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Community Newsletter: Q&A: 3/10/06 Primary drive not found!
- 3/10/06 10:49 AM
Battery replacement
by SysGoddess - 3/12/06 10:29 AM In reply to: disregard all until you have replaced your battery by dedorfI was wondering when one of these rocket scientists was going to realize that if the motherboard battery was dead having the user make dangerous changes to their BIOS was going to have little or no effect.
Rocket Science!
by oasisifras - 3/25/06 7:10 AM In reply to: Battery replacement by SysGoddess"Wondering when these rocket scientist..."
That hit the nail on the nose! The CMOS battery is only good for approximately three or four years. Every time a system boots, the CMOS battery is being used only for start-up. When it goes south, the CMOS cuts up with error messages and a system doesn't recognise the 'Boot Strap Loader' (nothing pertaining to cables). Simply replace the battery and there's no need to tweek the BIOS unless of course, there's nothing better to do.
Sharon Solesbee, Internet Engineer
the best thing to do
by rolakyng - 3/10/06 6:11 AM In reply to: Other suggestions from our members by Marc Bennett
well the best thing i suggest u to do is to change the battery/cell watever u call it. n voila u'll be hassel-free
Simple Solution
by KLPNYC - 3/10/06 7:15 AM In reply to: Other suggestions from our members by Marc Bennett
I won't tell you what, but the initials start with Apple Macintosh.
your mileage may vary
by Cadillac84 - 3/10/06 7:33 AM In reply to: Simple Solution by KLPNYCApple, Schmapple
I'm glad you're happy. 
I don't have an apple -- and I'm happy about that!
People like this never go away,
by Alan.Shenefield - 3/10/06 8:43 AM In reply to: Simple Solution by KLPNYCYears ago, all computer problems thats people posted where told they should have bought a Gateway.
So these same people must have had children and now
their children have followed in their footsteps,
now by solving computer problems for people by telling them, you should have bought an Apple.
A problem I experienced.
by gmazzei01 - 3/10/06 2:02 AM In reply to: 3/10/06 Primary drive not found! by Marc Bennett
2. I reset the Basic Input Output System (BIOS) to factory settings by:-
a) Restart your computer.
b) At the first text on the screen, or when the Dell logo appears, press the <F2> key every three seconds until the message >Entering Setup appears.
c) When the System Setup screen appears, please on the Caps Lock, Numlock and Scroll Lock key. The three lit light on your keyboard will indicate the buttons have been turned on.
d) Press on <Alt> and <E> simultaneously.
e) Press on <Alt> and <F> simultaneously (you will hear a beep)
f) Press on <Alt> and <B> (Exit System Setup and Save Changes). If you unable to exit from BIOS press on the <Esc> key and choose Save Changes and Exit.
I no longer had the problem.
That's interesting! Hmm-m.
by Cadillac84 - 3/10/06 7:35 AM In reply to: A problem I experienced. by gmazzei01I'll have to look at what that does. Thanks!
Battery
by wawwiz - 3/10/06 2:19 AM In reply to: 3/10/06 Primary drive not found! by Marc Bennett
Not sure why anyone hasn't told you this part, but so far I haven't seen this answer and it's actually the most common when you have to keep hitting f1,
there's a battery on the motherboard, looks like a large watch battery, it keeps power to the bios, if it's weak or dead your bios has to be reset (f1)most everytime you turn it on.
Hope this helps, by the way most grocery stores have this battery, nothing really special about it, just be sure you take your old one with ya.
You take your old battery with you to the grocer, and.....
by Argie-Salvador - 3/10/06 3:43 AM In reply to: Battery by wawwiz***** happens! Configuration of your machine in the first place...better ask someone before taking the fleeting battery if you cannot deal with it 
Don't do this, for heaven's sake!!!
by Cadillac84 - 3/10/06 7:58 AM In reply to: You take your old battery with you to the grocer, and..... by Argie-SalvadorDO NOT REMOVE THAT BATTERY
Until you have the replacement. You can examine the battery to see what its number is -- CRxxxx most often where xxxx is a four-digit number. For example, a Dell Dimension 9100 which I maintain (under warranty, of course) uses the battery
3-V CR2032 lithium coin cell
which information I obtained by visiting
http://support.dell.com
entering the SvcTag number and selecting Documentation and then HTML Service Manual and then clicking Specifications.
The reason you don't want to remove the battery until you have a replacement in hand is the CMOS will maintain your system settings for a short time without the battery. If you remove it and go to the store, you may have to start from scratch when you get back.
Gretchen is able to touch F1 and boot normally most of the time, so even if the battery is the problem (which I doubt), it isn't totally dead.
She didn't say what Dimension model it is so we don't know if it is something old like a XPS D300 or something new like the 9100. I have two XPS D300 computers whose batteries have never been changed and that's a few years. (December 1997!)
So, I wouldn't be too quick to jump on the battery.
Battery ...Naw it couldn't be...
by jcherish - 3/12/06 8:05 PM In reply to: Don't do this, for heaven's sake!!! by Cadillac84Have had Brand New motherboards with dead c-mos batteries...depends how old the battery was when purchased by the manufacturer ...and if they didn't get lost in the shuffle...in manufacture, pushed way back on the shelf for a few years and finally got used..Battery is the first thing i would check. And is the least expensive...before you go out and buy a new hard drive. And If Your not sure how to install one (cmos battery) have someone qulified do it.
didn't mean it couldn't be battery
by Cadillac84 - 3/14/06 5:47 PM In reply to: Battery ...Naw it couldn't be... by jcherishIt could be -- though I doubt it.
What I was saying "for heaven's sake don't do" was to take the battery out and go to the grocery store.
yes your right
by jcherish - 3/14/06 7:00 PM In reply to: didn't mean it couldn't be battery by Cadillac84yes your right you dont want to take the battery out an go to the grocery store and be gone an hour then put it back in because you will have to reset all you bios settings..which may be a pain...having to reset all your operating info ...especially if you have it set to some optimal settings
I warned against taking the cmos battery
by Argie-Salvador - 3/16/06 9:57 AM In reply to: yes your right by jcherishThere was this message by WAWWIZ suggesting to take the battery to the grocer. I said that sh***t would happen. Never intended to mean that she takes it away, drop it in a handbag and remember to buy it one day...
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