Enter>.
If the new system password is less than 32 characters, the whole field fills with
placeholders. Then the option heading changes to Verify Password, followed by
another empty 32-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 system setup and begin using your system. Password protection takes effect when
you reboot the system by pressing the reset button or by turning the system off and then
on again.
Using Your System Password
When you turn on your system or press the reset button, or when you reboot the system
by pressing the <Ctrl><Alt><Del> combination, the following prompt
appears on the screen when Password Status 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 Password Status is set to Locked, the following prompt appears:
Type the password and press <Enter>.
|
NOTE: If you have
assigned a setup password, the system accepts your setup password as an alternate system
password. |
If you enter a wrong or incomplete system password, the following message appears on
the screen:
** Incorrect password. **
Enter password:
If you again enter an incorrect or incomplete system password, the same message appears
on the screen. The third and subsequent times you enter an incorrect or incomplete system
password, the system displays the following message:
** Incorrect password. **
Number of unsuccessful password attempts: 3
System halted! Must power down.
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 Password
Status in conjunction with System Password and Setup Password
to further protect your system from unauthorized changes. |
Deleting or Changing an Existing System Password
To delete or change an existing system password, perform the following steps:
- Enter system setup program, and verify that Password Status is set to Unlocked.
- Reboot your system to force it to prompt you for a system password.
- When prompted, type the system password.
- Press <Ctrl><Enter> 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.
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
<Alt><B> to reboot the system, and then repeat steps 3 through 5.
- To assign a new password, follow the procedure in "Assigning
a System Password."
Setup passwords allow only those who know the password to have full use of system
setup. Your Dell system does not have the setup password feature enabled when you receive
it.
Setup Password options in system setup:
- Enabled — does not allow assignment of setup passwords; users must enter a
setup password to make changes to system setup
- Not Enabled — allows assignment of setup passwords; password feature is
enabled but no password is assigned
Assigning a Setup Password
- Enter system setup, and verify that Setup Password is set to Not Enabled.
- Highlight Setup Password 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.
- Type in and then verify the password.
After you verify the password, the Setup Password setting changes to Enabled.
The next time you attempt to enter system setup, the system prompts you for the setup
password.
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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.
|
A change to Setup Password becomes effective immediately (rebooting the system
is not required).
Operating Your System With a Setup Password Enabled
When you start system setup, the Setup Password option is highlighted, prompting
you to type the password.
If you do not enter the correct password, the system lets you view, but not modify,
system setup options.
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NOTE: You can use Password
Status in conjunction with Setup Password to protect the system
password from unauthorized changes. |
Deleting or Changing an Existing Setup Password
To change an existing setup password, you must know the setup password.
- Enter system setup.
- If you have already assigned a setup password, type it at the prompt.
- Highlight 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, perform the steps in "Assigning a Setup Password."
Disabling a Forgotten Password
NOTICE: This process erases both the system and setup passwords.
- Open the computer cover.
- Remove the jumper plug from the PSWD jumper to disable the password feature.
See "Jumper Settings" to locate the password
jumper (labeled "PSWD") on the system board.
- Close the computer cover.
- Reconnect your computer and peripherals to an electrical outlet, and then turn them on.
This 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 to reenable the
password feature.
|
- Open the computer cover.
- Replace the PSWD jumper plug.
- Close the computer cover and reconnect the computer and peripherals to an electrical
outlet and turn them on.
Booting your system with the PSWD jumper installed reenables the
password feature. When you enter system setup, both password options appear as Not
Enabled, meaning that the password feature is enabled but that no password is
assigned.
- Assign a new system and/or setup password.
Each time you start your computer, it compares the installed hardware with the system
configuration information stored in nonvolatile random-access memory (NVRAM). If the
system detects a discrepancy, it generates an error messages for each incorrect
configuration setting.
You can use system settings as follows:
- To set user-selectable options such as date and time, or system password
- To set the current configuration information such as the amount of memory or type of
hard drive installed
You can view the current settings at any time. Dell recommends that you print the
system setup screens (by pressing <Print Screen>) or record the information for
future reference.
Before you use system setup, you need to know the kind of diskette drive(s) and hard
drive(s) installed in your computer. If you are unsure of this information, see the
Manufacturing Test Report that was shipped with your system and is located in the Dell
Accessories folder.
- Turn on your system.
- If your system is already on, shut it down and then turn it on again.
- When Press <F2> to Enter Setup appears in the
upper-right corner of the screen, press <F2>.
