By-passing Dell 4550 BIOS shell

[DougmeisterX]

I understand my Dell Dimension 4550 uses an Intel D845PEBT2 motherboard. This board is supposed to have an outstanding (for Intel, that is) BIOS. Problem is, Dell covers it up with some sort of shell that reduces the available setting to almost nothing.

Does anyone know how to get direct access to the Intel BIOS? Also, I would like to watch the boot-up routine, which Dell also keeps hidden. Any way to access that?

Thanks.
Dougmeister

 

[Buz2b]

In some cases you can access the boot routine by pressing either F1, Esc or F10 during the boot process. Depends on what they are doing these days. You might try going to the DellTalk Forum on their site for better info. There are many good users with valuable info there. Keep in mind that you will not be able to alter the BIOS in any manner; just do "basic" items. Dell, and others like them, "dumb-down" the BIOS files to prevent "user misshaps". Yeah, right!

 

[Tom]

I have a Dell 4550 and it doesn't use the Intel D845PEBT2. It uses a Dell specific motherboard that is probably closer to the Intel D845PESV.

Intel D845PESV

 

[SinfulWeeper]

If you should succeed in getting a Intel BIOS into the computer, keep in mind that if your computer should crash and you need to reinstall Windows. The supplied software will no longer work as it authenticates the software to function in a Dell computer at the BIOS level.