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Thread: Problem with OLD system (BIOS gone??)

  1. #21
    Senior Member nihil's Avatar
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    Whilst it could be a BIOS problem I would have thought this unlikely?

    Can you get hold of a floppy boot disk and see if it will boot into DOS. I would try this with the hard drive connected and disconnected if that doesn't work.

    You mentioned that you had reformatted the hard drive? so that might be where the problem is? I would try putting the hard drive into another machine, and see if it boots.

    It might also be worthwhile trying a different video cable.

    When you try to bood do you get lights and noise from the hard drive..........if so, how long for?

    Cheers

  2. #22
    rebmeM roineS enilnOitnA steve.milner's Avatar
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    Originally posted here by IKnowNot
    This is a security related site, and although I enjoy helping people, I am tired and can not possibly teach a 101 on what is inside when you open a computer.
    Hehe, I was wondering when the patience would run out.

    Well done for hanging in that long.

    Steve
    IT, e-commerce, Retail, Programme & Project Management, EPoS, Supply Chain and Logistic Services. Yorkshire. http://www.bigi.uk.com

  3. #23
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    I have tried boot disks but the BIOS is needed to tell the computer to read the Floppy Drive, plus I know what the BIOS looks like on the screen when the computer boots up. If I could get it to DOS then I'd at least know it'w working and I could reinstall Windows and I'd be set, but I can't even do that.

  4. #24
    Senior Member nihil's Avatar
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    Where I am coming from is that your boot sequence may point to the C:\ drive. If there is a problem with this, then that is as far as you will get.

    If the jumpers have not been moved, then they are probably not the problem? The most usual thing to alter with jumpers is the BIOS security password..............

    If you disconnect the C:\ drive, it just might try to boot from A:\?

    I would still recommend that you test the C:\ drive, and even load the OS onto it on another machine. It is beginning to sound as if you might have a problem with other elements like the RAM or processor?

    If the BIOS chip itself is the problem, all you can do is bin the lot...............not worth repairing, even if you could.

    Cheers

  5. #25
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    Just my 2 cents -- 'Snow' is typically a result of a faulty processor. You will generally get absolutely nothing but the sound from the power supply on startup, if the BIOS is bad. I would put my money on a processor issue from the sound of things.

  6. #26
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    If the computer turns on and a bios screen doesn't come on then you usually have three problems:
    A Your video card isn't inserted right, cables arn't connected, or video card is bad.
    B.) Your processor has gone to a better place
    C.) It hates you

    Just to check though, are there any beep codes? A Video error is usually one long beep, followed by either two or three short beeps. If there are any other beep codes place them here. And by the way, the bios is on the motherboard firmware, formatting the harddrive woudn't affect it at all. And if you can't get past the bios, don't worry about using boot disks to try and get to DOS, you won't get there.

    that's cute my bullet turned into a smiley D;
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    nor look through the eyes of the dead...You shall listen to all
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