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. |
System Setup Screens
The system setup screens display the current configuration information for your
computer. Information on the screen is organized into four areas:
- Title — the box at the top of all screens lists the computer system name.
- Computer data — two boxes below the title box that display your system processor,
level 2 (L2) cache, service tag, and the version number of the basic input/output system
(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. Those you can
change appear bright on the screen. Those 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 pop-up 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 in the currently highlighted option.
System Setup Navigation Keys
The following table lists the keys you use to view or change information on the system
setup screen and to exit the program.
|
*NOTE: 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. |
Changing the Boot Sequence
The boot sequence allows you to specify the order of the devices from which the system
will attempt to boot.
- Press <Enter> to access the Boot Sequence option's 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 appear with a
check mark).
- Press plus (+) or minus (–) to move a selected device up or down the list.
Option settings:
- Diskette Drive A: — The system will attempt to boot from the diskette drive.
If the system finds a diskette in the drive that is not bootable, an error message will
appear. If no diskette is in the drive, the system will attempt to boot from the next
device in the list.
- Hard Drive — The system will attempt to boot from the primary hard drive. If
the system does not find an operating system on the drive, it will attempt to boot from
the next device in the list.
- CD-ROM Device — The system will attempt to boot from the CD drive. If the
system does not find a CD in the drive or if there is not an operating system on the CD,
the system will attempt to boot from the next device in the list.
- MBA (Onboard NIC) — Selecting MBA UNDI allows the system to
boot from the network server. The MBA UNDI option appears under Boot
Sequence only if the Network Interface Controller
option is set to On w/MBA. If the Network Interface Controller
option is set to On or Off, set it to On w/MBA
and then press <Alt><b> to save the change and reboot the system. MBA
UNDI then appears under Boot Sequence.
When you select this
option, the system prompts you to press <Ctrl><Alt><b> at the Dell logo
screen during system boot. A menu then appears that allows you to select PXE,
RPL, BootP, or NetWare as the active
boot mode. If a boot routine is not available from the network server, the system tries to
boot from the next device in the boot sequence list.
When Off is selected, the system remains off when AC power is
restored. When On is selected, the system starts up when AC power is
restored.
When Last is selected, the system returns to the AC power state
existing at the time that AC power was lost. If the system is on when AC power is lost,
the system starts up when AC power is restored. If the system is off when AC power is
lost, the system remains off when AC power is restored.
- Asset Tag displays the customer-programmable
asset tag number for the system if an asset tag number is assigned. You can use the Asset
Tag utility, which is included with your software support utilities, to enter an asset tag
number up to ten characters long into nonvolatile random-access memory (NVRAM).
- 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 the date and time fields.
The default for Auto Power On is Disabled.
- Optical, 360 KB
- Optical, 1.2 MB
- Diskette, 720 KB
- Diskette, 1.44 MB
- Not Installed
- Fastboot allows your system to boot in 10
seconds or less. The default setting is On. If you do not want your
computer to skip certain configurations and tests during boot, you may set this option to Off.
- Integrated Devices. This option
configures the following devices integrated with the system board:
Press <Enter> to configure these options as explained in the following
subsections.
- Sound determines whether the integrated audio
controller is On or Off. The default is On.
- Network Interface Controller determines whether
the integrated NIC is On, Off, or On w/ MBA.
The default is On. If you select On w/ MBA, you are prompted to
press <Ctrl><Alt><b> at the Dell logo screen during system boot. A menu
then appears that allows you to select PXE, RPL, BootP,
or NetWare as the active boot mode.
- Mouse Port enables or disables the system's
integrated Personal System/2 (PS/2)-compatible mouse port. Disabling the mouse allows an
expansion card to use interrupt request (IRQ)12.
- Serial Port 1 and Serial Port 2 configure
the system's integrated serial ports. You can set these options 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 integrated
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).
|
NOTE: 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 you are running the Microsoft® Windows® 95 or IBM® OS/2® operating system,
you cannot use both serial ports at the same time. If the second port (COM3
or COM4) is also in use, the integrated port is turned off. |
- Parallel Port configures the system's
integrated parallel port. Press <Enter> to configure the Parallel Port
options explained in the following subsections.
Mode: You can set this option to PS/2,
EPP, ECP, AT, or Off
to disable the port. 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.
I/O Address: This option determines the I/O
address used by the parallel port and appears except when Mode is set to Off.
