Each time you turn on your system, the system compares the configuration of
the hardware installed in the system to the hardware listed in the system
configuration information stored in NVRAM on the system board. If the system
detects a discrepancy, it generates error messages that identify the incorrect
configuration settings. The system then prompts you to enter the System Setup
program to correct the settings.
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 optionsfor example, the time or date
on your system
To enable or disable any integrated device in your system
After you set up your system, run the System Setup program to familiarize
yourself with your system configuration information and optional settings. Print
the System Setup screens (by pressing the <Print Screen> key) or record
the information for future reference.
If your system is already on, shut it down and then turn it on
again.
Press <F2> immediately after you see the following message
in the upper-right corner of the screen:
<F2> = System Setup
You can also press <F10> to enter Utility Mode or
<F12> for PXE Boot. PXE Boot forces a system boot from the network.
If you wait too long and your operating system begins to load
into memory, let the system complete the load operation, and then shut down the
system and try again.
NOTE: To ensure
an orderly system shutdown, consult the documentation that accompanied
your operating system.
You can also enter the System Setup program by responding to
certain error messages (see "Responding
to Error Messages").
NOTE: For help
using the System Setup program, press <F1> while in the program.
If an error message appears on your monitor screen while the system is
starting up, make a note of the message. Then, before entering the System Setup
program, see "System Beep Codes" and "System
Messages."
NOTE: It is
normal to receive an error message the first time you start your system
after installing a memory upgrade. In that situation, do not refer to
"System Beep Codes" and "System
Messages." Instead,
see "Adding or Installing Memory."
If you are given an option of pressing either <F1> to continue or
<F2> to run the System Setup program, press the <F2> key.
Cycles through the settings in a field. In many fields, you can
also type the appropriate value.
<Esc>
Exits the System Setup program and restarts the system if any
changes were made.
For most of the options, any changes you make are recorded but do not take
effect until the next time you start the system. For a few options (as noted
in the help area), the changes take effect immediately.
The following options and information fields appear on the main System
Setup screen:
System Time Resets the time on the system's internal clock.
System Date Resets the date on the system's internal
calendar.
Diskette Drive A: Displays the type of diskette drive for
your system.
System Memory Displays the amount of system memory. This
option has no user-selectable settings.
Video Memory Displays the amount of video memory. This option
has no user-selectable settings.
OS Install Mode Determines the maximum amount of memory
available to the operating system. On sets the maximum memory
available to the operating system to 256 MB. Off (default) makes
all of the system memory available to the operating system. Some operating
systems will not install with more than 2 GB of system memory. Turn this
option On during operating system installation and Off after
installation.
CPU Information Displays information related to the
microprocessor bus and microprocessors. This screen has no user-selectable
settings.
IDE Drive 0 and IDE Drive 1 Display information related to
the optional IDE hard drives. If the IDE hard drives are installed and
detected, Hard Drive is displayed. If no IDE hard drives are
detected, Unknown Device is displayed.
Maximum UDMA Displays information on disk speed and
allows you to choose a preferred speed at which a disk transfers
information to the system. The default setting is ATA-33.
Boot Sequence Displays the Boot Sequence screen,
discussed later in this section.
Hard-Disk Drive Sequence Displays the Hard-Disk Drive
Sequence screen, discussed later in this section.
Integrated Devices Displays the Integrated Devices
screen, discussed later in this section.
PCI IRQ Assignment Displays a screen that allows you to
change the IRQ allocated to each of the integrated devices on the PCI bus,
as well as any installed expansion cards that require an IRQ.
Console Redirection Displays ascreen that allows you
to configure console redirection. The submenu allows you to turn the
feature on or off, select the remote terminal type, and enable or disable
redirection after booting. For more information on using console
redirection, see the User's Guide.
Keyboard Numlock Determines whether your system starts up
with the Num Lock mode activated on 101- or 102-key keyboards (does not
apply to 84-key keyboards).
Report Keyboard Errors Enables or disables reporting of
keyboard errors during the POST. This option is useful when applied to
self-starting 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 keyboard controller during POST. This
setting does not affect the operation of the keyboard itself if a keyboard
is attached to the system.
Asset Tag Displays the customer-programmable asset tag number
for the system if an asset tag number has been assigned. To enter an asset
tag number of up to 10 characters into NVRAM, see "Using the Dell OpenManage Server Assistant
CD" in the User's Guide.
