Dell Command | PowerShell Provider Version 2.4 Reference Guide December 2020 Rev.
Notes, cautions, and warnings NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of your product. CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates either potential damage to hardware or loss of data and tells you how to avoid the problem. WARNING: A WARNING indicates a potential for property damage, personal injury, or death. © 2020 Dell Inc. or its subsidiaries. All rights reserved. Dell, EMC, and other trademarks are trademarks of Dell Inc. or its subsidiaries.
Contents Chapter 1: Introduction to Dell Command | PowerShell Provider 2.4..............................................4 Chapter 2: Attributes supported in Dell Command | PowerShell Provider 2.4................................ 5 AdvancedBootOptions........................................................................................................................................................6 AdvancedConfigurations.......................................................................................
1 Introduction to Dell Command | PowerShell Provider 2.4 The Dell Command | PowerShell Provider module enables BIOS configuration for Dell enterprise client systems through the Windows PowerShell interface. It works for local systems, remote systems, and Windows Preinstallation Environment (WinPE). This document describes the supported attributes, and error reporting in Dell Command | PowerShell Provider. 4 Introduction to Dell Command | PowerShell Provider 2.
2 Attributes supported in Dell Command | PowerShell Provider 2.4 The following are categories in Dell Command PowerShell Provider and contains BIOS attributes. Table 1. Attributes supported in Dell Command | PowerShell Provider Category Name Description AdvancedBootOptions Displays the attributes to configure advanced boot settings. AdvancedConfigurations Displays the attributes to configure various advanced settings.
Table 1. Attributes supported in Dell Command | PowerShell Provider (continued) Category Name Description VirtualizationSupport Displays the attributes to configure virtualization settings. Wireless Displays the attributes to configure wireless devices.
Table 2. AdvancedBootOptions (continued) Attribute Name Description ● Disabled UefiBootPathSecurity Determines whether the system should prompt the user to enter the Admin password, if set, while booting from a UEFI boot path from the F12 Boot Menu. The following are the possible values: ● AlwaysExceptInternalHdd—All UEFI boot paths require the user to enter the Admin password, except for the boot paths that are hosted on an internal hard disk drives.
BootSequence Table 6. BootSequence Attribute Name Description BootList Determines the system’s boot mode. The following are the possible values: ● Uefi — Enables booting to Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) capable operating systems. ● Legacy — (the default) Ensures compatibility with operating systems that do not support UEFI. NOTE: Legacy boot mode is not allowed when secure boot is enabled or legacy option ROM is disabled.
Table 8. Integrated Devices (continued) Attribute Description ● Enabled ● Disabled TypeCDockOverride This field allows the Type-C Dell dock to initiate a data stream when the external USB ports are disabled. When the Type-C dock override is enabled, it activates video, audio, or LAN connection that can be used. The following are the possible values: ● Enabled ● Disabled IntelSoftwareGuardExtensions Table 9.
Table 10. Keyboard Attribute Description RAID (CTRL+I), LSI RAID (CTRL+C), or Intel Management Engine BIOS Extension (CTRL+P/F12).The following are the possible values: ● Enabled— Enabling device configuration hotkey allows you to access the device configuration screen by pressing the hotkeys during the system reboot. ● One time enable— You can access the device configuration screen by using hotkeys after a successful reboot. On the next system reboot, the setting reverts back to a disabled state.
Table 12. Maintenance (continued) Attribute Name Description NOTE: The read-only mechanism is not displayed at option level, while the AllowBIOSDowngrade is enabled. BiosAutoRcvr Enables or disables BIOS auto recovery feature. The following are the possible values: ● Enabled—If BIOS corruption is detected, the system automatically recovers BIOS without any user interaction. ● Disabled—Disables BIOS auto recovery feature. NOTE: You can enable this option only if BiosRcvrFrmHdd option is enabled.
Table 13. MemoryInformation (continued) Attribute Name Description NOTE: Due to an amount of memory allocated for the system use, MemoryAvailable is less than MemoryInstalled. Certain operating systems may not be able to use all the available memory. The following are the possible values: Read-only MemoryInstalled Displays the amount of main memory physically installed in the system.The following are the possible values: Read-only MemorySpeed Displays the clock frequency of the main memory.
