Setup Utility: When To Run; When To Run The Bios Setup Utility; Running The Setup Utility - Intel AC450NX Product Manual

4 Setup Utility: When to Run

The flash-resident BIOS Setup utility is used to configure PHP I/O baseboard resources. It is
stored in both flash memory (NVRAM) and the battery-backed memory of the real-time clock
(RTC) on the PHP I/O baseboard.

When to Run the BIOS Setup Utility

The BIOS Setup is a flash-based configuration utility that is used to configure onboard resources
and to set user-selectable options such as boot device ordering, keyboard autorepeat, and security.
Use Setup to configure the server into a bootable state, and then use the SSU and other utilities to
further configure the server.
Setup lets you change the server configuration defaults. It does not allow you to enter or change
information about PCI or ISA add-in boards; you must use the SSU instead. Setup stores the
configuration values in flash memory; they take effect when you boot the server. POST checks
these values against the actual hardware configuration; if they do not agree, POST generates an
error message. You must then run Setup to specify the correct configuration.
You can run Setup with or without an operating system being present.
Because values entered using Setup are overwritten when you run the SSU, you should run Setup
only under the following conditions:
•
If the diskette drive is disabled.
•
If the server has a diskette drive that is disabled or improperly configured, use Setup to
configure the server into a bootable state, and then use the SSU and other utilities to further
configure the server. In Setup, you can enable the drive so you can use the SSU. If necessary,
you can disable the diskette drive again after exiting the SSU.
•
If the server does not have a diskette drive, or it is disabled, use Setup to configure the server.
•
If you have installed only an ISA add-in board in your server.
If the server has a properly configured, enabled diskette drive, use the SSU to configure the server.
Information entered using the SSU overrides any entered using Setup.

Running the Setup Utility

You can enter Setup under several conditions:
•
when you turn on the server
•
when you reboot the server by pressing the push-button reset switch on the front panel
•
when you reboot the server by pressing <Ctrl+Alt+Del> while at the DOS operating system
prompt
•
when you turn on or reset your server after an orderly shutdown of an operating system other
than DOS
43