If you wish to enter Setup after POST, restart the system by pressing , or by pressing the reset button on the system chassis. You can also restart by turning the system off and then back on. Do this last option only if the first two failed. The Setup program is designed to make it as easy to use as possible. Being a menu-driven program, it lets you scroll through the various sub-menus and make your selections from the available options using the navigation keys. • The default BIOS settings for this motherboard apply for most conditions to ensure optimum performance. If the system becomes unstable after changing any BIOS settings, load the default settings to ensure system compatibility and stability. Select the Load Default Settings item under the Exit Menu. See section “2.7 Exit Menu.” • The BIOS setup screens shown in this section are for reference purposes only, and may not exactly match what you see on your screen. • Visit the ASUS website (to download the latest BIOS file for this motherboard. ASUS A7N8X-XE Motherboard 2.2.1 BIOS menu bar The top of the screen has a menu bar with the following selections: To access the menu bar items, press the right or left arrow key on the keyboard MAIN Use this menu to make changes to the basic system configuration. ADVANCED Use this menu to enable and make changes to the advanced features. POWER Use this menu to configure and enable Power Management features. BOOT Use this menu to configure the default system device used to locate and load the Operating System. EXIT Use this menu to exit the current menu or to exit the Setup program. until the desired item is highlighted. 2.2.2 Navigation keys At the bottom right corner of a menu screen are the navigation keys for that particular menu. Use the navigation keys to select items in the menu and change the settings. Navigation Key(S) Function Description Left or Right arrow Selects the menu item to the left or right Up or Down arrow Moves the highlight up or down between fields + (plus) and - (minus) Change the configuration field and data Select the configuration field. Displays the General Help screen Save changes and Exit Jumps to the Exit menu or returns to the main menu from a sub-menu Some of the navigation keys differ from one screen to another. Chapter 2: BIOS Setup General help In addition to the Item Help window, the BIOS setup program also provides a General Help screen. You may launch this screen from any menu by simply pressing . The General Help screen lists the legend keys and their corresponding functions. Scroll bar When a scroll bar appears to the right of a help window, it indicates that there ismore information to be displayed that will not fit in the window. Use and or the up and down arrow keys to scroll through the entire help document. Press to display the first page, press to go to the last page. To exitthe help window, press or . Sub-menu The right pointer symbol that appears at the left of certain parameters indicates that a sub-menu System Time exists for this field. A sub-menu offers additional System Date parameter options. To display a sub-menu, move Legacy Diskette A Legacy Diskette B the highlight to the field and press . Primary IDE Master The sub-menu appears. Use the legend keys to Primary IDE Slave Secondary IDE Master navigate and enter values within each sub-menu Secondary IDE Slave Third IDE Master as you would within a menu. Use the key Fourth IDE Master to return to the main menu. Take some time to System Information familiarize yourself with the legend keys and their corresponding functions. Practice navigating through the various menus and sub-menus. While moving around through the Setup program, note v02.58 (C)Copyrigh that explanations appear in the Item Help window located to the right of each menu. This window displays the help text for the highlighted field. Saving changes and exiting the Setup program See “2.7 Exit menu” for detailed information on saving changes and exiting the setup program. ASUS A7N8X-XE Motherboard 2.3 Main menu When you enter the BIOS Setup program, the Main menu screen appears, giving you an overview of the basic system information. System Time System Date Legacy Diskette A Legacy Diskette B Primary IDE Master Primary IDE Slave Secondary IDE Master Secondary IDE Slave Third IDE Master Fourth IDE Master System Information [13:15:30] [Mon 05/16/2005] [1.44M, 3.5 in.] [Disabled] : [WDC WD2500JB-00FUA] : [Not Detected] : [ASUS DVD-E616P2] : [Not Detected] : [Not Detected] : [Not Detected] Use [ENTER], [TAB] or [SHIFT-TAB] to select a field. Use [+] or [-] to configure system Time. <> Select Screen ^v Select Item +-Change Field Tab Select Field F1 General Help F10 Save and Exit ESC Exit v02.58 (C)Copyright 1985-2004, American Megatrends, Inc. System Time [hh:mm:ss] Sets the system to the time that you specify (usually the current time). The for...