IBM Aptiva, Handbook

Page: 43 / 202

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Viewing and changing Aptiva configuration
Your IBM Aptiva Personal Computer comes from the
factory configured for immediate use. You can view your
computer’s configuration settings using the Setup Utility
and the Windows 95 Device Manager.
You can also use these configuration utilities to change
some configuration settings. For instance, if you add or
replace hardware inside your system unit, you might
need to verify or update specific settings. For
information about working with your system unit’s
hardware, see “Part 3: Upgrading and replacing
hardware” on page 49.
This chapter contains the following sections to help you
personalize or reconfigure your computer:
•
“Using the Setup Utility” on page 29
•
“Using other configuration utilities” on page 47
Using the Setup Utility
The Setup Utility lets you view and change important
information about your computer and its hardware. You
might need to use the Setup Utility if you upgrade the
hardware in your computer or if you get an error
message while using your computer.
In most circumstances, when you add or replace
hardware in your system unit, your computer’s Basic
Input/Output System (BIOS) detects the hardware
changes and updates the Setup Utility automatically. In
some cases, however, especially if you purchase
hardware that does not meet Plug and Play
requirements, you might need to manually change the
configuration information in the Setup Utility. If you
remove hardware, in some cases, an online message
asks you to check the Setup Utility to verify that
automatic detection made the correct configuration
changes.
Of course, you can always use the Setup Utility just to
view information about your system’s hardware
configuration. In general, the Setup Utility contains the
following hardware and configuration information:
•
Processor speed
•
System, cache, and video memory
•
Diskette, hard disk, and CD-ROM drives
•
Serial and parallel ports
•
Rapid Resume features
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