The computer has several keystroke options available during the POST process at the
Dell Logo screen. These keystrokes make several options available.
Keystroke
Function
Description
<F2>
Enter
System
Setup
Use System Setup to make changes
to the user-definable settings.
<F12> or <Ctrl><Alt><F8>
Enter Boot
Menu
One-time boot and diagnostics utility
menu.
<F3>
Network
Boot
Bypass the BIOS boot sequence and
boot directly to the network.
Timing Key Sequences
The keyboard is not the first device initialized by Setup. As a result, if you press a
keystroke too early, you lock out the keyboard. When this happens, a keyboard error
message appears on the monitor, and you cannot restart the system with the
<Ctrl><Alt><Del> keys.
To avoid this scenario, wait until the keyboard is initialized before pressing the keystroke.
There are two ways to know that this has happened:
•
The keyboard lights flash.
•
The "F2=Setup" prompt appears in the top right-hand corner of the screen during
boot.
The second method is good if the monitor is already warmed up. If it is not, the system
often passes the window of opportunity before the video signal is visible. If this is the
case, rely on the first method—the keyboard lights—to know the keyboard is initialized.
Dell Diagnostics
Factory-installed platforms include 32-bit system diagnostics on the installed utility
partition. Access these diagnostics using the <F12> keystroke during system boot and
select Diagnostics.
After pressing the keystroke, the appropriate modules load and the PSA diagnostics run.
If this passes, the standard Dell Diagnostics main menu appears. When exiting the
diagnostics, the system reboots and returns to the installed operating system. Restarting
the computer with the <Ctrl><Alt><Del> keystroke also returns the system to the normal
boot sequence as well.
Drives sent for service replacement do not have the utility partition and therefore do not
have this capability. If pressed, the keystroke is ignored on these drives.
68
