Dell OptiPlex GX1 Installation Manual page 51

The option heading changes to Enter Password, followed by an empty seven-character field in square brackets.
3. Type your new system password.
You can use up to seven characters in your password.
As you press each character key (or the spacebar for a blank space), a placeholder appears in the field.
The password assignment operation recognizes keys by their location on the keyboard, without distinguishing between lowercase and
uppercase characters. For example, if you have an M in your password, the system recognizes either M or m as correct.
Certain key combinations are not valid. If you enter one of these combinations, the speaker emits a beep.
To erase a character when entering your password, press the <Backspace> key or the left-arrow key.
NOTE: To escape from the field without assigning a system password, press the <Tab> key or the <Shift><Tab> key combination
to move to another field, or press the <Esc> key at any time prior to completing step 5.
4. Press <Enter>.
If the new system password is less than seven characters, the whole field fills with placeholders. Then the option heading changes to Verify
Password, followed by another empty seven-character field in square brackets.
5. To confirm your password, type it a second time and press <Enter>.
The password setting changes to Enabled. Your system password is now set; you can exit the System Setup program and begin using your
system. Note, however, that password protection does not take effect until you reboot the system by pressing the reset button or by turning
the system off and then on again.
Using Your System Password to Secure Your System
Whenever you turn on your system, press the reset button, or reboot the system by pressing the <Ctrl><Alt><Del> key combination, the following
prompt appears on the screen when the Password Status option is set to Unlocked:
Type in the password and...
- press <ENTER> to leave password security enabled.
- press <CTRL><ENTER> to disable password security.
Enter password:
If the Password Status option is set to Locked, the following prompt appears:
Type the password and press <Enter>.
After you type the correct system password and press <Enter>, your system boots and you can use the keyboard and/or mouse to operate your
system as usual.
NOTE: If you have assigned a setup password (see
an alternate system password.
If a wrong or incomplete system password is entered, the following message appears on the screen:
** Incorrect password. **
Enter password:
If an incorrect or incomplete system password is entered again, the same message appears on the screen.
The third and subsequent times an incorrect or incomplete system password is entered, the system displays the following message:
** Incorrect password. **
Number of unsuccessful password attempts: 3
System halted! Must power down.
The number of unsuccessful attempts made to enter the correct system password can alert you to an unauthorized person attempting to use your
system.
Even after your system is turned off and on, the previous message is displayed each time an incorrect or incomplete system password is entered.
NOTE: You can use the Password Status option in conjunction with System Password and Setup Password to further protect your
system from unauthorized changes. For more information, see
Deleting or Changing an Existing System Password
"Using the Setup Password Feature"), the system accepts your setup password as
"Password Status."