Dell OptiPlex E1 Reference And Installation Manual page 51

You can use up to seven characters in your password.
As you press each character key (or <Spacebar> for a blank space), a placeholder
appears in the field.
The password assignment operation recognizes keys by their location on the key-
board, 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 <Backspace> or the
left-arrow key.
NOTE: To escape from the field without assigning a system password, press
<Esc>.
The system password is now assigned and is Enabled. You can exit the System
Setup program and begin using your system. Password protection takes effect
after the system reboots.
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 category 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 category 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.
NOTE: If you have assigned a setup password (see "Using the Setup Password Fea-
ture" found later in this chapter), the system accepts your setup password as an
alternate system password.
Using the System Setup Program 2-17