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System Setup Options: Dell Latitude CP and CPi
AC | Admin
Password | Alarm Resume | Asset Tag | Audio
Mode | Battery | BIOS Version | Boot
Sequence | Boot Speed | Brightness | Click
Volume | Configure Setup | Date | Disk Time-Out
| Diskette Drive A | Diskette Drive B | Diskette Reconfig | Display Close | Display Time-Out | Docking Status | External Cache | External Hot Key | Hard-Drive Password | Infrared Mode | Internal Hard Drive | Microprocessor | Modular Bay | Parallel
Mode | Pointing Device | Power Management | Primary Password | Ring/Event Resume | S2D Time-Out | Serial
Port | Service Tag | Smart CPU Mode | Suspend Time-Out | System Memory | Time
| Universal Connect | Video Memory
Setup Page 1 | Setup
Page 2 | Setup Page 3 | Setup
Page 4
You can access the system setup options at any
time by pressing <Fn><F1> (or <Scroll
Lock><F1> on an external keyboard if the External Hot
Key option is enabled).
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NOTES: If your
computer uses the Microsoft�
Windows NT� operating
system, you must use the System Setup program to change
the configuration of the computer.
If the System Setup program is running when the computer
enters suspend mode, the computer exits the System Setup
program and then activates suspend mode. |
AC is one of the categories of Power
Management. You can set time-outs for the following power
management options when operating your computer from AC power:
Display Time-Out, Disk Time-Out, Suspend
Time-Out, S2D Time-Out, Smart
CPU Mode, and Brightness.
A change to the AC option
takes effect immediately (rebooting is not required).
Admin Password displays the current status of
your administrator password and allows you to assign or change
this password.
Settings for this option are:
- Disabled (the default)
indicates that no administrator password is assigned.
- Enabled indicates that an
administrator password is currently assigned.
The administrator password is designed for use
by system administrators and service technicians in corporate
environments. If an administrator password is assigned, you can
use it to access the computer even if you do not know the primary
password.
Alarm Resume directs the computer to resume
normal operation when it is in suspend mode or standby mode and
detects an alarm from the RTC. Such alarms can be set through
various application programs. In order for the alarms in these
programs to work, the Alarm Resume option must be set to Enabled.
A change to the Alarm Resume option takes
effect immediately (rebooting is not required).
Asset Tag option displays the asset tag code if you or your
organization assigned one to your computer.
Audio Mode helps you manage the resources of
the computer and the external devices you use with it.
Settings for this option are:
- Half Duplex (the default) permits you to
play or record sounds, but not simultaneously. Use this
setting if the Parallel Mode option is set to ECP and the
Infrared Mode is set to Fast IR.
- Full Duplex allows the computer's audio
system to play and record sounds simultaneously.
- Disabled disables the audio controller and
makes its DMA, IRQ, and I/O resources available for
another serial device to use.
For a change in the Audio Mode option to take
effect, you must reboot the computer.
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NOTE: The System
Setup program limits the options available for Audio
Mode, depending on how the Parallel Mode and Infrared
Mode options are set. If the Parallel Mode option is set
to ECP and the Infrared Mode is set to Fast IR, the Audio
Mode option cannot be set to Full Duplex. This limitation
is based on the number of available 8-bit DMA channels.
The value selected for Audio Mode determines the boot
configuration for the device. If the Microsoft Windows 95�
operating system finds other available resources, it may
upgrade the configuration. |
Battery is one of the categories of Power
Management. You can set time-outs for the following power
management options when operating your computer from battery
power: Display Time-Out, Disk Time-Out, Suspend
Time-Out, S2D Time-Out, Smart CPU Mode, and
Brightness.
A change to the Battery option takes
effect immediately (rebooting is not required).
System BIOS displays the version number and
release date of the BIOS in the computer. A service technician
may ask you for this version number if you call Dell for
technical assistance.
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NOTE: Dell may
periodically offer revisions of the BIOS that add
features or solve specific problems. You can use the
Flash BIOS Update program to update your computer's BIOS
entirely through software. |
Boot Sequence determines which disk device your
computer uses to find the software needed to start the operating
system.
Settings for this option are:
- Diskette First (the default) causes the
computer to attempt to boot first from a bootable
diskette.
If the computer detects no diskette in the diskette
drive, it tries to boot from the hard-disk drive. If the
computer encounters a diskette without the required boot
files or detects a problem with the diskette drive, it
displays an error message.
- Hard Disk Only causes the computer to boot
only from the hard-disk drive.
If the computer fails to boot from the hard-disk drive
for any reason, it does not attempt to boot from the
diskette drive.
- FDD/CD-ROM/HDD causes your computer to
attempt to boot first from a bootable diskette.
