Each time you turn on your system, the system compares the configuration of the hardware installed in the system to the hardware listed in the system configuration information stored in NVRAM on the system board. If the system detects a discrepancy, it generates error messages that identify the incorrect configuration settings. The system then prompts you to enter the System Setup program to correct the setting.
You can use the System Setup program 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
To enable or disable all integrated devices in your system
After you set up your system, run the System Setup program to familiarize yourself with your system configuration information and optional settings. Dell recommends that you print the System Setup screens (by pressing the <Print Screen> key) or record the information for future reference.
Before you use the System Setup program, you need to know the kind of diskette drive(s) and hard-disk drive(s) installed in your system. If you are unsure of any of this information, see the Manufacturing Test Report that was shipped with your system. You can access the Manufacturing Test Report in the Dell Accessories folder.
If your system is already on, shut it down and then turn it on again.
Press <F2> immediately after you see the following message:
Press <F2> for System Setup
If you wait too long and your operating system begins to load into memory, let the system complete the load operation; then shut down the system and try again.
NOTE: To ensure an orderly system shutdown, consult the documentation that
accompanied your operating system.
You can also enter the System Setup program by responding to certain error messages. See "Responding to Error Messages."
NOTE: For help using the System Setup program, press <F1>.
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, see "System Beep Codes" and "System Messages" in your Installation and Troubleshooting Guide for an explanation of the message and suggestions for correcting any errors. (It is normal to receive an error message the first time you boot your system after installing a memory upgrade. In that situation, do not refer to "System Beep Codes" and "System Messages." Instead, follow the instructions for performing a memory upgrade in "Adding Memory" in your Installation and Troubleshooting Guide.)
If you are given an option of pressing either <F1> to continue or <F2> to run the System Setup program, press the <F2> key.
Cycles through the settings in a field. In many fields, you can also type the appropriate value.
<Esc>
Exits the System Setup program and reboots the system if any changes were made.
For 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.
When the System Setup program runs, the main program screen appears (see Figure 3-1).
Figure 3-1. Main System Setup Screen
The following options or information fields appear on the main System Setup screen:
System Time — resets the time on the system's internal clock.
System Date — resets the date on the system's internal calendar.
Diskette Drive A: — identifies the type of diskette drive installed in your system.
System Memory — displays the amount of system memory; this option has no user-selectable settings.
Video Memory — displays the amount of video memory; this option has no user-selectable settings.
CPU Information — displays information related to the system bus and microprocessors; this screen has no user-selectable settings.
Boot Sequence — displays the Boot Sequence screen, discussed later in this chapter.
Hard-Disk Drive Sequence — displays the Hard Disk Drive Sequence screen, discussed later in this section.
Integrated Devices — displays the Integrated Devices screen, discussed later in this section.
PCI IRQ Assignment — displays a screen that allows you to change the IRQ allocated to each of the three integrated devices on the PCI bus, as well as any installed expansion cards that require an IRQ.
OS Install Mode — determines the maximum amount of memory available to the operating system; On sets the maximum memory available to the operating system to 256 MB; Off (default) makes all of the system memory available to the operating system.
Keyboard Numlock — determines whether your system boots with the Num Lock mode activated on 101- or 102-key keyboards (it does not apply to 84-key keyboards).
Report Keyboard Error — enables or disables reporting of keyboard errors during the POST.
This option is useful when applied to self-starting servers or host systems that have no permanently attached keyboard. In these situations, selecting Do Not Report suppresses all error messages relating to the keyboard or to the keyboard controller during POST. This setting does not affect the operation of the keyboard itself if a keyboard is attached to the system.
Asset Tag — displays the customer-programmable asset tag number for the system if an asset tag number has been assigned; to enter an asset tag number of up to ten characters into NVRAM, follow the procedure in "Asset Tag Utility" in "Using the Dell OpenManage™ Server Assistant CD."
The Boot Sequence screen options determine the order in which the system looks for the files that it needs to load during system startup. Available options include the diskette drive, CD-ROM drive, and hard-disk drive. You can enable or disable a device by selecting it and pressing the spacebar. To change the order in which devices are searched, use the <+> and <-> keys.
The Boot Sequence screen options determine the order in which the system searches hard-disk drives for the files that it needs to load during system startup. The choices depend on the particular hard-disk drives installed in your system. You can enable or disable a device by selecting it and pressing the spacebar. To change the order in which devices are searched, use the <+> and <-> keys.
The following devices on the system board are configured through this screen:
Embedded SCSI Controller — Channel A and Channel B turn the respective SCSI controller on or off. Selecting On (the default setting) enables the integrated PCI SCSI controller and scans the associated ROM; for the system to boot from a drive attached to the integrated SCSI controller, the drive must be enabled. Selecting Off causes the BIOS to mask the presence of a device.
Network Interface Controller — determines whether the system's integrated NIC is enabled. Changes take effect after reboot.
NIC MAC Address — displays the address of the MAC address used by the integrated NIC. This field has no user-selectable settings.
Mouse Controller — enables or disables the system's mouse controller; disabling the mouse controller allows an expansion card to use IRQ12.
Serial Port 1, Serial Port 2 — configure the system's integrated serial ports; the options can be set to Auto (the default) to automatically configure a port, to a particular designation, or to Off to disable the port.