You can set I/O Address to 378h (the default), 278h,
or 3BCh.
|
NOTE: You cannot set the parallel port to 3BCh
if Mode is set to EPP. |
DMA Channel: This option determines the
direct memory access (DMA) channel used by the parallel port and appears only when Mode
is set to ECP. The available options are DMA 1, DMA
3, and Off.
- IDE Drive Interface: enables or
disables the system's integrated enhanced integrated drive electronics (EIDE) hard drive
interface. With Auto (the default) selected, the system turns off the
integrated 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
drive controller card installed in an expansion slot. If no card is found, the system
enables the integrated EIDE interface to use IRQ14 and IRQ15. If a primary controller is
detected on the expansion bus, the integrated EIDE interface is disabled. Selecting Off
disables the integrated EIDE interface.
- Diskette Interface: controls the
operation of the system's integrated diskette drive controller. With Auto
(the default) selected, the system turns off the integrated diskette drive controller when
necessary to accommodate a controller card installed in an expansion slot.
With Read Only selected, nothing can be written to any diskette drive
using the system's integrated diskette drive controller. (The system can still read from
the drives.) When Read Only is selected, Auto is also in
effect, meaning that the system turns off the integrated diskette drive controller as
necessary.
Selecting Off turns off the integrated diskette drive controller; this
setting is used primarily for troubleshooting purposes.
- USB Emulation: determines whether the
system's basic input/output system (BIOS) controls Universal Serial Bus (USB) keyboards
and mice. When On is selected (the default), the BIOS controls USB
keyboards and mice until a USB driver is loaded by the operating system. When Off
is selected, the BIOS does not control USB keyboards and mice, although they function
during the boot routine. Set USB Emulation to Off if you
are using a PS/2-compatible keyboard and mouse.
- Primary Video Controller:
determines which video controller to use when the system boots. When Auto
is selected, the system uses a video expansion card, if one is installed or the onboard
video controller if a video expansion card is not installed. When Onboard
is selected, the system uses the onboard video controller even if a video expansion card
is installed.
- Video DAC Snoop: lets you correct
video problems that may occur when you use certain video expansion cards. The default is Off.
If you are using a video expansion card and problems such as incorrect colors or blank
windows occur, set Video DAC Snoop to On.
- Keyboard NumLock 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 top of each
key. When Num Lock mode is turned off, these keys provide cursor-control functions shown
by the label on the bottom of each key.
- Memory Information indicates the amount of
installed memory detected in your system, the system memory speed, the amount of video
memory, and the size of the display cache. After you add memory, check this option to
confirm that the new memory is installed correctly and is recognized by the system.
- PCI IRQ Assignment specifies which IRQ
lines are assigned to the Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) devices installed in the
computer. Press <Enter> to configure these devices. Then select the device whose IRQ
line you want to change, and press the plus (+) or minus (–) key to scroll through
the available IRQ lines. Normally you do not need to change the IRQ lines assigned to PCI
devices unless a particular device, device driver, or operating system requires a specific
IRQ line already in use by a PCI device.
- Primary Drive n and Secondary Drive
n
Primary Drive n identifies drives attached to the primary EIDE
interface connector (labeled "IDE1") on the system board; Secondary
Drive n identifies drives connected to the secondary EIDE interface
connector (labeled "IDE2"). Use the secondary EIDE interface connector for EIDE
CD-ROM drives.
|
NOTES: For all devices obtained from Dell that use
the integrated EIDE controller, set the appropriate Drive option to Auto.
You must have an EIDE device connected to the primary
EIDE interface if you have an EIDE device connected to the secondary EIDE interface. |
The following settings identify the type of EIDE devices installed in the computer:
- Auto (use this setting for all EIDE devices from Dell)
- Off
- User 1 or User 2
- A specific drive-type number
To choose a setting for each option, press <Enter> to access the field's pop-up
settings menu. Then type characters from the keyboard or press the left- or right-arrow
key to cycle through the settings.
A drive-type number specifies the parameters of a hard drive, based on a table
recorded in the system's basic input/output system (BIOS).
|
NOTE: Operating systems that bypass the system BIOS
may not obtain optimum hard drive performance. |
If the system generates a drive error message the first time you boot your system after
you install an EIDE drive, it may mean that your particular drive does not work with the
automatic drive-type detect feature. If you suspect that your problem is related to drive
type, try entering your drive-type information in one of the following ways:
Use the drive-type number found in the documentation that came with the drive, or if
the drive was installed by Dell when you purchased your system, access the Manufacturing
Test Report from the Dell Accessories folder.
