Please, tell me this is simple !

[vicki lynne]

Hi, everybody, here's what I've got going on. A generic pc, pent II Win XP. Was gonna change to a pent III, didn't work, put everything back the way it was when I first got it. Cleared CMOS, pc booted fine all the way to os played for a while, removed a program that required a restart, When it restarted it got stuck at checking nvram and wouldn't go any farther. I had to remove the cmos battery for a few minutes and clear cmos before it would boot again, or again, or again. Anyway if I turn it off it won't boot farther than checking nvram without I clear cmos. Tell me please, that it just needs a new cmos battery. Please . Anyone? :)

[kiosk]

Hi, everybody, here's what I've got going on. A generic pc, pent II Win XP. Was gonna change to a pent III, didn't work, put everything back the way it was when I first got it. Cleared CMOS, pc booted fine all the way to os played for a while, removed a program that required a restart, When it restarted it got stuck at checking nvram and wouldn't go any farther. I had to remove the cmos battery for a few minutes and clear cmos before it would boot again, or again, or again. Anyway if I turn it off it won't boot farther than checking nvram without I clear cmos. Tell me please, that it just needs a new cmos battery. Please . Anyone? :)

It very likely needs a new battery, since it's a pretty old system. Batteries usually don't last longer than three to four years, anyway.

[mjc]

Sounds like a likely place to start...

[saphalline]

You have to clear the CMOS everytime with the battery in, right? Because if you have to do that with the battery out, then that's a whole other issue.

[vicki lynne]

no actually try as I might I can't find a jumper or switch on that particular mobo to clear cmos so I have to take the battery out for at least 30 - 45 min. before it will boot. I thought maybe it was a temperature problem so I tried just turning it off for that amount of time with the battery in it but it won't boot unless I take the battery out. So, I'll go ahead and ask, what's the other issue ?

[saphalline]

If it boots with the battery out, then just get a new battery. That's simple. I was saying that if it didn't boot with the battery out, then it's probably a mobo issue.

[vicki lynne]

Oh, o.k. but, see, here's what I got now. I went and got a new battery. When I put it in the pc booted once all the way up. When I went to restart again, it got stuck at checking nvram on the boot screen. So, I turned it off. Waited about 30 min. Tried to boot again still it sticks at the same place. I have to physically take the battery out for that long before it will boot throught to the o.s. and it will only do it once without taking the battery out. What did I mess up on this one?

[Paul Komski]

If you can get into the BIOS setup and if your BIOS setup has a setting for Plug-n-Play OS try changing it from disabled to enabled or vice versa. When enabled the POST should only poll the system for boot devices and not try to identify all the on-board hardware.

If there is a setting for clear NVRAM or ESCD then do that and try rebooting.

Finally try moving say a PCI card to another slot so that the hardware is forced to be re-polled at the next POST or try a bare-bones boot up.

[saphalline]

Are you actually going into the BIOS to save the settings? If you just leave it raw, it could be trying to write incorrect data to the CMOS.

Also, try running MemTest on that system.

[vicki lynne]

Well, I went into bios, enabled plug and play os which was disabled, found a setting for reset nvram at each boot and enabled that, it was disabled, made sure to save settings in bios when I told it to exit. It wouldn't boot back past checking nvram. I turned it off and took out the battery for 30 min. moved a pci card to another slot put the battery back in, rebooted, reset bios, made sure to save changes and exit when it rebooted it wouldn't go past checking nvram, again. So, Again I took out the battery, waited .... then I disconnected everything except the video card, and the power supply, rebooted, reset bios,saved settings to exit, when it rebooted again checking nvram. I'm stuck it seems.

[kiosk]

Also, try running MemTest on that system.

I couldn't agree more.

By the way, you mentioned that your PC is a pentium II? That would mean that it was manufactured around 1998-1999? Right during the bad capacitor plague, which affected not only the mainboards, but power supplies as well? ;)

[deddard]

One of the best options (if available) is to simply select 'load failsafe defaults'
which will keep anything fancy off the BIOS' hit list.
Some BIOSs don't have the setting of course, but it is the first place I start if things start to look weird on bootup.

[Sylvander]

How about changing the BIOS Setup's configuration setting...

Halt On : All Errors

To something more convenient [you want it to ignore the NVRAM check failure].
Alternatives:
No Errors
All but Keyboard
All but Diskette/Floppy

Either that or enable Quick POST to skip some tests [see if it skips NVRAM tests].

I have a document file I made in 2001 covering BIOS Setup configuration settings. If you'd like a copy, let me know.

[vicki lynne]

Yes, I would very much like to have a copy of those configuration settings please. Thank you. By the way this is an ami bios.

[Sylvander]

This document describes typical BIOS Setup configuration settings.

I have uploaded it to the following hosting/download site...
www.verzend.be/v/9460314/01_04_08_BIOS_Setup.doc
Just click on the link to go download it.
It will be hosted there for the next seven days, until Sept 5th 2006.

[vicki lynne]

I tried all of the above, couldn't find a place in this bios to change the config. but accidently hit f7 instead of f8 when I was trying to boot and that did bypass everything and went to the os. What did I do, exactly?

[Sylvander]

I don't know exactly, but...
With an Award BIOS it loads the Setup defaults...
And inside an AMI BIOS it "Discards Changes".

See AMI BIOS Users Guide PDF document HERE (http://www.ami.com/amibios8/).

[Paul Komski]

F7 must be some function of your own BIOS setup or POST routine. Is it not an option displayed on the monitor? Use ESC to close down any Proprietary Screen to see the full set of POST/CMOS messages.

F7 can be used during WinXP setup when booting to its installation CD in order to use non-standard HAL and ACPI but that shouldn't be applicable once setup has completed.

[Sylvander]

And if WinXP had begun loading hitting F7 would take you straight to Safe Mode I believe.

But my guess is that you hit F7 during the BIOS's POST routine.

Serendipity I think they call it. :D

[vicki lynne]

Then Serendipity it is! Cause whatever it does it works. It saves what I put into bios it boots without a problem and is up and running again. Thank you all. And the owner of the pc thanks you too. Now he knows my secret. :D He saw where I came when I got stuck. Thanx again.

[Sylvander]

Tell him to make a written record of all the BIOS settings so at least he knows a set that work.

That's one of the first things I do when I get a new PC. :)

[vicki lynne]

Gotcha' I got him on it. I very much appreciate.:-)