Deleting Or Changing An Existing System Password; Using The Setup Password Feature; Assigning A Setup Password; Operating With A Setup Password Enabled - Dell OptiPlex GXi Reference And Installation Manual

Deleting or Changing an Existing
System Password
To delete or change an existing system password, per-
form the following steps:
1. Enter the System Setup program and verify that
the
PASSWORD STATUS
.
UNLOCKED
Enter the System Setup program by pressing the
< >< ><
CTRL ALT ENTER
< >< > key combination to move to Page 2 of the
ALT P
System Setup screens. For instructions on changing
the setting for
PASSWORD STATUS
Status" found earlier in this chapter.
2. Reboot your system to force it to prompt you for a
system password.
3. When prompted, type in the system password.
4. Press the < ><
CTRL
disable the existing system password, instead
of pressing <
ENTER
normal operation of your system.
5. Confirm that
NOT ENABLED
SYSTEM PASSWORD
Setup program.
If appears in the
NOT ENABLED
category, the system password has been deleted. If
you want to assign a new password, continue to
step 6. If
NOT ENABLED
category, press the <
TEM PASSWORD
combination to reboot the system, and then repeat
steps 2 through 5.
6. To assign a new password, follow the procedure in
"Assigning a System Password" found earlier in
this section.
U
sing the Setup Password
Feature
Your Dell system is shipped to you without the setup
password feature enabled. If system security is a concern,
you should operate your system with setup password
protection.
Dell OptiPlex GX i Midsize Systems Reference and Installation Guide
2-12
category is set to
> key combination. Press the
, see "Password
> key combination to
ENTER
> to continue with the
is displayed for the
category of the System
SYSTEM PASSWORD
is not displayed for the
><
ALT B
You can assign a setup password, as described in the next
subsection, "Assigning a Setup Password," whenever
you use the System Setup program. After a setup pass-
word is assigned, only those who know the password
have full use of the System Setup program.
To change an existing setup password, you must know
the setup password (see "Deleting or Changing an Exist-
ing Setup Password" found later in this section). If you
assign and later forget a setup password, you need to be
able to remove the computer cover to change a jumper
setting that disables the setup password feature (see "Dis-
abling a Forgotten Password" found later in this chapter).
Note that you erase the system password at the same
time.

Assigning a Setup Password

A setup password can be assigned (or changed) only
when the
SETUP PASSWORD
. To assign a setup password, highlight the
ENABLED
SETUP PASSWORD
arrow key. The system prompts you to enter and verify
the password. If a character is illegal for password use,
the system emits a beep.
NOTES: The setup password can be the same as the sys-
tem password.
If the two passwords are different, the setup password can
be used as an alternate system password. However, the
system password cannot be used in place of the setup
SYS-
password.
> key
After you verify the password, the
ting changes to
System Setup program, the system prompts you for the
setup password.
A change to the
tive immediately (rebooting the system is not required).
Operating With a Setup Password
Enabled
If
SETUP PASSWORD
correct setup password before you can modify the major-
ity of the System Setup categories.
When you start the System Setup program, Page 2 of the
System Setup screens appears with the
category is set to
category and press the left- or right-
SETUP PASSWORD
. The next time you enter the
ENABLED
category becomes effec-
SETUP PASSWORD
is set to , you must enter the
ENABLED
SETUP PASSWORD
NOT
set-