If the computer does not detect a diskette in the
diskette drive, it tries to boot from the CD-ROM drive.
If the computer then does not detect a CD in the CD-ROM
drive, it attempts to boot from the hard-disk drive.
- CD-ROM/HDD causes your computer to attempt
to boot first from the CD-ROM drive.
If the computer does not detect a CD in the CD-ROM drive,
it tries to boot from the hard-disk drive.
For a change in the Boot Sequence option to
take effect, you must reboot the computer.
Boot Speed allow you to choose between the
computer's processing speed (the default) and Compatible, a
slower compatibility speed. The compatibility speed varies,
depending on the configuration of your system.
When you change the setting in the Boot Speed
option, the System Setup program stores and continues to display
the new setting even if you do not reboot your computer when you
exit the System Setup program. If you start the System Setup
program again during your current work session, the processing
speed displayed may not match the actual speed at which the
computer is running.
For a change in the Boot Speed option to take
effect, you must reboot the computer.
Brightness allows you to specify the brightness
of the display when the computer is operating on battery power.
Use the right-arrow key and left-arrow key to change the
brightness of the display. When the computer is powered by a
battery, the default setting for brightness is the minimum. If
the computer is using AC power, the default setting is maximum.
Settings for this option are High (the
default), Medium, and Low.
If you are not in the System Setup program, you
can change the brightness of the display by using the <Fn>
right-arrow, <Fn> left-arrow, <Fn> up-arrow, or
<Fn> down-arrow key combination.
A change to the Brightness option becomes
effective immediately (rebooting is not required).
Click Volume allows you to disable or adjust
the volume of the keyboard clicks if the Keyboard Click option is
enabled.
A change to this option takes effect
immediately (rebooting is not required).
Configure Setup lets you restrict access to the
System Setup program in the same way that you restrict access to
your system with the system password feature. The Configure Setup
option is displayed only when the administrator password is
enabled. You can set, change, or disable the Configure Setup
password only when the administrator password is enabled.
Settings for the Configure Setup option are:
- Enabled indicates that no Configure Setup
password is assigned.
- Disabled indicates that a Configure Setup
password is currently assigned.
Date resets the date on the computer's internal
calendar.
Your computer automatically displays the day of
the week corresponding to the settings in the three fields that
follow (month, day of the month, and year).
To change the date, press the right-arrow key to increase the
number in the highlighted field, or press the left-arrow key to
decrease the number. Or, enter numbers in the month and day-of-the-month
fields.
A change to the Date option becomes effective
immediately (rebooting is not required). However, you must reboot
the computer to make the change apparent to the operating system.
Disk Time-Out lets you determine how long your
hard-disk drive is idle before the drive motor turns off to
conserve battery power.
When the AC category is set Disabled, there are
no user-selectable settings for this option. Settings for the
Disk Time Out option are:
The default setting is 3 minutes if the
computer is powered by a battery or 1 minute if the computer is
using AC power. To increase battery operating time, set Disk Time
Out to a lower number. (However, if your software requires
frequent hard-disk drive accesses, using a higher time-out
setting may save battery power by minimizing the number of times
the hard-disk drive must power up.)
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NOTE: Set Disk Time-Out to Disabled if it causes
compatibility problems with the software. |
A change to the Disk Time-Out option takes
effect immediately (rebooting is not required).
If you are not in the System Setup program, you can turn off
the hard-disk drive immediately by pressing <Fn><H>.
The drive resumes normal operation immediately when it is
accessed by the microprocessor.
Diskette Drive A identifies the location of the 3.5-inch diskette drive:
Modular Bay, Parallel Port, or Not Installed. There are no
user-selectable settings for this option.
Diskette Reconfig identifies the location of a
second 3.5-inch diskette drive: Modular Bay, Parallel Port, or
Not Installed. There are no user-selectable settings for this
option.
Diskette Reconfig allows application programs
that access the diskette drive to run at their optimum speed.
Settings are At Reboot Only and Any Time.
If Diskette Reconfig is set to Any Time, (the
default), you do not have to reboot after installing a diskette
drive in the modular bay or attaching a diskette drive to the
parallel connector on the back of the computer. However, some
applications programs that access the diskette drive may run
slowly if the diskette drive is not in the modular bay or
connected to the parallel port. If this option is set to At
Reboot Only, you must reboot after installing or attaching a
diskette drive, but application programs will run at their
optimum speed.
Display Close determines whether the computer
enters suspend mode when the display is closed, or whether only
the display is turned off. The following options are available:
- Suspend (the default) allows the computer
to enter suspend mode when the display is closed.