Table 14. MiscellaneousDevices (continued) Attribute Name Description MiniCardSSDDevice Enables or disables the mini card Solid State Drive (SSD) module. The following are the possible values: ● Enabled ● Disabled ModuleBayDevice Enables or disables the module bay. The module bay is a hot-pluggable bay where storage and media devices such as HDDs, CDs or DVDs can be installed. The following are the possible values: ● Enabled ● Disabled OnboardModem Enables or disables the onboard internal modem.
Table 15. Passwords (continued) Attribute Name Description ● Disabled PwdDigitRqd This feature reinforces that the password must contain one digit number. The following are the possible values: ● Enabled ● Disabled PwdSpecialCharRqd This feature reinforces password must contain one special character. The following are the possible values: ● Enabled ● Disabled Performance Table 16.
Table 16. Performance (continued) Attribute Name Description ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Cores20—Twenty cores are enabled. Cores21—Twenty one cores are enabled. Cores22—Twenty two cores are enabled. Cores23—Twenty three cores are enabled. Cores24—Twenty four cores are enabled. Cores25—Twenty five cores are enabled. Cores26—Twenty six cores are enabled. Cores27—Twenty seven cores are enabled. Cores28—Twenty eight cores are enabled. CpuSnoopMode Configures the CPU snoop mode.
Table 16. Performance (continued) Attribute Name Description ● ● ● ● ● Hard disk configuration or partition changes Memory capacity over 8GB is installed. System or HDD password is enabled. A Dell Encryption Accelerator card is installed. The BlockSleep setting is enabled. IntelRapidStartInstantOnDispla Enables or disables displaying the system logo from cache during system resume using y Intel Rapid Start Technology.
Table 16. Performance (continued) Attribute Name Description NOTE: Isochronous mode may be best for audio and video streaming applications. The following are the possible values: ● Enabled—Enable this mode to reduce the latency of memory transactions at the expense of bandwidth. ● Disabled—Disable this mode for applications that need high memory bandwidth. TurboMode Enables or disables the Intel TurboBoost mode of the processor.
POSTBehavior Table 17. POSTBehavior Attribute Name Description DockWarningsEnMsg Enables or disables dock warning messages. The following are the possible values: ● Enabled ● Disabled ExternalHotKey Enables or disables Fn key emulation. The following are the possible values: ● Enabled—The Scroll Lock key on external keyboards emulate the Fn key only when running in a non-ACPI operating system. ● Disabled—The Scroll Lock key behaves normally.
Table 17. POSTBehavior (continued) Attribute Name Description NumLock Enables or disables the NumLock function when the system boots. The following are the possible values: ● Enabled ● Disabled NumLockLed Enables or disables the NumLockLed function when the system boots. The following are the possible values: ● Enabled ● Disabled PntDevice Defines how the system handles mouse and touchpad input.
Table 17. POSTBehavior (continued) Attribute Name Description SignOfLifeIndication During POST, system acknowledges that the power button has been pressed in a manner that the user can either hear or feel. The following are the possible values: ● Enabled ● Disabled WarningsAndErr During POST the system continues to boot, or pauses when warnings or errors are detected. This feature can be used for the remotely managed systems that does not have a keyboard or a console for the user to respond.
Table 18. PowerManagement (continued) Attribute Name Description AutoOn Configures the days when the system has to turn on automatically at the time specified in AutoOnHr and AutoOnMn. This function can turn on the system either every day, on weekdays, or on selected days. If AutoOnHr is set to 23, and AutoOnTime is set to 53, then setting AutoOntime to Weekdays turns on the system automatically on weekdays (Monday to Friday) at 11:53 p.m..
Table 18. PowerManagement (continued) Attribute Name Description BlinkPowerSupply1LED Normally, the status LEDs on the back of the Power Supply Unit (PSU) displays solid green color. The following are the possible values: ● Enabled—The first power supply (PSU 1) status LED blinks for few seconds. NOTE: There is no need for disabling the LEDs manually. When the Embedded Controller (EC) gives the control back to PSU, the LED turns off automatically.
