Dell Inspiron 7500 Reference And Troubleshooting Guide

							support.dell.comUsing the Setup ProgramB-5Table B-2.  System Devices Menu Options
OptionFunction
IDE ControllerConfigures the integrated local-bus IDE adapter. Options are 
Both (default), Disabled, or Primary. If Both is selected, 
you can access both the hard-disk drive and the media bay 
device(s). If Primary is selected, only the hard-disk drive and 
MegaBay device is accessible. When Disabled, the media 
bay device(s) and hard-disk drive are disabled.
FDD ControllerEnables the diskette-drive controller. If this option is set to 
Disabled, the diskette drive is unavailable. This option 
defaults to Disabled when an LS-120 drive is installed.
Internal touchpadWhen set to Enabled (default), allows the touch pad to 
continue working when an external mouse or other pointing 
device is connected. Auto Disabled disables the touch pad 
when an external pointing device is connected.
Serial PortLets you map the address of the serial port to avoid address 
conflicts with other devices or disable the port for security. 
When set to Auto, allows the operating system or the BIOS 
to configure the port automatically. When set to 
Customized (default), sets the Base I/O address/IRQ to    
3F8 IRQ4. If there is a conflict between two or more 
addresses, an asterisk appears next to the port type. Off 
disables the serial port to conserve power.
Infrared PortLets you map the address of the infrared port to avoid 
address conflicts with other devices. The default is Off. Dell 
recommends that you retain the default unless you are using 
an infrared device with the computer. When this option is 
set to Customized, the Mode is SIR and the Base I/O 
address/IRQ is 2F8 IRQ3. If you change the infrared port 
address, be careful not to create a conflict with the 
addresses of the serial port or the parallel port. If there is a 
conflict between two or more addresses, an asterisk 
appears next to the port type.
NOTE: For the full name of an abbreviation or acronym used in this table, see the Glossary in the 
system Help. 
						

							B-6Dell Inspiron 7500 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide
Parallel PortControls whether the computer’s parallel port acts as an 
AT-compatible (unidirectional), PS)/2-compatible (bidirec-
tional), EPP-compatible, or ECP-compatible. When this 
option is set to Customized (default), the Mode is ECP, the 
Base I/O address is 378, the Interrupt is IRQ 7, and the 
DMA channel is DMA3. The Auto setting allows the operat-
ing system or the BIOS to configure the port automatically. 
When the option is set to Off, the port is disabled and you 
can use its assigned LPT resources for another device. If you 
change the parallel port address and/or DMA channel, be 
careful not to create a 
conflict with the address or DMA channel of the infrared 
port.
ModemAppears in the Setup program only if the computer has an 
interal modem. This option has no user-selectable settings.Table B-2.  System Devices Menu Options (continued)
OptionFunction
NOTE: For the full name of an abbreviation or acronym used in this table, see the Glossary in the 
system Help. 
						

							support.dell.comUsing the Setup ProgramB-7Security Menu
See Figure B-3 and Table B-3 for an explanation of the options and settings for the 
Security menu.Figure B-3.  Security MenuMain   System Devices   Security   Power   Boot   Exit
System Password is Clear
Set System Password[Enter]
Password On Boot[Disabled] PhoenixBIOS Setup UtilityItem Specific HelpF1 Help­¯ ­¯ Select ItemF5/F6 Change ValuesF9 Setup Defaults
ESC Exit« « Select MenuEnter Select  Sub-MenuF10 Save and ExitTable B-3.  Security Menu Options
OptionFunction
System PasswordIf no system password has been set, the setting for System 
Password is is Clear. Otherwise, the setting displayed is 
Set. 
Set System Pass-
wordPress  to set up a new system password, and then 
follow the instructions on your screen. This password 
restricts access to the Setup program settings. 
Password on BootWhen this option is enabled, you must enter a password 
before the computer loads the operating system into     
memory. Settings for this option are Disabled (default)      
and Enabled. To enable this option, the System Password 
option must be set. 
NOTE: For the full name of an abbreviation or acronym used in this table, see the Glossary in the 
system Help. 
						

							B-8Dell Inspiron 7500 System Reference and Troubleshooting GuidePower Menu
See Figure B-4 an d Table B-4 for an explanation of the options and settings for the 
Power menu.
NOTE: The power management settings of the Windows 98 operating system take 
precedence over the settings described here. For more information, see “Using 
Microsoft Windows 98 to Conserve Battery Power” in the system Help.Figure B-4.  Power Menu 
						

