Dell OptiPlex Gxi - Manual (Page 42)

2-12 Dell OptiPlex GX i Midsize Systems Reference and Installation Guide
Deleting or Changing an Existing
System Password
To delete or change an existing system password, per-
form the following steps:
1. Enter the System Setup program and verify that
the
PASSWORD STATUS category is set to
UNLOCKED .
Enter the System Setup program by pressing the
<
CTRL >< ALT >< ENTER > key combination. Press the
< ALT >< P > key combination to move to Page 2 of the
System Setup screens. For instructions on changing
the setting for
PASSWORD STATUS , see “Password
Status” found earlier in this chapter.
2. Reboot your system to force it to prompt you for a
system password.
3. When prompted, type in the system password.
4. Press the < CTRL >< ENTER > key combination to
disable the existing system password, instead
of pressing <
ENTER > to continue with the
normal operation of your system.
5. Confirm that NOT ENABLED is displayed for the
SYSTEM PASSWORD category of the System
Setup program.
If NOT ENABLED appears in the SYSTEM PASSWORD
category, the system password has been deleted. If
you want to assign a new password, continue to
step 6. If
NOT ENABLED is not displayed for the SYS-
TEM PASSWORD category, press the < ALT >< B > key
combination to reboot the system, and then repeat
steps 2 through 5.
6. To assign a new password, follow the procedure in
“Assigning a System Password” found earlier in
this section.
U
sing the Setup Password
Feature
Your Dell system is shipped to you without the setup
password feature enabled. If system security is a concern,
you should operate your system with setup password
protection.
You can assign a setup password, as described in the next
subsection, “Assigning a Setup Password,” whenever
you use the System Setup program. After a setup pass-
word is assigned, only those who know the password
have full use of the System Setup program.
To change an existing setup password, you must know
the setup password (see “Deleting or Changing an Exist-
ing Setup Password” found later in this section). If you
assign and later forget a setup password, you need to be
able to remove the computer cover to change a jumper
setting that disables the setup password feature (see “Dis-
abling a Forgotten Password” found later in this chapter).
Note that you erase the system password at the same
time.
Assigning a Setup Password
A setup password can be assigned (or changed) only
when the
SETUP PASSWORD category is set to NOT
ENABLED . To assign a setup password, highlight the
SETUP PASSWORD category and press the left- or right-
arrow key. The system prompts you to enter and verify
the password. If a character is illegal for password use,
the system emits a beep.
NOTES: The setup password can be the same as the sys-
tem password.
If the two passwords are different, the setup password can
be used as an alternate system password. However, the
system password cannot be used in place of the setup
password.
After you verify the password, the SETUP PASSWORD set-
ting changes to ENABLED . The next time you enter the
System Setup program, the system prompts you for the
setup password.
A change to the SETUP PASSWORD category becomes effec-
tive immediately (rebooting the system is not required).
Operating With a Setup Password
Enabled
If SETUP PASSWORD is set to ENABLED , you must enter the
correct setup password before you can modify the major-
ity of the System Setup categories.
When you start the System Setup program, Page 2 of the
System Setup screens appears with the
SETUP PASSWORD