Each time you start your computer, it compares the installed hardware with
the system configuration information stored in nonvolatile random-access
memory (NVRAM). If the system detects a discrepancy, it generates an error
message for each incorrect configuration setting.
You can use system settings as follows:
To set user-selectable options such as date and time or system
password
To set the current configuration information such as the amount of
memory or type of hard drive installed
You can view the current settings at any time. Dell recommends that you
record the information for future reference. If you have a line printer
connected to the parallel port on your computer, you can print the system
setup screens by pressing <Print Screen>.
Before you use system setup, you need to know the kind of diskette drive(s)
and hard drive(s) installed in your computer. If you are unsure of this
information, see the Manufacturing Test Report that came with your
system and is located in the Dell Accessories folder.
When F2 = Setup appears in the upper-right corner of the screen,
press <F2>.
If you wait too long and your operating system begins to load into memory,
let the system complete the load operation; then restart the system and try
again.
NOTE: To ensure an orderly system shutdown, consult the documentation that
accompanied your operating system.
The system setup screens display the 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 system
name.
Computer data — two boxes below the title box that display your
system processor, level 2 (L2) cache, service tag, and the version
number of the basic input/output system (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. Those that you can change appear bright on the screen. Those 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 pop-up 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.
Help — press <F1> for information in the currently highlighted
option.
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.
spacebar or
In the selected field's pop-up options menu, cycles through the options in a field.
Exits system setup without rebooting the system and returns the system to the boot routine.
Exits system setup and reboots the system, implementing any changes you have made.
Resets the selected option to its default setting.
NOTE: For most of the options, any changes you make are recorded but do not
take effect until the next time you boot the computer. For a few options (as
noted in the help area), the changes take effect immediately.
The boot sequence allows you to specify the order of the devices from which
the system attempts to boot.
Press <Enter> to access the Boot Sequence option's 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
appear with a check mark).
Press plus (+) or minus (–) to move a selected device up or down the
list.
Option settings:
Diskette Drive A: — The system attempts to boot from the diskette
drive. If the system finds a diskette in the drive that is not bootable, an
error message appears. If no diskette is in the drive, the system
attempts to boot from the next device in the list.
Hard Drive — The system attempts to boot from the primary hard
drive. If the system does not find an operating system on the drive, it
attempts to boot from the next device in the list.
CD Drive — The system attempts to boot from the CD drive. If the
system does not find a CD in the drive or if there is not an operating
system on the CD, the system attempts to boot from the next device
in the list.
MBA — The system prompts you to press <Ctrl><Alt><b> at the
Dell logo screen during boot. A menu appears that allows you to select
a method for booting from a network server. If a boot routine is not
available from the network server, the system attempts to boot from
the next device in the list.
This option, under the Integrated Devices menu, enables or disables the
integrated network adapter. This field also allows you to enable managed
boot agent (MBA) support.
Option settings:
On — The integrated network adapter is enabled.
On w/ MBA — The integrated network adapter is enabled with MBA
support.
Off — The integrated network adapter is disabled.
NOTE: You must restart the computer before Network Interface Controller
option settings will take effect.
Remote Wake Up provides the ability either to remotely wake a computer
from a low-power sleep state or to remotely start up a computer that is
turned off but connected to a power source.
Option settings:
On — The computer will start up when the appropriate signal is
received by the network adapter (Wake-on Lan [WOL]), or modem
(Wake-on Ring [WOR]).
On w/ Boot to NIC — When the network adapter or modem receives
the appropriate signal, the computer attempts to boot from a network
server. If a boot routine is not available from the network server, the
computer attempts to boot from the devices specified in the Boot
Sequence.
The system setup options for network operations work together for
particular functions. The following table describes the relationship of the
various option settings:
You computer has several integrated devices. For these devices to be
accessible to the operating system, the corresponding options in system
setup must be configured properly.
To enable or disable an integrated device, enter system setup, select
Integrated Devices, and change the setting for the appropriate device to On
or Off:
The following systems management applications are optional and can be
included on your computer when you order it. You can also download the
applications from the Dell support website and install them on your
computer. See "Downloading Systems Management Utilities" for more
information.
