Changing The Boot Sequence - Dell Inspiron 545 MT User Manual

Changing the Boot Sequence

The boot sequence, or boot order, tells the computer where to look to find the
software needed to start the operating system. You can control the boot
sequence and enable/disable devices using the Boot Order page of the system
setup program.
NOTE:
To change the boot sequence on a one-time-only basis, see "Performing a
One-Time Boot" on page 310.
The Boot Order page displays a general list of the bootable devices that may
be installed in your computer, including but not limited to the following:
• Diskette Drive
• Internal HDD
• USB Storage Device
• CD/DVD/CD-RW drive
• Modular Bay HDD
NOTE:
Only devices that are preceded by a number are bootable.
During the boot routine, the computer starts at the top of the list and scans
each enabled device for the operating system start-up files. When the
computer finds the files, it stops searching and starts the operating system.
To control the boot devices, select (highlight) a device by pressing the down-
arrow or up-arrow key, and then enable or disable the device or change its
order in the list.
1 Enter the system setup program.
2 Press the left- and right-arrow keys to highlight the Boot tab.
3 Press the up- and down-arrow keys to highlight the Boot Device Property,
and then press <Enter>.
4 Press the up- and down-arrow keys to select the boot device you want to
change, and then press <Enter>.
5 Press <F10> and then press <Enter> to exit the system setup program
and resume the boot process.
Boot sequence changes take effect as soon as you save the changes and exit
the system setup program.
System Setup
309