Dell Precision 410 User Manual

Also see for Vostro 410: Setup guide User guide Service manual Setup and quick reference guide Documentation update

Contents

Using the ISA Configuration Utility 4-3If your system was shipped with Dell-installed software, the ICU diskette image (fromwhich you can make an ICU diskette) is installed on your hard-disk drive. (Your systemmay also be accompanied by anISA Configuration Utility Diskette.)The ICU is also available through online services such as Dell’s TechConnect bulletinboard service (BBS). See the chapter titled “Getting Help” in yourDiagnostics andTroubleshooting Guide for information on accessing the BBS.Whenever you add or remove a non-Plug and Play ISA expansion card, use the ICU toreconfigure your system. The utility reads the card’s corresponding configuration file(.cfg file), which describes the card’s characteristics and required system resources.After the resources identified in these configuration files are assigned to all non-Plugand Play ISA expansion cards, the system assigns resources to all Plug and Playexpansion cards, as well as PCI expansion cards, thereby creating a conflict-freeconfiguration.,&8'DWDEDVHThe ICU provides a database of configuration files for a large variety of non-Plug andPlay ISA expansion cards. The database is located in the \db subdirectory.Listed cardsare non-Plug and Play ISA expansion cards that have configuration files stored in thisdatabase.Unlisted cards are non-Plug and Play ISA expansion cards that do not have configura-tion files stored in the ICU database. Unlisted cards are not displayed in the list ofcards provided for the various card categories. The unlisted cards may be cards forwhich no configuration file exists or new cards that include a manufacturer-suppliedconfiguration file on diskette.When you supply a configuration file and the ICU is running from the hard-disk drive,the configuration file is copied to the directory that contains the rest of the ICUdatabase.:KHQWR5XQWKH,&8Whenever you add or remove non-Plug and Play ISA expansion cards, you must runthe ICU to ensure that no two cards attempt to use the same resources (such asinterrupt request [IRQ] lines).Run the programbefore adding or removing any non-Plug and Play ISA expansioncards. The ICU can identify and resolve any resource conflicts and indicate the properjumper and switch settings for each expansion card to avoid such conflicts. Runningthe program first helps you determine how to configure a non-Plug and Play ISAexpansion card before you install it in your computer.After you have run the ICU for your non-Plug and Play ISA expansion cards and it hasconfigured all your Plug and Play and PCI expansion cards, you can use the utility tolock the configuration of your Plug and Play and PCI expansion cards so that they arealways assigned the same resources. See “Locking and Unlocking Cards” found laterin this chapter for details.23205BK0.BK : 23205C40.FM Page 3 Wednesday, March 18, 1998 1:51 PM