Data Protection; Locking The Keyboard; Updating System Programs - IBM IntelliStation A Pro 6224 User Manual

chances of identifying the components if they are ever stolen and recovered. For
more information about component registration, go to
http://www.ibm.com/pc/support/.

Data protection

You can lose data from the hard disk for a variety of reasons. Security violations,
viruses, or hard disk drive failures can all cause data loss. To help protect against
the loss of valuable data, IBM has incorporated the following data-saving features in
your computer:
v SMART hard disk drive
v Virus protection

Locking the keyboard

You can lock the keyboard so that others are unable to use it. If you have set a
user password, the keyboard is locked when you turn on the computer. You must
type the password to unlock the keyboard. See "Passwords" on page 24.
Some operating systems have a keyboard and mouse lock-up feature. See the
documentation that comes with your operating system for more information.

Updating system programs

System programs are the basic layer of software that is built into your computer.
They include the power-on self-test (POST), the basic input/output system (BIOS),
and the Configuration/Setup Utility program.
System programs are stored in electrically erasable programmable read-only
memory (EEPROM) on the system board. This is sometimes referred to as flash
memory.
IBM occasionally makes changes and enhancements to the system programs.
When updates are released, they are available as downloadable files on the World
Wide Web (see Appendix A, "Getting help and technical assistance," on page 101).
You can update system programs by starting your computer using a flash update
diskette, or If the computer is connected to a network, a network administrator can
update the system programs remotely. Instructions for using system program
updates are included in a readme file that comes with the downloadable files.
Your computer comes with a self-monitoring and reporting technology (SMART)
hard disk drive that is enabled to report potential hard disk failures. If an error is
detected, a Desktop Management Interface (DMI) compliant warning message is
displayed on the monitor screen and, if the computer is part of a network, on the
administrator console. When an error is detected, the data on the hard disk can
be backed up and the drive replaced.
Your computer has built-in virus protection that you can enable through the IBM
Configuration/Setup Utility program. This built-in protection checks for viruses in
the boot record only. Also, Norton AntiVirus for IBM is available on the hard disk.
Chapter 2. Operating the computer
17