Table 18. PowerManagement (continued) Attribute Name Description ● ● ● ● Med Low MedHigh MedLow FanSpeedLvl Configures the fan speed control if the fan speed is set to Auto using FanSpeed attribute. 0 sets the fan speed to the optimal speed level, and a higher percentage provides enhanced cooling. The following are the possible values: Integers ranging from 0 to 100. IntelReadyModeEn This option enables or disables Intel Ready Mode Technology (iRMT).
Table 18. PowerManagement (continued) Attribute Name Description ● Performance—This mode uses the processor's typical power and utilizes discrete graphics. ● HighPerformance—This mode increases processor sustained power to produce higher system performance, but produces more noise, increases system surface temperature, and reduces the battery life. PrimaryBattChargeCfg Configures the primary battery charge mode. The selected charging mode applies to all batteries installed in the system.
Table 18. PowerManagement (continued) Attribute Name Description TypeCPower Configures the maximum power for type-C connector. The following are the possible values: ● 7.5W ● 15W UsbWake Enables USB devices to wake the system from Standby. NOTE: This feature is functional only when the AC power adapter is connected. The following are the possible values: ● Enabled ● Disabled WakeOnAc Controls the system's behavior when AC power is restored after AC power was lost.
Table 18. PowerManagement (continued) Attribute Name Description ● Disabled PreEnabled Table 19. PreEnabled Attribute Description AmdSmartShift Sets the AmdSmartShift. The following are the possible values: ● Enabled—On a discrete GPU system, AMD SmartShift allows the system’s CPU and discrete GPU to share the power limits. This allows the potential performance that increases within the systems power or thermal limitation, ● Disabled—AmdSmartShift feature disabled. .
Table 19. PreEnabled (continued) Attribute Description NOTE: Fault Tolerant Memory Log Clear option will be reset to disabled state after log gets cleared. GpsWwan Enables or disables GPS WWAN Radio. The following are the possible values:\ ● Enabled ● Disabled GraphicSpecMode Enables or disables the modes. The following are the possible values: ● Enabled—Allows discrete Graphics Processing Unit (dGPU) to enable the platform external displays such as HDMI, NB DP and Type-C, etc.
Table 19. PreEnabled (continued) Attribute Description ● Disabled—Disables the USB wake from s4 power state of the system. ProcessorInformation Table 20. ProcessorInformation Attribute Name Description 64-BitTechnology Specifies whether the installed processors support 64-bit extensions. The following are the possible values: Read-only. CoreCount Displays the number of cores in each processor. By default, the maximum number of cores per processor are enabled.
Table 21. SecureBoot (continued) Attribute Name Description NOTE: In Secure Boot Mode, Audit Mode can be changed to Deployed Mode, but changing from Deployed Mode to Audit Mode is not supported. Security Table 22. Security Attribute Name Description Absolute Sets the value to the Absolute interface, and control the Absolute service. The following are the possible values: ● Enabled—The Absolute service is activated or deactivated. ● Disabled—If disabled, then the Absolute service does not run.
Table 22. Security (continued) Attribute Name Description Computrace This feature allows the users to enable or disable Absolute Software's Computrace security software BIOS ROM. After this token is written, the state is permanently maintained (this is a write-once field). This token is for Factory use only. Application and management software must ignore this token. Write-once permanent is different from write-once. Write-once is reset on a power cycle and/or chipset reset.
Table 22. Security (continued) Attribute Name Description IsAdminPasswordSet Specifies if an admin password has been set. Possible values: True, false (Read-only) IsSystemPasswordSet Specifies if a system password has been set. Possible values: True, false (Read-only) MasterPasswordLockout Enables or disables master password settings. CAUTION: Using the Dell Command | PowerShell Provider, you cannot disable this feature.
Table 22. Security (continued) Attribute Name Description Ppibypassforblocksid When there is no drive ownership and the ppibypassforblocksid is enabled, the BIOS requires user input while sending the Block SID authentication command to SED drives. When disabled, BIOS does not require user input while sending the Block SID command.
