Installing new bios?

alf

Everytime I turn off my computer, I have to reset the CMOS to get it to start again. I put the updated bios on a new floppy but when I read it in notebook it did not explain how to install it. It warned against starting it in windows and to flash it in BIOS. How do I do that, is it just flash recovery, or do I boot from the floppy? Please reply if one knows what to do.

ryko

First of all, it sounds like a dead/dying CMOS battery to me.....so i don't see why you would need to flash the BIOS--it won't matter much with a dead CMOS battery.

Try a new CMOS battery...you should be able to get them almost anywhere for like $2.00.

If that doesn't work....and you want to try flashing to the latest BIOS, it depends on your mobo. You will, most likely, need to create a boot-able floppy, unless your mobo supports in-windows BIOS updating. Some mobos also support BIOS flashing from BIOS. For example on my abit ai7, at bootup, it says "press alt + f12" to enter award-flash...

So it depends on your hardware.....look for a similar message at bootup or post your specs.

csimon

there is a huge selection of cmos batteries at Radio Shak ...at least the one here. Make you you copy down the battery number or bring the old battery with you cause otherwise you'll never find it!

floppybootstomp

As mentioned here, first try a new battery, they're so cheap it's a good idea to replace it anyway.

That will probably cure things but if it doesn't and you feel that flashing your Bios to latest will help things, identify your motherboard, check out the manufacturer's website and you'll probably find full instructions on how to update Bios. There are several methods being used atm, so don't chance anything before first finding out how do do it.

Flashing a Bios is not be taken lightly.

Having said that I feel it unlikely a new Bios will cure your current prob, sounds more like a hardware problem, which brings us back to that battery

alf

I forgot to mention this but whenever I boot up to windows it always says "CMOS settings wrong" or "CMOS/GPNV Checksum error". I have to click F2 to load default values and then it will boot. I forgot about that until I started to boot up [after resetting cmos]. I think that might be why I have to reset the jumper each time.

Straight_Man

alf, PLEASE check your CMOS battery with a voltage tester (remove and replace with no other power source active on board, including CAPS with partial charges present, disconnect the motherboard power connector with power supply off and with the CAPS discharged, on aboard with an LED light that goes on when power is present on board, wait until that LED is OFF before pulling ang replacing CMOS battery). If voltage (DC voltage) shown is below 2.5-2.0 volts, replace it-- when new, these batteries put out 3.15-3.20 Volts DC. They maintain the voltage within .05-.2 volts for most of thier lives. They are not rechargeable, so no recharge circuit exists for the coin cell type batteries in a flat socket on motherboard. Battery keeps CMOS settings stable when computer is powered off, and powers computer clock when computer is off.

When CMOS battery drops below a certain voltage, the CMOS table gets trashed-- it can be random or all zero values. Having to reset or clear CMOS before each boot or increasingly often, means CMOS battery is low or very low on power to supply clock and CMOS table refreshing to keep CMOS table stable. When CMOS gets corrupted, or part of CMOS that stores the checksum, you get that error, so if I get that I usually replace the $1.50-$2.00 CMOS battery CR2032 or DL2032 are used, if you have one with CR2032 code it might be old enough that by the code I would replace it(half the CR coded cells I see in computers yield one or less volts DC). This is the most common fix for that error when it repeats at aevery boot and you can fix as described. If battery is low but not dead, the computer might reboot but lose settings if left off for 15-30 minutes. Eventually, with modern and fast computers, you can lose the CMOS settings on every reboot (warm boot, windows 'restart') also.

Then the CMOS battery will need to be replaced to keep settings after reseting programming. If battery is totally dead the settings never get recorded right on some boards, or if PSU is maxed out by things in computer the PSU might not let you even have a stable restart with a dead or almost dead CMOS battery sitting in the motherboard CMOS\Clock battery socket. CMOS table used to keep ESCD and BIOS option settingsdoes not have to be refreshed OFTEN, but does need some refreshing over a longer time frame refresh loop sequence than say SDRAM, which will lose its value real quick when box is off and motherboard power circuitry is discharged totally.

HTH fix your symptoms.