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l Hard Drive — The computer attempts to boot from the primary hard drive. If no operating system is on the drive, the computer generates an error
message.
l CD/DVD Drive — The computer attempts to boot from the CD/DVD drive. If no CD/DVD is in the drive, or if the CD/DVD has no operating system, the
computer generates an error message.
l USB Flash Device — Insert the memory device into a USB port and restart the computer. When F12 = Boot Menu appears in the upper-right corner of
the screen, press <F12>. The BIOS detects the device and adds the USB flash option to the boot menu.
Changing Boot Sequence for the Current Boot
You can use this feature to change the current boot sequence, for example, to boot from the CD/DVD drive to run the Dell Diagnostics on the Drivers and
Utilities media. On completion of diagnostic tests, the previous boot sequence is restored.
1. If you are booting to a USB device, connect the USB device to a USB connector.
2. Turn on (or restart) your computer.
3. When F2 = Setup, F12 = Boot Menu appears in the upper-right corner of the screen, press <F12>.
If you wait too long and the operating system logo appears, continue to wait until you see the Microsoft Windows desktop. Then shut down your
computer and try again.
The Boot Device Menu appears, listing all available boot devices. Each device has a number next to it.
4. On the Boot Device Menu choose the device you want to boot from.
For example, if you are booting to a USB memory key, highlight USB Flash Device and press <Enter>.
Changing Boot Sequence for Future Boots
1. Enter system setup (see Entering System Setup).
2. Use the arrow keys to highlight the Boot Device Configuration menu option and press <Enter> to access the menu.
3. Press the up- and down-arrow keys to move through the list of devices.
4. Press plus (+) or minus (–) to change the boot priority of the device.
Clearing Forgotten Passwords
1. Follow the procedures in Before You Begin.
2. Remove the computer cover (see Removing the Computer Cover).
3. Remove the shield (seeRemoving the Shield).
4. Remove the stand (see Removing the Stand).
5. Locate the 3-pin password connector (CLR_PSWD) on the system board (see System Board Components).
NOTE: To boot to a USB device, the device must be bootable. To ensure that your device is bootable, check the device documentation.
NOTE: To boot to a USB device, the device must be bootable. To ensure your device is bootable, check the device documentation.
NOTE: Write down your current boot sequence in case you want to restore it.
WARNING: Before you begin any of the procedures in this section, follow the safety instructions that shipped with your computer.
WARNING: The computer must be disconnected from the electrical outlet to clear the password setting.