Dell OpenManage IT Assistant is the premier Dell™ systems management
application for configuring, managing, and monitoring computers and other
devices on a corporate network. IT Assistant employs the latest remote
management technology to provide asset management, configuration
management, event (alert) management, and security management for
systems equipped with industry-standard management software. Software
of this type is called system management instrumentation.
IT Assistant supports instrumentation that conforms to the following
industry standards:
Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)
Desktop Management Interface (DMI)
Common Information Model (CIM)
The instrumentation available for your computer is Dell OpenManage
Client Instrumentation, which is based on DMI and CIM. For more
information on IT Assistant, see the Dell OpenManage IT Assistant User's
Guide available on the Dell support website. See "Downloading Systems
Management Utilities" for more information.
Dell OpenManage Client Instrumentation is software that enables remote
management application 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
Dell OpenManage Client Instrumentation can be installed on your
computer, which, when set up on a network with IT Assistant, is called a
managed system. For more information about Dell OpenManage Client
Instrumentation, see the Dell OpenManage Client Instrumentation User's
Guide available on the Dell support website. See "Downloading Systems
Management Utilities" for more information.
The systems management utilities are available for download from the Dell
support website. See "Finding Information and Assistance" for more
information.
Go to http://support.dell.com.
If this is your first time to use this website, complete the one-time registration.
Click Downloads for Your Dell.
Enter the Service Tag Number for your computer or select the
appropriate Dell system.
Select the appropriate operating system and language for your
computer.
Select Systems Management for the download category.
Click Go.
Follow the instructions on the screen to download and install the
utilities.
The chassis intrusion monitor can detect whether the chassis is opened.
The Chassis Intrusion option in system setup displays the status of the
monitor.
Press the down-arrow key 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 option.
Press the spacebar to select an option setting.
Option settings:
Enabled (the default) — When the computer cover is removed with
this setting, a DMI event is generated, the setting changes to
Detected, and the following message appears during the boot routine
at the next system start-up:
Alert! Cover was previously removed.
To reset the Detected setting, enter system setup during the system's power-on self-test (POST). 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 — When the computer cover is removed with this
setting, a DMI event is generated and the setting changes to Detected,
but the alert message does not appear during the boot sequence at the
next system start-up.
Disabled — No intrusion monitoring occurs and no messages appear.
NOTE: When the setup password is enabled, you must know the setup
password before you can reset the Chassis Intrusion option.
These features allow you to attach commercially available antitheft devices.
See "Security Features (Mini Tower Chassis)" and "Security Features
(Desktop Chassis)." To prevent unauthorized removal of your computer,
loop the galvanized security cable around an immovable object, insert the
attached locking device into the security cable slot on the back of your
computer, and lock the device with the key provided.
NOTE: Before you purchase an antitheft device, ensure that it works with the
cable slot on your computer.
NOTE: Before you remove the cover from the mini tower chassis, you must
first slide the outer padlock ring to the left to unlock the cover release
mechanism. See "Cover Release Mechanism (Mini Tower Chassis)."
System passwords allow only those who know the password to have full use
of the system. Your Dell system does not have the system password feature
enabled when you receive it.
NOTICE: Although passwords provide security for the data on your system,
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.
NOTICE: 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 jumper setting, anyone can
access the data stored on your hard drive.
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.
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 <Backspace> or the left-arrow key.
NOTE: To escape from the field without assigning a system password,
press <Tab> or the <Shift><Tab> combination to move to another
field, or press <Esc> at any time before completing step 5.
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. Your system password is now set; you can exit system setup and begin using your system. Password protection takes effect when you reboot the system by pressing the reset button or by turning the system off and then on again.
When you turn on your system or press the reset button, or when you
reboot the system by pressing the <Ctrl><Alt><Del> combination, the
following prompt appears on the screen when 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, the following prompt appears:
Type the password and press <Enter>.
NOTE: If you have assigned a setup password, the system accepts your setup
password as an alternate system password.
