2500 SX (250-4076) Utilities Faxback Doc. # 1011 A utility is a program that performs a basic task not specifically related to a particular application. Utilities serve a wide variety of users. The Tandy 2500 SX utilities and their functions are as follows: UTILITY NAME FUNCTION setupSX.exe Update or review your system configuration vga1024.exe Select the video mode that is most compatible with your software speedSX.com Change the CPU clock speed kp.exe Create and change a keyboard password password.com Create a power-on password Before using these utilities, read this section carefully. Incorrect use of some utilities can lead to system malfunctions or loss of data. HOW TO USE THE UTILITIES The Tandy 2500 SX utilities are shipped on the MS-DOS diskettes. Use this diskette each time you want to run a utility, or copy the utilities to a hard disk so that you can run them without the diskette. Use the MS-DOS copy command to copy utilities to hard disk. For example, to copy the SetupSX utility, type: copy a:setupSX.exe c: and press . SETUPSX The computer uses non-volatile CMOS RAM memory to store information about your system configuration: the drives, memory, and video support installed in your system. The non-volatile CMOS memory is battery powered when AC power is removed. CMOS memory retains data when AC power is removed. CMOS memory retains data when the computer is turned off. Use the SetupSX utility to update the information stored in CMOS. Run SetupSX when you install or remove a drive or memory. At startup, the computer compares your actual configuration with the configuration recorded when you turn on the computer. If the actual and recorded configurations differ, the computer prompts you to run SetupSX. Run SetupSX when you replace the real-time battery. The battery powers the clock and CMOS RAM. NOTE: If the battery fails, the information stored in CMOS memory is erased. To replace the battery, contact a Radio Shack Service Center or refer to "Replacing the Battery" in the "Installing Optional Hardware" section. THE SETUPSX CONFIGURATION SCREEN The SetupSX utility summarizes your system configuration, as it is currently recorded in CMOS memory, on a graphic screen. This screen is displayed each time you run the SetupSX utility. From the SetupSX configuration screen, you can: * Set the system time and date. * Adjust the volume level of the speaker. * Change the key sequence that controls the volume. * Change the CPU clock speed * Configure the serial and parallel ports. You can disable a serial port or designate it a primary or secondary. You can disable a parallel port or specify whether it uses bidirectional or unidirectional transfer. * Identify diskette drives and hard disk drives installed in your computer. you can select one installed diskette drive as the startup drive. The selected startup drive becomes Drive A. * Update the amount of extended memory installed. The amount of memory displayed is the amount CMOS RAM recognized at the last boot-up. This lets you avoid an error message at boot-up. * Configure shadow RAM as extended memory. Read the on-line help about this parameter before changing the default value. The keys listed on the bottom of the screen enable you to move around on the screen. They provide the following functions: * F1--Displays help information about the highlighted item. * F2--Updates the information recorded in CMOS memory and restarts the computer. When you finish updating the system configuration, press F2 to store the new values. * ESC--Ends the SetupSX utility and exits to MS-DOS without updating the information in CMOS memory. * DIRECTION KEYS--Enable you to move among fields on the screen. * SPACE BAR--Displays the option that can be assigned to a SetupSX parameter. For hard disk drives, pressing the space bar displays a list of all predefined disk types. For all other fields, pressing the space bar changes the option displayed on the screen. HOW TO RUN THE SETUPSX UTILITY Run the SetupSX utility any time you want to review or update your system configuration as recorded in CMOS memory. Under some circumstances, the computer prompts you to run SetupSX. A single beep at startup indicates that no problems were found during diagnostics. If the tests detect differences in the actual configuration and the configuration recorded in SetupSX, a two-beep warning signal is sounded and a message to press F1 and run SetupSX is displayed. To run SetupSX from MS-DOS Disk 1: 1. Insert MS-DOS Disk 1 into Drive A. 2. If the MS-DOS operating system prompt is currently C>, type: a: and press . 3. At the A> prompt, type: setupSX and press . 4. SetupSX displays the SetupSX configuration screen. Update your system configuration. Then, press F2 to update the information in CMOS memory and restart the computer. NOTE: If, after you reset the computer, it still sounds a warning signal and prompts you to run SetupSX see the "Troubleshooting" section. To run SetupSX from a hard disk: 1. At the C> prompt, type: setupSX and press . 2. SetupSX displays the SetupSX configuration screen. Update your system configuration. Then, press F2 to update the information in CMOS memory and restart the computer. NOTE: If, after you reset the computer, it still sounds a warning signal and prompts you to run SetupSX see the "Troubleshooting" section. To run SetupSX form the DeskMate Desktop, select setup.pdm in the PROGRAMS box. UPDATING THE SYSTEM CONFIGURATION When you install or remove a hard disk drive, a diskette drive, or memory, you must update the system configuration. The amount of memory installed in your computer will be updated automatically when you run SetupSX. In addition to running the SetupSX utility, be sure to update the system worksheet at the end of this manual. To run the SetupSX utility and update the worksheet when you add a hard disk drive, you need the following information: * the locations of defective tracks (if any) * the drive type number, or * the number to heads, the number of cylinders, the capacity of the disk, the number of the