Simple BIOS utility settings

The BIOS can be used to set your notebook's system parameters. The system date, time, power settings and other functions are set in the BIOS. This information is stored on a non-volatile, battery-backed CMOS RAM. This simply means that the settings are saved even when the notebook itself is switched off.

To access the BIOS,when you see the message F2 to enter System Configuration Utility (or similar) press the appropriate keys. This message is not on screen for long, and should you miss it you will need to reboot your notebook.

This page is intended merely as a guide, should you do any severe damage to your computer whilst in the BIOS, we can accept no responsibility.
The following options are available in the BIOS.

Menu Menu Items
Main Date, Time
Advanced Advanced Chipset Control, shared memory, TV Output, Parallel Port type and mode, COM ports.
Security BIOS Password
Power Enable Power Saving, Low Power saving, Medium Power saving, High Power saving, Customize, Suspend Controls, Resume Timer, Enable Modem Ring Resume, Enable battery Low suspend.
Boot Boot sequence
Exit Save and Exit, Exit (no save), Default settings, Discard changes, Save (no exit)


To navigate your way around the BIOS, use the following keys.
Keys Action
Arrow / Right Arrow Moves from one menu to another
Up/Down arrows Scroll up and down through the options of a menu. Also, when an option is selected, these keys scroll through the available settings.
Enter Selects an option you wish to change.


Note: if an option is not listed in the following menus, then it should remain at the factory default setting.

Main Menu

Item Setting/Option Function
Date and Time Day/Month/Year
Hour/Minute/Second		 Sets the date and time


Advanced Menu

Item Setting/Options Function
Advanced Chipset Control VGA Share Memory 2 mb The amount of installed memory which is to be used for the VGA display
4 mb
8 mb
16 mb
32 mb
64 mb
Hi-Vision TV S-Video NTSC Select the type of television which is being used with the TV-Out port
S-Video PAL
I/O Device Configuration Parellel Port Disabled No Configuration
Enabled User Configuration (user sets Parallel Port mode)
Auto BIOS or OS chooses configuration
(OS Controlled) Displayed when controlled by the Operating System
Parallel Port Mode Output only If the Parallel Port is User Configured, these are the available options
Bi Directional
ECP
EPP
Warning - NEVER set the shared Memory to be the same size as the total memory of your notebook. (i.e. if you only have 64mb memory, do not set the shared memory to 64mb). If you do this, your notebook will not boot and you will have to add more physical RAM before you can access your notebook!

Boot Menu

Item Setting/Option Function
Boot Device 1st Boot Device Hard Disk C Specify the system's first choice for the boot drive
CD-ROM drive
Diskette A
2nd Boot Device Hard Disk C Specify the system's second choice for the boot drive
CD-ROM Drive
Diskette A
3rd Boot Device Hard Disk C Specify the system's third choice for the boot drive
CD-ROM Drive
Diskette A


Power Menu

Item Setting/Option Function
Enable Power Saving Disabled Control or customise the power saving features of your notebook
Customize
Maximum Power
Maximum Performance
Disk Standby Disabled The Hard Disk will enter standby mode if it is not accessed within the specified period. Hard Disk power will be restored when the disk drive is accessed
1 min
2 min
4 min
6 min
8 min
10 min
15 min
Suspend Controls Power Button Function Power On/Off The Power Button is used to turn the system on or off.
Suspend/Resume Pressing the power button for more than four seconds will generate a power button override event to switch the system from a working state to the off state.
Suspend Type Suspend to disk Specify the suspend mode for power management
Suspend to RAM
Resume Timer Resume Month/Day/Hour/Minute The system will resume at the specified time (month, day, hour and minute)
Enable Modem ring resume Enable Resume the system when a modem ring is detected
Disable Disable the above
Enable battery low beep Enable The notebook will beep when the battery is critically low.
Disable Disable the above


Exit Menu

The exit menu provides the user with options for leaving the BIOS, with or without saving any changes which have been made, as well as the options for restoring default settings or returning to previous settings.

Item Function
Save and Exit Save the current settings and reboot the system
Exit Exit without saving any of the changes
Default Settings Restore the default factory settings (the original ROM settings)
Discard Settings Resets any changes you may have made in the BIOS back to what they were before you started.