Advanced Features

Dell™ OptiPlex™ SX260 Systems User's Guide

LegacySelect Technology Control

Manageability

LegacySelect Technology Control

LegacySelect technology control offers legacy-full, legacy-reduced, or legacy-free solutions based on common platforms, hard-drive images, and help desk procedures. Control is provided to the administrator through system setup, Dell OpenManage™ IT Assistant, or Dell™ custom factory integration.

LegacySelect allows administrators to electronically activate or deactivate connectors and media devices that include serial and USB connectors, a parallel connector, a floppy drive, and a PS/2 mouse. Connectors and media devices that are deactivated make resources available. You must restart the computer to effect the changes.

Manageability

Alert Standard Format

ASF is a DMTF management standard that specifies "pre-operating system" or "operating system-absent" alerting techniques. It is designed to generate an alert on potential security and fault conditions when the operating system is in a sleep state or the system is powered down. ASF is designed to supersede previous operating system-absent alerting technologies.

Your computer supports the following ASF alerts and remote capabilities:

Alert

Description

Chassis Intrusion/Chassis Intrusion Cleared

System chassis has been opened/System chassis intrusion alert has been cleared

Corrupt BIOS

The system BIOS is corrupted

Failure to Boot to BIOS

System BIOS did not complete loading upon initiation

System Password Failure

System password invalid (after 3 failed attempts)

Entity Presence

Periodic Heartbeats transmitted to verify system presence

CPU Failure

Microprocessor is present but not functioning

For more information about Dell's ASF implementation, see the ASF User's Guide and the ASF Administrator's Guide, available on the Dell Support website at support.dell.com.

Dell OpenManage IT Assistant

IT Assistant configures, manages, and monitors computers and other devices on a corporate network. IT Assistant manages assets, configurations, events (alerts), and security for computers equipped with industry-standard management software. It supports instrumentation that conforms to SNMP, DMI, and CIM industry standards.

Dell OpenManage Client instrumentation, which is based on DMI and CIM, is available for your computer. For information on IT Assistant, see the Dell OpenManage IT Assistant User's Guide available on the Dell Support website at support.dell.com.

Dell OpenManage Client Instrumentation

Dell OpenManage Client Instrumentation is software that enables remote management programs such as IT Assistant to do the following:

Access information about your computer, such as how many processors it has and what operating system it is running
Monitor the status of your computer, such as listening for thermal alerts from temperature probes or hard-drive failure alerts from storage devices
Change the state of your computer, such as updating its BIOS or shutting it down remotely

A managed system is one that has Dell OpenManage Client Instrumentation set up on a network that uses IT Assistant. For information about Dell OpenManage Client Instrumentation, see the Dell OpenManage Client Instrumentation User's Guide available on the Dell Support website at support.dell.com.

Security

Chassis Intrusion Detection

NOTE: When the setup password is enabled, you must know the setup password before you can reset the Chassis Intrusion setting.

This feature detects that the chassis was opened and alerts the user. To change the Chassis Intrusion setting:

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 key to move to the Chassis Intrusion setting.
Press the spacebar to select an option setting.
Exit system setup.

Option Settings

Enabled — If the computer cover is removed, the setting changes to Detected, and the following alert message displays during the boot routine at the next computer start-up:

Alert! Cover was previously removed.

To reset the Detected setting, enter system setup. 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) — If the computer cover is opened, the setting changes to Detected. No alert message appears during the boot sequence at the next computer start-up.
Disabled — No intrusion monitoring occurs and no messages appear.

Security Cable Slot

Attach a commercially available antitheft device to the security cable slot on the back of the cable cover (see "Cable Cover").

NOTE: Before you purchase an antitheft device, make sure that it works with the security cable slot on your computer.

Antitheft devices usually include a segment of metal-stranded cable with an attached locking device and key. Dell recommends that you use a Kensington lock. The documentation that comes with the device contains instructions for installing it.

Password Protection

NOTICE: Although passwords provide security for the data on your computer, 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.

System Password

NOTICE: If you leave your computer 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.

Option Settings

You cannot change or enter a new system password if either of the following two options is displayed:

Enabled — A system password is assigned.
Disabled — The system password is disabled by a jumper setting on the system board.

You can only assign a system password when the following option is displayed:

Not Enabled — No system password is assigned and the password jumper on the system board is in the enabled position (the default).

Assigning a System Password

To escape from the field without assigning a system password, press <Tab> or the <Shift><Tab> key combination to move to another field, or press <Esc> at any time before you complete step 5.

Enter system setup and 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. To erase a character when entering your password, press <Backspace> or the left-arrow key. The password is not case sensitive.

Certain key combinations are not valid. If you enter one of these combinations, the speaker emits a beep.

As you press each character key (or the spacebar for a blank space), a placeholder appears in the field.

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.

