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Using the System Setup Program

Dell™ PowerEdge™ R200 Systems Hardware Owner's Manual

  Entering the System Setup Program

  System Setup Options

  System and Setup Password Features

  Disabling a Forgotten Password

  Baseboard Management Controller Configuration


After you set up your system, run the System Setup program to familiarize yourself with your system configuration and optional settings. Record the information for future reference.

You can use the System Setup program to:


Entering the System Setup Program

  1. Turn on or restart your system.

  2. Press <F2> immediately after you see the following message:

<F2> = System Setup

If your operating system begins to load before you press <F2>, allow the system to finish booting, and then restart your system and try again.

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

Responding to Error Messages

You can enter the System Setup program by responding to certain error messages. If an error message appears while the system is booting, make a note of the message. Before entering the System Setup program, see System Messages for an explanation of the message and suggestions for correcting errors.

NOTE: After installing a memory upgrade, it is normal for your system to send a message the first time you start your system.

Using the System Setup Program

Table 2-1 lists the keys that you use to view or change information on the System Setup program screens and to exit the program.

Table 2-1. System Setup Program Navigation Keys 

Keys

Action

Up arrow or <Shift><Tab>

Moves to the previous field.

Down arrow or <Tab>

Moves to the next field.

Spacebar, <+>, <>, left and right arrows

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.

<F1>

Displays the System Setup program's help file.

NOTE: For most of the options, any changes that you make are recorded but do not take effect until you restart the system.

System Setup Options

Main Screen

When you enter the System Setup program, the main System Setup program screen appears (see Figure 2-1).

Figure 2-1. Main System Setup Program Screen

Table 2-2 lists the options and descriptions for the information fields that appear on the main System Setup program screen.

NOTE: The System Setup program defaults are listed under their respective options, where applicable.

Table 2-2. System Setup Program Options 

Option

Description

System Time

Resets the time on the system's internal clock.

System Date

Resets the date on the system's internal calendar.

Memory Information

See Memory Information Screen.

CPU Information

See CPU Information Screen.

SATA Configuration

See SATA Configuration Screen.

Boot Sequence

Determines the order in which the system searches for boot devices during system startup. Available options can include the diskette drive, CD drive, hard drives, and network.

Hard-Disk Drive Sequence

Determines the order in which the system searches the hard drives during system startup. The selections depend on the hard drives installed in your system.

USB Flash Drive Emulation Type
(Auto default)

Determines the emulation type for a USB flash drive. Floppy allows the USB flash drive to act as a removable floppy disk, and it will be assigned a drive letter of A: or B:. Hard disk allows the USB flash drive to act as a hard drive. Auto automatically chooses an emulation type.

Boot Sequence Retry
(Disabled default)

Enables or disables retrying the boot sequence that was specified in the Boot Sequence option.

Integrated Devices

See Integrated Devices Screen.

PCI IRQ Assignment

Displays a screen to change the IRQ assigned to each of the integrated devices on the PCI bus, and any installed expansion cards that require an IRQ.

Console Redirection

See Console Redirection Screen.

System Security

Displays a screen to configure the system password and setup password features. See Using the System Password and Using the Setup Password for more information.

Keyboard NumLock
(On default)

Determines whether your system starts up with the NumLock mode activated on 101– or 102–key keyboards (does not apply to 84-key keyboards).

Report Keyboard Errors
(Report default)

Enables or disables reporting of keyboard errors during the POST. Enable this option for host systems that have keyboards attached. Select Do Not Report to suppress 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.

Memory Information Screen

Table 2-3 lists the options and descriptions for the information fields that appear on the Memory Information screen.

Table 2-3. Memory Information Screen

Option

Description

System Memory Size

Displays the amount of main memory in the system.

System Memory Type

Displays the type of memory installed in the system.

System Memory Speed

Displays the clock frequency of the main memory.

Video Memory

Displays the amount of video memory.

System Memory Testing
(Enabled default)

When set to Enabled, system memory tests are conducted. When set to Disabled, the memory tests are not performed.

