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Setup and Operation: Dell OptiPlex GX1 Small-Form-Factor System User's Guide
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Setup and Operation: Dell™ OptiPlex™ GX1
Small-Form-Factor System User's Guide
If you need to set up your computer system yourself (rather than
having it set up by a network administrator), see "Getting Started" in the System
Information Guide that accompanied your system for instructions on connecting cables
and turning on your system for the first time.
After you correctly connect all the cables to your system and turn
it on, see the setup guide for your operating system to complete its installation. When
the operating system is installed, you can connect peripheral devices such as a printer or
install application programs not already installed by Dell.
Figure 1 shows the connectors on the back of your computer for
attaching external devices.
Figure 1. I/O
Ports, Connectors, and Indicators
When you connect external devices to your computer's back panel,
follow these guidelines:
- Check the documentation that accompanied the device for specific
installation and configuration instructions.
For example, you must connect most devices to a particular
input/output (I/O) port or connector to operate properly. Also, external devices like a
mouse or printer usually require you to load device drivers into system memory before they
will work.
- Always attach external devices while your computer is turned off.
Then turn on the computer before turning on any external devices, unless the
documentation for the device specifies otherwise. (If the computer does not seem to
recognize the device, try turning on the device before turning on the computer.)
NOTICE: When you disconnect external devices from the back
of the computer, wait 5 seconds after turning off the computer before you disconnect any
devices to avoid possible damage to the system board.
The integrated parallel port uses a 25-pin D-subminiature connector
on the computer's back panel.
This I/O port sends data in parallel format (where eight data bits,
or one byte, are sent simultaneously over eight separate lines in a single cable). The
parallel port is used primarily for printers.
The default designation of your computer's integrated parallel port
is LPT1. Port designations are used, for example, in software installation procedures to
identify the port to which your printer is attached, thus telling your software where to
send its output. (An incorrect designation prevents the printer from printing or causes
scrambled print.)
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NOTE: The integrated parallel port is
automatically disabled if the system detects an installed expansion card containing a
parallel port configured to the same address as specified in the Parallel Port option in the System Setup program. |
Your system uses a Personal System/2 (PS/2)-compatible mouse. The
mouse cable attaches to a 6-pin miniature Deutsche Inductive Norm (DIN) connector on the
back panel of your computer. Turn off the computer and any attached peripherals before
connecting a mouse to the computer.
A PS/2-compatible mouse works as does an industry-standard serial
mouse or bus mouse except that it has its own dedicated connector, which frees up the
serial ports and does not require an expansion card. Mouse driver software gives the mouse
priority with the microprocessor by issuing interrupt request (IRQ) 12 whenever a new
mouse movement is made. The drivers also pass along the mouse data to the application that
is in control.
Your system contains two Universal Serial Bus (USB) connectors for
attaching USB-compliant devices. USB-compliant devices are typically peripherals such as
keyboards, mice, printers, and computer speakers.
If you reconfigure your hardware, you may need pin number and signal
information for the USB connectors. Click one of the pins in the illustration for
information on a particular signal.
Your system has an integrated 10/100-megabit-per-second (Mbps)
3Com® Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) 3C905B-TX Ethernet network interface
controller (NIC). The NIC provides all the functions of a separate network expansion card
and supports both the 10BASE-T and 100BASE-TX Ethernet standards.
The NIC includes a Wakeup On LAN feature that enables the computer
to be started by a special local area network (LAN) signal from a server management
console. Wakeup On LAN provides remote computer setup, software downloading and
installation, file updates, and asset tracking after hours and on weekends when LAN
traffic is typically at a minimum.
The NIC connector on the computer's back panel has the following
indicators:
- A yellow activity indicator flashes when the system is
transmitting or receiving network data. (A high volume of network traffic may make this
indicator appear to be in a steady "on" state.)
- A dual-colored link integrity indicator, which lights up green
when there is a good connection between a 10-Mbps network and the NIC, or it lights up
orange when there is a good connection between a 100-Mbps network and the NIC. When the
green indicator is off, the computer is not detecting a physical connection to the
network.
You can use the microphone jack to attach a standard personal
computer microphone. Connect the audio cable from the microphone to the microphone jack.
The microphone input is a monaural source with maximum signal levels of 89 millivolts
root-mean-squared (mVrms).
You can use the line-out jack to attach most computer speakers. The
line-out jack is amplified, so speakers with integrated amplifiers are not required.
Connect the audio cable from the speakers to this jack.
