This chapter provides information about the system BIOS and tells how to configure the system by changing the settings of the BIOS parameters.
Most systems are already configured by the manufacturer or the dealer. You do not need to run Setup when starting the computer unless you receive a Run Setup message.
The Setup program loads configuration values into the battery-backed nonvolatile memory called CMOS RAM. This memory area is not part of the system RAM.
 | Note: If you repeatedly receive Run Setup messages, the battery may be bad. In this case, the system cannot retain configuration values in CMOS. Ask a qualified technician for assistance. |
Before you run Setup, make sure that you have saved all open files. The system reboots immediately after you exit Setup.
To enter Setup, simultaneously press Ctrl+Alt+Esc.
| Note: You must press Ctrl+Alt+Esc while the system is booting. This key combination does not work during any other time. |
The system supports two Setup utility levels: basic and advanced. Figure 4-1 shows the Basic Setup Utility screen and Figure 4-2 shows the Advanced Setup Utility screen.
If you are an advanced user, you may want to check the detailed configuration of your system. Detailed system configurations are contained in the advanced level. To view the advanced level, press F8.
The Key Help Guide (press <Alt+H> to activate) shows you how to move around the BIOS setup screen:
Use the Up and Down arrow keys to move around the Setup Utility screen.
Use the Left and Right arrow keys to move to the next page or to return to the previous page if the Setup screen has more than one page available.
Use the Pg Up, Pg Down, +, or - key to select the options if they are available.
Press Esc to return to the main menu.
Note: A parameter with an asterisk (*) indicates that the parameter appears only when you are in the advanced level. Also, grayed items on the screens have fixed settings and are not user-configurable.
The screen in Figure 4-3 appears if you select System Information from the main menu:
Table 4-1 describes the parameters associated with the System Information screen.
Table 4-1. System Information Screen Parameters
Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
Type of processor currently installed in your system. | |
Clock speed of the processor currently installed in your system. | |
Value of FSB/memory bus frequency | |
Total amount of first-level or internal fast accessed memory size (i.e., the memory integrated into the CPU.) | |
Total amount of second-level cache memory size that includes the CPU; either 256 or 512 KB. | |
System's current diskette drive A settings. | |
System's current diskette drive B settings. | |
Current configuration of the IDE device connected to the master port of the primary IDE channel. | |
Current configuration of the IDE device connected to the slave port of the primary IDE channel. | |
Current configuration of the IDE device connected to the master port of the secondary IDE channel. | |
Current configuration of the IDE device connected to the slave port of the secondary IDE channel. | |
Total amount of onboard memory. The memory size is automatically detected by BIOS during the POST. If you install additional memory, the system automatically adjusts this parameter to display the new memory size. | |
Type and size of DRAM installed in DIMM sockets 1, 2, and 3. The None setting indicates that there is no DRAM installed. For the location of the DIMM sockets, see Figure 3-1 . | |
Serial port 1 | Serial port 1 address and IRQ setting. |
Serial port 2 | Serial port 2 address and IRQ setting. |
Parallel port | Parallel port address and IRQ setting. |
PS/2 mouse | Pointing device installation settings; displays None if no pointing device is installed. |
Figure 4-4 shows the Product Information screen, which contains the general data about the system, such as the product name, serial number, BIOS version, and so on. This information is necessary for troubleshooting, and it may be required when you ask for technical support.
Table 4-2 describes the parameters of the Product Information screen.
Table 4-2. Product Information Screen Parameters
Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
Official name of the system | |
Mainboard's identification number | |
Mainboard's serial number | |
Version of the BIOS utility | |
Version of the DMI BIOS |
Select Disk Drives to input configuration values for disk drives. Figure 4-5 shows the Disk Drives screen.
| Note: A parameter with an asterisk (*) indicates that the parameter appears only when you are in the advanced level. See “Enter Setup”. |
Table 4-3 describes the parameters in this screen. The settings in boldface are the default and suggested parameter settings.
Table 4-3. Disk Drives Screen Parameters
The screen in Figure 4-6 appears if you select any of the IDE drive parameters.
Table 4-4 describes the parameters of the IDE Drive screen.
