Using the System Setup Program 4-13
the screen (if the PASSWORD ON BOOT category is set to
ENABLED).
Enter password:
After you enter the correct supervisor password and press
<ENTER>, your system boots and you can use the key-
board to operate your system as usual.
If a wrong or incomplete password is entered, the follow-
ing message appears on the screen:
Warning, Invalid password.
Press <ENTER> to continue
Enter the password again. If an incorrect or incomplete
supervisor password is entered again, the same message
appears on the screen.
The third time an incorrect or incomplete password is
entered, the keyboard locks up and displays the following
message:
System disabled
You must reboot the system before you can attempt to
enter a password again.
Operating With a Supervisor Password
Enabled
If SUPERVISOR PASSWORD IS is set to ENABLED, you must
enter the correct supervisor password before you can
modify any System Setup categories (other than the TIME,
DATE, NUM LOCK, and SPEAKER categories).
Deleting or Changing an Existing Super-
visor Password
To disable the supervisor password, press <ENTER> to dis-
play the Set Password dialog box, and then press
<ENTER> two more times.
When the SUPERVISOR PASSWORD IS category displays
DISABLED, you can assign a supervisor password or oper-
ate the system with no password assigned.
To change an existing supervisor password, first enter the
System Setup program and disable the current password.
Then, with the SUPERVISOR PASSWORD IS category set
to DISABLED, assign a new supervisor password as
described in “Assigning a Supervisor Password” found
earlier in this section.
Using the User Password Feature
Your Dell system is shipped to you with the user pass-
word feature set to DISABLED. After you assign a user
password, set the USER PASSWORD IS category to
ENABLED, and set the PASSWORD ON BOOT category to
ENABLED. The computer system prompts you for the user
password during the boot-up process. If system security
is a concern, you should operate your system with user
password protection.
You can assign a user password, as described in the next
subsection, “Assigning a User Password,” whenever you
use the System Setup program. Once you assign a user
password, only those who know the password have full
use of the system.
NOTE: You can also assign, delete, or change a user
password through the EISA Configuration Utility. See
“Assigning a User Password” and “Deleting or Chang-
ing an Existing User Password” in Chapter 5.
To disable the user password, press <ENTER> to display
the Set Password dialog box, and then press <ENTER> two
more times.
If you assign and then forget a user password, a trained
service technician must remove the cover of the com-
puter (which may require unlocking the computer’s
keylock) and change a jumper setting to temporarily dis-
able the user password feature (see “Disabling a
Forgotten Password” found later in this section). Note
that the supervisor password is erased at the same time.
CAUTION: If you leave your system running and
unattended, anyone can access the data stored in
your system even with a user password assigned.
To protect your system while it is running, you
must use additional forms of protection, such as
screensaver software protected by a password.
CAUTION: With the password features disabled,
your system operates as if it did not contain pass-
word features. If you leave your system running
and unattended without having a system and/or
supervisor password assigned or with the pass-
word features disabled, anyone can assign a
system and/or supervisor password that will be
unknown to you.
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