You can use the line-in jack to attach record/playback devices such
as cassette players, CD players, and VCRs. Connect the line-out cable from any of these
devices to the line-in jack on the back of your computer.
The system uses a 15-pin high-density D-subminiature connector on
the back panel for attaching a video graphics array (VGA)-compatible monitor to your
system.
The serial ports use 9-pin D-subminiature connectors on the back
panel. These ports support devices such as external modems or plotters that require serial
transmission (sending one bit of data at a time over one line).
The default designations for these integrated serial ports are COM1
for serial port 1 and COM2 for serial port 2. Port designations are used in software
installation procedures to identify the port used by a device—for example, specifying
the port used by a modem when installing communications software.
The system contains a reconfiguration feature to reassign the serial
port's designation if you add an expansion card containing a serial port using this
designation.
If you set the system’s integrated serial ports to Auto
in the System Setup program and add an expansion card containing a serial port configured to a specific
designation, the computer automatically maps (assigns) the integrated ports to the
appropriate COM setting as necessary.
Before you add a card with a serial port, check the documentation
that accompanied your software to make sure that the software can be mapped to the new COM
port designation.
Your system uses a PS/2-style keyboard. The keyboard cable attaches
to a 6-pin miniature DIN connector on the back panel of your computer.
Your computer's NIC connector (an RJ45 connector located on the back
panel) is designed for attaching an unshielded twisted pair (UTP) Ethernet cable. Press
one end of the UTP cable into the NIC connector until the cable snaps securely into place.
Connect the other end of the cable to an RJ45 jack wall plate or to
an RJ45 port on a UTP concentrator or hub, depending on your network configuration.
Figure 2 shows the controls and indicators on the front panel of
your computer.
Figure 2.
Controls and Indicators
The hard-disk drive access indicator lights up when a hard-disk
drive is reading data from or writing data to the drive.
The power indicator in the center of the power button lights up when
the computer is receiving power. Use the power indicator to help you identify a system
problem if the system does not boot when you press the power button to turn on the
computer.
- A solid green power indicator and a beep code during power-on
self-test (POST) indicate that a dual in-line memory module (DIMM) may be faulty or is not
properly seated. Remove all
DIMMs, install only one DIMM, and then reboot. Repeat this
procedure until you identify the faulty or improperly seated DIMM.
- A solid green power indicator and no beep code and no video during
POST indicate that the monitor or the integrated video controller may be faulty. See
"Troubleshooting the Monitor."
If the monitor is operating properly and is correctly connected, see "Getting Help" for instructions on getting technical assistance
from Dell.
- A solid green power indicator and no beep code with video during POST
indicate that an integrated system board device may be faulty. See "Getting Help" for instructions on getting technical assistance
from Dell.
The power button controls the system's AC input power.
The Microsoft® Windows® 98 and Windows 98 Second Edition (SE)
operating systems let you configure the function of the power button through the Advanced
Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) feature (see Table 1).
NOTICE: To turn off your computer system, perform an orderly
system shutdown using the operating system menu when possible.
Table 1. Power Button Behavior Under Microsoft Windows 98
and Windows 98 SE Operating Systems With ACPI
Action |
Results |
System
Turned On
and ACPI Enabled |
System
in Standby Mode |
System
Turned Off |
Press power
button |
System goes
into standby mode or turns off (depending on the operating system setup) |
System turns
on |
Boots and
system turns on |
Hold power
button
for 6 seconds* |
System turns
off immediately |
System turns
off immediately |
Boots and
system turns on |
* Pressing or holding the power button to shut down the system
may result in data loss. Use the power button to shut down the system only if the
operating system is not responding.
Microsoft Windows 95 does not support ACPI. Table 2 shows power
button functions for Windows 95 operating systems and for Windows 98 operating systems
that have the ACPI feature disabled.
Table 2. Power Button Behavior Under Microsoft Windows 95
and Windows 98 (With Dell AutoShutdown Loaded)
Action |
Results |
System
Turned On |
System
in Suspend Mode |
System
Turned Off |
Press power
button |
System turns
off |
System turns
off |
Boots and
system turns on |
Hold power
button for 6 seconds* |
System turns
off immediately |
System turns
off immediately |
Boots and
system turns on |
* Pressing or holding the power button to shut down the system
may result in data loss. Use the power button to shut down the system only if the
operating system is not responding.
Table 3 shows power button functions for Microsoft Windows NT®
operating systems.
