Users Guide

Choosing the system boot mode

System Setup enables you to specify the boot mode for installing your operating system:

• BIOS boot mode (the default) is the standard BIOS-level boot interface.

• UEFI boot mode is an enhanced 64-bit boot interface based on Unified Extensible Firmware Interface

(UEFI) specifications that overlays the system BIOS.

To choose the system Boot Mode:

1. In System Setup click Boot Settings and select Boot Mode.

2. Select the Boot Mode you want the system to boot into.

NOTE: After the system boots in the specified boot mode, proceed to install your operating system

from that mode.

CAUTION: Trying to boot the operating system from the other boot mode will cause the system

to halt at startup.

NOTE: Operating systems must be UEFI-compatible to be installed from the UEFI boot mode. DOS

and 32-bit operating systems do not support UEFI and can only be installed from the BIOS boot

mode.

NOTE: For the latest information on supported operating systems, go to dell.com/ossupport .

Entering System Setup

1. Turn on or restart your system.

2. Press <F2> immediately after you see the following message:

<F2> = System Setup

If your operating system begins to load before you press <F2>, allow the system to finish booting,

and then restart your system and try again.

Responding to error messages

If an error message is displayed while the system is booting, make a note of the message. For more

information, see System Error Messages.

NOTE: After installing a memory upgrade, it is normal for your system to display a message the first

time you start your system.

Using the system setup navigation keys

Keys Action

Up arrow Moves to the previous field.

Down arrow Moves to the next field.