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System Setup Options: Dell OptiPlex GX1 Small-Form-Factor System User's Guide
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System Setup Options: Dell™ OptiPlex™ GX1
Small-Form-Factor System User's Guide
Time resets the time on the computer’s
internal clock.
Time is kept in a 24-hour format (hours:minutes:seconds).
To change the time, press the right-arrow key to increase the number in the highlighted
field or press the left-arrow key to decrease the number. If you prefer, you can type
numbers in each of the appropriate fields.
Date resets the date on the computer’s
internal calendar.
Your system automatically displays the day of the week corresponding
to the settings in the three fields that follow (month, day-of-month,
and year).
To change the date, press the right-arrow key to increase the number
in the highlighted field or press the left-arrow key to decrease the number. If you
prefer, you can type numbers in the month and day-of-month fields.
Diskette Drive A and Diskette Drive B
identify the type of diskette drives installed in your computer. With the standard cabling
configuration, Diskette Drive A (the boot diskette drive) is the 3.5-inch
diskette drive installed in the top externally accessible drive bay; Diskette
Drive B is any drive installed in the bottom externally accessible drive bay that
is connected to the system’s diskette/tape drive interface.
The option settings always match the physical locations of the
drives in your computer—the first drive listed on Page 1 of the System Setup screens is the top drive in your
computer.
The options are:
Use ZIP as A or B is used to control the operation
of an internally installed Advanced Technology Attachment Packet Interface (ATAPI) Zip
drive. The options are On and Off. When set to On,
the Zip drive operates as a diskette drive and can be booted. When set to Off,
the Zip drive operates as a normal ATAPI device.
You can have a total of two diskette devices, either diskette drives
or Zip drives.
 |
NOTE: Tape drives are not reflected in the Diskette
Drive A and Diskette Drive B options. For example, if you have a
single diskette drive and a tape drive attached to the diskette/tape drive interface
cable, set the Diskette Drive A option to match the
characteristics of the diskette drive and set the Diskette Drive B option
to Not Installed. |
Primary identifies drives attached to the primary
enhanced integrated drive electronics (EIDE) interface connector (labeled
"IDE1") on the system board; Secondary identifies drives
connected to the secondary EIDE interface connector (labeled "IDE2"). Dell
recommends that you use the secondary EIDE interface connector for EIDE CD-ROM and EIDE
tape drives.
The System Setup program reports hard-disk drives in one of two
ways:
- Newer hard-disk drives and all hard-disk drives over 8
gigabytes (GB) are reported as an EIDE Drive, without details on type, cylinders,
heads, cylinder numbers, and sectors. See Figure 1 in
"Using the System Setup Program" for an
example.
- Older hard-disk drives are reported with full details about type,
cylinders, heads, cylinder numbers, sectors, and size.
|
NOTE: For all Dell-installed hard-disk drives, set the
appropriate drive option to Auto. |
Use one of the following options if you have an older EIDE hard-disk
drive not shipped with the system from Dell and with less than 528 megabytes (MB) in
capacity:
- A specific drive-type number
For each drive, you can choose the seven parameters as a group by
drive-type number or you can enter the parameters individually from the keyboard. A drive-type
number specifies the parameters of a hard-disk drive, based on a table recorded in the
system’s basic input/output system (BIOS).
|
NOTE: Operating systems that bypass the system BIOS may
not obtain optimum hard-disk drive performance |
If you choose the Usr1 or Usr2 option, you must supply
the following parameters for the drive:
- Type is the drive-type number for the selected hard-disk drive
(in this case, Usr1 or Usr2).
- Cyls is the number of logical cylinders.
- Hds indicates the number of logical heads in the drive.
- Pre (precompensation cylinder) is the cylinder number
at which the electrical current for the drive head changes to compensate for differences
in data density across the disk surface (this parameter has no effect for EIDE drives).
- LZ is the cylinder number that is used as the
drive’s landing zone for the heads when the drive is not in use.
- Sec is the number of logical sectors per track.
- Size (automatically calculated by the system) indicates the
number of millions of bytes of storage provided by the drive.
Reserved Memory allows you to
designate a region of system board memory that can be supplied by an expansion card. You
should not enable the reserved memory feature unless you are using an expansion card that
requires special addressing.
For example, you may have a memory expansion card that needs to be
addressed starting at 15 MB. Selecting the 15M - 16M option in the
Reserved Memory option specifies that the base memory
from 15 to 16 MB comes from the memory expansion card (the base memory below the 15-MB
address comes from the dual in-line memory modules [DIMMs] on the system board).