Table 3. Power Button Behavior Under Microsoft Windows NT
(With Dell AutoShutdown Loaded)
Action |
Results |
System
Turned On |
System
Turned Off |
Press power
button |
System shuts
down |
Boots
and system turns on |
Hold power
button for 6 seconds* |
System turns
off immediately |
Boots and
system turns on |
* Pressing or holding the power button to shut down the system
may result in data loss. Use the power button to shut down the system only if the
operating system is not responding.
If the system does not turn off when you press the power button, the
system may be hung. Press and hold the power button until the system turns off completely
(this process may take several seconds). Alternatively, press the reset button to reset
the system and reboot. If the system is hung and both buttons fail to function properly,
unplug the AC power cable from the computer, wait for it to completely stop running, plug
in the AC power cable, and if it the system does not restart, press the power button to
restart the system.
The diskette-drive access indicator lights up when the drive is
reading data from or writing data to a diskette. Wait until the access indicator turns off
before removing a diskette from the drive.
An integrated chassis intrusion alarm displays the status of the
system chassis intrusion monitor. If the chassis has been opened, the setting changes to Detected
and the following message is displayed during the boot sequence at system start-up:
Alert! Cover was previously removed.
Use the the Chassis
Intrusion options in the System
Setup program to reset the alarm so that future intrusions
are detected.
On the back of the computer are a security cable slot and padlock
ring (see Figure 3) for
attaching commercially available antitheft devices. (The padlock ring is recessed inside the cover.)
Security cables for personal computers usually include a segment of galvanized cable with
an attached locking device and key. To prevent unauthorized removal of your computer, loop
the cable around an immovable object, insert the locking device into the security cable
slot on the back of your computer, and lock the device with the key provided. Complete
instructions for installing this kind of antitheft device are usually included with the
device.
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NOTE: Antitheft devices are of differing
designs. Before purchasing such a device, make sure it works with the cable slot on your
computer. |
The padlock ring allows you to secure the computer cover to the
chassis to prevent unauthorized access to the inside of the computer. To use the padlock
ring, insert a commercially available padlock through the ring and then lock the padlock.
Figure
3. Security Cable Slot and Padlock Ring
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| 1 |
Padlock ring |
| 2 |
Security cable slot |
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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, operate your system only with system
password protection.
You can assign a system password, as described in "Assigning 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 computer system
prompts you for the system password just after the system boots. See "Using Your System Password to Secure Your
System" for more information.
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 must remove the
computer 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 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
option.
When a system password is assigned, the setting shown in System Password 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 options is displayed.
When no system password is assigned and the password jumper on the
system board is in the Enabled position (its default), the option shown
for the System Password option
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.
- 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 in your 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 entering 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 to another field, or press the <Esc> key at any time prior to
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 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 either turn on your system or press the reset button,
or when you 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 and/or mouse to operate your system as
usual.
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.
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.
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.
- 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 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.
- To assign a new password, follow the procedure in "Assigning 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, as described in "Assigning a Setup Password,"
whenever you use the System Setup program. After you assign a setup password, only those
who know the password have full use of the System Setup program. See "Operating Your System With A
Setup Password Enabled" for more information.
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 need to remove
the computer cover to change a jumper setting that disables the setup password feature
(see "Disabling a
Forgotten Password"). Note that you erase the system password at the same time.
You can assign a setup password only if 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.
|
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, the System
Setup screen 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 screen—with the following exceptions:
- 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).
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NOTE: You can use Password Status in conjunction with Setup Password
to protect the system password from unauthorized changes. |
Deleting or Changing an Existing Setup Password
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, perform the steps 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 until you remove the computer cover, 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 according to the instructions in "Removing and Replacing the Computer Cover."
- Remove the jumper plug from the PSWD jumper to disable the password
feature.
Refer to "System
Board Jumpers" for jumper information and to Figure 4 in "Inside Your
Computer" for the location of 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.
Booting your system with the PSWD jumper plug removed erases the
existing password(s).
- Enter the System Setup program, and verify that the password is
disabled. Proceed to step 6 if you want to assign a new password.
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NOTE: Before you assign a new system
and/or setup password, you must replace the PSWD jumper plug. |
- Remove the computer cover according to the instructions in "Removing and Replacing the Computer
Cover."
- Replace the PSWD jumper plug.
- Replace the computer cover, and then 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 the System
Setup program, both password options appear as Not Enabled, meaning
that the password feature is enabled but that no password has been assigned.
- Assign a new system and/or setup password.
To assign a new system password, see "Assigning a System Password." To assign a
new setup password, see "Assigning a Setup Password."
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