If you enter a wrong or incomplete system password, the following message
appears on the screen:
** Incorrect password. **
Enter password:
If you again enter an incorrect or incomplete system password, the same
message appears on the screen. The third and subsequent times you enter
an incorrect or incomplete system password, the system displays the
following message:
** Incorrect password. **
Number of unsuccessful password attempts: 3
System halted! Must power down.
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: To further protect your system from unauthorized changes, you can use
the Password Statussystem setup option in conjunction with the System
Password and Setup Password options.
Enter system setup, and verify that Password Status is set to Unlocked.
Reboot your system to force it to prompt you for a system password.
When prompted, type the system password.
Press <Ctrl><Enter> to disable the existing system password,
instead of pressing <Enter> to continue with the normal operation of
your system.
Confirm that Not Enabled is displayed for the System Password
option.
If Not Enabled appears in 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 <Alt><B> to reboot the system, and then repeat steps 3 through 5.
Setup passwords allow only those who know the password to have full use of
system setup. Your Dell system does not have the setup password feature
enabled when you receive it.
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 system prompts you to enter and verify the password. If a character is illegal for password use, the system emits a beep.
Type in and then verify the password.
After you verify the password, the Setup Password setting changes to Enabled. The next time you attempt to enter system setup, the system prompts you for the setup password.
NOTE: 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.
A change to Setup Password becomes effective immediately (rebooting the
system is not required).
When you start system setup, the Setup Password option is highlighted,
prompting you to type the password.
If you do not enter the correct password, the system lets you view, but not
modify, system setup options.
NOTE: To further protect your system from unauthorized changes, you can use
the Password Statussystem setup option in conjunction with the System
Password and Setup Password options.
Turn off the computer and peripherals, disconnect them from their
electrical outlets, wait at least 5 seconds, and then remove the
computer cover.
Remove the jumper plug from the PSWD jumper to disable the
password feature.
See "Jumper Settings" to locate the password jumper (labeled "PSWD") on the system board.
Replace the computer cover.
Reconnect your computer and peripherals to an electrical outlet, and
then turn them on.
This erases the existing password(s).
Proceed to step 5 if you want to assign a new password.
NOTE: Before you assign a new system and/or setup password, you must
replace the PSWD jumper plug to reenable the password feature.
Remove the computer cover.
Replace the PSWD jumper plug.
Replace the computer cover and reconnect the computer and
peripherals to an electrical outlet and turn them on.
Booting your system with the PSWD jumper installed reenables the password feature. When you enter system setup, both password options appear as Not Enabled, meaning that the password feature is enabled but that no password is assigned.
See "Resources and Support Tools" for a list of software resources available
to you from Dell, including drivers, utilities, documentation, and operating
system backups. Before installing software that was not provided with your
Dell computer, check the software for viruses with virus-scanning software.
Viruses can quickly use all available system memory, damage or destroy data
stored on the hard drive, and permanently affect the performance of the
programs they infect. Several commercial virus-scanning programs are
available for purchase, and many websites distribute virus-scanning
programs that you can download.
Before you install a program, read its documentation to learn how the
program works, what hardware it requires, and what its defaults are. A
program usually includes installation instructions in its accompanying
documentation and a software installation routine on its program
diskette(s) or CD(s).
The software installation routine assists you in transferring the appropriate
program files to your computer's hard drive. Installation instructions may
provide details about how to configure your operating system to successfully
run the program. Always read the installation instructions before running a
program's installation routine.
When you run the installation routine, be prepared to respond to prompts
for information about how your computer's operating system is configured,
what type of computer you have, and what peripherals are connected to
your computer.
NOTE: If you experience any problems while installing or operating your
software, see "Software Problems."
The Telephony Application Programming Interface (TAPI) enables
Windows-based applications to operate with a wide variety of telephony
devices, including voice, data, fax, video, and so forth. TAPI applications
require a TAPI service provider (TSP), which is a software driver that allows
TAPI applications to communicate with different types of TAPI hardware.
Microsoft® Windows® and Windows NT® provide a TSP called
Unimodem, which is a "universal" modem service provider that supports a
wide range of commonly used modems. For more information on
Unimodem, see your Windows documentation. When using a TAPI device
other than a modem, such as a Private Branch Exchange (PBX) or a voice
processing card, you will need a TSP provided by the manufacturer of the
device.
