Assigning A Setup Password; Deleting Or Changing An Existing Setup Password; Disabling A Forgotten Password - Dell OptiPlex GX1 Reference And Installation Manual

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 the next subsection, "Assigning 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 Sys-
tem Setup program.
To change an existing setup password, you must know the setup password (see
"Deleting or Changing an Existing Setup Password" found later in this section). 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" found later in this chapter). 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, highlight the Setup Pass-
word 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.
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, Page 2 of the System Setup screens
appears with the Setup Password option highlighted, prompting you to type the
password.
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