Computer help forum: I can't enter Bios. Can someone please help?

i think I understand, he meant you connect it with the power off (of course!)

As Steven said, some BIOS'es don't work with a USB keyboard. Then you use a keyboard with a PS/2 connector (that's the purple one shown on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PS/2_connector).

Kees

thanks for clarifying. I'm using the keyboard that came with the computer when I bought it, so that shouldn't be a problem right?

If it came directly as a package from Dell, it should work. But if you bought the PC and the keyboard at a shop, I wouldn't be too sure of it.

Kees

ok thanks. And just to clarify its a HP. We bought it at best buy about 2-4 years ago (I can't remember!) I'll try the PS2 keyboard.

Let's assume the computer was frozen because the motherboard went out. Given the symptoms now, that's much more likely than a hard disk failure.

There's no 'because'. It just happens with electronics. Like you hardly find a TV from 1970 still working. Most of them already failed. In the long run, everything fails. Sometimes it fails rather fast. How old is your PC?

Kees

to get a new system, but one more thing to try, in case the PSU is failing, and that is, with the computer turned off and unplugged from the mains, and with you having grounded yourself to remove static electricity, (touch your fingers to the metal case of the computer, or a radiator or something), remove the hard drive and remove the CD/DVD drive.

Then see if it gets past this blue screen. If it does, it will still stop because there is no hard drive connected to continue, but the test is to see if, without extra load on the PSU, it can get further. If itg does, then you are looking at a new PSU. If it still gets no further then it isn't looking good.

Just one thing, that blue screen. Does it say anything else?

Mark

I did what you suggested. i disconnected the hard drive and cd drive. I saw the blue screen (that ive been stuck on) and then it went to a black screen. it says "Re-boot and select proper boot device or insert boot media in selected boot device and press any key"

Does this help me at all?

BTW sorry for a late response. I went out of town.

Thanks for the help!

If power on went through all the BIOS POST messages then stopped where you said it did, I would say that the drive has failed.

What does that Blue screen say? I think I missed that elsewhere.

Mark

http://www.pcworld.com/article/226805/troubleshoot_a_pc_that_hangs_at_the_boot_screen.html

It is very similar to this (see above link)

it is the HP startup screen.

that blue screen is the maker's "Sash Screen". I find them a nuisance as they mask or hide the BIOS POST, (Power On, Self Test), messages on boot up, and I find those messages very informative. When POST reports normally it is reassuring, but if there is a hardware problem, it is an early sign.

We can remove those splash screens by entering the BIOS, (often called Setup) by pressing a selected key on the keyboard at boot up. The image you show says to press F10, but that is an HP system so your system may be different. We then "Disable splash screen", (or some similar term).

So, with just the hard drive connected what happens then? Does the Operating System boot up, or is there an error message about the hard drive?

Mark

Nothing new happens when the hard drive is connected. I turn my computer on and it goes right to the blue screen. (I do have an HP and it is almost an identical screen as the link)

When I try to enter set up(by pressing F10) it doesn't do anything...only stays on the blue screen.

Sometimes i do get a message right above "<F10=setup>" that says "entering setup" but it never does anything. It only stays on the blue screen. I have let it sit for hours hoping it would eventually enter setup but never does.

I have also tried pressing F9, F11, and ESC. but again nothing new happens.

time for repairs I fear.

It's difficult to diagnose between hard disk failure and some other hardware failure, so I think you need to take this in for a professional to look at.

Mark

okay. Thank you so much for your help.

I just did a little testing. The black screen only comes up with the CD drive AND the HD are disconnected. If either one is connected it gets stuck on the blue screen.

I tried connecting the HD again and turning it on (i didn't reconnect the cd drive) and it didn't get to the black screen. just stayed on the blue screen.