If you set a serial port to Auto and add an expansion card containing a port configured to the same designation, the system automatically remaps the integrated port to the next available port designation that shares the same IRQ setting.
Parallel Port — configures the system's integrated parallel port.
Parallel Port Mode — controls whether the system's integrated parallel port acts as an AT-compatible (unidirectional) or PS/2-compatible (bidirectional) port; to determine the correct mode to use, see the documentation that came with the peripheral device connected to the serial port.
USB Controller — enables or disables the system's USB ports; disabling the USB ports makes system resources available for other devices.
IDE CD-ROM Interface — enables or disables the system's IDE CD-ROM interface.
Diskette Controller — enables or disables the system's diskette drive controller; with Auto (default) selected, the system turns off the controller when necessary to accommodate a controller card installed in an expansion slot.
Speaker — determines whether the integrated speaker is On (the default) or Off; a change to this option takes effect immediately (rebooting the system is not required).
You can set the following security features through the System Security screen:
Password Status — when Setup Password is set to Enabled, allows you to prevent the system password from being changed or disabled at system start-up.
To lock the system password, you must first assign a setup password in the Setup Password option and then change the Password Status option to Locked. In this state, the system password cannot be changed through the System Password option and cannot be disabled at system start-up by pressing <Ctrl><Enter>.
To unlock the system password, you must enter the setup password in the Setup Password option and then change the Password Status option to Unlocked. In this state, the system password can be disabled at system start-up by pressing <Ctrl><Enter> and then changed through the System Password option.
System Password — displays the current status of your system's password security feature and allows you to assign and verify a new password.
Setup Password — lets you restrict access to your system's System Setup program in the same way that you restrict access to your system with the system password feature.
Power Button Override— when Power Button Override is set to Disabled, you can use the power button to turn the system off, or shut down the system if running Microsoft® Windows® 2000 or another operating system compliant with the APCI specification. When Power Button Override is set to Enabled, you cannot use the power button to turn off the system or perform other system events.
NOTE: You can still turn a system on using the power button, even if its Power Button
Override option is disabled.
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 the System Password option is set to Enabled, the system prompts you for the system password just after the system boots.
To change an existing system password, you must know the password (see "Deleting or Changing an Existing System Password"). If you assign and later forget a system password, you need to be able to remove the system cover to change a jumper setting that disables the system password feature (see "Disabling a Forgotten Password"). 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 system 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 option.
When a system password is assigned, the setting shown for the System Password option is Enabled. When the system password feature is disabled by a jumper setting on the system board, the setting shown is Disabled by Jumper. You cannot change or enter a new system password if either of these settings is displayed.
When no system password is assigned and the password jumper on the system board is in the enabled position (its default), the setting shown for the System Password option is Not Enabled. Only when this option is set to Not Enabled can you assign a system password, using the following procedure:
Verify that the Password Status option is set to Unlocked.
Highlight the System Password option and then press the left- or right-arrow key.
Type your new system password.
You can use up to seven characters in your password.
As you press each character key (or the spacebar key 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 the <Backspace> key or the left-arrow key.
NOTE: To escape from the field without assigning a system password, press <Tab> or
<Shift><Tab> to move to another field, or press <Esc> at any time prior to completing
step 5.
Press <Enter>.
If the new system password is less than seven characters, the whole field fills with placeholders. Then the option 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 turning the system off and then on again.
Whenever you turn on or reboot your system by pressing the <Ctrl><Alt><Del> key combination, the following prompt appears on the screen when the Password Status option 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 the Password Status option 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 or mouse to operate your system as usual.
NOTE: If you have assigned a setup password (see "Using the Setup Password Feature"), the
system accepts your setup password as an alternate system password.
If a wrong or incomplete system password is entered, the following message appears:
** Incorrect password. **
Enter password:
If an incorrect or incomplete system password is entered again, the same message appears.
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 to an unauthorized person attempting 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.
NOTE: You can use the Password Status option in conjunction with System Password and Setup
Password to further protect your system from unauthorized changes.
Select the System Security screen field to verify that the Password Status option 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 of the System Setup program.
If Not Enabled appears for 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 the <Alt><b> key combination to reboot the system, and then repeat steps 4 through 6.
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 (see "Deleting or Changing an Existing Setup Password"). If you assign and later forget a setup password, you cannot operate your system or change settings in the System Setup program until a trained service technician opens the system chassis, changes the password jumper setting to disable the passwords, and erases the existing passwords. This procedure is described in Appendix B of the Installation and Troubleshooting Guide.
A setup password can be assigned (or changed) only when the Setup Password option is set to Not Enabled. To assign a setup password, highlight the Setup Password option 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.
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.
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 (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, the program prompts 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 the Date, Time, KeyboardNum Lock, and Speaker options.
If System Password is not enabled and is not locked via 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 Setup Password to protect
the system password from unauthorized changes.
If you forget your system or setup password, you cannot operate your system or change settings in the System Setup program until a trained service technician opens the system chassis, changes the password jumper setting to disable the passwords, and erases the existing passwords. This procedure is described in Appendix B of the Installation and Troubleshooting Guide.