The Boot Sequence screen options determine the order in which the
system looks for boot devices that it needs to load during system startup.
Available options include the diskette drive, CD drive, network, and hard
drives. You can enable or disable a device by selecting it and pressing the
spacebar. To change the order in which devices are searched, use the <+>
and <> keys.
The Hard-Disk Drive Sequence screen options determine the order in
which the system searches the hard drives for the files that it needs to load
during system startup. The choices depend on the particular hard drives
installed in your system. To change the order in which devices are searched,
use the <+> and <> keys. Press <Enter> to confirm your
selection.
This screen is used to configure the following devices:
Embedded RAID Controller Both channels A and B have the same
settings. The configurable options will vary, depending on whether the
optional ROMB card is installed.
With optional ROMB card installed To turn on the
RAID functionality of the optional ROMB card, select RAID Enabled.
Select Off to turn off RAID functionality.
Without optional ROMB card installed To turn on
the SCSI controller, select SCSI. To turn off the SCSI
controller and mask the presence of the device, select Off.
IDE CD-ROM Controller Enables or disables the system's IDE CD
drive interface.
Diskette Controller Enables or disables the system's diskette
drive controller. When Auto (default) is selected, the system turns
off the controller when necessary to accommodate a controller card
installed in an expansion slot. You can also set up the drive to be
read-only. Using the read-only setting, the drive cannot be used to write
to a disk.
Embedded 10/100/1000 NIC Enables or disables the system's two
integrated NICs. Options are Enabled without PXE, Enabled with
PXE, and Disabled. PXE support allows the system to boot from
the network. Changes take effect after system reboot.
MAC Address Displays the MAC address for the corresponding 10/100/1000
integrated NIC. This
field has no user-selectable settings.
Serial Port Configures the system's integrated serial port.
The options can be set to Auto (default) to automatically configure
the port, to a particular designation, or to Off to disable the
port.
If you set the serial port to Auto and add an
expansion card with 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.
Speaker Toggles the integrated speaker On (default) or
Off. A change to this option takes effect immediately (rebooting
the system is not required).
Setup Password Allows you to restrict access to the System
Setup program in the same way that you restrict access to your system with
the system password feature.
Password Status When Setup Password is set to Enabled,
this feature allows you to prevent the system password from being changed
or disabled at system start-up.
To lock the system password, you must first assign a setup
password in the Setup Password option and then change the Password
Status option to Locked. In this state, the system password cannot
be changed through the System Password option and cannot be disabled at
system start-up by pressing <Ctrl><Enter>.
To unlock the system password, you must enter the setup
password in the Setup Password option and then change the Password
Status option to Unlocked. In this state, the system password can
be disabled at system start-up by pressing <Ctrl><Enter> and then
changed through the System Password option.
Power Button When this option is set to Enabled, you
can use the power button to turn the system off or shut down the
system if you are running Microsoft® Windows® 2000 or another
operating system that is compliant with the ACPI specification. When this
option is set to Disabled, you cannot use the power button to turn
off the system or perform other system events.
NOTE: You can
still turn a system on using the power button when the Power Button
option is set to Disabled. If the option setting is changed
to Disabled, the change will not take effect until the next
boot.
NMI Button This button may be used for troubleshooting
software and device drivers when running certain operating systems. If a
malfunction occurs when NMI Button set to Enabled, an NMI
interrupt alerts the system. Enable this button only when directed to do
so by the operating system's documentation.
NOTICE: The
password features provide a basic level of security for the data on
your system. However, 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.
Your system is shipped to you without the system password feature enabled.
If system security is a concern, you should operate your system only with
system password protection.
You can assign a system password whenever you use the System Setup program.
After a system password is assigned, only those who know the password have
full use of the system.
When the System Password option is set to Enabled, the system
prompts you for the system password just after the system starts.
To change an existing system password, you must know the password (see
"Deleting or Changing
an Existing System Password"). If you assign and later forget a
system password, a jumper setting on the system board must be temporarily
changed, disabling the system password feature (see "Disabling
a Forgotten Password"). Note that this erases the setup password at
the same time.
NOTICE: If you
leave your system running and unattended without having a system
password assigned or if you leave your system unlocked so that someone
can disable the password by changing a jumper setting, anyone can
access the data stored on your hard drive.
Before you can assign a system password, you must enter the System Setup
program and check the System Password option.
