Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
off the system and move the configuration jumper on the motherboard from Normal to Configure (refer
to
Figure 5.7
)
. Because this is the only jumper on a modern Intel board, it is pretty easy to find. When
the system is powered back on, the BIOS Setup automatically runs, and you can select the
Maintenance menu shown in
Table 5.4
. After making changes and saving, power off the system and
reset the jumper to Normal mode for normal operation.
Table 5.4. Maintenance Menu Settings
Note that most processors are designed to allow operation only at their default multiplier or
frequency ratio (a feature called
speed locking
), whereas some allow higher-than-rated ratios to be
selected.
If a user forgets his password, all he has to do is set the configuration jumper, enter the Maintenance
menu in BIOS Setup, and use the option provided to clear the password. This function doesn't tell the
user what the password was; it simply clears it, allowing a new one to be set if desired. This means
the security is only as good as the lock on the system case because anybody who can get to the
configuration jumper can clear the password and access the system. This is why some computer cases
(chassis) come equipped with locks and chassis intrusion switches that connect to the motherboard,
setting a flag in the BIOS Setup indicating that the system has been opened.
Main Menu
The standard BIOS Setup menu dates back to the 286 days, when the complete BIOS Setup consisted
of only one menu. In the standard menu, you can set the system clock and record hard disk and floppy
drive parameters and the basic video type. Newer BIOSs have more complicated setups with more
menus and submenus, so the main menu often is fairly sparse compared to older systems.