							support.dell.comUsing the Setup ProgramB-9Table B-4.  Power Menu Options
OptionFunction
Power Manage-
ment ModeDisabled (default) turns off power management. 
Customized allows you to control each power management 
setting. Max. Power Savings conserves the maximum 
amount of system power, and Max. Performance conserves 
power but allows the greatest system performance.
Standby Time-outLets you determine how long the computer remains idle (no 
I/O activity) before activating standby mode to conserve 
battery power. Settings for this option are Disabled (default),  
1 Minute, 2 Minutes, 4 Minutes, 6 Minutes, 8 Minutes,      
12 Minutes, and 
16 Minutes. To increase battery operating 
time, set this option to a lower number of minutes. Press 
any key on the integrated keyboard to resume normal 
computer operation.
NOTE: Set this option to Disabled if it causes compatibility 
problems with your software.
Suspend Time-outLets you determine how long the computer remains idle       
(no I/O activity) before activating save-to-disk suspend 
mode. Settings for this option are Disabled, 5 Minutes, 10 
Minutes, 15 Minutes, 20Minutes, 30 Minutes, 40 Min-
utes, and        60 Minutes. To increase battery operating 
time, set this option to a lower number of minutes.
NOTE: Set this option to Disabled if it causes compatibility 
problems with your software.
Suspend ModeWhen set to Save to RAM (default), the computer 
conserves battery power by entering standby mode by 
stopping almost all computer activity, but leaves the com-
puter ready to resume operations in seconds. Resume 
normal 
computer activity by pressing the power button (the com-
puter may take several seconds to return to normal 
operation).
When set to Save to Disk, the computer copies all system 
data to a reserved area on the hard-disk drive and then turns 
off all power to the computer. When the computer resumes 
normal operation, the same programs will be running and 
the same files will be open that were loaded before you 
activated this mode. Use save-to-disk suspend mode to 
conserve battery power or to preserve system data by 
quickly saving it to the hard-disk drive if you are about to run 
out of battery power.
NOTE: For the full name of an abbreviation or acronym used in this table, see the Glossary in the 
system Help. 
						

							B-10Dell Inspiron 7500 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide
Resume on 
Modem RingSetting this option to Enabled tells the computer to resume 
normal operation when an incoming call is detected by a 
modem and the computer is in standby mode. The default is 
Disabled. To use this option, Suspend Mode must be set to 
Save to RAM. 
Resume on Time 
of DayWhen the Resume On Time of Day option is set to 
Enabled, a computer in standby mode resumes normal 
operation at the time specified in the Resume Time field. 
The default is Disabled. To use this option, Suspend Mode 
must be set to Save to RAM. 
Resume TimeLets you specify a time when the computer resumes from 
standby mode to normal operation. To use this option, 
Suspend Mode must be set to Save to RAM.Table B-4.  Power Menu Options (continued)
OptionFunction
NOTE: For the full name of an abbreviation or acronym used in this table, see the Glossary in the 
system Help. 
						

							support.dell.comUsing the Setup ProgramB-11Boot Menu 
See Figure B-5 and Table B-5 for an explanation of the options and settings for the 
Boot menu. To select the boot device, press the up- or down-arrow key; then press 
 to move the device up the list ,or press  to move the device down the list.Figure B-5.  Boot MenuMain   System Devices   Security   Power   Boot   Exit
Floppy/Super Disk/ZIP
Internal Hard Drive
CD-ROM/DVDPhoenixBIOS Setup UtilityItem Specific HelpF1 Help­¯ ­¯ Select ItemF5/F6 Change ValuesF9 Setup Defaults
ESC Exit« « Select MenuEnter Select  Sub-MenuF10 Save and ExitTable B-5.  Boot Menu Options
OptionFunction
Floppy/Super Disk/
ZIPThe computer attempts to boot first from a bootable 
diskette, Super Disk, or Zip disk. If it does not detect one of 
these removable media disks, the computer tries to boot 
from the hard-disk drive. If a disk is in its drive, but the disk 
does not have the required boot files, an error message 
appears.
Internal Hard DriveThe computer boots only from the hard-disk drive. If it fails 
to boot from the hard-disk drive, the computer does not 
attempt to boot from the diskette drive.
NOTE: For the full name of an abbreviation or acronym used in this table, see the Glossary section 
of the system Help. 
						

							B-12Dell Inspiron 7500 System Reference and Troubleshooting GuideExit Menu
To exit the Setup program from the Exit menu, press the up- or down-arrow key to 
highlight a menu option, and then press . See Figure B-6 and Table B-6 for an 
explanation of the options and setting for the Exit menu.Figure B-6.  Exit Menu
CD-ROM/DVDCauses the computer to attempt to boot first from a 
bootable CD. If it does not detect a bootable CD in the 
CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive, the computer tries to boot 
from the hard-disk drive. If a CD is in the CD-ROM or DVD-
ROM drive, but the CD does not have the required boot files, 
an error message appears.Table B-5.  Boot Menu Options (continued)
OptionFunction
NOTE: For the full name of an abbreviation or acronym used in this table, see the Glossary section 
of the system Help.Main   System Devices   Security   Power   Boot   Exit
Exit Saving Changes
Exit Discarding Changes
Load Setup Defaults
Load Last Saved Values
Save ChangesPhoenixBIOS Setup UtilityItem Specific HelpF1 Help­¯ ­¯ Select ItemF5/F6 Change ValuesF9 Setup Defaults
ESC Exit« « Select MenuEnter Execute CommandF10 Save and Exit 
						

							support.dell.comUsing the Setup ProgramB-13Table B-6.  Exit Menu Options
OptionFunction
Exit Saving 
ChangesSaves any changes you have made and exits the Setup 
program
Exit Discarding 
ChangesDiscards any changes you have made and exits the Setup 
program.
Load Setup 
Defaults Discards any changes you have made and reverts all options 
to their original default settings, but does not exit the Setup 
program.
Load Last Saved 
ValuesDiscards the settings you have made and restores the 
settings you previously saved. Press  when 
prompted to continue. 
Save ChangesSaves settings without exiting the Setup program. Press 
 when prompted to continue, and then return to 
other menus to make changes.
NOTE: For the full name of an abbreviation or acronym used in this table, see the Glossary section 
of the system Help. 
						

							B-14Dell Inspiron 7500 System Reference and Troubleshooting Guide