Users Guide

hard-disk drive, the card name appears in the expansion slot in which the card is installed.
The first time you run the RCU, select Step 2: Add or remove boards to verify that the system has detected and
acknowledged any expansion cards Dell installed when you purchased your system. Use this option whenever you add
or remove an expansion card and every time you reposition a card from one expansion slot to another in your computer.
To add, reposition, or remove an expansion card, highlight the corresponding expansion slot and press <Ins> to add,
<F7> to reposition, or <Del> to remove the card. The utility guides you through the steps required to add, remove, or
reposition a card's configuration file within the RCU. If there are no resource conflicts, the system configuration
information is saved to a system configuration (.sci) file when you exit the utility.
Adding an Expansion Card
Before you add an ISA expansion card, you must add the card's .cfg file to the utility. Configuration information for PCI
expansion cards is contained within the card, so no .cfg file is required.
NOTE: Use the following procedure before an ISA expansion card is installed. See When to Run the RCU for
more detailed information.
1. Start the RCU as described in Starting the RCU.
2. At the Main Menu, select Configure computer.
3. At the Steps in configuring your computer menu, select Step 2: Add or remove boards.
A list of expansion slots and the cards installed in them appears on the screen.
4. Highlight the expansion slot in which the card will be installed, press <Ins>, and follow the online instructions.
If the utility asks for the option configuration diskette, insert the diskette that accompanied your expansion card.
If the utility asks for the system configuration diskette, insert your RCU diskette.
If the utility asks for the .cfg file library diskette, insert the diskette of .cfg files.
5. From the list of configuration files listed by the utility, choose the one that corresponds to the card you want to
add.
The utility asks you to confirm your choice and then prompts you to select the expansion slot in which the card
will be installed.
If you are adding an ISA expansion card, insert your .cfg diskette to find the .cfg file for that card. If the .cfg file
for the expansion card you are installing is not on the diskette, select Generic ISA board from the list of
configuration files.
NOTE: Alternatively, if you know the resources used by the expansion card, you can press <F5> and
bring up a menu that lets you create the .cfg file.
For all ISA expansion cards, use the Step 4: Examine switches or print report option (under the Steps in
configuring your computer menu) to check the switch and jumper settings on the new card. Configure the new
card as indicated before it is installed in your computer.
6. Press <F10>, select Step 5: Save and exit, and follow the online instructions to save the current system
configuration information.
7. Save a printout or written copy of your new configuration. The utility may prompt you to check the jumper and
switch settings on the new card. Follow the online instructions to see an illustration of the card's settings.
Repositioning an Expansion Card
Use the following procedure before an ISA expansion card is repositioned but after a PCI expansion card is
repositioned. See When to Run the RCU
for more detailed information.
1. Start the RCU as described in Starting the RCU.