Hardware BIOS Issues (was: XP-Pro.......Help)

sexylou138

Sorry if this sounds stupid, but i can't get my OS going. I have a secondhand Comp. With PRO installed But is after crashing, I tried to reboot it in safe mode (F8) But it will only let me use DELETE, But when i do that i have to type in a password, which i dont have.. i dont mind re-installing the OS ...But i don't have a disc, I would app any help..?? Thanks Lou

arseagon

Sounds like you have been sold a spurious copy of XP if you don't have the disks for it. But anyway, what do you mean by it will only let you use Delete? Can you provide more information, i.e. When is it crashing, how far does the comp load before is stops, does it give you any stop error codes? If it does, these would help to try to find a solution.

sexylou138

markdunne wrote:

Sounds like you have been sold a spurious copy of XP if you don't have the disks for it. But anyway, what do you mean by it will only let you use Delete? Can you provide more information, i.e. When is it crashing, how far does the comp load before is stops, does it give you any stop error codes? If it does, these would help to try to find a solution.

All it says now on a black screen is "Decting IDE Primary Master...Philips 40x PCA 403CD"
"Detecting IDE Secondry Master...Fujitisu MPG320 4At E"

Ruu_Old

I'm not sure but are you talking about the DEL key to enter your setup menu when the computer boots up? Tapping the F8 key at bootup should bring up the boot menu regardless of whats wrong normally. You will need to buy of Windows XP CD and install that one.

Karoma

What make/model is the machine?

For now:
Unplug any external devices.
Try booting.
If that fails: Enter the BIOS (DEL?) -> Reset defaults and Save & Exit.

sexylou138

Ruu wrote:

I'm not sure but are you talking about the DEL key to enter your setup menu when the computer boots up? Tapping the F8 key at bootup should bring up the boot menu regardless of whats wrong normally. You will need to buy of Windows XP CD and install that one.

When i turn on the PC this is all i get "Decting IDE Primary Master...Philips 40x PCA 403CD"
"Detecting IDE Secondry Master...Fujitisu MPG320 4At E"
I can't type any thing in after that.
The F8 at bootup will not work.
The only thing that works at bootup is the delete key.

sexylou138

Karoma wrote:

What make/model is the machine?

Sorry i dont know. It is one put together. But it worked fine

thomj42

hi there,
if its freezing at the IDE detection phase then it's unlikely to be the OS- it may be something a smidge more sinister like a corrupt disk.
chances are there is some device that's stopping it boot.
i'd suggest:
a) pressing delete to go into the bios and making sure the IDE disk section is set to "auto" (its tough to describe this as all BIOS's are different...)
b) physically disconnect all but the primary hard drive and trying to boot again.

hopefully if a disk is correopt it;ll be the one without the OS on it, seeing as you dont' have the disks.

hope this helps!

t

sexylou138

thomj42 wrote:

hi there,
if its freezing at the IDE detection phase then it's unlikely to be the OS- it may be something a smidge more sinister like a corrupt disk.
chances are there is some device that's stopping it boot.
i'd suggest:
a) pressing delete to go into the bios and making sure the IDE disk section is set to "auto" (its tough to describe this as all BIOS's are different...)

Thanks. But when i go into the BIOS it looks for a password..??:eek:

Karoma

Get in touch with the previous owner.

thomj42

as far as i know you can reset the BIOS password by removing the CMOS battery (small "button" battery located on the motherboard) for a few minutes and then replacing it.
all the BIOS settings will be restored to the motherboard defaults after this too, btw, but that might even be a good thing in your case

t

sexylou138

thomj42 wrote:

as far as i know you can reset the BIOS password by removing the CMOS battery (small "button" battery located on the motherboard) for a few minutes and then replacing it.
all the BIOS settings will be restored to the motherboard defaults after this too, btw, but that might even be a good thing in your case

t

Thanks for the help, I did remove the batt, set up new password, Now i can get into the BIOS, Now it says "CPU is unworkable or has been changed, Please recheck CPU SOFT MENU"..When i go into this it just has CPU Name Is- Intel Pentium 111 MMX
The Speed
Turbo Frequency
Power Supply Voltage...Please help
Should i use F5-Old Values....or F7 Load Setup Defaults..??????
Thanks Again

Cabaal

Moved to Comp/tech....

Load the Setup Defaults and save changes. If you still can't boot into Windows after this the hard disk has possibly failed.

peepsbates

Karsini wrote:

Load the Setup Defaults and save changes. If you still can't boot into Windows after this the hard disk has possibly failed.

yea i think you just forgot to restore defaults after putting back in the battery(as karsini said above^^^) go into bios and load up defaults,if it still hangs on detecting ide ect. its prob a hardware problem, let us know how it goes;)

trout

sexylou138 wrote:

"Decting IDE Primary Master...Philips 40x PCA 403CD"
"Detecting IDE Secondry Master...Fujitisu MPG320 4At E"

think this message indicates the primary IDE controller has a CD writer as the first device in the chain, with what looks like a genuine hard disk on the second IDE controller. Doesn't look right ... check the physical connections?

Might be worth taking the CD writer off the primary IDE controller, swapping headers so the hard drive is on the primary IDE controller and trying to boot again ? maybe leave the CD Writer off altogether until you get booting OK.

good luck:)

thomj42

hmm... the plot thickens.
it is strange that the cdrom is primary and the hdd is secondary but that's not causing the problem.
restore defaults and try again.
quite possibly a dodgy memory chip here...