StealthModeControl Table 23. StealthModeControl Attribute Description StealthMode Sets the behavior of system elements. The following are the possible values: ● Enabled—The system elements operate in the preprogrammed stealth mode. ● Disabled—The system elements operate in normal mode. StealthModeBluetoothRadio Enables or disables Stealth Mode behavior for bluetooth radio if the StealthMode attribute is enabled.
SupportAssistSystemResolution Table 24. SupportAssistSystemResolution Attribute Description AutoOSRecoveryThreshold Sets the threshold value for auto OS recovery. Possible values: 0 to 3Controls the automatic boot flow for SupportAssist System Resolution console and for Dell OS Recovery Tool.
Table 25. SystemConfiguration (continued) Attribute Name Description AnalogDigitalInterfaceModeCha nnel3 Sets the defined Analog or Digital Interface mode for channel 3. The following are the possible values: ● Unused—Channel is unused. ● ADCInput—Sets the channel mode as Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) input. ● DACOutput—Sets the channel mode as Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC) output. ● DACAndADC—Sets the channel mode as DAC output, but can be monitored through ADC input.
Table 25. SystemConfiguration (continued) Attribute Name Description ● Disabled—Disabling this feature prevents the battery fuel gauge from being activated on touch or swipe. CanBus Enables or disables the Controller Area Network (CAN) Bus. The following are the possible values: ● Enabled ● Disabled DisBluetoothRadio Bluetooth radio stops functioning when stealth mode is enabled.
Table 25. SystemConfiguration (continued) Attribute Name Description DustFilter Enables or disables the BIOS messages for maintaining the optional dust filter installed in the computer. BIOS generates a pre-boot reminder to clean or replace the dust filter based on the interval settings. The following are the possible values: Disabled, 15days, 30days, 60days, 90days, 120days, 150days, 180days. EmbNic1 Controls the state of on-board LAN controller 1.
Table 25. SystemConfiguration (continued) Attribute Name Description ● Enabled—If enabled, when the BIOS boots next time, the first PXE-capable device is inserted as the first device in the boot sequence. Enabling this value causes this operation on the next boot only, and does not cause a change in the defined boot sequence of the system.
Table 25. SystemConfiguration (continued) Attribute Name Description ● ● ● ● ● Enabled Disabled Low Medium High IoModule Enables or disables I/O module. The following are the possible values: ● Enabled ● Disabled IoModule 2 Enables or disables I/O module 2. The following are the possible values: ● Enabled ● Disabled IoModule 3 Enables or disables I/O module 3. The following are the possible values: ● Enabled ● Disabled IoModule 4 Enables or disables I/O module 4.
Table 25. SystemConfiguration (continued) Attribute Name Description KeyboardBacklightCustom2Colo Configures the Custom2 color by specifying the RGB values by mentioning it in 'R:G:B' r format. Each color component value ranges from 0 to 255. Possible values: [0-255]: [0-255]:[0-255] KeyboardBacklightEnabledColor Displays or enables the supported colors for the keyboard backlight in the rugged s systems.
Table 25. SystemConfiguration (continued) Attribute Name Description M2PcieSsd1 Enables or disables M2 PCIE SSD 1. The following are the possible values: ● Enabled ● Disabled M2PcieSsd2 Enables or disables M2 PCIE SSD 2. The following are the possible values: ● Enabled ● Disabled M2PcieSsd3 Enables or disables M2 PCIE SSD 3. The following are the possible values: ● Enabled ● Disabled Microphone Enables or disables the internal or external microphone.
Table 25. SystemConfiguration (continued) Attribute Name Description NOTE: By default, this option is disabled to maintain compatibility with existing installation tools; however, this option can be changed if more than one operating system volume is present on the client system. PciAllocationPriority Allocates PCI resources, buses, memory-mapped I/O (MMIO) space, and I/O space.
Table 25. SystemConfiguration (continued) Attribute Name Description Sata4 Enables or disables the fifth SATA drive controller. The following are the possible values: ● Enabled ● Disabled Sata5 Enables or disables the sixth SATA drive controller. The following are the possible values: ● Enabled ● Disabled Sata6 Enables or disables the seventh SATA drive controller. The following are the possible values: ● Enabled ● Disabled Sata7 Enables or disables the eighth SATA drive controller.
