can not enter SETUP

On booting computer I get this error message:CMOS SETTINGS IS WRONG. I tried F1,DELETE,to enter SETUP.Nothing happens.Checked keyboard on another computer.Works fine.

 

Two possibilities I can think of.

- your CMOS battery is bad and needs replacing.

- CMOS memory is damaged and the motherboard will probably need replacing.

It would help if you posted system details though.

 

can not enter BIOS

Thank you.Will replace battery and go from there.

 

Try either clearing CMOS using the jumper pins, or removing the battery for a few moments and then replacing it, with your computer unplugged. That should restore the original factory settings, unless the battery is truly dead.

Johanna

 

I'm upgrading a comp for my sis and got the motherboard in yesterday. Am having probs I've never seen before. Is it possible for a dead battery to keep the computer from recognizing the keyboard and not to be able to find the boot record?? At first it said the "CMOS memory was wrong size" and "Battery was low ". After some reboots, these messages disappeard.

It finally loaded windows and started reloading drivers, BUT locked up and finally got back to that point and it started reloading all of them again!!!!!

Could this be attributed to a dead battery?? I took out the battery to clear CMOS, but not for more than 2 minutes.

Help!!!

 

Batteries are relatively inexpensive- it wouldn't hurt to change yours. Look in your Mobo manual for instructions to use the pin jumpers to clear CMOS. Sometimes removing the battery is not enough.

Johanna

 

Every other time I rebooted, it said it couldn't find the boot record. IF I can get back into the BIOS, I was going to make it A:E:C. I'll get another battery and leave it out longer than 15 minutes as suggested from another post that I read. I really hope this works!!!!

 

oowee, I have come across strange startup problems (like the keyboard not recognised, etc) from RAM troubles. First try reseating the RAM, then if you have more than one stick just use one, then try cleaning the connectors with a soft pencil eraser. The largest stick of RAM should be in Bank 0.

Jerry72, do any lights flash on the keyboard during startup? As soon as you see the lights flash start tapping F1 and Delete one after another ( I think some Gateway machines use F10 to enter the BIOS setup). If all else fails hold down a key from begining that should take you to the BIOS setup with an error message.

Matt

 

thanks for the reply Mattman.
it's a new stick of RAM and i've reseated it several times. could it be a bad stick of RAM?

 

Hey Newt,
it's a new m/b. do you really think the CMOS memory could be bad already?? am i that lucky??

 

Always possible. Good brands would be tested after manufacture. I suppose you are following the motherboard manual for setup. Just double check that there are no special requirements for RAM listed in the manual. Some motherboards are fussy about the RAM (notably Asus) and will only run properly with certain brands.

Have you been able to replace the battery yet? If the battery holder has an arm over top of the battery, be careful not to bend it. This is another way you get strange startups.

I have come across strange problems lately that were fixed with a BIOS upgrade. If you consider it ask the motherboard supplier if it is OK to do so. They may say you will void the warranty.


Matt

 

oowee, if you are still stuck, do a troubleshooting startup. Remove/disconnect everything except the power supply, RAM (1 stick), video card + monitor and keyboard. Add the floppy drive if you get good starts (you can put a boot disk in the floppy drive since the HDD will be disconnected). If you still get bad startups it may be a short to the motherboard, in which case you need to start the system outside the case (sit the M/B on an antistatic bag or cardboard). BTW there is no chance of an extra standout pin being in the wrong place under the motherboard?


Hope this helps you trace it.
Matt

 

Hi all,

Jerry72,
Check manual to see how to access BIOS. Check time (and set if not current) in BIOS, and watch to see if it keeps correct time. If so, you don't need a battery, but may best choose "fail safe" settings for next boot. then make sure it will boot first from a floppy (or cdrom if you don't have a floppy drive). That's also a setting in the bios- you may have to look at all the menues. See what happens now when you boot from flopy or cd.

oowee,
" Is it possible for a dead battery to keep the computer from recognizing the keyboard and not to be able to find the boot record???
My answer to both questions is "NO ". You can access the bios in spite of a dead battery, and the motherboard will recognize the keyboard, too.
"couldn't find the boot record" Is significant of a hard disk problem since the boot record in on the first track of HDD. It could mean many things. I would boot from a known good floppy and if successful run fdisk just to examine the HDD(s), and make sure c: is marked active (=bootable). "fdisk/mbr" is my next thought if things look ok in fdisk.
"could it be a bad stick of RAM?" NO. BIOS would say so.

Mike