How to restore PC BIOS after disabling on-board VGA?

[duane123]

I have an old IBM Netvista 2276 that has on-board video, which I believe is intermittantly locking up Win ME (have reveived some such error code). If I go into BIOS on start up an disable the on-board VGA like instructed in

http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=psg1MIGR-4ZVR6P

, how can I go about getting the default BIOS settings back if I loose all video display (that is assuming my new PCI video card doesn't solve this problem)? Do I have to memorize the steps in BIOS and do it BLIND?

 

[bcastner]

I do not know about your particular model, but it is not unusual to have to move the monitor connetor back to the onboard port for BIOS settings.

 

[felixc]

Removing the battery will let the BIOS load its safe values, as when the system was shipped.

 

[duane123]

Thanks for the "removing the battery" tip. I bet that will do it, otherwise just moving the monitor connector back to on-board connector will probably not allow me to see anything since the BIOS will not enable the on-board driver until I set it back, and I cannot do that because I will be BLIND.

 

[HeyDudes]

if removing the battery does not work reset the jumper next to the battery by removing it and reseting it.. that will always reset BIOS

 

[bcastner]

To be honest I would approach this differently. If you BIOS offers a choice of native adapter: on-board, PCI slot, AGP slot, etc. then pick the new adapter location.

Before doing that however, go into Windows Device manager and disable (not uninstall) the defined on-board video adapter). Keep the monitor connected to the onboard video adapter and restart your computer. Access the BIOS. Make the changes discussed above. Exit the BIOS, and shut down the machine. Change the cable to the new video adapter. Restart the computer.

As I said, some, not all, BIOS will only allow you to make changes in BIOS settings after this change if the monitoris reconnected to the onboard adapter. Most will take this gracefully.