Table 25. SystemConfiguration (continued) Attribute Name Description ● ● ● ● RS232 RS422 RS485 Auto Serial5 Configures the fifth (if available) built-in serial port. The following are the possible values: ● Disabled ● Auto Serial6 Configures the sixth (if available) built-in serial port. The following are the possible values: ● Disabled ● Auto SignOfLifeByLogo This option indicates that, during POST the power button has been pressed by displaying the customized logo.
Table 25. SystemConfiguration (continued) Attribute Name Description ● ● ● ● 30s 1m 5m 15m TabletButtonsTimeoutBatt This feature defines the illumination timeout value for the tablet buttons when the system is running on battery power. The buttons are illuminated when they are pressed, and remains illuminated for that specified timeout period. The tablet button illumination timeout value works when button illumination is enabled.
Table 25. SystemConfiguration (continued) Attribute Name Description ● Enabled—Charges the external devices, such as phones and laptop music players, using the stored system battery when the system is turned off or in sleep mode. This feature works only if: ○ The device is connected through the USB PowerShare port on the laptop. ○ The system is connected to an AC power source. ○ The battery charge is less than 50 percent.
SystemInformation Table 26. SystemInformation Attribute Name Description Asset An asset tag is a string that can be used by an IT administrator to uniquely identify a particular system. Possible values: String containing 0 to 14 characters. BIOSVersion Displays the current version of the system BIOS firmware. Possible values: Read-only ExpressServiceCode The express service code is a mathematical hash applied to the service tag.
Table 28. ThermalConfiguration (continued) Attribute Name Description ● 0 to 100 FanSpdAutoLvlonFlexBayZone Sets the speed of the fan on Flex Bay zone. The following are the possible values: ● 0 to 100 FanSpdAutoLvlonUpperPcieZon Sets the speed of the fan on Upper PCIe zone. The following are the possible values: e ● 0 to 100 TPMSecurity Table 29.
Table 29. TPMSecurity (continued) Attribute Name Description Tpmppiclearoverride When enabled tpmppiclearoverride performing the TPM clear command within operating system does not require user interaction. When disabled, performing the TPM clear command within the operating system does require user interaction. ● Enabled ● Disabled NOTE: You can enable Tpmppiclearoverride in manufacturing mode or while setting up the BIOS Setup Administrator password.
Table 30. USBConfiguration (continued) Attribute Name Description RearUSB3.0Ports Enables or disables the rear USB 3.0 ports. The following are the possible values: ● Enabled ● Disabled ThunderboltBoot Enables or disables booting from the Thunderbolt device. The following are the possible values: ● Enabled ● Disabled ThunderboltPorts Enables or disables the thunderbolt ports controller in the system.
Table 30. USBConfiguration (continued) Attribute Name Description ● Disabled USBPort14 Enables or disables USB port 14. The following are the possible values: ● Enabled ● Disabled USBPort15 Enables or disables USB port 15. The following are the possible values: ● Enabled ● Disabled USBPort16 Enables or disables USB port 16. The following are the possible values: ● Enabled ● Disabled USBPort17 Enables or disables USB port 17.
Table 30. USBConfiguration (continued) Attribute Name Description ● EnabledWithNoUSBBoot UsbPortsExternal Enables or disables the device that is attached to this USB port. The following are the possible values: ● Enabled—Devices attached to this USB port are enabled and available in the operating system. ● Disabled—Devices attached to this USB port are disabled and not visible in the operating system. NOTE: USB mouse and keyboard work even if the external USB port is disabled.
Table 30. USBConfiguration (continued) Attribute Name Description ● Disabled UsbPortsSide Enables or disables all side USB Ports in the system. The following are the possible values: ● Enabled ● Disabled UsbPortsSide1 Enables or disables USB side port 1. The following are the possible values: ● Enabled ● Disabled UsbPortsSide2 Enables or disables USB side port 2. The following are the possible values: ● Enabled ● Disabled UsbRearDual Enables or disables the rear left dual USB ports.
