Windows 10: A few questions about resetting the BIOS settings.

Hey,

What is the proper way to short the CMOS jumper on a laptop motherboard if I don't have that thing that goes on it?
Also, when doing a BIOS recovery (this laptop's keyboard is broken and I can't use the Fn key) can I use an external normal-sized mechanical keyboard that doesn't have the Fn key to start the recovery? And what's the key/combination?

:)

 

A few questions about the e61

Thanks for the reply. Hopefully others will give me some insight on Exchange. Do you like your e61? I currently have a Tmobile SDA and I like it but would like a full qwerty keyboard. Hopefully I can do most things with an e61 that I can on my SDA.

 

A few questions about the N97

Thanks guys, you pretty much answered all my questions, so I am VERY LIKELY to get this phone in October/November/December or the early start of next year, because I got a LG phone that's really annoying the hell out of me and they still won't replace it,
so I'm just going to get this and it's cheaper than the E75 so =)



Kudos to you guys.



Edit: And I hope Nokia will add support for Linux as well as better support for Mac in the future, I am a Linux enthusiast but I have to use Windows Vista (It's horrible) for my studies, but I dual boot so it's not too bad.

Message Edited by on 11-Jul-2009 07:51 PM

 

Please tell us the Laptop Make and Model#. Your profile mentions an HP desktop.
You can get a new keyboard for your laptop from Ebay

What "Thing" are your talking about? the Jumper pin? Why do you need to short the CMOS?
Can you boot into Windows? If so, you can go to Settings/Update and Security/Recovery/Advanced Startup/Restart Now and choose to enter Recovery partition.
Depending on the make and model # of your laptop, there are other ways to enter recovery if you cannot boot into Windows. On an HP, you would press the ESC key. On a Dell or Acer it might be the F11 key.

 

I would try loading the BIOS defaults from the BIOS before resetting the BIOS on the motherboard. There may be a reset switch or button on your motherboard. If not, you can remove and replace the CMOS battery if you don't want to short the jumpers.

 

It's an Acer Aspire 5745G and I need to do it because my friend messed up his BIOS settings and now the laptop boots but nothing comes up, it's just a black, dead screen. There's no CMOS battery on the motherboard and there's a little, white 2 pin thing which I assume is the jumper, though I'm not completely sure, it could be something else. If you want, I can upload a picture of it.
Now I'm gonna try to do a BIOS recovery with the F11 key you've mentioned, hopefully it'll work.

EDIT: The external keyboard for some reason doesn't work immediately when I boot the laptop, I have to wait around a minute for it to light up and be functional. I think because of that I won't be able to do the recovery.
So, I guess shorting the jumpers, assuming there are any, is the only way to fix this problem. Or to just throw it in the trash.

 

On the Acer 5745G when your laptop starts you should be able to enter the BIOS by pressing F2. You may have to press more than once. Say three four times.

I assume this did not work for you. Correct?

Once in BIOS F9 restores defaults, then F10 to save.

Your manual has an error message for CMOS battery dead. According to docs CMOS battery is right beside wireless card and right below memory. It may be covered in black protective material, shaped like a coin. You should see it right after you take cover off.

 

I took out the whole motherboard and there is no CMOS battery anywhere on it. And correct, F2 doesn't work, and that's because the external keyboard is not working immediately after boot, as I said.

 

I guess this is not the laptop in question:
How to disassemble Acer Aspire 5745 | Inside my laptop

 

It looks the same, only the CMOS battery is not there.

That's the 5745, the one I have is the 5745G.

 

Wow. I found this video. Basically I searched for our to remove password from Bios. Interesting the battery is under wireless card in this video for Acer 57**. Did you by chance remove wireless card? Then he shorted the leads in battery slot to reset BIOS.

How to remove BIOS password for Acer Aspire 57** Series - YouTube

 

I've already watched that video, and tons of others but none of them match the one I have.

See for yourself:

(Sorry for the bad quality)




I suppose that white 2-pin thing is the jumper that has to be shorted, though I tried but nothing happens.

 

That white 2 pin header is where the battery would be connected. There is a picture on the page in the link NavyLCD posted that shows the wires from the battery going to it. It appears somebody already removed it? If it has already been removed, the BIOS has reset to defaults on its own. Keep in mind, on a laptop, some settings will not be reset by removing the CMOS battery. If you set a BIOS password for instance that will not be erased by removing the battery. It's stored in non volatile RAM. Everything else will be erased though, boot order, etc will go back to defaults.

 

Great catch! That explains the absence of a battery - it's supposed to be there but isn't.

 

So, I just have to buy a new battery?