Don't know if you have web access but you should try Dell's page
(<http://www.dell.com>).  They have one of the better support sites I've seen.
When you get there, click on the SUPPORT button at the top.  Next click on the
"Support Your Dell" section and you can enter your Service Tag / Serial
Number.    You can then fill in the service tag, or look for your machine type
at the bottom.  I tried checking but couldn't find anything specific.  There
are downloadble files (including BIOS upgrades) that will give you System
Information, as well as other updates.

Different ways I've seen to get in the system setup:
as previously suggested:  F10
F1
F2
CTRL+ALT+ENTER

One thing I've tried that worked was to disconnect the keyboard and this
generated an error and then a prompt to enter into the setup.  Now, how they
expect me to hit a key without a keyboard (I'm now assuming that there was a
genuine keyboard error) I don't know.  Anyway, I then reconnected the keyboard
and was able to get into the setup.

OK, I've now written all this junk but by this time have found one of our
OptiPlex 486/L User Guides.  According to Section 2, page 1:

If your system is running MS-DOS, you can enter the System Setup program from
the operating system prompt at any time by holding down the <CTRL> and <ALT>
keys and pressing the <ENTER> key.

You can also access the System Setup by:
1.  Turn on (or reboot your system)
2.  Press <CTRL> + <ALT> + <ENTER> IMMEDIATELY after your computer's speaker
beeps.  In this case they emphasize IMMEDIATELY after the beep.

HTH

Oscar Ricardo Silva
[log in to unmask]

>At 03:56 PM 2/20/99 -0600, you wrote:
>>> I have an old Dell 486, 50MHZ, model 450L that I can't get into the bios
>>> on.  I have tried about every key combination I can think of--help anyone!

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