Alienware Area-51 m5500 User Manual page 34

chapter 2 bios setup and security feature
The Setup Utility is a hardware configuration program built into your
computer's BIOS (Basic Input/Output System). It runs and maintains a
variety of hardware functions. It is menu-driven to allow you to easily
configure and change the settings.
The BIOS contains the manufacturer's default settings for the
computer's standard operations. However, there are occasions when
you may be required to modify the default settings in the BIOS. For
example, you may need to configure the BIOS power management
(APM) settings if you are using DOS or a non-Windows operating
system.
The BIOS allows you to set up passwords to limit access to users. This
is an important feature because a great deal of vital information is
carried within a computer nowadays. Unauthorized access can be
prevented. Later in this chapter, you will learn how to use this security
feature.
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