Table of Contents
Advertisement
C
h
a
p
t
e
r
3
:
S
e
t
u
p
C
h
a
p
t
e
r
3
:
S
e
t
u
p
About the Setup Utility
This chapter explains how to use and modify the BIOS setup utility that is stored on
the mainboard. The setup utility stores information about the mainboard components,
and the configuration of other devices that are connected to it. The system uses this
information to test and initialize components when it is started up, and to make sure
everything runs properly when the system is operating.
The setup utility is installed with a set of default values. The default values are
designed to ensure that the system will operate adequately. You will probably have to
make changes to the setup utility whenever you add new components to your system
such as new disk drives. You may be able to generate increased performance by
changing some of the timing values in the setup, but this can be limited by the kind of
hardware you are using, for example the rating of your memory chips. In certain
circumstances, the system may generate an error message which asks you to make
changes to the setup utility. This happens when the system finds an error during the
POST (power on self test) that it carries out at start up.
Starting the Setup Utility
You can only start the setup utility shortly after the computer has been turned on. A
prompt appears on the computer display which says "Press DEL to run Setup". When
you see this prompt, press the Delete key, and the system will start the setup utility
and display the main menu of the utility.
Using the Setup Utility
When you press the Delete key to start setup, the main menu of the utility appears.
The main menu of the setup utility shows a list of the options that are available in the
utility. A highlight shows which option is currently selected. You can use the cursor
arrow keys to move the highlight to other options. When an option is highlighted, you
can execute the option by pressing the Enter key.
Some options lead to dialog boxes which ask you verify that that you wish to execute
that option. You usually answer these dialogs by typing Y for yes and N for no.
Some options lead to dialog boxes which ask for more information. Setting the User
Password or Supervisor Password have this kind of dialog box.
17
Advertisement
Table of Contents
