quick BIOS question..

[Platypus]

My mate is trying to get an old compaq to access the BIOS screen but whatever he types it just gives a keyboard error. Is there any way into the bios?

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: CorporateRecreation
My mate is trying to get an old compaq to access the BIOS screen but whatever he types it just gives a keyboard error. Is there any way into the bios?

if he gets a keyboard error, that means the PC isnt getting a signal from the keyboard.

 

[Platypus]

"3C 301-Keyboard Error"

is what it says.

He says the keyboard works fine once the OS boots.

 

[Platypus]

Anyone?

 

[iamwiz82]

is it a USB keyboard?

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

Use the F10 key instead.

nik

 

[Platypus]

# Restart the machine
# Press the F10 key when the red COMPAQ logo is displayed
# Make the required changes
# Press F10 again to save the changes and restart the machine
# Once the machine has restarted, the changes should be active.

According to compaq, but he still gets the error. It is a PS/2 keyboard.

He describes booting as such: "there actually isn't a compaq logo that appears--the only thing that happens is that it says Compaq DeskPro in the lower right-hand corner and then counts the RAM"

 

[Cyberian]

Originally posted by: CorporateRecreation
My mate is trying to get an old compaq to access the BIOS screen but whatever he types it just gives a keyboard error. Is there any way into the bios?

Try holding down the spacebar while you do a cold boot. On some machines this will force them into diagnostic mode.

 

[schdaddy]

boot the system without the keyboard plugged in & see what error you get

or

try a different keyboard

 

[Platypus]

The machine will not boot without a keyboard, he has tried 3 different keyboards.

 

[bandXtrb]

this may help

or this

Looks like Compaq used to put part of the BIOS program at the beginning of the hard disk, and it is missing in your friend's system. You will need a recovery CD or some kind of bootdisk to restore it.