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AC, an option under Power Management, allows you to set different time-outs for the following options when you operate your computer from AC power: Display Time-out, Disk Time-out, Suspend Time-out, S2D Time-out, Smart CPU Mode, and Brightness.
A change to the AC option takes effect immediately
(rebooting is not required).
Admin Password displays the current status of your administrator password and allows you to assign or change this password. Settings for this option are:
The administrator password is designed for use by system administrators and service technicians in corporate environments. If an administrator password is assigned, you can use it to access the computer even if you do not know the primary password.
NOTICE: The password features provide a high level of security for the data in your computer. However, they are not foolproof. If your data requires more security, you should obtain and use additional forms of protection, such as data encryption programs or PC Cards with encryption features.
Alarm Resume directs the computer to resume normal operation when it is in suspend mode and detects an alarm from the real-time clock (RTC). Such alarms can be set through various application programs. For the alarms in these programs to work, Alarm Resume must be set to Enabled.
Settings for this option are:
A change to Alarm Resume takes effect immediately (rebooting is not required).
Asset Tag displays the asset tag code if you or your organization assigned one to your computer.
For more information, see "Asset Tag Utility."
Audio Mode manages the audio resources of the computer and the external devices you use with it. This option is set to Full Duplex, which allows the computer's audio system to play and record sounds simultaneously.
No user-selectable settings are available for this option.Battery, an option under Power Management, allows you to set different time-outs for the following options when you operate your computer from battery power: Display Time-out, Disk Time-out, Suspend Time-out, S2D Time-out, Smart CPU Mode, and Brightness.
A change to Battery takes effect immediately (rebooting is
not required).
Battery Status (page 3 of the System Setup screens) is a graphical representation of the approximate amount of charge left in the battery. No user-selectable settings are available for this option. If a battery is not installed, the battery gauge illustration indicates Battery Status: Not Installed.
If you are not in the System Setup program, you can see the battery
gauge illustration at any time by pressing <Fn><F3>.
BIOS Version displays the version number and release date of the basic input/output system (BIOS) in your computer. A service technician may ask you for this version number if you call Dell for technical assistance.
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NOTE: Dell may periodically offer revisions of the BIOS that add features or solve specific problems. Because the BIOS for your computer is stored on a reprogrammable flash-memory chip, you can use the Flash BIOS Update program to update your computer's BIOS entirely through software. |
Boot First device determines which disk device your computer uses to find the software needed to start the operating system.
The term boot refers to the computer's start-up procedure. When you turn on the computer, it "bootstraps" itself into an operational state by loading into memory a small program, which in turn loads the necessary operating system. Boot First device tells the computer where to look first for the files that it needs to load.
Settings for this option are:
For a change to Boot First device to take effect, you must reboot your computer.
If the computer cannot find the software it needs to start the operating system on the drive identified in Boot First device, it will search the device named in Boot Second device.
Settings for the option are:
For a change to Boot Second device to take effect, you must reboot your computer.
If the computer cannot find the software it needs to start the operating system on the drive identified in Boot Second device, it will search the device named in Boot Third device.
Settings for the option are:
For a change to Boot Third device to take effect, you must reboot your computer.
Boot Speed allows you to choose between the computer's processing speed (the default) and Compatible, a slower compatibility speed. The compatibility speed varies, depending on the configuration of your computer.
When you change the setting of Boot Speed, the System Setup program stores and continues to display the new setting even if you do not reboot your computer when you exit the System Setup program. If you start the System Setup program again during your current work session, the processing speed displayed for Boot Speed may not match the actual speed at which your computer is running.
For a change to Boot Speed to take effect, you must reboot your computer.
Brightness allows you to specify the brightness of the display when the computer is operating on battery power. Use the left- and right-arrow keys to change the brightness of the display. When the computer is powered by a battery, the default is Minimum. If the computer is using AC power, the default is Maximum.
A change to Brightness takes effect immediately (rebooting is not required).
Click Volume allows you to disable or adjust the volume of the keyboard clicks if Keyboard Click is enabled. The default is Maximum.