Exit system setup.

Password protection takes effect when you restart the computer.

Typing Your System Password

When you start or restart your computer, one of the following prompts appears on the screen.

If 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:

Type the password and press <Enter>.

If you have assigned a setup password, the computer accepts your setup password as an alternate system password.

If you type a wrong or incomplete system password, the following message appears on the screen:

** Incorrect password. **

If you again type an incorrect or incomplete system password, the same message appears on the screen. The third and subsequent times you type an incorrect or incomplete system password, the computer displays the following message:

** Incorrect password. **
Number of unsuccessful password attempts: 3
System halted! Must power down.

Even after your computer is turned off and on, the previous message is displayed each time you type an incorrect or incomplete system password.

NOTE: You can use Password Status in conjunction with System Password and Setup Password to further protect your computer from unauthorized changes.

Deleting or Changing an Existing System Password

Enter system setup and verify that Password Status is set to Unlocked.
Restart your computer.
When prompted, type the system password.
Press <Ctrl><Enter> to disable the existing system password.
Confirm that Not Enabled is displayed for the System Password option.

If Not Enabled is displayed, the system password is deleted. If Not Enabled is not displayed, press <Alt><b> to restart the computer, and then repeat step 3 through step 5.

To assign a new password, follow the procedure in "Assigning a System Password."

Exit system setup.

Setup Password

Option Settings

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

The setup password can be the same as the system password.

NOTE: 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.

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 computer prompts you to type and verify the password. If a character is not permitted, the computer emits a beep.

Type and then verify the password.

After you verify the password, the Setup Password setting changes to Enabled. The next time you enter system setup, the computer prompts you for the setup password.

Exit system setup.

A change to Setup Password becomes effective immediately (no need to restart the computer).

Operating Your Computer With a Setup Password Enabled

When you enter system setup, the Setup Password option is highlighted, prompting you to type the password.

If you do not type the correct password, the computer lets you view, but not modify, system setup options.

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.
Type the setup password 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.

To assign a new setup password, perform the steps in "Assigning a System Password."

Exit system setup.

Disabling a Forgotten Password and Setting a New Password

NOTICE: This process erases both the system and setup passwords.

CAUTION: Before you remove the computer cover, see "CAUTION: Safety Instructions."

Remove the computer cover.

CAUTION: To prevent static damage to components inside your computer, discharge static electricity from your body before you touch any of your computer's electronic components. You can do so by touching an unpainted metal surface on the computer chassis.

Remove the jumper plug labeled "PSWD" from the jumper.

See "Jumper Settings" to locate the password jumper.

Replace the computer cover.
Reconnect your computer and devices to electrical outlets and turn them on.

This disables the existing password(s).

Enter system setup and verify that Setup Password is set to Disabled.
Exit system setup.

CAUTION: Before you remove the computer cover, see "CAUTION: Safety Instructions."

Remove the computer cover.

Replace the PSWD jumper plug.
Replace the computer cover and reconnect the computer and devices to electrical outlets and turn them on.

This reenables the password feature. When you enter system setup, both password options appear as Not Enabled—the password feature is enabled but no password is assigned.

Assign a new system and/or setup password.

System Setup

Use system setup settings as follows:

To set user-selectable options such as date and time or system password
To read the current amount of memory or set the type of hard drive installed

Print the system setup screens (by pressing <Print Screen>) or record the information for future reference.

Before you use system setup, you must know the kind of drives installed in your computer. To confirm this information, see the Manufacturing Test Report that came with your computer, or find this information in the online Dell Accessories folder.

Entering System Setup

Turn on or restart your computer.
When Press <F2> to Enter Setup appears in the upper-right corner of the screen, press <F2> immediately.

If you wait too long and the Microsoft® Windows^® logo appears, continue to wait until you see the Windows desktop. Then shut down your computer and try again.

NOTE: To ensure an orderly computer shutdown, see the documentation that came with your operating system.

System Setup Screens

System setup screens display current configuration information for your computer. Information on the screen is organized into four 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

System Setup Navigation Keys

Keys

Action

Moves to the next field.

Moves to the previous field.

or
spacebar
or

Cycles through the options in a field. In many fields, you can also type the appropriate value.

Scrolls through help information.

Enters the selected field's pop-up options menu.

Exits system setup without restarting the computer and returns the computer to the boot routine.

Exits system setup and restarts the computer, implementing any changes you have made.

Resets the selected option to the default.

Keys	Action
	Moves to the next field.
	Moves to the previous field.
or spacebar or	Cycles through the options in a field. In many fields, you can also type the appropriate value.
	Scrolls through help information.
	Enters the selected field's pop-up options menu.
	Exits system setup without restarting the computer and returns the computer to the boot routine.
	Exits system setup and restarts the computer, implementing any changes you have made.
	Resets the selected option to the default.

