Inspiron 5100 bios completely inaccessible?

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

"Jim" <dlovitz@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:986a31b7.0410010838.125df3b5@posting.google.com...
> Hi all. I need to boot from a CD on my inspiron 5100. But when I hit
> F2 to access the bios (when it says "press F2 to access system
> utilities") nothing happens. Hence, I am only able to boot from the
> hard drive. And since I can't boot from a CD, the bios can't be
> updated. I tried physically removing the hard drive and it still won't
> boot from the CD. Dell Tech support are no help.
>
> Any ideas?

Does F12 change the boot order?
Could you boot from floppy?

Never had a Dell but never was unable to get into BIOS either. Could it be a
dead/weak CMOS battery?

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

"foolinyu" <foo@BayArea.none> wrote in message news:<ZYi7d.151821$MQ5.151396@attbi_s52>...
>
> Does F12 change the boot order?

Nope.

> Could you boot from floppy?

There isn't one. The USB memory stick won't boot either.

>
> Never had a Dell but never was unable to get into BIOS either.

Never buy an Inspiron.  

> Could it be a dead/weak CMOS battery?

Doubt it - This problem cropped up within days of purchasing the
laptop, but I didn't need urgently to deal with it till now.

Thanks though.

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

What happens if you hold down any of the keyboard keys
to simulate a "bad keyboard"? Sometimes you'll get a "press
any key to enter setup" message.......at least on my desktop that
happens if I have something laying on the keyboard when I boot.
Kind of screwy situation you're in. You can also try to remove the
main battery, pop off the keyboard, pull the metal covers and
take out the CMOS battery and see if that will restore it.
Good luck!


On 1 Oct 2004 09:38:50 -0700, dlovitz@hotmail.com (Jim) wrote:

>Hi all. I need to boot from a CD on my inspiron 5100. But when I hit
>F2 to access the bios (when it says "press F2 to access system
>utilities") nothing happens. Hence, I am only able to boot from the
>hard drive. And since I can't boot from a CD, the bios can't be
>updated. I tried physically removing the hard drive and it still won't
>boot from the CD. Dell Tech support are no help.
>
>Any ideas?

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

What does Dell have to say?

"Jim" <dlovitz@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:986a31b7.0410010838.125df3b5@posting.google.com...
: Hi all. I need to boot from a CD on my inspiron 5100. But when I hit
: F2 to access the bios (when it says "press F2 to access system
: utilities") nothing happens. Hence, I am only able to boot from the
: hard drive. And since I can't boot from a CD, the bios can't be
: updated. I tried physically removing the hard drive and it still
won't
: boot from the CD. Dell Tech support are no help.
:
: Any ideas?

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

Do the rest of the keys work? Have you messed with the keyboard in any way?
I recently changed a memory module, for which I had to remove the keyboard.
The cable for the keyboard got pulled, and when I tried to reattach it, only
a few of the keys worked. I could use the F2 key to get into the bios, but
the keys for moving around in, and exiting from, the bios didn't work.

I was able -- thanks to some help from people in this forum -- to get the
keyboard reattached correctly, and that solved the non-responding key issue.

"Jim" <dlovitz@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:986a31b7.0410010838.125df3b5@posting.google.com...
> Hi all. I need to boot from a CD on my inspiron 5100. But when I hit
> F2 to access the bios (when it says "press F2 to access system
> utilities") nothing happens. Hence, I am only able to boot from the
> hard drive. And since I can't boot from a CD, the bios can't be
> updated. I tried physically removing the hard drive and it still won't
> boot from the CD. Dell Tech support are no help.
>
> Any ideas?

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

thats the one thing I haven't tried. thanks. will attempt tomorrow

J

"George T Merriman" <bastler1@charter.net> wrote in message
news:10mak1qe2ep7u1e@corp.supernews.com...
> Do the rest of the keys work? Have you messed with the keyboard in any
> way? I recently changed a memory module, for which I had to remove the
> keyboard. The cable for the keyboard got pulled, and when I tried to
> reattach it, only a few of the keys worked. I could use the F2 key to get
> into the bios, but the keys for moving around in, and exiting from, the
> bios didn't work.
>
> I was able -- thanks to some help from people in this forum -- to get the
> keyboard reattached correctly, and that solved the non-responding key
> issue.
>
> "Jim" <dlovitz@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:986a31b7.0410010838.125df3b5@posting.google.com...
>> Hi all. I need to boot from a CD on my inspiron 5100. But when I hit
>> F2 to access the bios (when it says "press F2 to access system
>> utilities") nothing happens. Hence, I am only able to boot from the
>> hard drive. And since I can't boot from a CD, the bios can't be
>> updated. I tried physically removing the hard drive and it still won't
>> boot from the CD. Dell Tech support are no help.
>>
>> Any ideas?
>
>

Archived from groups: comp.sys.laptops (More info?)

it's fixed. took a usb floppy drive, took out the hdd, and booted to the a22
bios. all now is in order. thank you all for your help.

J
"Joel Ruimy" <joelruimy@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:Iaf9d.25536$jj2.1181825@news20.bellglobal.com...
> thats the one thing I haven't tried. thanks. will attempt tomorrow
>
> J
>
> "George T Merriman" <bastler1@charter.net> wrote in message
> news:10mak1qe2ep7u1e@corp.supernews.com...
>> Do the rest of the keys work? Have you messed with the keyboard in any
>> way? I recently changed a memory module, for which I had to remove the
>> keyboard. The cable for the keyboard got pulled, and when I tried to
>> reattach it, only a few of the keys worked. I could use the F2 key to
>> get into the bios, but the keys for moving around in, and exiting from,
>> the bios didn't work.
>>
>> I was able -- thanks to some help from people in this forum -- to get the
>> keyboard reattached correctly, and that solved the non-responding key
>> issue.
>>
>> "Jim" <dlovitz@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>> news:986a31b7.0410010838.125df3b5@posting.google.com...
>>> Hi all. I need to boot from a CD on my inspiron 5100. But when I hit
>>> F2 to access the bios (when it says "press F2 to access system
>>> utilities") nothing happens. Hence, I am only able to boot from the
>>> hard drive. And since I can't boot from a CD, the bios can't be
>>> updated. I tried physically removing the hard drive and it still won't
>>> boot from the CD. Dell Tech support are no help.
>>>
>>> Any ideas?
>>
>>
>
>