Using System Programs; Changing The Bios Settings Before Installing A New Operating System; Updating The Bios - Lenovo ThinkStation P500 User Manual

To update the BIOS, see "Updating or recovering the BIOS" on page 41.
Note: BIOS settings vary by operating system. Change the BIOS settings before installing a new operating
system. See "Changing the BIOS settings before installing a new operating system" on page 42.

Using system programs

System programs are the basic layer of software built into your computer. System programs include the
POST, the BIOS, and the Setup Utility program. The POST is a set of tests and procedures that are
performed each time you turn on your computer. The BIOS is a layer of software that translates instructions
from other layers of software into electrical signals that the computer hardware can execute. You can use the
Setup Utility program to view or change the configuration settings of your computer. See "Using the Setup
Utility program" on page 37 for detailed information.
The system board of your computer has a module called electrically erasable programmable read-only
memory (EEPROM, also referred to as flash memory). It enables you to update the POST, the BIOS, and
the Setup Utility program easily. To perform such an update, you can either start your computer with a
system-program-update disc or run a special update program from your operating system.
Lenovo might make changes and enhancements to the POST and BIOS. When updates are released, they
are available as downloadable files on the Lenovo Web site at http://www.lenovo.com. Instructions for using
the POST and BIOS updates are available in a TXT file that is included with the update files. For most
models, you can download an update program that can be used to create a system-program-update disc
or be run from the operating system.

Changing the BIOS settings before installing a new operating system

BIOS settings vary by operating system. Change the BIOS settings before installing a new operating system.
To change the BIOS settings, do the following:
1. Start the Setup Utility program. See "Starting the Setup Utility program" on page 37.
2. From the Setup Utility program main menu, select Exit ➙ OS Optimized Default.
3. Depending on the operating system to be installed, do one of the following:
• To install the Windows 8.1 (64-bit) operating system, select Enabled.
• To install an operating system other than Windows 8.1 (64-bit), select Disabled.
4. Select Yes in the window displayed and press Enter to confirm your selection.
5. Press F10 to save changes and exit the Setup Utility program. See "Exiting the Setup Utility program"
on page 41.

Updating the BIOS

When you install a new program, hardware device, or device driver, you might be informed to update
the BIOS. You can update the BIOS from your operating system or a flash update disc (supported only
on some models).
To update the BIOS, do the following:
1. Go to http://www.lenovo.com/drivers.
2. To update the BIOS from your operating system, download the flash BIOS update driver according to
your operating system version. To update the BIOS from a flash update disc, download the ISO image
version (used to create a flash update disc). Then, download the installation instructions for the flash
BIOS update driver.
3. Print the installation instructions you download and follow the instructions to update the BIOS.
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ThinkStation P500 and P700 User Guide