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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.
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.
Beep Codes and Text Error Messages
The OptiPlex BIOS is capable of displaying error messages in plain English, along with beep codes. If the BIOS
determine the previous boot was unsuccessful, it displays an error message similar to the following:
Previous attempts at booting the system have failed at checkpoint ______. For
help resolving this problem, please note this checkpoint and contact Dell
Technical Support.
Navigation
The computer setup can be navigated by either the keyboard or the mouse.
Use the following keystrokes to navigate the BIOS screens:
Action
Expand and collapse field
Expand or collapse all fields
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Keystroke
<Enter>, left- or right-arrow key, or +/–
< >
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