CPU Information Screen

Table 2-4 lists the options and descriptions for the information fields that appear on the CPU Information screen.

Table 2-4. CPU Information Screen 

Option

Description

64-bit

Specifies if the installed processor supports Intel® 64-bit extensions.

Core Speed

Displays the clock speed of the processor.

Bus Speed

Displays the bus speed of the processor.

Logical Processor
(Enabled default)

Displays when the processor supports Hyper-Threading technology. Enabled permits all logical processors to be used by the operating system. Only the first logical processor is used by the operating system if Disabled is selected.

Virtualization Technology (Disabled default)

Displays when the processor(s) support Virtualization Technology. Enabled permits virtualization software to use Virtualization Technology incorporated in the processor design. This feature can only be used by software that supports Virtualization Technology.

Adjacent Cache Line Prefetch
(Enabled default)

Enables or disables optimal use of sequential memory access. Disable this option for applications that require high use of random memory access.

Hardware Prefetcher
(Enabled default)

Enables or disables the hardware prefetcher.

Demand-Based Power Management
(Disabled default)

When set to Enabled, the CPU Performance State Tables are reported to the operating system. When set to Disabled, the Performance State Tables are not reported to the operating system.

If the processor does not support Demand-Based Power Management, this field is read-only.

Processor 0 ID

Displays the family and model number of the processor.

Processor Name Display

Displays the CPU name of the installed Processor 0.

Level 2 Cache

Displays the amount of cache memory for the processor.

Number of Cores

Displays the number of cores in the processor.

SATA Configuration Screen

Table 2-5 lists the options and descriptions for the information fields that appear on the SATA Configuration screen.

Table 2-5. SATA Configuration Screen

Option

Description

Embedded SATA

Enables (ATA Mode) or disables (Off) all SATA ports.

Port X

Enables (Auto) or disables (Off) the SATA hard drive in Port X.

Model

Displays the drive model of the selected hard drive.

Drive Type

Displays the drive type of the selected hard drive.

Capacity

Displays the total capacity of the selected hard drive.

Integrated Devices Screen

Table 2-6 lists the options and descriptions for the information fields that appear on the Integrated Devices screen.

Table 2-6. Integrated Devices Screen Options 

Option

Description

User Accessible USB Ports
(All Ports On default)

Enables or disables the user accessible USB ports. Options are All Ports On, Only Back Ports On, or All Ports Off.

Embedded Gb NIC
(Enabled with PXE default)

Enables or disables the system's integrated NIC. Options are Enabled with PXE, Enabled without PXE, and Disabled. PXE support allows the system to boot from the network. Changes take effect after the system reboots.

MAC Address

Displays the MAC address for the integrated 10/100/1000 NIC. This field does not have user-selectable settings.

Secondary Embedded Gb NIC
(Enabled without PXE default)

Enables or disables the system's secondary integrated NIC. Options are Enabled without PXE, Enabled with PXE, and Disabled. PXE support allows the system to boot from the network. Changes take effect after the system reboots.

Secondary NIC MAC Address

Displays the MAC address for the secondary integrated 10/100/1000 NIC. This field does not have user-selectable settings.

OS Watchdog Timer
(Disabled default)

If the system stops responding, the watchdog timer aids in recovery of the OS. When set to Enabled, the OS is allowed to initialize the timer. When set to Disabled, the timer has no effect on the system.

Serial Port 1
(COM1 default)

Serial Port options are COM1, COM3, BMC Serial, BMC NIC, COM1/BMC, and Off. If an optional remote access controller (RAC) is installed in the system, RAC is an additional option.

Serial Port shares three usage models. For standard usage, Serial Port attempts to use COM1 first, and then COM3. For BMC usage, serial port 1 uses the COM1 address and communication can be either via the serial port or the integrated shared NIC. RAC control uses only the COM1 address.