- Active turns off the display, but does not
put the computer in suspend mode.
Display Time-Out determines how long the
computer operates with no I/O activity before turning off the
display.
This option includes the following settings:
To increase battery operating time, set Display
Time-Out to a lower number of minutes.
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NOTE: Set the Display
Time-Out option to Disabled if it causes compatibility
problems with the software. |
The display can be turned off immediately by
pressing <Fn><d>. The display resumes normal
operation automatically when you press any key, move the mouse,
or press the power button.
A change to the Display Time-Out option takes
effect immediately (rebooting is not required).
Docking Status shows whether the computer is
attached to the Dell Latitude C/Port Replicator or C/Dock
Expansion Station. There are no user-selectable settings for this
option.
External Cache tells how much external cache
the computer has. There are no user-selectable settings for this
option.
External Hot Key lets you use the <Scroll
Lock> key on an external keyboard the same way you use the
<Fn> key on the computer's built-in keyboard. Set this
option to Scroll Lock (the default) if you are using an external
keyboard. Set this option to Not Installed to disable this
function on the external keyboard.
Hard-Drive Password displays the current status
of your hard-disk drive password and allows you to assign or
change this password. Settings for this option are:
- Disabled (the default) indicates that no
hard-disk drive password is assigned.
- Enabled indicates that a hard-disk drive
password is currently assigned.
The hard-disk drive password helps protect the
data on your hard-disk drive from unauthorized access. An
administrator password does not override a hard-disk drive
password.
The Infrared Mode option appears on the screen
only after an address is assigned in the Infrared Data Port
Option. Infrared Mode lets you assign Fast IR mode or Slow IR
mode for use with an infrared device. Select Slow IR if the
Parallel Mode option is set to ECP and the Audio Mode is set to
Full Duplex.
The System Setup program limits the options
available for Infrared Mode, depending on how the Parallel Mode
and Audio Mode options are set. If Parallel Mode is set to ECP
and Audio Mode is set to Full Duplex, the Infrared Mode option
cannot be set to Fast IR.
The value selected for Infrared Mode determines
the boot configuration for the device. If Windows 95 finds other
available resources, the operating system may upgrade the
configuration.
Internal Hard Drive displays the capacity of
the computer's hard-disk drive. There are no user-selectable
settings for this option.
Microprocessor displays the type and speed of
the microprocessor installed on the computer's system board.
There are no user-selectable settings for this option.
Modular Bay displays the kind of device
installed in the computer's options bay. If there is no device
installed in the modular bay, or if a travel module is installed,
this option reads Not Installed. There are no user-selectable
settings for this option.
Parallel Mode controls whether the computer's
built-in parallel port acts as a PS/2-compatible (Bidirectional)
port, AT-compatible (Normal) port, or Extended Capabilities Port
(ECP)-compatible port. The default setting for this option is
ECP. Windows 95 uses ECP protocol automatically if it detects an
ECP-compatible device.
Set this category 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.
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NOTE: The ECP
settings also work for most software written for the AT
(unidirectional) and PS/2 (bidirectional, or normal)
modes. Devices that use ECP may come with special drivers
that need to be installed in order to use these modes. |
Pointing Device allows you to enable or disable
the computer's touch pad. This option includes the following
settings:
- Touchpad-PS/2 Mouse (the default).
- Serial Mouse disables the touchpad and
external PS/2 mouse port. Use this setting when a serial
mouse is attached to the computer.
If you want to use a serial mouse, you must
first set the Pointing Device option to Serial Mouse.
For a change in the Pointing Device option to
take effect, you must reboot the computer.
Power Management allows you to enable or disable power conservation
features when the computer is being powered by a battery or AC
power. If you want to use any of the time-out options while using
battery power, the Battery option must be set to Enabled. If you
want to use any of the time-out options while using AC power, the
AC option must be set to Enabled.
A change to the Power Management option takes
effect immediately (rebooting is not required).
Primary Password displays the current status of the primary password and
allows you to set,
change, or disable this password.
Settings for this option are:
- Disabled (the default) indicates that no
primary password is assigned.
- Enabled indicates that a primary password
is currently assigned.
If you assign a primary password, the computer
prompts you for the password each time you boot the computer.
Ring/Event Resume lets you determine if the
computer exits suspend mode when an installed modem card receives
an incoming call. This feature must be supported by the modem PC
Card and you operating system, and must be enabled in the modem
device driver.
Settings for this option are:
- Enabled (the default) is used to resume
normal operation when the computer detects a modem ring.
- Disabled keeps the computer in suspend
mode when the computer detects a modem ring.
