Hi everyone,

My computer was working fine until today when I powered it off and back on again. Now when I power on I don't see any POST and the standard BIOS key does not work. I simply get the windows boot screen which is swiftly followed by a windows file currupt error. I want to get into the BIOS so I can change the boot options and boot from the Windows CD to repair.

I have removed the CMOS battery for 10 mins and then powered back on with and without the battery back in place but I still don't see the POST.

Any help would be greatly appreciated! :)

First
Unplug the power cord
Then press the power button
Then remove the battery

wait and repower the system

Unless the Mother board has a clear Cmos jumper
Then just use that


Also you may want to try CTRL-ALT-DEL to force the system to reboot before the windows splash screen comes up and you get the error message
This can allow the video to go active and show the bios post screen

Are you sure the Keyboard is in good condition ?
Is it USB or PS/2 ?

Hi Rick, thanks for your reply. I have followed your instructions with the CMOS battery but still the same problem.

The Mobo also has a reset jumper, but still the same issue there.

When pressing CTRL - ALT - DEL the system reboots as expected but once again does not display the post.

I have tried both USB and PS/2 Keyboards - both are working fine.

Any other ideas?

Does your video card have two connector?

If so try switching the cable over to the other port.
Then boot up

I have just tried the DVI connector, still nothing. Just to be sure, I changed the graphics card, but once again - nothing :(

is It a laptop? if not you could reset the cmos by removing the battary

I had 2 mobos lately that reverted their BIOS settings to primary video as pci card and not AGP as would be expected on one and onboard video on the other.

You may need to beg, borrow or steal (not really) one to find out and change it back to whatever you need. I keep a couple pci video cards around just for reasons like these.

Hi, its a workstation board. I have tried resetting by removing the CMOS battery.

Being a workstation there is no onboard graphics. I am using a PCEe card. I have tried 2 different cards.

I'm Back...read the first post in the thread, again...been done.

A trick that sometimes works, to get into a stubborn BIOS (one that you can't quite hit the key before the time expires to hit it)...power off, then hold a key on the keyboard down, with the key still held down, power up...this mimics a 'stuck key' condition, which on 99.99% of the BIOSes around, will cause it to cough up the ever infamous "Keyboard error press F1 to continue"...or something similar.

i've heard of doing that before. Good thinking! It seems that my yeyboard (both PS/2 and USB) are being detected until after the post so this trick does nothing

Any Luck?

Just wondering-I have an Intel Boot Agent that I've yet to enter the cmos.

Can you clarify what not seeing the POST means? Do you mean you see nothing on the screen, no text at all including the KeyPress to enter the SetUp, until the File Corrupt message and is that message a BSOD or some other display.

If you have a floppy drive you could try SBM (in my sig) to boot to the CDROM but I wonder if you have a failing HDD that is affecting both the POST and the Windows File System.

Did you used to get, and if so are you still getting, a POST beep? If not then try detaching all drives to see if you can then get into the BIOS setup along with a POST beep.

If that doesn't work go barebones with all devices and cards removed except PSU/CPU+HSF/Mobo and you should get beeps. Add back RAM one stick at a time and if a POST beep add back Video card and if a POST beep add back ... and so on till you hopefully find a culprit.