Table 4-4. IDE Drive Screen Parameters
Parameter | Description | Option |
|---|---|---|
Lets you specify the type of hard disk installed in your system. If you want BIOS to automatically configure your hard disk, select Auto. If you know your hard disk type, you can enter the setting manually. | Auto User None | |
Indicates a hard disk type device. |
| |
Specifies the number of cylinders of your hard disk, and is automatically set depending on your Type parameter setting. | User input | |
Specifies the number of heads of your hard disk, and is automatically set depending on your Type parameter setting. | User input | |
Specifies the number of sectors of your hard disk, and is automatically set depending on your Type parameter setting. | User input | |
Specifies the size of your hard disk, in MB. | User input | |
When set to Auto, the BIOS utility automatically detects if the installed hard disk supports the function. If supported, it allows you to use a hard disk with a capacity of more than 528 MB. This is made possible through the Logical Block Address (LBA) mode translation. However, this enhanced IDE feature works only under DOS, Windows 3.x, Windows 98, and Windows NT 3.5 and above. Other operating systems require this parameter to be set to Disabled. | Auto Disabled | |
Enhances disk performance depending on the hard disk in use. If you set this parameter to Auto, the BIOS utility automatically detects if the installed hard disk drive supports the block mode function. If supported, it allows data transfer in blocks (multiple sectors) at a rate of 256 bytes per cycle. | Auto Disabled | |
Improves system performance by allowing use of the 32-bit hard disk access. This enhanced IDE feature works only under DOS, Windows 3.x, Windows 98, Windows NT, and Novell NetWare. If your software or hard disk does not support this function, set this parameter to Disabled. | Enabled Disabled | |
When set to Auto, the BIOS utility automatically detects if the installed hard disk supports the function. If supported, it allows for faster data recovery and read/write timing that reduces hard disk activity time. This results in better hard disk performance. | Auto Disabled | |
The Ultra DMA and Multi-DMA modes enhance hard disk performance by increasing the transfer rate. However, besides enabling these features in the BIOS Setup, both the Ultra DMA and Multi-DMA modes require the DMA driver to be loaded. By setting this parameter to Auto, BIOS automatically sets the appropriate DMA mode for your hard disk. | Auto Disabled |
Figure 4-7 shows the Onboard Peripherals screen, which lets you configure the onboard communication ports and the onboard devices.
Table 4-5 describes the parameters in this screen. The settings in boldface are the default and suggested parameter settings.
Table 4-5. Onboard Peripherals Screen Parameters
Parameter | Description | Option |
|---|---|---|
Enables or disables serial port 1. | Enabled Disabled | |
Sets the I/O base address of serial port 1. | 3F8h 2F8h 3E8h 2E8h | |
Sets the IRQ (interrupt request) channel of serial port 1. | 4 11 | |
Enables or disables the serial port 2. | Enabled Disabled | |
Sets the I/O base address of serial port 2. | 3F8h 2F8h 3E8h 2E8h | |
IRQ | Sets the IRQ (interrupt request) channel of serial port 2. | 3 11 |
Parallel port | Enables or disables the parallel port. | Enabled Disabled |
Base address | Sets the I/O base address of the parallel port. | 378h 278h 3BCh |
IRQ | Sets the interrupt request (IRQ) channel of the parallel port. Note: If you install an add-on card that has a parallel port whose address conflicts with the onboard parallel port, a warning appears on the screen. Check the parallel port address of the add-on card and change the address to one that does not conflict. | 7 5 |
Selects the operation mode of the parallel port. Standard Parallel Port (Standard) - allows normal speed one-way operation. Standard and Bidirectional (Bidirectional) - allows normal speed operation in a two-way mode. Enhanced Parallel Port (EPP) - allows bidirectional parallel port operation at maximum speed. Extended Capabilities Port (ECP) - allows parallel port to operate in bidirectional mode and at a speed higher than the maximum data transfer rate. | Bidirectional EPP ECP Standard | |
Sets the DMA channel of the parallel port when the parallel operation mode is set to ECP. | 1 3 | |
Enables or disables the onboard floppy disk drive controller. | Enabled Disabled | |
IDE controller | Enables or disables the onboard primary, secondary or both IDE controller. | Primary Secondary Both, Disabled |
Enables or disables the onboard PS/2 mouse controller. | Enabled Disabled | |
Enables or disable the USB controller on board. | Enabled Disabled | |
USB legacy mode | When enabled, allows you to use a USB keyboard in DOS. Set this to Disabled to deactivate the USB keyboard function in DOS. | Disabled Enabled |
Enables or disables onboard audio feature. | Enabled Disabled | |
Enables or disables onboard SCSI feature. | Enabled Disabled | |
Enables or disables onboard network feature. | Enabled Disabled |
The Power Management screen allows you to configure the system power-management feature. Figure 4-8 shows the power management parameters and their default settings:
Table 4-6 describes the parameters in this screen. The settings in boldface are the default and suggested parameter settings.
