can't reach BIOS setup

My brother has just built a computer and can't get it working. The problem
is that when he starts it he gets to the screen where he can choose to enter
BIOS. 9/10 times he can't do anything from there but 1/10 times he can press
delete and then it says "loading bios" but it freezes there (he waited 30
mins nothing happened). Does anyone know what the problem mihht be?
Thanks in advance
/Karl

This is his hardware:
Asus p5n-tdeluxe NForce-780i SLI, socket 775
ddr2 memory 2*2 gigabyte
powersupply 750 watt
2* geforce 8800 gt 512 mb (SLI)
Intel core2 quad 2,67 ghz, 8mb
samsung dvd-burner (IDE)
samsung spin point f1 750 gb, SATA-2, 7200 rpm
western digital raptor 74 gb, SATA, 10000 rpm
windows Vista ultimate, 64 bit

On Sun, 1 Jun 2008 12:39:00 -0700, gremme
<gremme@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

>
>My brother has just built a computer and can't get it working. The problem
>is that when he starts it he gets to the screen where he can choose to enter
>BIOS. 9/10 times he can't do anything from there but 1/10 times he can press
>delete and then it says "loading bios" but it freezes there (he waited 30
>mins nothing happened). Does anyone know what the problem mihht be?
>Thanks in advance

This is NOT a Windows problem because Windows hasn't even started to
load.

Your brother needs to taike a serious look at the combination of
hardware he has assembled.

Pull all your extra HW, leaving a single hd / cd / memory module / graphics
card, then try again
& read the mobo manual as to whether a specific sata connector has to be
used for the boot disk

"gremme" <gremme@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:5B0223BB-9917-4CF6-BC2A-48B75E22A012@microsoft.com...
>
> My brother has just built a computer and can't get it working. The problem
> is that when he starts it he gets to the screen where he can choose to
> enter
> BIOS. 9/10 times he can't do anything from there but 1/10 times he can
> press
> delete and then it says "loading bios" but it freezes there (he waited 30
> mins nothing happened). Does anyone know what the problem mihht be?
> Thanks in advance
> /Karl
>
> This is his hardware:
> Asus p5n-tdeluxe NForce-780i SLI, socket 775
> ddr2 memory 2*2 gigabyte
> powersupply 750 watt
> 2* geforce 8800 gt 512 mb (SLI)
> Intel core2 quad 2,67 ghz, 8mb
> samsung dvd-burner (IDE)
> samsung spin point f1 750 gb, SATA-2, 7200 rpm
> western digital raptor 74 gb, SATA, 10000 rpm
> windows Vista ultimate, 64 bit
>

You do not need a hard drive or optical drive to get to the BIOS.

Basic installation to get to the BIOS would be:

Motherboard
PSU
RAM
Graphics (card or chipset)
Monitor
Keyboard

--
Cari (MS-MVP) Printing & Imaging
www.coribright.com/windows

"DL" <address@invalid> wrote in message
news:uyxXDZCxIHA.4488@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> Pull all your extra HW, leaving a single hd / cd / memory module /
> graphics card, then try again
> & read the mobo manual as to whether a specific sata connector has to be
> used for the boot disk
>
> "gremme" <gremme@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:5B0223BB-9917-4CF6-BC2A-48B75E22A012@microsoft.com...
>>
>> My brother has just built a computer and can't get it working. The
>> problem
>> is that when he starts it he gets to the screen where he can choose to
>> enter
>> BIOS. 9/10 times he can't do anything from there but 1/10 times he can
>> press
>> delete and then it says "loading bios" but it freezes there (he waited 30
>> mins nothing happened). Does anyone know what the problem mihht be?
>> Thanks in advance
>> /Karl
>>
>> This is his hardware:
>> Asus p5n-tdeluxe NForce-780i SLI, socket 775
>> ddr2 memory 2*2 gigabyte
>> powersupply 750 watt
>> 2* geforce 8800 gt 512 mb (SLI)
>> Intel core2 quad 2,67 ghz, 8mb
>> samsung dvd-burner (IDE)
>> samsung spin point f1 750 gb, SATA-2, 7200 rpm
>> western digital raptor 74 gb, SATA, 10000 rpm
>> windows Vista ultimate, 64 bit
>>
>
>

Unplug the computer and clear the BIOS. Remove USB devices and turn it
back on. I have seen USB keyboards cause this problem on the on-board
controller.


--
SCSIraidGURU

Michael A. McKenney
'www.SCSIraidGURU.com' (http://www.SCSIraidGURU.com)

Supermicro X7DWA-N server board
pair of Intel E5430 quad core 2.66 GHz Xeons
16GB DDR667
SAS RAID
eVGA 8800 GTS 640 MB video card

On Sun, 1 Jun 2008 16:42:31 -0500, SCSIraidGURU
<guest@unknown-email.com> wrote:

>
>Unplug the computer and clear the BIOS.

