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Using System Setup: Dell Precision WorkStation 420 Systems User's Guide
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Using System Setup: Dell Precision™ WorkStation 420 Systems
User's Guide
Each time you turn on your computer system or press the
reset button, the system scans the system configuration for changes. If the system detects
any changes, it generates messages that identify them. If required, the system then
prompts you to enter System Setup to
correct any settings.
You can use System Setup 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 options—for example,
the time or date on your system
You can view the current settings at any time. When you
change a setting, in many cases you must reboot the system before the change takes effect.
After you set up your system, run System Setup to
familiarize yourself with your system configuration information and optional settings.
Dell recommends that you print the System Setup screens (by pressing <Print Screen>)
or record the information for future reference.
Before you use System Setup, you need to know the kind of
diskette drive(s) and hard-disk drive(s) installed in your computer. If you are unsure of
this information, see the Manufacturing Test Report that was shipped with your system and
is located in the Dell Accessories folder.
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NOTE: The
following instructions require you to restart your system. You may want to print these
instructions before restarting your system if you do not have another system on which to
view them. |
To enter System Setup, perform the following
steps:
- Press the power button to turn on your system.
If your system is already on, shut it down and then turn it on again.
- When the Press <F2> to Enter Setup window
appears in the upper-right corner of the screen, press <F2>.
If you wait too long to press
<F2> and cannot enter System Setup, let the
system complete the startup
operation; then shut down the system and try again.
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NOTE: To ensure an orderly
system shutdown, consult the documentation that accompanied your operating system. |
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NOTE: You
or your system administrator may have established a setup password on your system. See
Using the Setup Password Feature
for information on entering the System Setup screen using a setup
password. |
The System Setup screen displays the
current setup and configuration information and optional settings for your system.
Information on the System Setup screen is organized in four areas:
- Title — The box at the top of all screens lists the system name.
- System data — The two boxes below the title box display your
system processor, level 2 (L2) cache, service tag, and the version number of the basic
input/output system (BIOS).
- Options — The main area of the screen is a scrollable window
containing options that define the installed hardware in your computer and the power
conservation and security features for your computer.
Fields next to the options contain settings or values. You can
change those values that appear bright on the screen. Options or values that you cannot
change (because they are determined or calculated by the computer) appear less bright.
- Key functions — The line of boxes across the bottom of all
screens lists keys and their functions within System Setup.
Table 1 lists the keys you use to view or change
information on the System Setup screen and to exit the program.
Table 1. System Setup Navigation Keys
1For most of the options, any changes you
make are recorded but do not take effect until the next time you boot the system. For a
few options (as noted in the help area), the changes take effect immediately. |
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 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.
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 System Password is set to Enabled, the computer
system prompts you for the system password just after the system boots.
To change an existing
system password, you must either know the password or have access to the inside of the
computer.
If you assign and later forget a system password, you need your computer key to get
inside the chassis, where you can change a jumper setting to disable the system password feature. Note that
you erase 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 computer unlocked so that
someone can disable the password by changing a jumper setting, anyone can access the data
stored on your hard-disk drive.
Before you can assign a system password, you must enter the System Setup program and
check the System Password status.
With a system password assigned, the status shown in System Password
is Enabled. With the system password feature disabled by a jumper setting
on the system board, the status shown is Disabled By Jumper. You
cannot change or enter a new system password if either of these settings is displayed.
With no system password assigned and with the password jumper on the system board in
the enabled position (its default), the status shown for System Password
is Not Enabled. Only when System Password is set to Not
Enabled can you assign a system password, using the following procedure:
- Verify that Password Status is set to Unlocked.
For
instructions on changing the setting for Password Status, see "Password Status."
- Press the left- or right-arrow key.
The heading changes to Enter Password,
followed by an empty seven-character field in square brackets.
- Type the new system password.
You can use up to seven characters in the 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 you enter your password, press the <Backspace> key or
the left-arrow key.
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NOTE: To escape from the field
without assigning a system password, press the <Tab> key or the
<Shift><Tab> key combination to move the highlight to another field or press
the <Esc> key at any time prior to completing step 5.
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- Press <Enter>.
