Chapter 9: System Setup; Boot Menu; Timing Key Sequences; Dell Diagnostics - Dell Precision Rack 7910 Owner's Manual
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Also See for Precision Rack 7910:
- Owner's manual (142 pages) ,
- Quick start manual (2 pages) ,
- Setup manual (3 pages)
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Boot Menu
As with previous workstation platforms, this computer includes a one-time boot menu. This feature gives users a quick and
convenient mechanism to bypass the System Setup-defined boot device order and boot directly to a specific device (for
example: floppy, CD-ROM, or hard drive). The boot menu enhancements introduced on previous platforms are as follows:
● Easier access — Although the <Ctrl><Alt><F8> keystroke still exists and can be used to call up the menu, simply press
<F12> during system boot to access the menu.
● User prompting — Not only is the menu easy to access, but the user is prompted to use the keystroke on the BIOS splash
screen. The keystroke is no longer "hidden" from the user.
● Diagnostics options — The boot menu includes two diagnostic options, IDE Drive Diagnostics (90/90 Hard Drive
Diagnostics) and Boot to the Utility Partition. The benefit here is that the user does not have to remember the
<Ctrl><Alt><D> and <Ctrl><Alt><D> and <Ctrl><Alt><F10> keystrokes.
NOTE:
Since the one-time boot menu only affects the current boot, it has the added benefit of not requiring the technician
to restore the customer's boot order after completing troubleshooting.
The computer has several keystroke options available during the POST process at the Dell Logo screen. These keystrokes make
several options available.
Keystroke
<F2>
<F12>
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 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.
104
System Setup
Function
Description
Enter System
Use System Setup to make changes to the user-
Setup
definable settings.
Enter Boot Menu
One-time boot and diagnostics utility menu.
System Setup
9
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Troubleshooting