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NOTE: Dell recommends
that you set Ring/Event Resume to Disabled when an
external serial device, other than a modem, is connected
to the computer. |
For the Ring/Event Resume
option to work properly, this feature must
be enabled in the device driver for the modem PC Card. Drivers
supplied by Dell with the computer are configured to allow the
computer to resume normal operation when a modem receives an
incoming call. If you use a PC Card not received from Dell, check
the documentation to make sure this feature is enabled.
A change to the Ring/Event Resume option takes effect immediately
(rebooting is not required).
S2D Time-Out determines how long the computer
remains idle (no I/O activity) before activating suspend-to-disk
mode.
This option includes the following settings:
A change to the S2D Time-Out option takes effect immediately
(rebooting is not required).
If you are not in the System Setup program, you
can activate suspend-to-disk mode at any time by pressing
<Fn><a> (or <Fn><q> on a French
keyboard). Press the power button to resume from suspend-to-disk
mode.
Serial Port allows you to map the address of
the serial port or disable the serial port.
This option includes the following settings:
- COM1 maps the serial port to COM1 (the
default).
- COM2 maps the serial port to COM2.
- COM3 maps the serial port to COM3.
- COM4 maps the serial port to COM4.
- Disabled turns off the serial port and its
assigned COM address. The interrupt is then available for
another serial device to use.
For a change in the Serial Port option to take
effect, reboot the computer.
Service Tag displays the computer's 5-character
service tag number, which was programmed into NVRAM by Dell
during the manufacturing process. Be prepared to supply this
information during technical assistance or service calls. The
service tag number is also accessed by certain Dell support
software, including diagnostics.
There are no user-selectable settings for this
option.
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NOTE: Convert the
service tag number into an express service code when
prompted to do so the first time you turn on the computer
(or, use the program in the Dell Accessories folder).
Keep the code handy in case you call Dell for technical
assistance or service. The code helps Dell's automated
support telephone system direct your call more
efficiently. |
Smart CPU Mode allows the computer to slow down
the microprocessor automatically if it is not being actively
used.
This option includes the following settings:
- Enabled (default) allows the computer to
slow down the microprocessor when it is inactive.
- Disabled keeps the microprocessor running at its normal
operating speed, regardless of microprocessor inactivity.
The default for Smart CPU Mode is Enabled if
the computer is operating on battery power. If the computer is
operating on AC power, the default for this option is Disabled.
To increase battery operating time, set the Smart CPU option to
Enabled. When the Smart CPU option is enabled and the
microprocessor is inactive, the computer slows the microprocessor
to save power.
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NOTES: Some
communications software may not work properly when Smart
CPU Mode is enabled. Dell recommends that you set
Smart CPU Mode to Disabled if you are using communications
software. Interactive
application programs should function normally when Smart
CPU Mode is enabled. (Examples include spreadsheets,
text editors, graphics design, entertainment,
educational, and utility programs.) However, performance
degradation may occur when recalculating a large
spreadsheet or during an extensive screen redraw in a
graphical program. Benchmark utilities may not perform as
intended during microprocessor speed tests. If the
software you use suffers significant performance
degradation, set Smart CPU Mode to Disabled.
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A change to the Smart CPU Mode option takes effect immediately
(rebooting is not required).
Suspend Time-Out lets you determine how long
your computer remains idle before activating suspend mode to
conserve battery power.
Settings for this option in both the AC and
Battery categories are:
To increase battery operating time, set the
Suspend Time-Out option to a lower number of minutes.
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NOTE: Set the Suspend
Time-Out option to Disabled if it causes compatibility problems
with your software. |
A change to the Suspend Time-Out option takes
effect immediately (rebooting is not required).
If you are not in the System Setup program, you
can activate suspend mode at any time by pressing
<Fn><Esc>. The computer resumes normal operation
automatically when you press the power button.
System Memory displays the total amount of DRAM
installed in the computer.
There are no user-selectable settings for this
option.
Time resets the time on the computer's internal
clock. Time is kept in a 24-hour format (hours:minutes:seconds).
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NOTE: Some network
servers control the time reflected by the Time option. |
A change to the Time option becomes effective
immediately (rebooting is not required). However, you must reboot
to make the change apparent to the operating system.
Universal Connect functions with the C/Port
Advanced Port Replicator or C/Dock Expansion Station if the
computer uses the Microsoft� Windows� 95 operating system.
Set this category to Enabled (the default) if
you often use more than one C/Port APR or C/Dock Expansion
Station and want to minimize the initialization time when you
connect the device to the computer. When this category is set to
Disabled, the C/Port APR or C/Dock Expansion Station is
reinitialized each time it is connected to the computer.
Video Memory displays the amount of video
memory installed on the system board. There are no
user-selectable settings for this option.
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