If the new system password is less than seven characters, the
field fills with placeholders. Then the heading changes to Verify Password,
followed by another empty seven-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
the System Setup program and begin using your system. Note, however, that password
protection does not take effect until you reboot the system by pressing the reset button
or by turning the system off and then on again.
Whenever you turn on your system, press the reset button, or reboot the system by
pressing the <Ctrl><Alt><Del> key 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>.
After you type the correct system password and press <Enter>,
your system boots and you can use the keyboard to operate your system as usual.
If a wrong or incomplete system password is entered, the following message appears on
the screen:
** Incorrect password. **
Enter password:
If an incorrect or incomplete system password is entered again, the
same message appears on the screen.
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 that an unauthorized person has attempted 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.
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NOTE: You can use Password Status in conjunction with System
Password and Setup Password to further protect your system from
unauthorized changes. |
To delete or change an existing system password, perform the following steps:
- Enter the System Setup program and verify that Password Status is set
to Unlocked.
Enter the System Setup program by pressing the
<Ctrl><Alt><Enter> key combination. Press the <Alt><p> key
combination to move to Page 2 of the System Setup screens. For instructions on changing
the setting for Password Status, see "Password Status."
- Reboot your system to force it to prompt you for a system password.
- When prompted, type the system password.
- Press the <Ctrl><Enter> key combination to disable the existing system
password, instead of pressing <Enter> to continue with the normal operation of your
system.
- Reboot the system and enter the System
Setup program.
- Confirm that Not Enabled is displayed for System Password
in the System Setup program.
If Not Enabled appears, the system
password has been deleted. If you want to assign a new password, go to step 7.
If Not Enabled is not displayed, press the <Alt><b>
key combination to reboot the system, and then repeat steps 3 through 6.
Assign a system password.
Your Dell system is shipped to you without the setup password feature enabled. If
system security is a concern, you should operate your system with setup password
protection.
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. If you assign and later forget a
setup password, you need your computer key to get inside the chassis, where you can change
a jumper setting to disable the password feature.
Note that you erase the system password at the same time.
A setup password can be assigned (or changed) only when Setup Password
is set to Not Enabled. To assign a setup password, 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.
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NOTES: 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 Setup Password becomes effective immediately (rebooting
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, Page 2 of the System Setup screens appears
with Setup Password highlighted, prompting 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 screens—with the following exceptions:
- You can still modify Date, Time, CPU Speed,
Num Lock, and Speaker.
- If System Password is not enabled and is not locked via Password
Status, you can assign a system password (however, you cannot disable or change
an existing system password).
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NOTE: You can use Password Status in conjunction
with Setup Password to protect System Password from
unauthorized changes. |
To delete or change an existing setup password, perform the following steps:
- Enter the System Setup program.
- Highlight Setup Password, and press the left- or right-arrow key to
delete the existing setup password.
The setting changes to Not Enabled.
- If you want to assign a new setup password, follow the procedure in "Assigning a Setup Password."
If you forget your system or setup password, you cannot operate your system or change
settings in the System Setup program, respectively, until you open the computer, change
the password jumper setting to disable the passwords, and erase the existing passwords.
To disable a forgotten password, perform the following steps.
- Remove the computer cover of your desktop
or mini tower chassis.
- Refer to "Jumpers"
for jumper information and to Figure 2 in
"Hardware Configuration Features" for the location of the password jumper
(labeled "PSWD") on the system board.
- Remove the jumper plug from the PSWD jumper (the disable setting).
- Replace the computer cover of your desktop
or mini tower chassis.
- Reconnect your computer to its electrical outlet and turn it on.
Booting your system
with the PSWD jumper plug removed erases the existing password(s).
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NOTE: Before you assign a new
system and/or setup password, you must replace the PSWD jumper plug.
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- Remove the computer cover of your desktop or mini tower chassis.
- Replace the PSWD jumper plug (the enable setting).
- Replace the computer cover of your desktop
or mini tower chassis, and
then reconnect the computer and peripherals to their electrical outlets and turn them on.
Booting
with the PSWD jumper installed reenables the password features. When you enter the System
Setup program, both password fields appear as Not Enabled, meaning that
password protection is no longer available because no passwords have been assigned.
- Assign a new system password and/or setup password.
- Reset the chassis intrusion detector.
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