Table 31. Video (continued) Attribute Name Description DynBacklightCtrl Enables or disables the Dynamic Backlight Control (DBC) feature within the BIOS. The following are the possible values: ● Enabled ● Disabled HybridGraphics Allows the integrated and discrete graphics controllers. The following are the possible values: ● Enabled—The system allows the integrated and discrete graphics controllers to work together to optimize the graphics capability and battery life.
Table 31. Video (continued) Attribute Name Description ● Enabled ● Disabled VirtualizationSupport Table 32. VirtualizationSupport Attribute Description AmdVtEnable This field specifies whether the Virtual Machine Monitor (VMM) utilizes the additional hardware capabilities provided by AMD-V Technology.
Wireless Table 33. Wireless Attribute Name Description AntennaSwitch This setting determines the antenna usage when the system is connected to a docking station. The option designates which wireless radio is connected to which dock antenna. The System Antennas Only option indicates the system antennas that are used, and the dock antennas that are not used, even when the system is docked. When the system is undocked, the system antennas are used and this setting has no effect.
Table 33. Wireless (continued) Attribute Name Description WirelessSwitchUwb Determines that UWB (Ultra Wide Band) Radio will be controlled by the wireless On-Off switch. The following are the possible values: ● Enabled—Physical wireless On-Off switch can turn the UWB Radio On-Off. ● Disabled—Physical wireless On-Off switch cannot turn the UWB Radio On-Off. WirelessSwitchWiGigCtrl Determines that Wireless Gigabit Alliance (WiGig) radio can be controlled by the physical wireless On/Off switch.
3 Error reporting in Dell Command | PowerShell Provider 2.4 Dell Command | PowerShell Provider provides an Error Reporting feature. Dell Command | PowerShell Provider uses the PowerShell ErrorVariable parameter to capture the ErrorRecord. This ErrorVariable can be used to get more information such as exception, error id, error category, and recommended action, and so on, about an error. NOTE: If the system does not have a WMI-ACPI compliant BIOS. Update the BIOS with a compatible version, if available.
Table 34. Error reporting in Dell Command | PowerShell Provider (continued) Error Category Error ID Scenarios Example ReadOnlyValue Trying to set read-only value for chassis intrusion status. SetNotAllowed Set operation is not enabled using Dell Command | PowerShell Provider but enabled using BIOS Setup Menu. si .\Security \MasterPasswordLockout "Disabled" NotValidNumber Doing set operation by giving noninteger value for an attribute accepts integer value. si .\PowerManagement \AutoOnHr “on” si
Table 34. Error reporting in Dell Command | PowerShell Provider (continued) Error Category Error ID Scenarios InvalidPeakShiftTimes Not maintaining the time dependency between PeakShift StartTime, EndTime, and ChargeStartTime. InvalidDayOfWeek Providing invalid day. InCorrectBootOrder Trying to provide duplicate boot device number. UnsupportedColorName Trying to set unsupported color for KeyboardBacklightEnabledColors or KeyboardBacklightActiveColor.
Table 34. Error reporting in Dell Command | PowerShell Provider (continued) Error Category InvalidOperatio n Error ID Scenarios Example InvalidRGBFormat Trying to provide RGB values in an incorrect format for KeyboardBacklightCustom1Color or KeyboardBacklightCustom2Color. si .\SystemConfiguration \KeyboardBacklightCustom1 Color “234:34” NotValidNumberForRGB Trying to provide invalid number for R, G or B components for KeyboardBacklightCustom1Color or KeyboardBacklightCustom2Color. si .\SystemConfi
Table 34. Error reporting in Dell Command | PowerShell Provider (continued) Error Category Error ID Scenarios SecureBootEnabledOrLegacyO Trying to Configure BootList as romDisabled Legacy WriteError 62 SMBIOSWriteFailed Provided incorrect password while doing set operation if password is already set. Error reporting in Dell Command | PowerShell Provider 2.4 Example si .\BootConfiguration \BootList "Legacy" si .\POSTBehavior \numlock “enabled” – Password
4 Accessing documents from the Dell EMC support site You can access the required documents by selecting your product. 1. Go to www.dell.com/manuals. 2. Click Browse all products, click Software, and then click Client Systems Management. 3. To view the required documents, click the required product name and version number.