A change to Click Volume takes effect immediately (rebooting is not required).
Configure Setup allows you to restrict access to the System Setup program in the same way a system password restricts access to the system. Only available when you set the administrator password.
Date resets the date on the computer's internal calendar.
Your computer automatically displays the day of the week corresponding to the settings in the three fields that follow (month, day-of-the-month, and year).
A change to Date takes effect immediately (rebooting is not required). However, you must reboot to make the change apparent to the operating system.
To change the date, press the right-arrow key to increase the number in the highlighted field, or press the left-arrow key to decrease the number. If you prefer, you can type numbers in the month and day-of-the-month fields.
Disk Time-out lets you determine how long your hard-disk drive remains idle before the drive motor turns off to conserve battery power.
The AC option is set to Disabled. No user-selectable settings are available for this option. Settings for the Battery option are:
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If the computer is powered by a battery, the default is 3 Minutes. To increase battery operating time, set Disk Time-out to a lower number. However, if your software requires frequent hard-disk drive accesses, using a higher time-out setting may save battery power and time by minimizing the number of times the hard-disk drive must power up.
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NOTE: Set Disk Time-out to Disabled if using it causes compatibility problems with your software. |
A change to Disk Time-out takes effect immediately (rebooting is not required).
If you are not in the System Setup program, you can turn off the hard-disk drive immediately by pressing <Fn><h>. The drive resumes normal operation automatically when it is accessed by the microprocessor.
Diskette Drive A identifies the location of the 3.5-inch diskette drive: External Media Bay, Parallel Port, or Not Installed. No user-selectable settings are available for this option.
Diskette Drive B identifies the location of a second 3.5-inch diskette drive: External Media Bay, Parallel Port, or Not Installed. No user-selectable settings are available for this option.
Diskette Reconfig allows hot plugging of a diskette drive and allows application programs that access the diskette drive to run at their optimum speed. Settings are At Reboot Only and Any Time.
When Diskette Reconfig is set to Any Time (the default), you do not have to reboot after you install a diskette drive in the external media bay or attach a diskette drive to the parallel connector on the back of the computer. However, when this option is set to Any Time, some application programs (such as virus scans) that access the diskette drive will run very slowly if no diskette drive is attached to the computer or installed in the docking option. When Diskette Reconfig is set to At Reboot Only, such application programs run at normal speed, but you must reboot after installing or attaching a diskette drive.
Display Close lets you determine whether your computer enters suspend mode when the display is closed or whether only the display is turned off.
Display Time-out lets you decide how long the computer operates with no input/output (I/O) activity before turning off the display to conserve battery power.
Settings for this option in both AC and Battery are:
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The default is 4 Minutes. To increase battery operating time, set Display Time-out to a lower number of minutes.
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NOTE: Set Display Time-out to Disabled if using it causes compatibility problems with your software. |
A change to Display Time-out takes effect immediately (rebooting is not required).
If you are not in the System Setup program, you can turn off the display immediately by pressing <Fn><d>. The display resumes normal operation automatically when you press a key, move the cursor, or press the power button.
Docking Ethernet enables and disables the internal ethernet controller in the Dell Latitude C/Port Family Advanced Port Replicator (APR) or C/Dock Family Expansion Station. A change to this option takes effect when you reboot.
Docking IRQ tells the computer which interrupt request (IRQ) to assign to the docking station or replicator during the boot sequence. If Docking IRQ is set to Optimized, the docking station or replicator is assigned a dedicated IRQ during the boot sequence. Select IRQ11 if a peripheral device requires the use of the dedicated IRQ.
Docking Status shows whether the computer is attached to a Dell Latitude C/Port Family APR or C/Dock Family Expansion Station. No user-selectable settings are available for this option.
External Hot Key lets you use the <Scroll Lock> key on the external keyboard the same way you use the <Fn> key on the computer's keyboard. Set this option to Scroll Lock (the default) if you are using an external keyboard. Set this option to Not Installed to disable this function on the external keyboard.