precompensation cylinder, the head landing zone (where heads are parked), and the number of sectors per track. Information about defective tracks may be listed on a media error map included with the hard disk drive. Other information is in the hard disk installation guide. VIDEO MODE CONTROL--THE VGA1024 UTILITY The vga1024.exe utility is a specialized utility designed to work with you VGA-compatible video circuitry. Refer to the "VGA-Compatible Video" section. CHANGING THE CPU SPEED--THE SPEEDSX UTILITY Your CPU supports two CPU clock speed settings, fast (16MHz) and slow (8MHz). Use the SpeedSX utility to choose either setting. To select the fast CPU speed, type speedSX fast and press at the MS-DOS prompt. To select the slow speed, type speedSX slow and press at the MS-DOS prompt. The CPU speed changes immediately, but the new setting is not recorded in CMOS memory. If you turn off the system or press the RESET button, the speed defaults to the setting saved in CMOS memory. If, however, you press [CTRL + [ALT] + [DEL], the new setting remains in effect. To change the setting in CMOS memory, run SetupSX. PASSWORDS Passwords help protect your computer from unauthorized users. Your computer supports two passwords: * POWER-ON PASSWORD--Prevents unauthorized use of your computer when you are not present. When a power-on password is required, you must enter it each time you turn on the computer or press the RESET button. Use the password.com utility to create a power-on password. * KEYBOARD PASSWORD--Enables you to temporarily lock and unlock your keyboard (and mouse if you have one) without turning off the computer. The keyboard password is cleared when you turn off the computer. Use the kp.exe utility to create or change a keyboard password. Each password can have as many as seven characters, consisting of any characters on the keyboard. The system does not distinguish between uppercase and lowercase letters. Try to create passwords that are easy for you to remember but difficult for anyone else to guess. For example, do not use your name. Use a word or number that has special meaning to you. The password utilities record the exact keys you press as you create a new password. This means that, if you use the 6 from the typewriter keys when you create the password, you can not substitute the 6 from the numeric keys when you enter the password. NOTE: When you create a password, the characters in the password are displayed on the screen as you type them. This enables you to verify the password as you type it. When you change a password, or enter a password to access your computer or keyboard, the password characters are not displayed as you type them. CREATING AND USING A KEYBOARD PASSWORD A keyboard password enables you to lock the keyboard and mouse. By default, the keyboard password is the same as the power-on password. Use kp.exe to specify a keyboard password that is different from the power-on password. To further protect your data, you can use kp.exe to clear the screen before locking the keyboard. Follow these steps to lock the keyboard: 1. Be sure you are in the drive and directory containing kp.exe and that you are at the MS-DOS prompt. 2. To use an already created keyboard password: type kp and press [ENTER] to lock the keyboard. or type kp /b and press [ENTER] to clear the screen and lock the keyboard. To specify a new keyboard password: type kp /c and press [ENTER]. The system prompts you to enter a new password and then locks the keyboard. or type kp /b/c and press [ENTER]. The system clears the screen and prompts you to enter a new password, and then locks the keyboard and mouse. When the system prompts you to enter a password, type the password, using the [BACKSPACE] key to correct any errors, and press [ENTER]. The following prompt appears: Is this correct? (Y/N/ESC) 3. To verify the password, type Y and press [ENTER]. To correct the password, type N, and press [ENTER], and type the correct password. To cancel the utility, press ESC. You will return to the MS-DOS prompt. To unlock the keyboard and mouse, type the keyboard password and then press [ENTER]. CREATING AND USING A POWER-ON PASSWORD A power-on password enables you to restrict the use of the computer, keyboard, and mouse. If you can not supply the correct password, the computer will not accept input from the mouse or the keyboard. You might not want to write your password down in a safe place in case you forget it. To create a power-on password: 1. At the system prompt, type password and press [ENTER]. 2. Type the password, using the [BACKSPACE] key to correct any errors. Press [ENTER]. The following prompt is displayed: Is this correct? (Y/N)_ 3. If the password is correct, type Y and press [ENTER]. If the password is incorrect, type N, and press [ENTER], and enter the correct password. You will be prompted to enter the correct password each time you turn on the computer or press the RESET button. ENTERING A POWER-ON PASSWORD If you have specified a power-on password, the following prompt is displayed when you turn on the computer: Enter Password:_ Type the complete password, and press [ENTER]. The computer permits three attempts to enter the correct password. If the correct password is not entered by the third attempt, the computer will not accept further input from the mouse or the keyboard. To try again, turn the computer off then on again, or press the RESET button. CHANGING OR REMOVING A POWER-ON PASSWORD When the computer prompt you for the power-on password at startup, you can change or remove the existing password. To change the password, type the current power-on password, followed immediately by a forward slash (/), followed immediately by the new password. Then press [ENTER]. For example, if the current password is old and you want to change it to new, type old/new an press [ENTER]. To remove the current password without assigning a new one, simply press [ENTER] after the slash. After you remove the power-on password, the password prompt is no longer displayed when you turn on the computer.