The COM1/BMC setting allows you to toggle the system between a COM1 setting and BMC Serial setting. In this mode, press <ESC> to enter the BMC Serial setting and press <ESC><q> to return to the COM1 setting.

Off and COM3 are not available options when Console Redirection is set to use Serial Port 1.

Speaker
(On default)

Enables or disables the system internal speaker.

Console Redirection Screen

Table 2-7 lists the options and descriptions for the information fields that appear on the Console Redirection screen.

Table 2-7. Console Redirection Screen Options 

Option

Description

Console Redirection
(Off default)

Sets the console redirection feature to Off or Serial Port 1.

Failsafe Baud Rate
(115200 default)

Displays if the failsafe baud rate is used for console redirection.

Remote Terminal Type
(VT 100/VT 220 default)

Select either VT 100/VT 220 or ANSI.

Redirection After Boot
(Enabled default)

Enables or disables console redirection after your system restarts.

System Security Screen

Table 2-8 lists the options and descriptions for the information fields that appear on the System Security screen.

Table 2-8. System Security Screen Options 

Option

Description

System Password

Displays the current status of your system's password security feature and allows you to assign and verify a new system password.

NOTE: See Using the System Password for instructions on assigning a system password and using or changing an existing system password.

Setup Password

Restricts access to the System Setup program in the same way that you restrict access to your system using the system password feature.

NOTE: See Using the Setup Password for instructions on assigning a setup password and using or changing an existing setup password.

Password Status

Setting the Setup Password option to Enabled prevents the system password from being changed or disabled at system start-up.

To lock the system password, assign a setup password in the Setup Password option and then change the Password Status option to Locked. In this state, you cannot change the system password using the System Password option and the system password cannot be disabled at system start-up by pressing <Ctrl><Enter>.

To unlock the system password, enter the setup password in the Setup Password field and then change the Password Status option to Unlocked. In this state, you can disable the system password at system start-up by pressing <Ctrl><Enter> and then change the password using the System Password option.

Power Button

Turns system's power off and on.

  • If you turn off the system using the power button and the system is running an ACPI-compliant operating system, the system can perform an orderly shutdown before power is turned off.
  • If the system is not running an ACPI-compliant operating system, power is turned off immediately after the power button is pressed.

The button is enabled in the System Setup program. When disabled, the button can only turn on system power.

NOTE: You can still turn on the system by using the power button, even if the Power Button option is set to Disabled.

NMI Button

This field enables/disables the NMI button on the front panel.

NOTICE: Use the NMI button only if directed to do so by qualified support personnel or by the operating system's documentation. Pressing this button halts the operating system and displays a diagnostic screen.

Sets the NMI feature On or Off.

AC Power Recovery
(Last default)

Determines how the system reacts when power is restored to the system. If system is set to Last, the system returns to the last power state. On turns on the system after power is restored. When set to Off, the system remains off after power is restored.

Exit Screen

After you press <Esc> to exit the System Setup program, the Exit screen displays the following options:


System and Setup Password Features

NOTICE: The password features provide a basic level of security for the data on your system. If your data requires more security, use additional forms of protection, such as data encryption programs.
NOTICE: Anyone can access the data stored on your system if you leave the 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.

Your system is shipped to you without the system password feature enabled. If system security is a concern, operate your system only with system password protection.

To change or delete an existing password, you must know the password (see Deleting or Changing an Existing System Password). If you forget your password, you cannot operate your system or change settings in the System Setup program until a trained service technician changes the password jumper setting to disable the passwords, and erases the existing passwords. This procedure is described in Disabling a Forgotten Password.

Using the System Password

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 after the system starts.

Assigning a System Password

Before you assign a system password, 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 setting shown for the Password Status is 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, the system password is Disabled, and you cannot change or enter a new system password.

When a system password is not 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:

  1. Verify that the Password Status option is set to Unlocked.

  2. Highlight the System Password option and press <Enter>.

  3. 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 is not case-sensitive. However, certain key combinations are not valid. If you enter one of these combinations, the system beeps. 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 <Enter> to move to another field, or press <Esc> at any time prior to completing step 5.
  1. Press <Enter>.

