I've only started this new thread because I've discovered the failure of the DEL key to open the BIOS setup was more serious than what I originally thought.

Holding down the DEL continuously and even uninstalling software that came with a new keyboard I just got did nothing to correct the problem. So I cleared the CMOS + removed and reinserted the CMOS battery. This made things worse because now the PC will not boot up, there are no beeps at all, just a dark screen, and it takes longer to shut off. I spoke with a tech much more knowledgeable than I who thought the CMOS may have broken down completely.

This is in an ASUS A7N8X-X motherboard, one month since I installed. I think it's best for me to just return since the warranty is still in effect.

Any comments?

You could try replacing the battery since I have heard of Asus motherboards coming with a bad battery, but the problem of getting into the BIOS in the first place suggests a bad board, so a RMA may be the way to go....

Excuse my ignorance here(I'm a hobbyist after all :-) but what does RMA stand for? Elsewhere someone mentioned those same letters.


Thanks

I should also mention I did a "taste" test for the battery and since it had something of a bitter taste, this would indicate there is voltage to it, wouldn't it so it's not dead.

Hi Quantax-

It's "Return Merchandise Authorization" (among other things) :p

As far as the Battery, it sure wouldn't hurt to try a new one as cheap as they are.
The ol' "taste test" may not tell you a heck of a lot....A 3v Battery that drops below 2.5v can give you trouble and still give you a little "tongue tingle" :D

Not to mention it's just nice to have an extra kicking around....Battery that is, not tongue.

If that doesn't work and you truly suspect the Motherboard, (and it sounds like the ASUS Tech does), I wouldn't hesitate for a second to send one back under Warranty.

http://rma.asus.com/enduser/RmaRequest.aspx (Or by Phone)

Someone else had a similar problem [unable to enter the BIOS Setup] and it turned out to be caused by a faulty HDD!
My diagnostic flowcharts www.erniek.eclipse.co.uk/downloads/sylvanderdiags.zip
will probably take you to the NO POST chart and suggest checking the power supply and then do a bare bones boot.
If POST then completes successfully you could re-connect the floppy disk drive and use
Tuff-Test Lite at http://www.tufftest.com/free.htm to test the hardware including the HDD.

Well, it is now beeping continuously which it was doing before. And when it did this before, I removed the video card, reinstalled it(which helped), but again it's beeping.

That's interesting about the HD because in all other respects it seems fine.

The START UP chart sends you to http://www.computerhope.com/beep.htm if you have long or multiple beeps.
You need to know which manufacturers BIOS you have.
I notice that an IBM BIOS which gives a continuous or repeating short beep both indicate "No Power, Loose Card, or Short".
If you have stripped back to a bare-bones boot and this is what you are hearing, then it narrows the numbers of items that could be the source of the problem.
Make sure the few items still connected are properly seated.

It's now at the place I bought some of the key components from(mobo, cpu, video card)and the guy should be getting back to me today about what's wrong. I'd be surprised if it was the memory as he seemed to think.

I'm pretty sure I'm the guy that pointed out that you can "freeze out" of a BIOS setup from the keyboard if the BIOS has a bug that allows it's "SMART" error log (or other error logs) to fill up.

However using the jumper on the MB to clear the BIOS would fix that issue and you would be able to enter the BIOS setup, again from the "del" key...

I suspect you may have "sparked" your board. have you been extra careful to ground yourself befroe touching the board....?

In any case, disconnect everything, reset the BIOS, and start over with just a video card, and a single stick of ram...... see what happens.

No-mbr...........

Yeah, I was quite careful during that procedure so I wouldn't have "sparked" the mobo AFAIK.

Methinks this was a freak occurrence in the BIOS(perhaps just at the point of dying and all it took was the CMOS reset to kill it) and the latest I heard from the vendor in fact is that the mobo itself is dead.