Boot Device Menu

This feature provides access to boot options and diagnostic features for your system. To access the boot device menu:

Turn on or restart your computer.
When F12 = Boot Menu appears in the upper-right corner of the screen, press <F12>.
Depending on your system configuration, you will see one or more of the options described in the following two sections.

Boot Options

These options will change the boot sequence for the current boot only. Any subsequent boots will follow the order defined by the boot sequence field in system setup.

Normal — The computer attempts to boot from the sequence of devices specified in system setup.
Diskette Drive — The computer attempts to boot from the floppy drive. If the floppy disk in the drive is not bootable, or if no floppy disk is in the drive, the computer generates an error message.
Integrated NIC — The computer attempts to boot from the network server. This option requires proper network setup and server configurations.
Hard Disk Drive C: — The computer attempts to boot from the primary hard drive. If no operating system is on the drive, the computer generates an error message.
IDE CD-ROM Device — The computer attempts to boot from the installed optical drive. If no device is in the drive, or if the CD has no operating system, the computer generates an error message.
USB Flash Device — Insert the key into a USB port and restart the computer. When F12 = Boot Menu appears in the upper-right corner of the screen, press <F12>. The BIOS detects the key and adds the USB key option to the boot menu.

NOTE: To boot to a USB Flash Device, the device must be bootable. To make sure your device is bootable, check the device documentation or website.

System Setup and Diagnostics Options

System Setup — The computer enters the system setup program.
IDE Drive Diagnostics — The computer initiates the IDE Hard Drive Diagnostics program.

NOTE: The Boot to the Utility Partition option requires a Dell factory-installed image on the hard drive.

Boot to the Utility Partition — The computer initiates the 32-bit Dell Diagnostics program.

Changing Boot Sequence for Future Boots

Enter system setup.
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.

System Setup Options

To get additional information about any setup option, highlight the entry and press <F1>.

AC Power Recovery — determines what happens when AC power is restored to the computer.
Off — Computer remains off when AC power is restored.

On — Computer starts when AC power is restored.

Last — Computer returns to the AC power state existing at the time that AC power was lost.

Asset Tag — displays the customer-programmable asset tag number for the computer if an asset tag number is assigned

Auto Power On — sets time and days of week to turn on the computer automatically. Choices are every day or every Monday through Friday.
Time is kept in a 24-hour format (hours:minutes). Change the start up time by pressing the right- or left-arrow keys to increase or decrease the numbers or type numbers in both the date and time fields.
Disabled is the default.
This feature does not work if you turn off your computer using a power strip or surge protector.

CPU ID — manufacturer's identification code for the installed microprocessor.

CPU Information
CPU Speed — processor speed at which the computer 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. A change to this option takes effect immediately (no restart is necessary).
To toggle between the rated processor speed and the compatibility speed while the computer is running in real mode, press <Ctrl><Alt><\>. (For keyboards that do not use American English, press <Ctrl><Alt><#>.)
Bus Speed — speed of the microprocessor's system bus.

Processor ID — manufacturer's identification code(s) for the installed microprocessor.

Clock Speed — core speed at which the microprocessor(s) operates.

Cache Size — size of the microprocessor's L2 cache.

Hyper-Threading— enables or disables Hyper-Threading technology for operating systems that support Hyper-Threading. The default setting is Disabled.

Fastboot
On (default) — Your computer boots in 10 seconds or less, skipping certain configurations and tests.

Off — Your computer does not skip certain configurations and tests during the boot process.

HDD Priority
HDD (default)

USB Device

NOTE: To boot from a USB memory device, select the USB device and move it to make it the first device.

Integrated Devices — configures the following devices integrated with the system board:
Sound — settings are On (default) or Off

USB Controller — settings are On or Off

Network Interface Controller — settings are On (default), Off, or On w/ MBA. Settings for On w/ MBA are PXE, RPL, BootP, or NetWare as the active boot mode

Mouse Port — settings are On or Off

Parallel Port — settings are Mode, I/O Address, and DMA Channel

Mode settings are PS/2, EPP, ECP, AT, or Off. Set the Mode option according to the type of device connected to the parallel connector. To determine the correct mode to use, see the documentation that came with the device.
I/O Address settings are 378h (default), 278h, or 3BCh. The settings are not available when Mode is set to Off.
NOTE: You cannot set the parallel connector to 3BCh if Mode is set to EPP.

DMA Channel appears only when Mode is set to ECP. Settings are DMA 1, DMA 3, or Off.
USB Emulation — settings are On, Off, and No Boot.

NOTE: No Boot disables booting from all USB devices.

Keyboard NumLock — settings are On and Off (does not apply to 84-key keyboards)
On — activates the rightmost bank of keys so they provide the mathematical and numeric functions shown at the top of each key.
Off — activates the rightmost bank of keys so they provide cursor-control functions shown by the label on the bottom of each key.