The Reserved Memory option has the
following settings:
- None (the default option)
CPU Speed indicates the processor speed at which
your system boots.
Press the left- or right-arrow key to toggle the CPU Speed
option between the resident microprocessor’s rated speed (the default) and a
lower compatibility speed, which lets you accommodate speed-sensitive application
programs. A change to this option takes effect immediately (rebooting the system is not
required).
You can also toggle between the rated processor speed and the
compatibility speed while the system is running in real mode by pressing
<Ctrl><Alt><\>. (For keyboards that do not use American English, press
<Ctrl><Alt><#>.)
Num Lock 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).
When Num Lock mode is activated, the rightmost bank of keys on your
keyboard provides the mathematical and numeric functions shown at the tops of the keys.
When Num Lock mode is turned off, these keys provide cursor-control functions according to
the label on the bottom of each key.
Chassis Intrusion displays the status of the system
chassis intrusion monitor. The settings for this option are Enabled, Enabled-Silent,
or Disabled. The default is Enabled.
If the computer cover is removed while the intrusion monitor is set
to Enabled, the setting changes to Detected, and the
following message appears during the boot sequence at the next system start-up:
Alert! Cover was previously removed.
If the computer cover is removed while the intrusion monitor is set
to Enabled-Silent, the setting changes to Detected, but
the alert message is not displayed during the boot sequence at the next system start-up.
If the intrusion monitor is set to Disabled, no
intrusion monitoring occurs and no messages are displayed.
To reset the Detected setting, enter the System Setup program
during the system’s power-on self-test (POST). Highlight the Chassis
Intrusion option and press the left- or right-arrow key to choose Enabled,
Enabled-Silent, or Disabled.
|
NOTE: When the setup password is enabled, you must enter the
setup password before you can reset the Chassis Intrusion option. |
DAC Snoop lets you correct video problems that may
occur when certain video add-in cards are used. The default is Off. If
you are using a video add-in card and problems such as incorrect colors or blank windows
occur, set DAC Snoop to On.
This option controls the operation of the system’s Advanced
Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) feature.
When ACPI is set to On,
momentarily pressing the power button places the system in a power-saving mode. To turn
the system off completely, press the power button for more than 4 seconds. When ACPI
is set to On, interrupt request (IRQ) line 9 is not available for use by
an expansion card.
When ACPI is set to Off,
momentarily pressing the power button turns off the system completely. With this setting,
IRQ9 is available for use by an expansion card.
Keyboard Errors enables or disables
reporting of keyboard errors during the POST, which is a series of tests that the system
performs on the hardware each time you turn on the system or press the reset button.
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 option does not affect the operation of the keyboard
itself if a keyboard is attached to the computer.
System Password displays the current status of your
system’s password security feature and allows you to assign and verify a new
password. No one can assign a new password unless the current status is Not
Enabled, which is displayed in bright characters.
The settings for the System Password option are:
- Not Enabled (the default)
When Setup
Password is set to Enabled, Password Status
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
setting 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
setting 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.
Boot Sequence can be set to Diskette First (the default), Hard Disk Only, CD-ROM
First, or Device List.
The term boot refers to the system’s start-up procedure.
When turned on, the system "bootstraps" itself into an operational state by
loading into memory a small program, which in turn loads the necessary operating system. Boot
Sequence tells the system where to look for the files that it needs to
load.
Selecting Diskette First causes the system to try
booting from drive A first. If the system finds a diskette that is not bootable in the
drive or finds a problem with the drive itself, it displays an error message. If it does
not find a diskette in the drive, the system tries to boot from the hard-disk drive (drive
0), then from the CD-ROM drive, and finally from the Plug and Play network adapters in the
order found.
Selecting Hard Disk Only causes the system
to attempt to boot first from the hard-disk drive and then from the Plug and Play network
adapters in the order found.
Selecting CD-ROM First causes the system to try
booting from the CD-ROM drive first. If the system finds a CD that is not bootable in the
drive or finds a problem with the drive itself, it displays an error message. If it does
not find a CD in the drive, the system tries to boot from drive A, then from drive C, and
finally from the Plug and Play network adapters in the order found.
Device List provides access to the Device
List screen where you can choose from a list of available boot devices to boot
from and specify the order in which your computer attempts to boot from these devices. To
view the Device List screen (see Figure 1), press
<Ctrl> and the right-arrow key. Table 2 lists other navigation keys used on the Device
List screen.
