CMOS Settings Wrong error 3

[Mekkins]

I'm working on an HP dx2000 minitower with a bad hard drive. It wouldn't recognize the hard drive I tried as a replacement and, since I could find no reason why it shouldn't, I downloaded a BIOS update from HP to see if that would do the trick. To make a long story short, I pooched the flash update but managed to correct it and the update is successfully loaded. However, every time the computer reboots, it halts during POST with the message "CMOS settings wrong. Press F1 for setup, F2 to load defaults and continue." If you press F2 the machine boots up just fine but halts again at the next reboot. If you go into setup and load and save the default settings, it continues to halt with the same message. I'm not getting why pressing F2 will allow the machine to continue and boot up normally but it can't seem to save the defaults in CMOS. The CMOS settings look fine. I've tried pulling the battery. I was going to try to rollback the flash update but there doesn't seem to be an option to do that. Anyone have a clue? Thanks. BTW, it's an AMI BIOS.

 

[wahnula]

Have you tried replacing the battery??? Classic symptoms.

Tony

"Buy what you like, or you'll be forced to like what you buy"...me

 

[Newhost]

Replacing the battery is a good idea, but before that you can try to reset the CMOS! Helped me with a similar situation and I've also got an AMI BIOS

Newhost

 

[Mekkins]

Clearing the CMOS does no good. I've tried replacing the battery with one from another machine but no joy. I'll try a new one just to see but I don't think it's the battery; it retains date and time. Funny thing is I tried setting a setup password and it doesn't stick. Hmmm.

 

[BadBigBen]

there is the possibility that you flashed the wrong BIOS, ie. that for a sister board, close enough to the original you have, that it would allow it to run...

1.17 Rev. B 19 Feb 2007 is this the version you flashed? or this one 1.09 A 11 Nov 2005?

see about getting the older and correct BIOS and reflash that one...

normally, when you enter the BIOS and do changes you have to opt out with F10 (EXIT & SAVE) for the changes to stick...



Ben

"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."

 

[Mekkins]

BadBigBen, you are the man. That did not occur to me even though I know the dx2000 line has been going for a while. Ours are 4 or 5 years old. I did go from a 1.06 to the 1.17B. I went into HP's revision history, found the 1.09, and it worked like a charm. (I also like the fact that it creates the boot floppy for you rather than unzipping files for you to copy to a boot floppy like the 1.17B) Again, many thanks. If you're ever in Georgia, look me up and I'll buy you a beer

Mekkins

 

[LawnBoy]

Nice shootin' there, Tex. Have another star.

"We must fall back upon the old axiom that when all other contingencies fail, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." - Sherlock Holmes

 

[BadBigBen]

@Mekkins - drats, that's nearly 14 yrs. too late... LOL... used to live in Hinesville (Ft. Stupid aka Stewart)...

@LawnBoy - Yep, Texas too... El Paso, but that is 30 yrs. ago, when I was a little big ben... LOL...

PS: thnx for the stars...

Ben

"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."