Table 4-6. Power Management Screen Parameters
Parameter | Description | Option |
|---|---|---|
Allows you to reduce power consumption. When this parameter is set to Enabled, you can configure the IDE hard disk and system timers. Setting it to Disabled deactivates the power management feature and its timers. | Enabled Disabled | |
Allows the hard disk to enter standby mode after inactivity of 1 to 15 minutes, depending on your setting. When you access the hard disk again, allow 3 to 5 seconds (depending on the hard disk) for the disk to return to normal speed. Set this parameter to Off if your hard disk does not support this function. | Off 1 minute 15 minutes | |
This parameter sets the system to the lowest power-saving mode after a specified period of inactivity. Any keyboard or mouse action or any activity detected from the IRQ channels resumes system operation. | Off On | |
Lets you specify the power-saving mode that the system will enter after a specified period of inactivity. This parameter becomes configurable only if the System Sleep Timer is on. Any keyboard or mouse action, or any enabled monitored activities occurring through the IRQ channels resume system operation. | Standby Suspend | |
When set to Power Off, the system automatically turns off when the power switch is pressed for less than 4 seconds. When set to Suspend, the system enters the suspend mode when pressed for less than 4 seconds. | Suspend Power off | |
System wake-up event | The system wake-up event allows the system to resume operation when the modem ring indicator is enabled. |
|
When set to Enabled, any fax/modem activity wakes up the system from suspend mode. | Enabled Disabled | |
Lets the PCI power management function monitor your computer. Any detected event from the PCI bus will resume the computer to normal operation. | Enabled Disabled | |
Reboots the system when a power failure occurs. If disabled, the system does not automatically reboot from a power failure. | Disabled Enabled |
This option allows you to specify your preferred settings for bootup. The screen in Figure 4-9 appears if you select Boot Options from the main menu:
| Note: A parameter with an asterisk (*) indicates that the parameter appears only when you are in the Advanced level. See “Enter Setup”. |
The following information pertains to the sub-menus below the first three options listed in Figure 4-9:
Under “Floppy Disk A,” you can choose as follows:
Select “Floppy Disk A” if you want the system to check the floppy drive on boot-up.
Select “Skip” if you want the system to bypass checking the floppy disk on boot-up.
Under “Hard Disk C,” you can choose as follows:
Select “E-IDE” if you want the system to boot from an IDE drive as your hard disk boot-up device.
Select “Other” if you want the system to boot from an IDE drive as your hard disk boot device.
Select “Skip” if you want the system to bypass checking the hard drive on boot-up.
Select “Set” to save your selection (after you have selected the hard disk you want to boot from).
Under “IDE CD ROM,” you can choose as follows:
Select “IDE CD ROM” if you want the system to check the CD-ROM drive for a bootable CD on boot-up.
Select “Skip” if you want the system to bypass checking the CD-ROM on boot-up.
Table 4-7 describes the parameters in Figure 4-9. The settings in boldface are the default and suggested parameter settings.
Table 4-7. Boot Options Screen Parameters
Parameter | Description | Option |
|---|---|---|
Allows you to specify the boot search sequence during POST. 1st. The system checks this drive first. 2nd. The system then checks this drive if it cannot boot from the 1st specified drive. 3rd. If the 1st and 2nd searches fail then it boots from this drive. BIOS will display an error message if the drive(s) specified cannot be booted. |
| |
Allows the system to boot faster by skipping some POST routines. | Auto Disabled | |
Enables or disables the Silent boot function. When set to Enabled, BIOS is in graphical mode and displays only an identification logo during POST and while booting. After booting, the screen displays the operating system prompt (such as DOS) or logo (such as Windows NT). If any error occurs while booting, the system automatically switches to the text mode. Even if your setting is Enabled, you may also switch to the text mode while booting by pressing the Delete key when you see the “Press DELETE key to enter setup” message on the screen. When set to Disabled, BIOS is in the conventional text mode in which you see the system initialization details on the screen | Enabled Disabled | |
Activates the Num Lock function upon booting. | Enabled Disabled | |
Lets you specify whether you want BIOS to perform or bypass the RAM test during the POST routine. | Disabled Enabled | |
If you enable this parameter, BIOS can create a multiprocessor (MP) table for multiprocessor OS (for example. Windows NT) use. In a single processor system running Windows NT, you may disable this parameter to enhance system performance. If you install another CPU for a dual system, enable this parameter and reinstall Windows NT. In cases when this parameter is enabled before installing Windows NT in a single processor system, you may upgrade to a multiprocessor system without reinstalling Windows NT. | Enabled Disabled |
The real-time clock keeps the system date and time. After setting the date and time, you do not need to enter them every time you turn on the system. As long as the internal battery remains good (approximately seven years) and connected, the clock continues to keep the date and time accurately even when the power is off.