Table 2. Device-List Screen Navigation Keys
| Keys |
Action |
 |
Returns the boot device lists to the
default settings |
 |
Moves the selected item up or down in the
boot sequence |
 |
Exits to Page 2 of the System Setup screens |
 |
Moves the selected item from one Boot
Device Priority list to the other |
NOTICE: Only a technically knowledgeable person should
change the settings in the Device List screen.
The Device List screen (see Figure 1) provides
three options for listing and prioritizing the available boot devices in your system.
Figure 1. Sample Device List Screen
The Boot Device Priority option lists all bootable
devices (hard-disk drives, CD-ROM drives, and so on) that are controlled by the system
BIOS and any Plug and Play network adapters installed in the computer.
The Exclude From Boot Device Priority option allows
you to remove from the Boot Device Priority option any boot devices that
you want the system to ignore during system start-up.
The Device Controller Priority option lists the
system BIOS controller; any non-Plug and Play devices, such as network adapter cards; and
any secondary controller cards, such as a small computer system interface (SCSI) adapter,
installed in the computer.
|
NOTE: Non-Plug and Play devices appear in this list as Adapters
without ID support. |
When determining the order of devices to boot from, the system first
considers the order of the devices listed under the Device Controller Priority
option, then the order of devices under Boot Device Priority.
To specify your priority preferences, order the devices under these
options so that the highest-priority controller is at the top of the Device
Controller Priority option and the highest-priority device is at the top of the Boot
Device Priority option. Order the remainder of the devices in the Boot
Device Priority option according to your preferences. Move any devices that you
want the system to ignore during system start-up into the Exclude From Boot Device
Priority option.
|
NOTE: The system defines drive C in the Boot
Device Priority option as the first hard-disk drive attached to the
highest-priority device controller. Therefore, if you have a SCSI adapter installed in
your computer and you want the SCSI drive 0 to be drive C, you must move the SCSI adapter
item to the top of the Device Controller Priority option. |
To change the order of the devices, press <Ctrl> and the up-
or down-arrow key. If you want to revert to the original Boot Device Priority
option settings, press <Ctrl><Del>.
|
NOTE: If you exit the Device List option by
pressing <Esc> or <Alt><b> without making any changes, the Boot
Sequence option is set to the Device List option. |
Setup Password indicates whether a password is
required before you can change option settings on the System Setup screen. The settings
for this option are normally Enabled or Not Enabled. A
third setting, Disabled By Jumper, displays if the Setup Password
option is deactivated. (You can set a jumper on the system board to deactivate the Setup
Password option.)
If Setup Password is set to Enabled,
you must enter the correct setup password before you can change the settings for the
majority of the System Setup options. If you do not enter the correct password in three
tries, the system lets you view, but not change, the settings on the System Setup screen,
with one exception: if Password Status is Unlocked,
you may change the system password.
Auto Power On allows you to set the time and days
of the week to turn on the computer system automatically. You can set Auto Power
On to turn on the system either every day or every Monday through Friday.
|
NOTE: This feature does not work if you turn off your system
using a power strip or surge protector. |
Time is kept in a 24-hour format (hours:minutes).
To change the start-up time, press the right-arrow key to increase the number in the
highlighted field or press the left-arrow key to decrease the number. If you prefer, you
can type numbers in both fields.
The default for Auto Power On is Disabled.
For more information, see the System Utilities on the Dell ResourceCD.
This section explains the following topics:
For certain types of monitors and most EIDE hard-disk drives, you
can reduce system power consumption by enabling the power management feature. With Power
Management enabled, these monitors and drives automatically switch into low-power
mode during periods of system inactivity.
Power Management can be implemented at three
levels—Maximum, Regular, and Minimum.
(The different levels apply to the monitor only; hard-disk drive operation is the same
for all three.) The default for this option is Disabled.
If you have a Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA®)
Display Power Management Signaling (DPMS)-compliant monitor, enabling the Power
Management option reduces monitor power consumption during periods of keyboard
and mouse inactivity
NOTICE: Check your monitor documentation to make sure you
have a DPMS-compliant monitor before you enable this feature. Otherwise, you risk damaging
the monitor.
|
NOTE: The power management feature monitors
activity of a mouse connected to the Personal System/2 (PS/2)-compatible mouse port. |
By setting Power Management to Maximum,
Regular, or Minimum, you can set predefined time-out
periods (see Table 3) for the two successive monitor shutdown
stages, standby and off.
|
NOTE: Each monitor manufacturer defines the details of the
shutdown stages for its own monitors. But in all cases, power consumption decreases with
each stage from "on" (full power) to "standby" (reduced power; the
display image usually disappears) to "off" (where power consumption is minimal).