Memory Information — indicates amount of installed memory, computer memory speed, amount of video memory, and size of the display cache.

If You Have a Problem

If the computer generates a drive error message the first time you boot your computer after you install an IDE drive, your drive may not work with the automatic drive-type detect feature. Press <Alt><d> in any hard drive field to set the hard drive autoconfiguration feature.
During POST the computer scans the IDE channels for supported devices and generates a summary message. For example, if the computer detects that a hard drive is connected to the Primary channel and a CD drive is connected to the Secondary channel, it generates the following message:
Performing automatic IDE configuration...
Primary Master: IDE Disk Drive
Secondary Master: CD-ROM Reader
If the computer detects a device during the scan, it sets the device to Auto in system setup. If no device is listed, it sets the device setting to Off in system setup.
If your computer does not reset after you perform these steps, enter system setup and reset the computer to its original settings:

Restart your computer.
As the system restarts, press <F2> to enter system setup.
When the system setup screen appears, press <Alt><F> to load the default settings.

The computer beeps when the settings are restored.

Verify that the time, date, and year are correct and the Secondary Drive 0 option is set to Auto.
Press <Esc> and then press <Enter> to save your changes and exit.

The computer restarts.

Jumper Settings

NOTICE: Ensure that your computer is turned off and unplugged before you change the jumper settings. Otherwise, damage to your computer or unpredictable results can occur.

To change a jumper setting, pull the plug off its pin(s) and carefully fit it down onto the pin(s) indicated.

Jumper

Setting

Description

PSWD

(default)

Password features are enabled.

Password features are disabled.

RTCRST

Real-time clock reset

jumpered unjumpered

Jumper	Setting	Description
PSWD	(default)	Password features are enabled. Password features are disabled.
RTCRST		Real-time clock reset
jumpered unjumpered

Power Button

NOTICE: To turn off your computer, perform an orderly computer shutdown when possible.

You can use the ACPI feature to configure the function of the Microsoft Windows 2000, and Windows XP operating systems.

Power Button Functions for Windows 2000 and Windows XP With ACPI Enabled

Action

Results

Computer Turned On
and ACPI Enabled

Computer in Standby Mode

Computer Turned Off

Press power button

Computer goes into standby mode or turns off (depending on the operating system setup)

Computer turns on

Boots and computer turns on

Hold power button
for 6 seconds*

Computer turns off

Computer turns off

Boots and computer turns on

*Pressing or holding the power button to shut down the computer may result in data loss. Use the power button to shut down the computer only if the operating system is not responding.

Power Button Functions for Windows 2000 and Windows XP With ACPI Disabled

Action

Results

Computer Turned On and ACPI Disabled

Computer in Suspend Mode

Computer Turned Off

Press power button

Computer turns off immediately

Computer turns off immediately

Boots and computer turns on

Hold power button for 6 seconds*

Computer turns off

Computer turns off

Boots and computer turns on

*Pressing or holding the power button to shut down the computer may result in data loss. Use the power button to shut down the computer only if the operating system is not responding.

Hung Computer

If the computer does not turn off when you press the power button, the computer may be hung. Press and hold the power button until the computer turns off completely (this process may take several seconds). If the computer is hung and the power button fails to function properly, unplug the AC power cable from the computer, wait for the computer to completely stop running, and plug in the AC power cable. If the computer does not restart, press the power button to restart the computer.

Hyper-Threading

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 SP1 or later 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 system setup.

Back to Contents Page

Alert	Description
Chassis Intrusion/Chassis Intrusion Cleared	System chassis has been opened/System chassis intrusion alert has been cleared
Corrupt BIOS	The system BIOS is corrupted
Failure to Boot to BIOS	System BIOS did not complete loading upon initiation
System Password Failure	System password invalid (after 3 failed attempts)
Entity Presence	Periodic Heartbeats transmitted to verify system presence
CPU Failure	Microprocessor is present but not functioning

Action	Results
	Computer Turned On and ACPI Enabled	Computer in Standby Mode	Computer Turned Off
Press power button	Computer goes into standby mode or turns off (depending on the operating system setup)	Computer turns on	Boots and computer turns on
Hold power button for 6 seconds*	Computer turns off	Computer turns off	Boots and computer turns on
*Pressing or holding the power button to shut down the computer may result in data loss. Use the power button to shut down the computer only if the operating system is not responding.

Action	Results
	Computer Turned On and ACPI Disabled	Computer in Suspend Mode	Computer Turned Off
Press power button	Computer turns off immediately	Computer turns off immediately	Boots and computer turns on
Hold power button for 6 seconds*	Computer turns off	Computer turns off	Boots and computer turns on
*Pressing or holding the power button to shut down the computer may result in data loss. Use the power button to shut down the computer only if the operating system is not responding.