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

I had to zoom in on one of the pictures in the link you posted to see it. Plus it was upside down compared to the picture the OP posted.

 

Yes and no? A missing CMOS battery won't prevent a PC from booting up, or cause the no display issue you posted. Not as far as I know. So you have other issues to sort out.

 

Sorry, i thought we may have gotten lucky. Hadn't seen a battery hidden before. If it doesn't have a battery then it must be using a capacitor to store a charge and then trickle that into bios. Shorting capacitors would be a real pain.

I assume you want to keep using this laptop so like someone else suggested it maybe quicker and easier to get a replacement keyboard with a working function key.

Now on some keyboards you dont have to press the fn to get f2. Likely you've already tried this as well.

 

BicycleRow have you tried booting it up with an external monitor connected? Also, is this maybe the result of a failed BIOS flash?

 

I know I'm reaching but ......

Where is this 2 pin connector you are shorting. Is it possible that this is where a battery would connect if one was present? . See this pic.

Attachment 112140

I provided picture just to see where the battery connects. Just trying.

These pictures are from a 5745G as per opening comments of author at this link http://www.insidemylaptop.com/disass...e-5745-laptop/

 

On a laptop, the BIOS could retain its settings if powered from the main battery, even if the CMOS battery was dead or removed. All would be fine until you unplugged the power pack and removed the main battery. The after a few minutes the settings would be lost. Date and time would be wrong and the BIOS would go back to all default settings. On a desktop PC, that doesn't have any other battery, all would be lost every time you shut down if the CMOS battery was dead or missing.

 

Yeah, I've tried. And no. My friend just switched from his onboard video to his video card in the BIOS settings and that caused it.

 

If you have torn it down to the bare motherboard, all BIOS settings (other than security) should have reset to defaults and what ever he did undone? Normally I would advise to unplug the power pack, remove the main battery, then remove the CMOS battery and let it sit for say 10 minutes. That would reset the BIOS. Striping it down to just the motherboard will do the same thing.
What was the reason for switching the video in the BIOS?

 

Yeah, but there's no CMOS battery to be removed. About switching the video, my friend just wanted to use the video card because it's better.

 

Yeah, somebody removed it at some point? Sometimes, they actually short out when they fail, and that can cause a no boot situation. It's like permanently shorting the reset jumper. Removing the CMOS battery will let the PC boot up again.

I asked why just to eliminate any other issues that might be relevant. Why you have no video now, I don't know? The BIOS should have gone back to defaults by now.

 

Actually, now I remembered, sometime ago my friend gave the laptop to a technician because it wasn't booting, probably he removed it.

Well, I guess buying a new keyboard and doing a BIOS recovery right now is the only way I can fix it?

 

Ah so you didn't disassemble it? Looks like the technician removed the battery then.

If all it is, is a BIOS setting issue that might recover it. If it's something else, a hardware fault, it won't help. I'm very doubtful that just getting a new keyboard will fix it. Plugging in an external keyboard should have worked.

My understanding of laptop BIOS is that some settings are stored in non volatile memory. Security settings for the BIOS password and boot password. Removing all power won't reset them. You have to log in with the current password to change them. Other settings like the date time, boot order etc, is stored in memory backed up by the CMOS battery. Just like it is on a desktop PC. And there is no reset jumper. Or if there is, its hidden and not labeled as such. The whole idea is to prevent a thief from getting easy access to the laptop if stolen.

"If" all the settings are stored in non volatile memory the only way to change them would be to boot to the BIOS settings menu. I don't think they are but I could be wrong. Wouldn't be the first time. If they are, removing the CMOS battery wouldn't reset them. Just the date and time would be messed up. I don't work on enough PC's to know 100% which way it is. Most of the time, when somebody is looking to reset the BIOS on a laptop its to reset the password, and the OEM's have gone to great lengths to make that pretty well impossible without knowing the current password.

What it comes down to now is how much do you want to spend in the hopes of fixing it.

 

It doesn't have a password. I just wanna reset the settings so my friend could at least use it with the onboard video.
I'm willing to do everything possible for it to be fixed.

 

I'd start by putting it all back together and seeing if it will boot up. Be careful putting the case screws back in if they are different lengths. Putting a long screw in where a short one is supposed to be can damage things. You don't need the WIFI card, or hard drive to boot up. You will need at least 1 stick of RAM in or you'll get a BIOS error/beep code. Have you ever disassembled/assembled a laptop before? Be careful putting the ribbon cables back into the connectors. They are zero insertion connectors. There is a locking bar you need to open, then insert the cable, and lock it in. They are very easily broken if you use to much force to open them.

 

I did it but once again, didn't change a thing.