Need to reset Bios

[Suthern]

Dear technical users, pros.
I have a secondary computer which is giving me problems. It's a ATC-6510 Intel Motherboard. Running Win98.

When I go into "control panel/add new hardware", and try to detect new devices, the computer totally freezes on the "searching for plug and play devices" screen. I have reformatted the harddrive and reinstalled win a couple of times to fix this, but it doesen't fix. Do I need a Bios flash? Please help!

Thanx,
Suthern

 

[Comtech]

I doubt if you need a BIOS flash. There are a couple of ways to get things working.
First, you need to remove any non working devices.
Boot to safe mode, go into device mangler, remove all com ports, your modem(s) and sound card(s), and anything listed in "Other Devices".
Restart, and go into the BIOS setup. Set everything to defaults, then DISable com 2, set PnP OS to NO, and restart the computer. You'll be prompted to install the modem and sound card again after it's finished installing any com ports.
If THAT doesn't help your problem at all, boot to safe mode, go into device mangler, system devices PCI bus, IRQ steering, and DISable that.
Restart.

Jim
reboot@pcmech.com

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[Suthern]

OK. here is what we did. we removed manually all cards exept the modem. changed bios the way you said. It was the same.... We tried using a differn't modem, but with the same results. Now here is the catch:

We took the 2 gig HD out of the case and put it into a differnt computer. We took HD #2 out of computer #2, leaving just HD #1. Computer #2 had had no problems in the past with differn't modems OR with HD's. We now reformatted HD #1 and installed win98. We then put the modem #1 into computer #2 with the HD #1 and started it up. The computer worked fine, even plug and play detected fine, the prob was that plug and play detected the modem as "PCI Multimedia Device", as it had on the first computer! Goin into the modem propterties after using the recommended win drivers, you coulden't communicate with the modem. "couldn't open port" was the error given, the same as the error from the first computer.

Now my question is, how on earth can the HD effect the detection of a modem? The HD is the only common denominater between the two. We have tried other modems on computer #2 running on HD #1, and had the same results! WHY?!?!

Thanx,
Nate

 

[Comtech]

If the particular HD is the one giving problems, and you've eliminated the modem(s), and sound card(s), I think it's time for a good virus scan.
The only common denominator is that ONE particular hard drive, otherwise everything works in one computer or another.
The other options I can see, is that you've completely run out of resources, and the modem is sharing with something else, possibly even the IDE controller (doubtful) on IRQ 14 or 15.
Have you triple checked the jumpers on the hard drives? Are you setting them up using cable select? (hopefully not).
Have you tried the modem(s) in all available slots? Did this HD come out of a proprietary machine (Compaq, PB, HP...)?
Have you tried any of the hd manufacturers disk tools? Specifically the zero write? Has the drive been fdisked and repartitioned?
Fishing in the dark.

Jim
reboot@pcmech.com

http://members.cnx.net/reboot/

Current moderator at

http://www.56k.com

Staff contributor/moderator at

http://www.pcmech.com

Windows 9x/ME instructor.

Jim's Modems:

http://members.cnx.net/reboot/modems/

 

[lexx]

Before you do a reformat, best to do a FDISK /MBR from the win98se start disc. this cleans your master boot record and you have a clean disc to install to... reformat clears the programs but leaves boot record information in place.

than format the drive and try to install the modem. you may want to look on several modem diagnostic web sites to see what is said there about your problem if it still exist after you do the above.