To define these stages for your monitor, see the documentation that came with the monitor. |
From either shutdown stage, you can return full power to the monitor
in one of the following ways:
- For most DPMS-compliant monitors, any subsequent
activity—including moving the mouse—should return full power to the monitor.
- A few DPMS-compliant monitors require that you turn monitor power off
and then on again to return to full power.
Check your monitor documentation for information on how your monitor
is designed to operate.
For most systems, enabling Power Management at any
level causes EIDE hard-disk drives to switch to low-power mode after about 20 minutes of
system inactivity (see Table 3).
|
NOTES: All EIDE drives shipped with your system support this
feature. (For more information, see "ENERGY
STAR® Compliance.") However, not all EIDE hard-disk
drives support this feature. Enabling this feature for drives that do not support it may
cause the EIDE drive to become inoperable until the computer is restarted and the Power
Management option is disabled. |
In low-power mode, the disks inside the drive stop spinning. They
remain idle until the next drive access, which causes them to start spinning again.
(Because the disks take a few seconds to regain full speed, you may notice a slight delay
when you next access the hard-disk drive.)
When Power Management is set to Disabled
(the default), the disks spin constantly as long as the system is turned on.
Table 3. Power Time-Out Periods
Power
Management Setting |
EIDE Drive
Spindown
Time-Outs |
Monitor Standby
Time-Outs |
Monitor Off
Time-Outs |
| Disabled |
Never |
Never |
Never |
| Maximum |
20 minutes |
10 minutes |
1 hour |
| Regular |
20 minutes |
20 minutes |
1 hour |
| Minimum |
20 minutes |
1 hour |
Never |
Wakeup On LAN determines whether the Wakeup On LAN
feature is set to On or Off. You must reboot your system
before a change takes effect.
Sound determines whether the integrated audio
controller is On or Off. You must reboot your system
before a change takes effect.
NIC determines whether an integrated network
interface controller (NIC) is On or Off. You must reboot
your system before a change takes effect.
Mouse enables or disables the system’s
built-in PS/2-compatible mouse port. Disabling the mouse allows an expansion card to use
IRQ 12.
Serial Port 1 and Serial Port 2
configure the system’s built-in serial ports. These options can be set to Auto
(the default) to automatically configure a port, to a particular designation (COM1
or COM3 for Serial Port 1; COM2 or COM4
for Serial Port 2), 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 built-in port to the next available port designation that shares
the same IRQ setting as follows:
- COM1 (input/output [I/O] address 3F8h), which shares
IRQ4 with COM3, is remapped to COM3 (I/O address 3E8h).
- Likewise, COM2 (I/O address 2F8h), which shares IRQ3
with COM4, is remapped to COM4 (I/O address 2E8h).
|
NOTES: When two COM ports share an IRQ setting, you can use
either port as necessary, but you may not be able to use them both at the same time.
If the second port (COM3 or COM4) is also in use, the built-in port is turned off. If you are using the Microsoft® Windows® 95 or IBM® OS/2® operating
system, you cannot use both serial ports at the same time. |
Parallel Port configures the system’s built-in
parallel port. This option can be set to 378h (the default), to
alternate addresses 278h or 3BCh, or to Off
to disable the port.
|
NOTE: Do not set Parallel Port to 278h
if you have an Enhanced Capabilities Port (ECP) device connected to the port. |
Parallel Mode controls whether the system’s
built-in parallel port acts as an AT-compatible (unidirectional) or PS/2-compatible
(bidirectional) port.
Your system also supports ECP mode, which can be used by Windows 95
and Windows 98. Windows 95 and Windows 98 use ECP protocol automatically if the
operating system detects an ECP-capable device, eliminating the need for an ECP setting in
this option.
Set this option according to the type of peripheral device connected
to the parallel port. To determine the correct mode to use, see the documentation that
came with the device.
IDE Hard Disk enables or disables the system’s
built-in EIDE hard-disk drive interface.
With Auto (the default option) selected, the system
turns off the built-in EIDE interface when necessary to accommodate a controller card
installed in an expansion slot.
As part of the boot routine, the system first checks for a primary
hard-disk drive controller card installed in an expansion slot. If no card is found,
the system enables the built-in EIDE interface to use IRQ14 and IRQ15.
If a primary controller is detected on the expansion bus, the
built-in EIDE interface is disabled.