The TAPI system-board connector uses a 4-pin cable to interface your
internal TAPI-compliant expansion card with the audio system in your
computer. To locate the TAPI system-board connector, see "System Board
Components." Your system supports TAPI-compliant cards using the
standard TAPI connector. For example, you can connect your modem to the
TAPI connector and then use your audio speakers and microphone as a
speakerphone. The microphone carries your voice into the computer and
then through the TAPI system board connector to your modem card. The
caller's voice enters through the modem card to the TAPI system board
connector and then out to the speakers. You can also use this configuration
to record and play sound files over the phone.
You can install a TAPI-compliant sound card that has a standard TAPI
connector. For example, you can connect your modem to the TAPI sound
card connector and then use the audio capabilities as a speakerphone.
See the manufacturer's documentation for more information.
Enter system setup, click Integrated Devices, and change the setting
for Sound to Off.
Connect external audio devices to the sound card's connectors. Do not
connect external audio devices to the microphone, line-out, or line-in
connectors on the system back panel (see "Back-Panel Connectors and
Indicators").
Connect the 4-pin TAPI cable to the TAPI sound-card connector.
To locate the TAPI connector on the sound card, see the manufacturer's documentation.
Connect the 4-pin TAPI cable to the TAPI expansion-card connector.
To locate the TAPI connector on the expansion card, see the manufacturer's documentation.
Replace the computer cover.
Reconnect your computer and peripherals to an electrical outlet, and
then turn them on.
Install the appropriate TSP for the TAPI devices.
See the manufacturer's documentation and your Windows documentation for more information.
Your computer can be set to use less power when you are not working. You
control the power usage through the operating system (OS) installed on
your computer and certain option settings in system setup. These periods of
reduced power are called "sleep states":
Standby. In this sleep state, power to most components is reduced or
turned off. However, system memory remains active.
This state is not supported by Windows NT 4.0.
NOTE: This state can be controlled through the Suspend Mode option in
system setup.
Hibernate. This sleep state reduces power consumption to a minimum
by writing all data in system memory to a hard drive and then
removing system power. Waking up from this state restarts the
computer, and the memory contents are restored. Operation then
resumes where the system left off when it entered the hibernation
state.
This state is supported by Windows 2000 only.
NOTE: All components installed in the computer must support this
feature and have the appropriate drivers loaded to enter hibernation. For
more information, see the manufacturer's documentation for each
component.
Shutdown. This sleep state removes all power from the system except
a small auxiliary amount. As long as the computer remains connected
to an electrical outlet, it can be automatically or remotely started. For
example, the Auto Power On feature allows the computer to
automatically start at a time you specify in system setup. Also, your
network administrator can remotely start your computer using a power
management event (PME) such as access through a network
connection (Wakeup On LAN).
The following table lists the sleep states available for each operating system
as well as the methods you can use to "wake up" from each state.
If you received your computer from Dell with the operating system
preinstalled, Dell also installed the system utilities. If you are reinstalling
the operating system, you also need to reinstall the system utilities on your
computer. The utilities are available on the Dell ResourceCD and from the
Dell support website. See "Finding Information and Assistance" for more
information.
The Dell AutoShutdown utility lets you perform an orderly system
shutdown and then turn off your computer after successfully closing the
OS. All this is done with a single touch of the power button. Additionally,
AutoShutdown works with some application programs to prompt you to
save your files before the computer turns off (such as Microsoft Word and
Excel).
NOTICE: The AutoShutdown utility is intended only for use in Windows NT®.
The functions of this utility are incorporated into Windows® 2000.
To verify whether the utility is installed and running under Windows NT,
open the Control Panel and double-click Services. If the AutoShutdown
service is installed and running, it is listed with the status Started.
The Dell Auto Power On utility is an MS-DOS program that can be used in
a batch file to determine how the system was turned on (by the power
button or by the Auto Power On option in system setup) or to turn off the
system from DOS.
NOTICE: The Auto Power On utility is intended only for use in MS-DOS.
Turning off the computer by using the autopwr.com utility in Windows NT can
cause loss of data.
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