IBM Aptiva Personal Computer
(250-0451A) Using the Setup Utility Faxback Doc. # 33168
The Setup Utility allows you to view and change important information about
your computer and its hardware. You may need to use the Setup Utility in
these situations:
If you add or replace a hardware option (such as a diskette drive,
memory module, monitor, or adapter card), and you want to verify or
make a change
To verify a change after removing a hardware option
If you get an error code and message
You can also use the Setup Utility to:
Check your computer's hardware features. For example, you can use this
program to check the amount of memory or the size of the hard disk in
your computer.
Change your computer's serial and parallel port settings, and the
parallel port mode.
Set up or change Power-on password on your computer.
Change the date and time on your computer.
Reduce the amount of energy your computer uses by setting up your
computer's Rapid Resume features.
Starting the Setup Utility
The Setup Utility opens with a Main Menu that lists the features of the
Utility. When you choose a feature from the Main Menu, the Setup Utility
displays screens that let you view information about how your computer is
set up (called the configuration), or change certain information on your
computer.
When you get an error, your computer shows a popup window with an error
code and description. Press Enter to get the Setup Utility Main Menu.
You can also start the Utility with this method:
1. If your monitor and system unit are turned:
a. On, save all open files and close all software applications.
Turn off the system unit, and then turn the system unit on again.
b. Off, turn on your monitor, and then turn on your system unit.
2. This symbol appears on the screen.
Press F1 while the symbol is displayed to get the Setup Utility.
3. Your computer comes with Rapid Resume enabled. If you have kept Rapid
Resume enabled, the Setup Utility will display the Summary View. To
see all the options in the Setup Utility, press the Ctrl, Alt, and
Delete keys at the same time to restart your system, then repeat
Step 2.
Making changes with the Setup Utility
Read this section to learn how to choose a feature from the Main Menu. We
also describe the keys you use to move through and make changes to the
Setup Utility screens and provide a step-by-step example of how to use the
Setup Utility.
The Setup Utility Main Menu
The Main Menu appears when you start the Setup Utility. The Main Menu
lists all of the features of the Setup Utility.
note: (The Main Menu you see on your computer may look slightly different
than the menu shown here, but will operate the same way.)
Main Menu
Select a Menu
System Information
Video and Monitor
Disk Drives
Input/Output Port
Rapid Resume
Plug and Play
Startup Options
Model Information
Date and Time
Advanced Options
<F1> Help <F2> General Help <F5> Load Factory Settings
<Esc> Exit Setup <UP Arrow><DOWN Arrow> Move <Enter> View Menu
To choose a feature from the Setup Utility Main Menu:
1. Press the down (DOWN ARROW) or up (UP ARROW) arrow key on the keyboard
until the feature you want is highlighted.
2. Press Enter. One of the following will occur:
a. A screen will appear that allows you to view or change information.
b. Another menu will appear. Repeat steps 1 and 2 to view or change
information.
You can only change some of the information that appears on the Setup
Utility screens. The information you can change is enclosed in brackets
like this: []. You cannot change items that do not have brackets around
them.
Working with Setup Utility screens
You use keys on the keyboard to move through and make changes to the Setup
Utility screens. Here are the keys you can use.
Keys Function
UP ARROW DOWN ARROW Use these arrow keys to highlight a feature or
option on the screen. (Press the Enter key to
choose the feature or option.)
LEFT ARROW RIGHT ARROW Use these arrow keys to make a selection and
change an option. On some screens, you can use
these keys to move from one field to another.
+ Use this key on some screens to increase the
numerical value of a setting.
- Use this key (the minus or hyphen key) on some
screens to decrease the numerical value of a
setting.
F1 Press this key once if you want help for a
selected menu item.
F2 Press this key once if you want general
information on using the Setup Utility.
F5 Press this key if you want to return the Setup
settings to the factory defaults (the original
settings that were made at the factory).
Esc After viewing or making changes to a screen,
press this key to exit the screen.
Enter Press this key to choose a feature or option
from a menu.
The -> symbol on the screen shows you that an option has been changed.
Note: Not all of these keys are available on every screen. The keys that
are available on each screen are displayed on the bottom of the
screen.
Saving and restoring settings
After you make changes to a Setup Utility screen, you will return to the
Main Menu. To exit the Setup Utility:
1. From the Main Menu, press the Esc key.
2. The "Exit Setup" window appears. If you have made any changes to the
Setup Utility, it will ask you if you want to save your changes.
a. If you would like to save your changes, highlight the option to
save your changes and exit the Setup Utility, then press Enter.
b. If you do not want to save your changes, highlight the option to
exit the Setup Utility without saving, then press Enter.
If you have made changes to the Setup utility, and you would like to
restore the settings to the original settings that were made at the
factory:
1. From the Main Menu, press the F5 key. The "Load Factory Settings"
window appears.
2. Highlight the option to reload the factory settings and restart, then
press Enter. Your computer will restart. Any options that were
changed will return to the factory settings (the original settings
that were made at the factory.)
Example of using the Setup Utility
To give you an idea of how to work with the Setup Utility, the following
example walks you step-by-step through the process of changing the time on
your computer.
1. If your monitor and system unit are turned:
a. On, save all open files and close all software applications.
Turn off the system unit, and then turn the system unit on again.
b. Off, turn on your monitor, and then turn on your system unit.
2. This symbol appears on the screen.
Press F1 while the symbol is displayed to get the Setup Utility.
3. Your computer comes with Rapid Resume enabled. If you have kept Rapid
Resume enabled, the Setup Utility will display the Summary View. To
see all the options in the Setup Utility, press the Ctrl, Alt, and
Delete keys at the same time to restart your system, then repeat
Step 2.
4. When the Main Menu appears, press the down (DOWN ARROW) arrow key until
Date and Time is highlighted. Then press Enter to display the Date and
Time screen.
5. The Date and Time screen looks like this:
Note: When you enter the time in the Setup Utility, use the 24-hour
format. For example:
12 midnight is 00:00:00
12 noon is 12:00:00
1:30 p.m. is 13:30:00
The Date setting should be highlighted when the Date and Time screen
appears (the date setting is 09/07/95 in the picture). To select the
Time setting, use the arrow keys on the keyboard to highlight it.
(The time setting is 14:39:26 in the picture.)
To change the hours, press the + key to increase the hour setting, or
the - (minus key to decrease it.
6. Press the right arrow key (->) to move from the hour setting to the
minute setting. Press the + key to increase the minute setting, or
the - key to decrease it. (If necessary, use the same method to
change the seconds.)
Note: On the Date and Time screen, you use the right and left arrow
keys to move from one field to another. On other screens, you
use these arrow keys to select a new setting. To determine
which keys to use on each Setup Utility screen, look at the
bottom of each screen.
7. After you have entered the correct time, press the Esc key to exit
the Date and Time screen.
8. The Main Menu appears. From the Main Menu, press the Esc key to exit
the Setup Utility.
9. The Exit Setup window appears, select the option "Yes. save and exit
the Setup Utility" and press Enter.
Now that you understand how to work with the Setup Utility, read the rest
of this chapter to learn about each of its features.
Features of the Setup Utility
The setup Utility contains the following features, which you select from
the Main Menu:
System Information
Video and Monitor
Disk Drives
Input/Output Ports
Rapid Resume
Plug and Play
Startup Options
Model Information
Date and Time
Advanced Options
Each feature is described in the following pages. Each feature also
contains online help information which you can access by pressing the F1
key.
(br/all-06/03/96)
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