Table 4-8 describes the parameters of the Date and Time screen.
Table 4-8. Date and Time Screen Parameters
Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
Date | Set the date following the weekday-month-day-year format. Valid values for weekday, month, day, and year are: Weekday: Sun, Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat Month: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec Day: 1 to 31 Year: 1980 to 2079 |
Time | Set the time following the hour-minute-second format. Valid values for hour, minute, and second are: Hour: 00 to 23 Minute: 00 to 59 Second: 00 to 59 |
The Setup program has a number of security features to prevent unauthorized access to the system and its data.The screen in Figure 4-11 appears if you select System Security from the main menu.
The Supervisor Password prevents unauthorized access to the BIOS utility.
To set or change a Supervisor Password, complete the following steps:
Enable the Supervisor Password parameter in the System Security menu by pressing the left or right arrow keys. The Supervisor Password screen appears, as shown in Figure 4-12.
Type a password in the Enter Password field. The password may consist of up to seven characters.
Press the Enter key. Retype your password in the Enter Password again field to verify your first entry.
Highlight Set or Change Password and press the Enter key.
Press the Esc key to return to the System Security menu and then press the Esc key again to exit Setup. The Save Changes screen appears, as shown in Figure 4-13.
Choose Yes to save your settings and exit Setup. Your password will be saved to CMOS.
To remove your Supervisor Password, complete the following steps:
Disable the Supervisor Password parameter in the System Security menu by pressing the left or right arrow key to select None.
Press the Esc key to return to the System Security menu and then press the Esc key again to exit Setup. The Exit Setup screen appears.
Choose Yes to save your settings and exit Setup. Your previous password will be removed from CMOS.
The User Password protects the computer and prevents unauthorized access to the Setup Utility.
To set or change a User Password, complete the following steps:
Enable the User Password parameter in the System Security menu by pressing the left or right arrow key. The User Password screen appears, as shown in Figure 4-14:
Type a password in the Enter Password field. The password may consist of up to seven characters.
Press the Enter key. Retype your password in the Enter Password again field to verify your first entry.
Highlight Set or Change Password and press the Enter key.
Press the Esc key to return to the System Security menu and then press the Esc key again to exit Setup. The Save Changes screen appears, as shown in Figure 4-15:
Choose Yes to save your settings and exit Setup. Your password will be saved to CMOS.
To remove your User Password, complete the following steps:
Disable the User Password parameter in the System Security menu by pressing the left or right arrow key to select None.
Press the Esc key to return to the System Security menu and then press the Esc key again to exit Setup. The Exit Setup screen appears.
Choose Yes to save your settings and exit Setup. Your previous password will be removed from CMOS.
The disk drive control features enable or disable the read/write functions of disk drives. These features can also control the diskette drive boot function to prevent loading operating systems or other programs from a certain drive while the other drives remain operational.
The following table describes the functions of the drive control parameters:
Table 4-9. Disk Drive Control Parameters
Parameter | Description | Option |
|---|---|---|
Sets the control level of the diskette drives | Normal Write protect all sectors Write protect all boot sectors Disabled | |
Sets the controller of the IDE drive | Normal Write protect all sectors Write protect all boot sectors Disabled |
The Advanced Options screen lets you configure the system memory, PCI device settings, and CPU frequency. To view the Advanced Options screen, press F8 from the main menu and then select Advanced Options.
| Note: To avoid damaging the system, do not change any settings in the Advanced Options screen unless you are a qualified technician. |
The screen in Figure 4-16 shows the Advanced Options parameters.
The Memory/Cache Options screen, shown in Figure 4-17, lets you configure the advanced system memory functions.
Table 4-10 describes the parameters of the Memory/Cache Options screen.
