Operating With A Setup Password Enabled; Deleting Or Changing An Existing Setup Password; Disabling A Forgotten Password - Dell OptiPlex Gn Reference And Installation Manual

A change to the Setup Password category becomes
effective immediately (rebooting the system is not
required).
Operating With a Setup Password
Enabled
If Setup Password is set to Enabled, you must enter the
correct setup password before you can modify the
majority of the System Setup categories.
When you start the System Setup program, Page 2 of the
System Setup screens appears with the Setup Password
category 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:
•
You can still modify the Date, Time, CPU Speed,
Num Lock, and Speaker categories.
•
If System Password is not enabled and is not locked
via the Password Status category, you can assign a
system password (however, you cannot disable or
change an existing system password).
NOTE: You can use the Password Status category in
conjunction with Setup Password to protect System
Password from unauthorized changes. For more
information, see "Password Status" found earlier in
this chapter.
Deleting or Changing an Existing Setup
Password
To delete or change an existing setup password, perform
the following steps:
1. Enter the System Setup program.
2. Highlight the Setup Password category, and press
the left- or right-arrow key to delete the existing
setup password.
The setting changes to Not Enabled.
3. If you want to assign a new setup password,
follow the procedure in "Assigning a Setup
Password" found earlier in this section.
D
isabling a Forgotten 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:
1. Remove the computer cover according to the
instructions in "Removing the Computer Cover"
in Chapter 5.
CAUTION: See "Protecting Against Electro-
static Discharge" in the safety instructions at
the front of this guide.
2. Remove the jumper plug from the PSWD jumper
to disable the password feature.
Refer to "Jumpers" in Chapter 5 for jumper informa-
tion and to Figure 5-7 for the location of the
password jumper (labeled "PSWD") on the system
board.
3. Replace the computer cover.
4. Reconnect your computer and peripherals to
their power sources, and turn them on. Proceed
to step 5 if you want to assign a new password.
Booting your system with the PSWD jumper plug
removed erases the existing password(s).
NOTE: Before you assign a new system and/or setup
password, you must replace the PSWD jumper plug.
5. Repeat step 1.
6. Replace the PSWD jumper plug.
7. Replace the computer cover, reconnect the
computer and peripherals to their power sources,
and turn them on.
Booting with the PSWD jumper installed reenables
the password feature. When you enter the System
Setup program, both password categories appear as
Not Enabled, meaning that the password feature is
enabled but that no password has been assigned.
Using the System Setup Program 2-15