Unable to enter bios

[Dotman]

All of a sudden i cannot get into the bios at startup. Well actually i get into it, but my keyboard at that point doesn't function. Arrow keys don't work, nothing. I also seem to notice a keyboard failure message quickly just before entering. I've tried several different keyboards, usb and ps2 with the same result. Any suggestions? Is there another way to access the bios?

dell optiplex gx 240 p4 1.6 XP Pro 512 ram 20GB HD

Thanks

 

[GonzoDaGr8]

USB keyboard won't do it unless usb legacy support is enabled in the BIOS. Maybe try taking out the cmos battery for a while and try again with a PS2 keyboard plugged in.

Is there another way to access the bios?

Not without a properly functioning keyboard.
Also, why would you want to get in the BIOS of a DELL box? There is not really much you can do in there unless you need to enable IDE channels or change boot sequence.

 

[Twista]

usb and ps2 with the same result.

 

[gf4200isdabest]

Have you tried resetting your bios?

 

[jvang125]

mine does that too but only if i press the del key too quickly...like before i hear the POST beeps. if i press it after the beeps, the keyboard works fine in the BIOS.

 

[Dotman]

i guess I am a little new at this. i need to get into the bios because I fiddled around earlier with enabling and disabling the primary and secondary drives, and now my cdrw doesn't respond. How do you reset the bios? Where exactly is that cmos battery? Thanks for the help.

 

[GonzoDaGr8]

Where exactly is that cmos battery?

It's the only battery on the mobo..It looks like a fat quarter and says something like CR2032. Unplug the comp from the wall, remove the battery for a minute or so, then re-install the battery the same way you took it out.