  2. To confirm your password, type it a second time and press <Enter>.

The setting shown for the System Password changes to Enabled. Exit the System Setup program and begin using your system.

  1. Either reboot your system now for your password protection to take effect or continue working.

NOTE: Password protection does not take effect until you reboot the system.

Using Your System Password to Secure Your System

NOTE: If you have assigned a setup password (see Using the Setup Password), the system accepts your setup password as an alternate system password.

When the Password Status option is set to Unlocked, you have the option to leave the password security enabled or to disable the password security.

To leave the password security enabled:

  1. Turn on or reboot your system by pressing <Ctrl><Alt><Del>.

  2. Type your password and press <Enter>.

To disable the password security:

  1. Turn on or reboot your system by pressing <Ctrl><Alt><Del>.

  2. Type your password and press <Ctrl><Enter>.

When the Password Status option is set to Locked whenever you turn on your system or reboot your system by pressing <Ctrl><Alt><Del>, type your password and press <Enter> at the prompt.

After you type the correct system password and press <Enter>, your system operates as usual.

If an incorrect system password is entered, the system displays a message and prompts you to re-enter your password. You have three attempts to enter the correct password. After the third unsuccessful attempt, the system displays an error message showing the number of unsuccessful attempts and that the system has halted and will shut down. This message can alert you to an unauthorized person attempting to use your system.

Even after you shut down and restart the system, the error message continues to be displayed until the correct 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.

Deleting or Changing an Existing System Password

  1. When prompted, press <Ctrl><Enter> to disable the existing system password.

If you are asked to enter your setup password, contact your network administrator.

  1. Enter the System Setup program by pressing <F2> during POST.

  2. Select the System Security screen field to verify that the Password Status option is set to Unlocked.

  3. When prompted, type the system password.

  4. 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 Enabled is displayed for the System Password option, press the <Alt><b> key combination to restart the system, and then repeat steps 2 through 5.

Using the Setup Password

Assigning a Setup Password

You can assign (or change) a setup password only when the Setup Password option is set to Not Enabled. To assign a setup password, highlight the Setup Password option and press the <+> or <–> key. The system prompts you to enter and verify the password. If a character is illegal for password use, the system beeps.

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.

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 is not case-sensitive. However, certain key combinations are not valid. If you enter one of these combinations, the system beeps. To erase a character when entering your password, press <Backspace> or the left-arrow key.

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).

Operating With a Setup Password Enabled

If Setup Password is set to Enabled, you must enter the correct setup password before you can modify most of the System Setup options. When you start the System Setup program, the program prompts you to enter a password.

If you do not enter the correct password in three attempts, the system lets you view, but not modify, the System Setup screens—with the following exception: If System Password is not set to Enabled and is not locked through 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.

Deleting or Changing an Existing Setup Password

  1. Enter the System Setup program and select the System Security option.

  2. Highlight the Setup Password option, press <Enter> to access the setup password window, and press <Enter> twice to clear the existing setup password.

The setting changes to Not Enabled.

  1. If you want to assign a new setup password, perform the steps in Assigning a Setup Password.


Disabling a Forgotten Password

See Disabling a Forgotten Password.


Baseboard Management Controller Configuration

The Baseboard Management Controller (BMC) enables configuring, monitoring, and recovery of systems remotely. BMC provides the following features:

NOTE: To remotely access the BMC through the integrated NIC, you must connect the network connection to integrated NIC1.

For additional information on using BMC, see the documentation for the BMC and systems management applications.

Entering the BMC Setup Module

  1. Turn on or restart your system.

  2. Press <Ctrl-E> when prompted after POST.

If your operating system begins to load before you press <Crtl-E>, allow the system to finish booting, and then restart your system and try again.

BMC Setup Module Options

For information about the BMC Setup Module options and how to configure the emergency management port (EMP), see the BMC User's Guide.


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