PowerEdge Server
System Setup Program (BIOS) and Firmware

Two-Page BIOS (continued)

Page Two

Keyboard Errors

Keyboard Errors enables or disables reporting of keyboard errors during the power-on self-test (POST), which is a series of tests that the system performs on the hardware each time it is turned on.

This option is useful when applied to self-starting servers or host systems that have no permanently attached keyboard. In these situations, selecting Do Not Report suppresses all error messages relating to the keyboard or to the keyboard controller during POST. This option does not affect the operation of the keyboard itself if a keyboard is attached to the computer.

Boot Sequence

Boot Sequence can be set to Diskette First (default) or to Hard Disk Only.

System Password

System Password displays the current status of the system's password security feature and allows assignment of a new password. No one can assign a new password unless the current status is Not Enabled, which is displayed in bright characters.

The settings for System Password are:

• Not Enabled (the default)

• Enabled

• Disabled by Jumper (jumper removed)

Password Status

When Setup Password is set to Enabled, the state of Password Status determines if the system password may be changed or disabled at system start-up.

The system password cannot be changed or disabled without the Setup Password if Password Status is set to Locked.

The system password may be changed or disabled without the Setup Password if Password Status is set to Unlocked.

Setup Password

Setup Password may be used to restrict access to the server's System Setup program in the same way the system password feature restricts access to the system itself. The settings are:

• Not Enabled (the default)

• Enabled

• Disabled by Jumper (jumper removed)

Mouse

Mouse enables or disables the system's integrated Personal System/2 (PS/2)-compatible mouse port. Disabling the mouse allows an expansion card to use interrupt request (IRQ) 12.

Serial Port 1 and Serial Port 2

Serial Port 1 and Serial Port 2 configure the system's integrated serial ports. These options can be set to Auto (the default) to automatically configure a port, to a particular designation (COM1 or COM3 for Serial Port 1; COM2 or COM4 for Serial Port 2), or to Off to disable the port.

If a serial port is set to Auto and an expansion card containing a port configured to the same designation is added to the system, the system automatically remaps the integrated port to the next available port designation that shares the same IRQ setting, as follows:

• COM1 (input/output [I/O] address 3F8h), which shares IRQ4 with COM3, is remapped to COM3 (I/O address 3E8h).

• COM2 (I/O address 2F8h), which shares IRQ3 with COM4, is remapped to COM4 (I/O address 2E8h).

When two COM ports share an IRQ setting, either port may be used as necessary, but both may not function at the same time. If the second port (COM3 or COM4) is also in use, the integrated port is turned off.

Parallel Port

Parallel Port configures the system's integrated parallel port. Parallel Port can be set to 378h (the default), to alternate addresses 278h or 3BCh, or to Off to disable the port.

Do not set Parallel Port to 278h if the system has an Extended Capabilities Port (ECP) device connected to the port.

Parallel Mode

Parallel Mode controls whether the system's integrated parallel port acts as an AT-compatible (unidirectional) or PS/2-compatible (bidirectional) port.

Set Parallel Mode according to the type of peripheral device connected to the parallel port. To determine the correct mode to use, see the documentation that came with the device.

Diskette

Diskette controls the operation of the system's integrated diskette drive controller.

With Auto (the default) selected, the system turns off the integrated diskette drive controller when necessary to accommodate a controller card installed in an expansion slot.

With Write Protect selected, nothing can be written to diskette drives using the system's integrated diskette drive controller. (The system can still read from the drives.) When this option is selected, the Auto option (whereby the system turns off the integrated diskette drive controller as necessary) is also in effect.

Selecting Off turns off the integrated diskette controller; this option is used primarily for troubleshooting purposes.

USB

USB enables or disables the system's Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports. Disabling the USB ports makes system resources available for other devices.

Primary SCSI and Secondary SCSI

Primary SCSI and Secondary SCSI turn the respective SCSI controller on or off. Selecting On (the default option) enables the integrated PCI SCSI controller and scans the associated ROM. For the system to boot from a drive attached to the integrated SCSI controller, the drive must be enabled. Selecting Off causes the BIOS to mask the presence of a device.

NIC MAC Address

The MAC Address field displays the address of the media access controller (MAC) used by the integrated NIC. This field has no user-selectable settings.