External Media Bay identifies the type of device—Diskette Drive, CD-ROM Drive, DVD-ROM Drive, or LS-120 Disk Drive—installed in the external media bay. If the external media bay does not contain a device or is not attached, this option reads Not Installed. No user-selectable settings are available for this option.
Infrared Data Port is available only when the computer is docked; otherwise, this option is blue or dimmed. This option allows you to avoid resource conflicts by disabling or remapping the address of the infrared port on the Dell Latitude C/Port Family APR or C/Dock Family Expansion Station. The COM1, COM2, COM3, and COM4 settings allow you to take advantage of the computer's infrared support.
Settings for this option are:
For a change to Infrared Data Port to take effect, you must reboot your computer.
Infrared Mode is visible only when the computer is docked and Infrared Data Port is enabled. Infrared Mode manages the infrared resources of the computer and the external devices you use with it. This option lets you select Fast IR (the default) or Slow IR to use with an infrared device.
For a change to Infrared Mode to take effect, you must reboot your computer.
Internal Cache displays the amount of internal cache your computer has. No user-selectable settings are available for this option.
Keyboard Click lets you choose whether the computer's keyboard makes audible clicking sounds. Click Volume must be enabled for Keyboard Click to function. The volume of the simulated key clicks is controlled by the Click Volume setting.
Settings for this option are Disabled (the default) and Enabled.
A change to Keyboard Click takes effect immediately (rebooting is not required).
Microprocessor displays the type and speed of the microprocessor installed on your computer's system board. No user-selectable settings are available for this option.
Parallel Mode controls whether the computer's integrated parallel port acts as a Personal System/2 (PS/2)-compatible (Bidirectional) port, Advanced Technology (AT)-compatible (Normal) port, or Extended Capabilities Port (ECP)-compatible port. The default for Parallel Mode is ECP.
The Microsoft® Windows® 95 and Windows 98 operating systems use ECP protocol automatically if it detects an ECP-compatible device.
Set this option according to the type of device connected to the parallel port. To determine the correct mode to use, see the documentation that came with the device.
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NOTE: The ECP setting also works for most software written for the AT and PS/2 modes. Devices that use ECP mode may come with special drivers that need to be installed in order to use these modes. |
Setting Parallel Mode to Disabled disables the parallel port and its assigned LPT address, freeing its interrupt for another device to use.
For a change in Parallel Mode to take effect, you must reboot your computer.
Pointing Device enables and disables the computer's touch pad.
Settings for this option are:
If you want to use a serial mouse, you must first set the Pointing Device option to Serial Mouse.
For a change in Pointing Device to take effect, you must reboot your computer.
Power Management (Page 4 of the System Setup screens) allows you to enable or disable power conservation features when the computer is being powered by a battery or AC power.
If you want to use any of the time-out options while using battery power, set Battery to Enabled. If you want to use the time-out options while using AC power, set AC to Enabled.
A change to Power Management takes effect immediately (rebooting is not required).
Primary Hard Drive displays the capacity of your computer's hard-disk drive. No user-selectable settings are available for this option.
Primary Password displays the current status of the primary password and allows you to assign or change this password.
Settings for this option are:
If you assign a primary password, the computer prompts you for the password each time you boot the computer.
NOTICE: The password features provide a high level of security for the data in your computer. However, they are not foolproof. If your data requires more security, you should obtain and use additional forms of protection, such as data encryption programs or PC Cards with encryption features.
Ring/Event Resume lets you determine if the computer exits suspend mode when an installed modem PC Card receives an incoming call. This feature must be supported by your modem PC Card and your operating system.
Settings for this option are:
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NOTES: Dell recommends that you set Ring/Event Resume to Disabled when an external serial device, other than a modem, is connected to your computer. |
| For Ring/Event Resume to work properly, this feature must be enabled in the device driver for your modem PC Card. All drivers supplied by Dell with your computer are configured to allow the computer to resume normal operation when a modem receives an incoming call. If you use a PC Card that you did not receive from Dell, check the card's documentation to make sure that this feature is set to Enabled. |
A change to Ring/Event Resume takes effect immediately (rebooting is not required).