To set the drive-type number in system setup, highlight the appropriate drive option (Primary
Drive 0 or Primary Drive 1) and type the correct drive-type
number. If you prefer, you can press the right- or left-arrow key to increase or decrease,
respectively, the drive-type number until the correct one is displayed.
The Drive 0 and Drive 1 options display the following
parameters for each drive:
- Drive Type is the drive-type number for the selected hard drive.
- Capacity (automatically calculated by the system) indicates the
number of millions of bytes of storage provided by the drive.
- Cylinders is the number of logical cylinders.
- Heads indicates the number of logical heads in the drive.
- Sectors indicates the number of logical sectors per track.
If none of the supported drive types match the parameters of your new drive, you can
enter your own parameters. To do so, highlight the Drive 0 option and
type u to display User 1. You can then press
the right- or left-arrow key to switch between the User 1 and User
2 settings (only two user-defined drive types are allowed). Then press the
<Tab> key to highlight each of the parameter fields in succession, and enter the
appropriate number for each field.
|
NOTE: You can use the User 1
and User 2 drive types for both the Primary and Secondary
Drive 0 and Drive 1 options. However, if you select the User
1 or User 2 drive type, you may not obtain optimum hard drive
performance. Also, you cannot use the User 1 and User 2
drive types for hard drives with a storage capacity that is greater than 528 megabytes
(MB). |
- Remote Wake Up allows you to set the Remote
Wake Up feature to On or Off. You must reboot your
system before a change takes effect.
- Report Keyboard Errors enables or
disables reporting of keyboard errors during the power-on self-test (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 setting does not affect the operation of the keyboard itself if a
keyboard is attached to the computer.
- System Data The following
information about the system is displayed in the system data area of the system setup
screen:
- The microprocessor type and BIOS level.
- The size of the integrated level 2 (L2) cache.
- 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.
- System 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 month, day-of-month, and year
fields.
To change the date, press the left- or right-arrow key to select a field, and then
press plus (+) or minus (–) to increase or decrease the number. If you prefer, you
can type numbers in the month, day-of-month,
and year fields.
- CPU Serial Number determines whether
the microprocessor serial number (if any) is provided to programs that request it. When Enabled
is selected, the system provides the microprocessor serial number to programs that request
it. When Disabled is selected, the system never provides the
microprocessor serial number.
- System 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 left- or right-arrow key to select a field, and then press plus (+) or minus
(–) to increase or decrease the number. If you prefer, you can type numbers in each
of the fields.
- ZIP Floppy Support enables or disables
the support of Advanced Technology Attachment Packet Interface (ATAPI) Zip devices by the
system BIOS. When Enabled is selected, ATAPI Zip devices are supported as
diskette drives, and the first Zip device is listed as a bootable device under Boot
Sequence. When Disabled is selected, the system BIOS ignores
ATAPI Zip devices, although the operating system may still support them.
The following figure shows the jumper on the system board.
System Board Jumper
NOTICE: Make sure that your system is turned off and unplugged before you
change the jumper setting. Otherwise, damage to your system or unpredictable results may
occur.
To change the jumper setting to disabled, pull the plug off its pins. To reenable the
setting, carefully fit the plug onto the pins indicated.
System-Board Jumper Settings
When you obtain software, check it for viruses with virus-scanning software before
installing it on your computer's hard drive. Viruses, which are pieces of code that can
replicate themselves, can quickly use all available system memory, damage or destroy data
stored on the hard drive, and permanently affect the performance of the programs they
infect. Several commercial virus-scanning programs are available for purchase, and most
bulletin board services (BBSs) archive freely distributed virus-scanning programs that you
can download with a modem.
Before you install a program, read its documentation to learn how the program works,
what hardware it requires, and what its defaults are. A program usually includes
installation instructions in its accompanying documentation and a software installation
routine on its program diskette(s) or CD(s).
The software installation routine assists you in transferring the appropriate program
files to your computer's hard drive. Installation instructions may provide details about
how to configure your operating system to successfully run the program. Always read the
installation instructions before running a program's installation routine. You may be
instructed to modify some operating system start-up files, such as config.sys
and autoexec.bat, or the installation routine may modify start-up files
automatically.
When you run the installation routine, be prepared to respond to prompts for
information about how your computer's operating system is configured, what type of
computer you have, and what peripherals are connected to your computer.
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