6: Using The Motherboard

Plug and Play Problems

This motherboard supports the automatic recognition and configuration of expansion cards that support the Plug and Play (PnP) specification. Most currently available expansion cards support PnP. PnP simplifies card installation by allowing the system to handle system resource allocation. If you install an expansion card that is not PnP compliant, you may still need to configure the card manually. Consult the card’s documentation for instructions or other information.

Replacing the System Configuration Record

As noted previously, the CMOS Setup Utility creates a system configuration record and stores it in CMOS memory on the motherboard. This record must be correct and uncorrupted for the system to operate properly.

It is possible for the system configuration record can become corrupted or lost. If this occurs, the system will not operate properly or at all. This is not a serious problem. You can restore a working configuration using the CMOS Setup Utility to create a new configuration record by loading the Optimized Defaults and reentering any other settings you had made.

Loading Optimized Defaults

The CMOS Setup Utility does not require an operating system to run. You run the utility by typing the Del or Delete key while the system is starting up to brings up the utility’s main screen.

There are two sets of defaults listed, Optimized and Fail- Safe. The Fail-Safe Defaults are a minimum configuration set for use by technicians when troubleshooting system problems. The Optimized Defaults are what the system normally operates on. If a corrupted system configuration record caused the problem you experienced, once you load the Optimized Defaults and reboot, the system should function normally. The instructions on the next page illustrate this procedure.

User’s Manual

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