This involves opening the computer and

1) removing the coin-sized battery for a minuter or so and putting it
back in or

2) finding the jumpter on the mainboard that when shorted does the
same thing.

Not for newbies.

> Remove USB devices and turn it
>back on. I have seen USB keyboards cause this problem on the on-board
>controller.

Another potential solution to the scenario where neither the USB keyboard or
Mouse work is to:
1.Shutdown and unplug the computer from the wall.
2.Wait 20 minutes and then push and hold down the commuters on/off switch to
drain power from a stuck USB controller.
3. Plug the computer back and try a normal boot,

"Nonny" <nonnymoose@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:fk9644l763q3mg0rfh6i56ss9ukoe4o9gp@4ax.com...
> On Sun, 1 Jun 2008 16:42:31 -0500, SCSIraidGURU
> <guest@unknown-email.com> wrote:
>
>>
>>Unplug the computer and clear the BIOS.
>
> This involves opening the computer and
>
> 1) removing the coin-sized battery for a minuter or so and putting it
> back in or
>
> 2) finding the jumpter on the mainboard that when shorted does the
> same thing.
>
> Not for newbies.
>
>> Remove USB devices and turn it
>>back on. I have seen USB keyboards cause this problem on the on-board
>>controller.
>

"push and hold down the commuters on/off switch"

Where will I find the commuter ?

"Curious" <spammenot@nospam.nospam> wrote in message
news:BBC6D8FA-F8AC-4D2D-8E6F-D340A0D31065@microsoft.com...
> Another potential solution to the scenario where neither the USB keyboard
> or Mouse work is to:
> 1.Shutdown and unplug the computer from the wall.
> 2.Wait 20 minutes and then push and hold down the commuters on/off switch
> to drain power from a stuck USB controller.
> 3. Plug the computer back and try a normal boot,
>
> "Nonny" <nonnymoose@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:fk9644l763q3mg0rfh6i56ss9ukoe4o9gp@4ax.com...
>> On Sun, 1 Jun 2008 16:42:31 -0500, SCSIraidGURU
>> <guest@unknown-email.com> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>Unplug the computer and clear the BIOS.
>>
>> This involves opening the computer and
>>
>> 1) removing the coin-sized battery for a minuter or so and putting it
>> back in or
>>
>> 2) finding the jumpter on the mainboard that when shorted does the
>> same thing.
>>
>> Not for newbies.
>>
>>> Remove USB devices and turn it
>>>back on. I have seen USB keyboards cause this problem on the on-board
>>>controller.
>>
>

On Sun, 1 Jun 2008 20:16:07 -0700, "Bender"
<imnotgivingmynametoa@machine.net> wrote:

>"push and hold down the commuters on/off switch"
>
>Where will I find the commuter ?

On a bus... maybe a train, or even in a car. Rarely on a bicycle or
motorcycle.

>
>"Curious" <spammenot@nospam.nospam> wrote in message
>news:BBC6D8FA-F8AC-4D2D-8E6F-D340A0D31065@microsoft.com...
>> Another potential solution to the scenario where neither the USB keyboard
>> or Mouse work is to:
>> 1.Shutdown and unplug the computer from the wall.
>> 2.Wait 20 minutes and then push and hold down the commuters on/off switch
>> to drain power from a stuck USB controller.
>> 3. Plug the computer back and try a normal boot,
>>
>> "Nonny" <nonnymoose@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>> news:fk9644l763q3mg0rfh6i56ss9ukoe4o9gp@4ax.com...
>>> On Sun, 1 Jun 2008 16:42:31 -0500, SCSIraidGURU
>>> <guest@unknown-email.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>>
>>>>Unplug the computer and clear the BIOS.
>>>
>>> This involves opening the computer and
>>>
>>> 1) removing the coin-sized battery for a minuter or so and putting it
>>> back in or
>>>
>>> 2) finding the jumpter on the mainboard that when shorted does the
>>> same thing.
>>>
>>> Not for newbies.
>>>
>>>> Remove USB devices and turn it
>>>>back on. I have seen USB keyboards cause this problem on the on-board
>>>>controller.
>>>
>>

Get a PS/2 keyboard. I bought one for $3.99. Plug it in with the
computer off. When you turn on the computer hit del key. It might be
f2. Another way is the unplug and clear the BIOS with the jumper.
Check your manual. My Tyan board has a button to push on the
motherboard.


--
SCSIraidGURU

Michael A. McKenney
'www.SCSIraidGURU.com' (http://www.SCSIraidGURU.com)

Supermicro X7DWA-N server board
pair of Intel E5430 quad core 2.66 GHz Xeons
16GB DDR667
SAS RAID
eVGA 8800 GTS 640 MB video card