Using the EISA Configuration Utility 5-13To use the EISA Configuration Utility in modeling mode,start the utility from your hard-disk drive by typing sd /nat the operating system prompt and pressing . (Touse the advanced options in modeling mode, typesd /n /a at the operating system prompt and press.)A dialog box appears with two options—Open As. . .(to load an existing system configuration file) and New(to create a new file). Highlight the option you want, andpress . The screen shows a list of Dell EISA sys-tems. Choose the system you want to configure, andpress . At this point, you can modify or create aconfiguration file just as you would with the ConfigureComputer option.Modeling mode also provides access to advanced systemboard and expansion-card features, such as enabling ordisabling NMIs (see “Advanced Menu” found earlier inthis chapter). Ordinarily, you do not need to adjust thesefeatures unless a Dell service technician instructs you todo so.When you finish modifying or creating a system configu-ration file in modeling mode, select Step 5: Save and Exitfrom the Steps in Configuring Your Computer menu. Adialog box appears, offering two choices: to save the con-figuration file and restart the computer or to discard theconfiguration file and return to the Main Menu. If youchoose to save the configuration file, you are prompted totype a filename for the new configuration file. Then youare prompted to type a description of the configurationfile, which is stored with the configuration file.Using the Password FeaturesYour Dell system is shipped to you with the supervisor anduser password features ready to use but without passwordsassigned. If system security is a concern, you should operateyour system with password protection.You can assign a supervisor and/or user passwordthrough the EISA Configuration Utility (as describedlater in “Assigning a User Password” or “Assigning aSupervisor Password”) or through the System Setupprogram (as described in Chapter 4, “Using the SystemSetup Program”). Once you assign a supervisor and/oruser password, only those who know the password(s)have full use of the system.NOTE: You can also use the System Setup program toassign, change, or delete a user or supervisor password.See the appropriate sections in Chapter 4, “Using theSystem Setup Program,” for more information.How Password Security WorksWhen a supervisor password is assigned and the PasswordOn Boot category is set to Enabled, the system promptsyou for the supervisor password every time you start orreboot your computer. After a supervisor password isassigned, the EISA Configuration Utility prompts you forthe supervisor password if you select Configure Com-puter from the Main Menu. You must enter a supervisorpassword to be able to change any of the system configura-tion parameters. Entering a user password allows you toview, but not change any of the system configurationparameters.To delete or change an existing supervisor or user password,you must know the supervisor password. See “Deleting anExisting User Password” or “Deleting an Existing Supervi-sor Password” found later in this section for moreinformation.NOTE: A user password can only be assigned after asupervisor password has been assigned.If you assign and then forget a password, you must removethe cover of the computer (which may require unlocking thecomputer’s keylock) and change a jumper setting to tempo-rarily disable the password features (see “Disabling aForgotten Password” found later in this section).CAUTION: The password features provide abasic level of security for the data on your system.However, they are not foolproof. If your datarequires more security, it is your responsibility toobtain and use additional forms of protection,such as data encryption programs. CAUTION: If you leave your system running andunattended, anyone can access the data stored inyour system even with a password assigned. Toprotect your system while it is running, you mustuse additional forms of protection, such as screen-saver software protected by a password.
