Manuals

The Server Management Information submenu displays part numbers and serial numbers for the Dell PowerEdge 8450 I/O board, system, chassis, baseboard management controller (BMC), and front panel controller (FPC), firmware revision number. Users cannot define these values.

Table 15. Boot Menu Options

NOTE: 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 Dell 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. Two types of passwords can be established—an administrative password and a user password.

NOTE: If you leave your system running and unattended without having a system password assigned, or if you leave your computer unlocked so that someone can disable the password by changing a switch setting, anyone can access the data stored on your hard-disk drive.

Your Dell system is shipped with the administrative password feature set to Disabled, which allows you to enter the System Setup program and assign a password. When the Administrator Password Is option (or the Administrator Password option in the SSU) is enabled, the computer system prompts you for the administrative password whenever you enter the System Setup program. If system security is a concern, you should operate your system with administrative password protection.

You can assign an administrative password whenever you use the System Setup program. Once an administrative password is assigned, only those who know the password have full use of the System Setup program. To delete or change an existing administrative password, you must know the administrative password (see Deleting or Changing an Existing Administrative Password).

NOTE: You can also assign, delete, or change an administrative password through the SSU.

If you assign and then forget an administrative password, a trained service technician must open the computer and change a switch setting to disable the administrative password feature (see Disabling a Forgotten Password). Note that the user password is erased at the same time.

Assigning an Administrative Password

	NOTES: Certain key combinations are not valid. If you enter one of these combinations, a beep sounds.
	To exit the field without assigning an administrative password, press <Esc> at any time before setting a new password.

Operating With an Administrative Password Enabled

If the administrative password protection is enabled, you must enter the correct password before you can modify any System Setup categories. The following message appears if you run the System Setup program and have assigned an administrator password:

Enter password: (1)

After you enter the correct administrator password and press <Enter>, you can use the System Setup program as usual.

If a wrong or incomplete password is entered, the following message appears on the screen:

Enter password: (2)

Enter the password again. If an incorrect or incomplete administrator password is entered again, the same message appears on the screen. The third time an incorrect or incomplete password is entered, the System Setup program will run, but in read-only mode. You will not be able to modify any of the categories.

Deleting or Changing an Existing Administrative Password

To disable the administrator password, run the System Setup program. From the Security menu, select Set Administrative Password, press <Enter> to display the Set Password dialog box, enter the current administrator password, and then press <Enter> two more times. When the Administrator Password Is category is set to Clear, you can assign an administrator password or operate the system with no password assigned.

To change an existing administrator password, first enter the System Setup program, select the Set Administrative Password category, and enter the current administrator password. Then assign a new password as described in Assigning an Administrative Password.

Using the User Password Feature

Your Dell system is shipped to you with the user password feature set to Disabled. After you assign a user password, the system prompts you for the user password during the boot process. If system security is a concern, you should operate your system with user password protection.

You can assign a user password, as described in Assigning a User Password, whenever you use the System Setup program. Once you assign a user password, only those who know the password have full use of the system.

NOTE: You can also assign, delete, or change a user password through the SSU.

If you assign and then forget a user password, a trained service technician must remove the cover of the computer (which may require unlocking the computer’s keylock) and change a switch setting to temporarily disable the user password feature (see Disabling a Forgotten Password). Note that the administrator password is erased at the same time.

NOTE: If you leave your system running and unattended without having a system password assigned, or if you leave your computer unlocked so that someone can disable the password by changing a switch setting, anyone can access the data stored on your hard-disk drive.

Assigning a User Password

From the Security menu, highlight the Set User Password category and press <Enter> to display a dialog box in which you can enter a user password. Keep the following tips in mind when setting your password:

• You can use up to seven alphanumeric characters in your password (passwords are not case sensitive).
  
  
• As you press each character key (or the Spacebar for a blank space), a placeholder appears in the field.
  
  
• To erase a character when entering your password, press the <Backspace> key.

NOTES: The user 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, a beep sounds. To exit the field without assigning a user password, press <Esc> at any time before setting a new password.

Using Your User Password to Secure Your System

Each time you turn on your system, reboot the system, or press the Reset button, the following prompt appears on the screen if you have assigned a user password:

Enter password: (1)

After you enter the correct user password and press <Enter>, your system boots and you can use the keyboard to operate your system as usual.

If a wrong or incomplete password is entered, the following message appears on the screen:

Enter password: (2)

Enter the password again. If an incorrect or incomplete user password is entered again, the same message appears on the screen.

The third time an incorrect or incomplete password is entered, the keyboard locks up and the system displays the following message:

Invalid password: System Halted!

Deleting or Changing an Existing User Password

To disable the user password, enter the System Setup program, select Set User Password from the Security Menu, and press <Enter> to display the Set Password dialog box. Enter the current user password, and then press <Enter> two more times.

When the User Password Is category displays Clear, you can assign a user password or operate the system with no password assigned.

To change an existing user password, enter the System Setup program, select the Set User Password category from the Security Menu, and enter the current user password. Then assign a new password as described in Assigning a User Password.

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Responding to Error Messages

If an error message appears on your monitor screen while the system is booting, make a note of the message. Then, before entering the System Setup program, refer to Codes and Error Messages for an explanation of the message and suggestions for correcting errors.

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Disabling a Forgotten Password

If you forget your system or setup password, you cannot operate your system or change settings in the System Setup program, respectively, until a trained service technician opens the computer chassis, changes the password switch setting to disable the passwords, and erases the existing passwords. This procedure is described in I/O Board Switches in the System Overview.

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Recovering the BIOS

If the system BIOS is corrupted, you can reboot the system by using a separate recovery BIOS. To recover the BIOS, perform the following steps:

1. Shut down the system.
   
   
2. Have a trained service technician change the BIOS recovery switch to the recovery position. See I/O Board Switches for the location of this switch.
   
   
3. Place the BIOS recovery diskette in the diskette drive and restart the system.
   
   
4. The recovery BIOS will boot the system from the diskette and reflash the system BIOS. This procedure will take up to 5 minutes.
   
   If the procedure is completed successfully, the system will beep twice.
   
   
5. Shut down the system and remove the BIOS recovery diskette.
   
   
6. Have a trained service technician return the BIOS recovery switch to the normal position.

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