Posted on 04/21/2008 7:35:23 PM PDT by ken21
Same page. ;-D
It is possible CMOS was shorted as part of the uncontrolled shutdown and your BIOS has reverted to factory. In that case, you must buy (or borrow) a very cheap non-USB keyboard or buy a USB-to-serial keyboard adapter. Boot the PC, go into hardware setup, and look around the system setup. There will be an option to support USB keyboard. Make sure it's checked. Save the settings. The machine should reboot automatically--do NOT let windows start. Turn off the computer, then cold boot the PC.
Go back into hardware setup and make sure the USB keyboard is still in the state you changed it to. If it isn't, your machine is shutting down because your CMOS is shorting, or, more likely, your CMOS battery is bad. In that case go to Wal-Mart and buy a new one. CMOS batteries are usually photo C2036, I think, but pull it out and take it along.
Once you get USB keyboard settings in BIOS to stick where you left them, cold boot with the USB keyboard and see if the machine recognizes your hardware.
As with all problems involving women, automobile do-it-yourself repairs, or computers, a sense of humor is indispensable to the process.
I had the same problem happen with my first Vista laptop. Took it back and stupidly got another vista laptop. Am now working on either replacing the HD (so I can keep the old one with vista for warranty purposes) and installing a new HD to put XP on.
Or I am currently working on making it a dual boot so again will have the original HD with vista for warranty purposes.
Good luck to you.
Maybe on someone else's computer? Perhaps someone you don't like, someone you don't care if they end up hating you. Maybe Bill Gates?
as luck would have it, i got in to an engineer at the manufacturer.
the screen i was describing to him after startup he said
was private to the manufacturer
and that someone had forgotten to seal this software off from the consumer.
then he said the same thing happened to him with the wireless keypad and mouse;
these require drivers. he said to get an old
ps2 keyboard and mouse that do not require drivers and i could reinstall vista ultimate.
i did.
and now i’m a happy camper!
thanks.
so, it ended well.
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