Selecting Off disables the built-in EIDE interface.
Diskette controls the operation of the
system’s built-in diskette drive controller.
With Auto (the default) selected, the system turns
off the built-in diskette drive controller when necessary to accommodate a controller card
installed in an expansion slot.
With Write Protect selected, nothing can be written
to diskette drives and tape drives using the system’s built-in diskette drive
controller. (The system can still read from the drives.) When this option is selected, the
Auto option (whereby the system turns off the built-in diskette drive
controller as necessary) is also in effect.
Selecting Off turns off the built-in diskette/tape
drive controller; this option is used primarily for troubleshooting purposes.
Speaker determines whether the on-board speaker is On
(the default) or Off. A change to this option takes effect immediately
(rebooting the system is not required).
The following options, which are not selectable, display information
about the system. The microprocessor type is also listed in the System Data
box.
- Level 2 Cache displays the size of the integrated
cache (512 kilobytes [KB]).
- System Memory indicates
the entire amount of installed memory detected in your system, except for memory on
Expanded Memory Specification (EMS) expansion cards. After adding memory, check this
option to confirm that the new memory is installed correctly and is recognized by the
system.
- Video Memory displays the
amount of video memory detected in your system.
- Service Tag displays the system’s
five-character service tag number, which was programmed into nonvolatile random-access
memory (NVRAM) by Dell during the manufacturing process. Refer to this number during
technical assistance or service calls. The service tag number is also accessed by certain
Dell support software, including the diagnostics software.
- Asset Tag displays the customer-programmable asset
tag number for the system if an asset tag number has been assigned. You can use the Asset
Tag utility, which is included with your system utilities, to enter an asset tag number up
to ten characters long into NVRAM. For information on using the utility, see the Dell
ResourceCD User's Guide.
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, 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.
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 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 option shown in the System
Password option is Enabled. When the system password
feature is disabled by a jumper setting on the system board, the option 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 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.
The option heading changes to Enter Password,
followed by an empty seven-character field in square brackets.
- Type your new system password.
You can use up to seven 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.
|
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 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 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 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 and/or mouse 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 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. |
To delete or change an existing system password, perform the
following steps:
- Press the <F2> key to enter the System Setup program, and verify that the Password Status option is set to Unlocked.
Press the <Alt><p> key combination to move to Page 2 of
the System Setup
screens.
- 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.
- 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 the <Alt><p>
key combination 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 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
password, you must know the 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. Note that you erase the system password at the same time.
A setup password can be assigned (or changed) only when the Setup Password option is set
to Not Enabled. To assign a setup password, perform the
following steps:
- Enter the System
Setup program and go to Page 2 of the System Setup screens.
- 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.
|
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. |
- Enter and verify the password and click OK.
After you verify the password, the Setup Password
setting changes to Enabled. The next time you enter the System Setup
program, the system will prompt 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. If you do not enter the correct password in three tries, the system lets
you view, but not modify, the System Setup screen, with one exception: if Password
Status is Unlocked, you may modify the system password.
When you start the System
Setup program, Page 2 of the System Setup screens appears with the Setup
Password option 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:
- 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. |
To delete or change an existing setup password, perform the
following steps:
- Enter the System
Setup program and go to Page 2 of the System Setup screens.
- Highlight the Setup
Password option, type in the 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 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.
 |
CAUTION: To avoid the possibility
of electric shock, turn off the computer and any peripherals, disconnect them from
electrical outlets, and then wait at least 5 seconds before you remove the computer cover.
Also, before removing the computer cover, see the other precautions in "Safety First—For You and Your
Computer." |
- Remove the computer cover.
NOTICE: Verify that the AC power cable is removed before changing
any jumper settings.
- Remove the jumper plug from the PSWD jumper to disable the
password feature.
See 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 their electrical outlets,
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.
|
NOTE: Before you assign a new system and/or setup password, you
must replace the PSWD jumper plug. |
- Remove the computer cover.
Replace the PSWD jumper plug.
Replace the computer cover, and then reconnect the computer and
peripherals to their electrical outlets and turn them on.
Booting 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 password
and/or setup password.
If an error message appears on your monitor screen while the system
is booting, make note of the message. Then, before entering the System Setup program,
refer to "Messages and Codes"
for an explanation of the message and suggestions for correcting any errors. However, it
is normal to receive an error message the first time you boot the system after a memory
upgrade. In that case, refer to the instructions in "System Memory."
If you are given an option to press either <F1> to continue or
<F2> to run the System Setup program, press the <F2> key.
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