Can't Get Into My BIOS

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support (More info?)

I have an unbranded Intel Pentium 4, it has a Megatrends motherboard and on
the startup screen (if your quick) it tells you that pressing F4 will abort
the startup so allowing you access to the BIOS, however nothing happens on
pressing the said key, F8 works taking me into the safemode. I need to
install a new version of Windows XP as I did not get an XP disk or a
recovery disk (I bought it on E-Bay) and the Microsoft website won't allow
me to download updates as apparently I do not have a valid OS so I have
bought a new XP disk but I need to get into BIOS to change the boot drive to
the D drive. Any ideas how to get into it?

Cheers
Cliff

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support (More info?)

Cliff wrote:
>I have an unbranded Intel Pentium 4, it has a Megatrends motherboard and on
>the startup screen (if your quick) it tells you that pressing F4 will abort
>the startup so allowing you access to the BIOS, however nothing happens on
>pressing the said key, F8 works taking me into the safemode. I need to
>install a new version of Windows XP as I did not get an XP disk or a
>recovery disk (I bought it on E-Bay) and the Microsoft website won't allow
>me to download updates as apparently I do not have a valid OS so I have
>bought a new XP disk but I need to get into BIOS to change the boot drive
>to the D drive. Any ideas how to get into it?

You're waiting too long..
Turn off the computer.
Turn it on..

Immediately start pressing the DEL key.. Tap.. Tap.. Tap.. Tap.. Once a
second.
If you end up seeing the Windows XP Boot Menu - you missed it again - but
sometime before that there should have been a message on your screen telling
you what to press to enter your system setup..

Repeat until you find the key you need. Normally DEL, F2, F1..

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
>
> Cheers
> Cliff
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support (More info?)

Hi,

Does your keyboard have an F-lock function that needs to be enabled first?

Is it a wireless keyboard? If so, then you may need to use a wired one.

Is it USB or PS/2 connected? If the former, you may need to use the latter
type.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone
www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

"Cliff" <cliff.kc@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
news:61jQe.35222$jr4.22626@fe3.news.blueyonder.co.uk...
>I have an unbranded Intel Pentium 4, it has a Megatrends motherboard and on
>the startup screen (if your quick) it tells you that pressing F4 will abort
>the startup so allowing you access to the BIOS, however nothing happens on
>pressing the said key, F8 works taking me into the safemode. I need to
>install a new version of Windows XP as I did not get an XP disk or a
>recovery disk (I bought it on E-Bay) and the Microsoft website won't allow
>me to download updates as apparently I do not have a valid OS so I have
>bought a new XP disk but I need to get into BIOS to change the boot drive
>to the D drive. Any ideas how to get into it?
>
> Cheers
> Cliff
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support (More info?)

Shenan Stanley wrote:
> Cliff wrote:
> >I have an unbranded Intel Pentium 4, it has a Megatrends motherboard and on
> >the startup screen (if your quick) it tells you that pressing F4 will abort
> >the startup so allowing you access to the BIOS, however nothing happens on
> >pressing the said key, F8 works taking me into the safemode. I need to
> >install a new version of Windows XP as I did not get an XP disk or a
> >recovery disk (I bought it on E-Bay) and the Microsoft website won't allow
> >me to download updates as apparently I do not have a valid OS so I have
> >bought a new XP disk but I need to get into BIOS to change the boot drive
> >to the D drive. Any ideas how to get into it?
>
> You're waiting too long..
> Turn off the computer.
> Turn it on..
>
> Immediately start pressing the DEL key.. Tap.. Tap.. Tap.. Tap.. Once a
> second.

OP indicates that the message says to press F4 to get into the BIOS.
Is the DEL key a universal alternative?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support (More info?)

Cliff wrote:
> Thanks for the reply everyone. It's not that I'm not quick enough, I hold
> down the F4
> key as soon as the computer starts to power up (like it says on the startup
> screen), as I said the F8 key works. It is a mercury keyboard that has a
> number of small arrows under some of the F key numbers (I don't know what
> they are for) but not under the F8 key (which works), I've tried <shift F4>,
> <Ctrl F4>, <Alt F4>, even the Microsoft key F4 but no joy. It has no F lock
> key that I can see.

The time at which the F8 key is meant to be pressed is "much" after the
time that the F4 key is to be pressed. To get into the BIOS, you need
to press the appropriate key (F4, according to you) just as the machine
is powering up. Not only that, but it is not necessarily enough to just
press and hold the key, because the interrupt may not occur at the
required moment. Hence the suggestion above that you press the key
repeatedly, at say, 1 second intervals, starting just after the machine
shows you the first boot-related screen.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support (More info?)

Thanks for the reply everyone. It's not that I'm not quick enough, I hold
down the F4
key as soon as the computer starts to power up (like it says on the startup
screen), as I said the F8 key works. It is a mercury keyboard that has a
number of small arrows under some of the F key numbers (I don't know what
they are for) but not under the F8 key (which works), I've tried <shift F4>,
<Ctrl F4>, <Alt F4>, even the Microsoft key F4 but no joy. It has no F lock
key that I can see.

Cliff


"Cliff" <cliff.kc@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
news:61jQe.35222$jr4.22626@fe3.news.blueyonder.co.uk...
>I have an unbranded Intel Pentium 4, <body deleted> I need to get into BIOS
>to change the boot drive to the D drive. Any ideas how to get into it?
>
> Cheers
> Cliff
>