When a system password is assigned, the setting shown for the System
Password option is Enabled. If the Password Status optionis Unlocked, you can change the system password. If the Password
Status option is Locked, you cannot change the system password.
When the system password feature is disabled by a jumper setting on the system
board, the setting shown is Disabled, and you cannot change or enter a
new system password.
When no system password is assigned and the password jumper on the system
board is in the enabled (default) position, the setting shown for the System
Password option is Not Enabled and the Password Status field
is Unlocked. To assign a system password, perform the following steps:
Verify that the Password Status option is set to Unlocked.
Highlight the System Password option and then press
<Enter>.
Type your new system password.
You can use up to 32 characters in your password.
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
the <Backspace> key or the left-arrow key.
NOTE: To escape
from the field without assigning a system password, press
<Enter> to move to another field, or press <Esc> at any
time prior to completing step 5.
Press <Enter>.
To confirm your password, type it a second time and press
<Enter>.
The System Password option changes to Enabled.
Your system password is now set. You can exit the System Setup program and
begin using your system.
NOTE: Password
protection does not take effect until you restart the system by
turning the system off and then on again.
Whenever you turn on or reboot your system by pressing the
<Ctrl><Alt><Del> key combination, the following prompt
appears on the screen when the Password Status option 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 the Password Status option is set to Locked, the following
prompt appears:
Type the password and press
<Enter>.
After you type the correct system password and press <Enter>, your
system completes the startup sequence and you can use the keyboard or mouse to
operate your system as usual.
NOTE: If you
have assigned a setup password (see "Using
the Setup Password Feature"), the system accepts your setup
password as an alternate system password.
If a wrong or incomplete system password is entered, the following message
appears:
** Incorrect password. **
Enter password:
If an incorrect or incomplete system password is entered again, the same
message appears.
The third and subsequent times an incorrect or incomplete system password
is entered, the system displays the following message:
** Incorrect password. **
Number of unsuccessful password attempts: 3
System halted! Must power down.
The number of unsuccessful attempts made to enter the correct system
password can alert you to an unauthorized person attempting to use your
system.
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 the Password Status option in conjunction with the System
Password and Setup Password options to further protect your
system from unauthorized changes.
When prompted, press <Ctrl><Enter> to disable the
existing system password, instead of pressing <Enter> to continue
with the normal operation of your system.
If you are asked to enter your setup password, you may need
to contact your network administrator who has the setup password.
Enter the System Setup program by pressing <F2> during
POST.
Select the System Security field to verify that
the Password Status option is set to Unlocked.
When prompted, type the system password.
Confirm that Not Enabled is displayed for the System
Password option.
If Not Enabled is displayed for 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 the
<Alt><b> key combination to restart the system, and then repeat
steps 2 through 6.
Your system is shipped to you without the setup password feature enabled.
If system security is a concern, you should operate your system with the setup
password feature enabled.
You can assign a setup password whenever you use the System Setup program.
After a setup password is assigned, only those who know the password have full
use of the System Setup program.
To change an existing setup password, you must know the setup password (see
"Deleting or Changing
an Existing Setup Password"). If you assign and later forget a setup
password, you cannot operate your system or change settings in the System
Setup program until the password jumper setting is changed to disable the
passwords and erase the
existing passwords. This procedure is described in "Disabling
a Forgotten Password."
A setup password can be assigned (or changed) only when the Setup
Password option is set to Not Enabled. To assign a setup password,
highlight the Setup Password option 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.
NOTE: 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.
After you verify the password, the Setup Password setting changes to
Enabled. The next time you enter the System Setup program, the system
prompts you for the setup password.
A change to the Setup Password option becomes effective immediately
(restarting the system is not required).
If Setup Password is set to Enabled, you must enter the
correct setup password before you can modify the majority of the System Setup
options. When you start the System Setup program, the program prompts you to
type the password.
If you do not enter the correct password in three tries, the system lets
you view, but not modify, the System Setup screenswith the following
exception. If System Password is not set to Enabled and is not
locked via the Password Status option, you can assign a system password
(however, you cannot disable or change an existing system password).
NOTE: You can
use the Password Status option in conjunction with the Setup
Password option to protect the system password from unauthorized
changes.
To delete or change an existing setup password, perform the following
steps:
Enter the System Setup program and select the System
Security option.
Highlight the Setup Password option, press
<Enter> to access the setup password window, and press <Enter>
two more times to clear the existing setup password.