S2D Time-out lets you determine how long your computer remains idle (no I/O activity) before activating suspend-to-disk (S2D) mode to conserve battery power.
S2D Time-out settings for the AC and Battery options are:
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A change to S2D Time-out takes effect immediately (rebooting is not required).
If you are not in the System Setup program and your computer is running in Advanced Power Management (APM) mode, you can activate S2D mode at any time by pressing <Fn><a>. Press the power button to resume operation from S2D mode.
Serial Port allows you to disable or remap the address of the serial port on the Dell Latitude C/Port Family APR or C/Dock Family Expansion Station. When the computer is undocked, this option is blue or dimmed and has no user-selectable settings.
Settings for this option are:
For a change to Serial Port to take effect, you must reboot your computer.
Service Tag displays the computer's alphanumeric service code, which was programmed into NVRAM by Dell during the manufacturing process. Be prepared to supply this identification during technical assistance or service calls. The service tag is also accessed by certain Dell support software, including diagnostics. No user-selectable settings are available for this option.
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NOTE: Convert the service tag number into an express service code when prompted to do so the first time you turn on the computer (or use the program in the Dell Accessories folder). Keep the code handy in case you call Dell for technical assistance. The code helps Dell's automated support telephone system direct your call more efficiently. |
Smart CPU Mode allows the computer to slow down the microprocessor automatically if it is not being actively used.
Settings for this option are:
When Smart CPU Mode is set to Enabled and the microprocessor is inactive, the computer slows the microprocessor to save power.
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NOTES: Some communications software may not work properly when Smart CPU Mode is enabled. Dell recommends that you set Smart CPU Mode to Disabled if you are using communications software. |
| Interactive application programs should function well when Smart CPU Mode is set to Enabled. (Examples of interactive programs include spreadsheet, text editor, graphics design, entertainment, educational, and utility programs.) If your computer runs slowly while performing such tasks as recalculating large spreadsheets, redrawing screens, or testing the microprocessor, set Smart CPU Mode to Disabled. |
A change to Smart CPU Mode takes effect immediately (rebooting is not required).
Suspend Time-out lets you determine how long your computer remains idle before activating suspend mode to conserve battery power.
Suspend Time-out settings for both AC and Battery options are:
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To increase battery operating time, set Suspend Time-out to a lower number of minutes.
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NOTE: Set Suspend Time-out to Disabled if using it causes compatibility problems with your software. |
A change to Suspend Time-out takes effect immediately (rebooting is not required).
If you are not in the System Setup program, you can activate suspend mode at any time by pressing <Fn><Esc>. The computer resumes normal operation automatically when you press the power button.
System Memory displays the total amount of synchronous dynamic random-access memory (SDRAM) installed in your computer. No user-selectable settings are available for this option. The amount of memory displayed changes if you install or remove a memory module.
System Primary displays the current status of the primary hard-disk drive password and allows you to assign or change this password.
Settings for this option are:
NOTICE: The password features provide a high level of security for the data in your computer. However, they are not foolproof. If your data requires more security, you should obtain and use additional forms of protection, such as data encryption programs or PC Cards with encryption features.
Time resets the time on the computer's internal clock. Time is kept in a 24-hour format (hours:minutes:seconds).
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NOTE: If a network server controls the time reflected by the Time option, changing this option has no effect. |
A change to Time takes effect immediately (rebooting is not required). However, you must reboot to make the change apparent to the operating system.
The Universal Connect option functions with the Dell Latitude C/Port Family APR and/or C/Dock Family Expansion Station if the computer uses Windows 95 or Windows 98.
Set this option to Enabled (the default) if you often use more than one C/Port APR and/or C/Dock Expansion Station and want to minimize the initialization time when you connect an APR or expansion station to the computer. With Universal Connect set to Enabled, the system creates only one profile for each docking station family. If this option is set to Disabled, an APR or expansion station is reinitialized each time it is connected to the computer, and a different docking profile is created each time.
Video Memory displays the amount of video memory installed on the system board. No user-selectable settings are available for this option.