Table 4-10. Memory Cache Options Screen Parameters
Parameter | Description | Option |
|---|---|---|
Enables or disables the first-level or internal memory, that is, the memory integrated into the CPU. | Enabled Disabled | |
Enables or disables the second-level cache memory. The second-level cache is incorporated into the CPU module. | Enabled Disabled | |
To prevent memory address conflicts between the system and expansion boards, reserve this memory range for the use of either the system or an expansion board. | System Expansion board | |
Enables or disables the ECC (error correction code) feature. The ECC feature enables BIOS to detect and correct data errors. Disable this parameter if you want to disregard the function. | Enabled Disabled |
The PnP/PCI Options screen, shown in Figure 4-18, lets you specify the settings for your PCI devices.
Table 4-11 describes the parameters of the PnP/PCI Options screen.
Table 4-11. PnP/PCI Options Screen Parameters
Parameter | Description | Option |
|---|---|---|
Select Auto to let BIOS automatically configure the plug and play (PnP) devices installed on your system. Otherwise, select Manual. Note: See your manual for technical information about the PCI card. | Auto Manual | |
|
to 5 | When you set the PCI IRQ Setting parameter to Auto, these parameters specify the auto-assigned interrupt for each of the PCI devices. If you set the PCI IRQ Setting parameter to Manual, you need to specify the interrupt that you want to assign for each PCI device installed in your system. | User input |
When you set the PCI IRQ parameter to Auto, this parameter specifies the auto assigned interrupt for the onboard SCSI. If you set the PCI IRQ setting parameter to Manual, you need to specify the interrupt that you want to assign for the onboard SCSI installed in your system. | User input | |
When you set the PCI IRQ parameter to Auto, this parameter specifies the auto assigned interrupt for the onboard LAN. If you set the PCI IRQ setting parameter to Manual, you need to specify the interrupt that you want to assign for the onboard LAN installed in your system. | User input | |
This item shows the assigned interrupt for the onboard Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) controller. | User input | |
Setting this parameter to Yes allows you to assign the same IRQ to two different devices. To disable the feature, select No. Note: If there are no IRQs available to assign for the remaining device function, it is recommended that you enable this parameter | Yes No | |
This parameter permits you to use the palette snooping feature if you installed more than one VGA card in the system. The VGA palette snoop function allows the control palette register (CPR) to manage and update the VGA RAMDAC (Digital Analog Converter, a color data storage) of each VGA card installed in the system. The snooping process lets the CPR send a signal to all the VGA cards so that they can update their individual RAMDACs. The signal goes through the cards continuously until all RAMDAC data has been updated. This allows the display of multiple images on the screen. Note: Some VGA cards have required settings for this feature. Check your VGA card manual before setting this parameter. | Disabled Enabled | |
This parameter determines the effective size of the graphics aperture. Graphics aperture is the address range that the AGP video and the CPU use to manage graphical objects. The lowest setting is 8 MB and the highest is 256 MB. | User input | |
When this parameter is set to Yes, BIOS initializes only PnP boot devices such as SCSI cards. When set to No, BIOS initializes all PnP boot and non-boot devices such as sound cards. Note: Set this parameter to Yes only if your operating system is Windows 98. | Yes No | |
Set this parameter to Yes to avoid IRQ conflicts when installing non-PnP or PnP ISA cards. This clears all resource assignments and allows BIOS to reassign resources to all installed PnP devices the next time the system boots. After clearing the resource data, the parameter resets to No. | No Yes |
Use this option to load the default settings for the optimized system configuration. When you load the default settings, some of the parameters are grayed-out with their fixed settings. These grayed parameters are not user-configurable.
The screen in Figure 4-19 appears when you select Load Default Settings from the main menu.
Select Yes to load the default settings.
Select No to ignore the message and return to the BIOS utility.
Use this option to disregard your changes to the BIOS and reload your previous settings.
The screen in Figure 4-20 appears when you select Abort Settings Change from the main menu.
Select Yes to disregard your changes and reload your previous settings. After reload, the main menu appears.
Select No to ignore the message and return to the BIOS utility.
Examine the system configuration values. When you are satisfied that all the values are correct, write them down. Store the recorded values in a safe place. In the future, if the battery loses power or the CMOS chip is damaged, you will know what values to enter when you rerun Setup.
Press the Esc key to leave Setup. The screen in Figure 4-21 appears.
Use the arrow keys to select your response. Press the Enter key.
If you made any changes to the Setup utility, the screen in Figure 4-22 is displayed.
Use the arrow keys to select your response. Select Yes to save the changes in CMOS. Select No to retain the old configuration values. Press the Enter key to exit.