Can't get into bios

I need to see the bios and change the setup when I need to boot from a CD (my A drive is not working). I hit F2 when the system is starting up and nothing happens, it just takes me to the main windows startup. Tried many times, nothing works. Any ideas? Thanks....

 

Pssssst (Whispering in Pete's ear)

The Intel motherboard (model D815EEA2) bios is accessed with the F2 key.

That's the motherboard I used when I built my wife's machine about 8 months ago.

Also, I have built some machines for friends using the Intel Model D845GEBV2 P4 motherboard and it too uses F2 to access the bios.

Daddad

 

I use F8 to change boot order, delete gets me into set up, and F5 gets me to safe mode.

HTH
Johanna

 

Yep, Pete, because we have two different mobos!

Artful- do you have your mobo MANUAL handy? Or can you get online to look up what keys to press and why? If you tell us what you have, we'll look it up!

Johanna

 

I agree 100% Pete on a bios "standard key" concept you put forth.
My Albatron mobo is also using the DEL key as your Asus board.

I too noticed Artful didn't state what mobo he has.
I began to wonder if, by chance it could be an Intel board, hence my post
9 times out of 10, it will be the DEL key but Intel uses their own bios instead of an Award, AMI etc.
Oh well.........

Daddad

 

BIOS keys

DEL - most common
ESC - rare, only effective when prompt message is displayed.
F1 - Some Intel MBD's, Most Gateway MBD's
F2 - Some Hitachi Laptops, most Gateway Laptops, some Intel MBD's
F10 - Compaq

Ctrl - S = Some Generic laptops
Ctrl Alt S = Some Hitachi laptops

Anyone care to add?

 

I think the average computer user has no idea what kind of motherboard they have, because they didn't build the computer. Not too many of us sit around with the side off, knowing what everything is and what it is supposed to be doing. When I am trying to help people (I've acquired this darned reputation) and am trying to save myself a trip to their house, I tell them to get Aida32 and report back. Aida is wonderful, and has saved me a lot of wondering how accurate the info I'm getting is, when a "regular computer user" is trying to answer my questions.

So Artful, if you aren't answering becasue you don't know, give AIDA32 a whirl.

Johanna

 

The BIOS entry key is determined by the BIOS the motherboard uses. On desktops, for instance, ASUS and Gigabyte boards (the two with which I'm familiar) use DEL because they use an Award BIOS (owned by Phoenix, producer of another popular BIOS).

It may be that some OEM computer manufacturers use motherboards built to their specs, with customized BIOSs, but I think that's probably more true of laptops. On an IBM Thinkpad, for instance, both the motherboard and the BIOS are produced by IBM, and the BIOS is entered with F1.

Re AIDA32: another very handy tool is Belarc Advisor, which provides all system info (including installed software versions) on a single page.

 

FOLLOWUP from ARTFUL

Hi again. First me is a she not a he. I know my system uses the f2 because I've used it before so it's not just not working. My PC Is Micron Millennia running XP. Didn''t have any problems until I installed Panda AntiVirus software I got on Zdnet - took me eight hours to finally get my system back up. Removed Panda and everything seems to be back the way it was. I did have several backups using very good software so nothing was lost. But tryi g to boot when your PC doesn't recognize your A drive, well....I even attempted to install Windows XP again - once it hit checking system hardware - had to reboot into dos/command mode again.

Thanks for listening to my gripes and Iim going to try the delete key anyway until something better comes along. Thanks...Michelle

 

try this Turn off the power and then unplug it . You can then open the computer case and remove the the system battery. it is smale and silver and round shaped. You should wait about 3 min then put the battery backin, close the case and plug it back in. then try and use the F2 Key works on most system boards. if that not working hit the Esc key at the post it should tell you what key to use. hope this helps.