CONFIGURATION OF EQUIPMENT

SATA OPERATION

This option configures the operating mode of the built-in SATA hard disk controller.

• Disabled: SATA ports are disabled and no SATA devices can be used. This option is typically used if you do not plan to use any SATA devices.

• AHCI: The SATA controller is configured in AHCI (Advanced Host Controller Interface) mode. AHCI mode is generally recommended for modern HDDs and SSDs because it allows for better performance and greater flexibility in disk management. It also supports advanced features such as NCQ (Native Command Queuing), power management and hot-swapping.

• RAID On: The SATA controller is configured to support RAID disk configurations. This option is typically used if you plan to set up a RAID system using two or more hard drives or SSDs. RAID mode allows you to create redundant disk configurations to improve fault tolerance and storage performance.

Therefore, it is recommended to:

• Activate the AHCI mode for the majority of the park

• Activate the RAID mode only if the computer is configured to have RAID.

USB

This field configures the Interactive USB controller.

When Interactive USB is enabled, it means that the computer's USB ports can be used to interact with the BIOS, for example to perform a BIOS update from a USB stick or to boot from a USB storage device.

It is important to note that keyboards and mice will always be functional in the BIOS regardless of the configuration.

The "USB Configuration" section in Dell BIOSes allows you to configure settings related to the system's USB ports. The most common options are "Enable USB Boot support" and "Enable External USB port". Here are the roles of these two options:

• Enable USB Boot support: allows the system to boot from a USB device such as a USB stick or external hard drive. If this option is disabled, the system cannot be booted from a USB device.

• Enable External USB port: Enables or disables the use of external USB ports on the system. If this option is disabled, the external USB ports will not work. This can be useful for security reasons if you want to restrict access to external USB ports to prevent unauthorized users from connecting USB devices

Therefore, it is recommended to:

• Disable the ability to boot from a USB stick,

• Disable the use of external USB ports if not used (for example if not using docking station).