The board is an Intel DP35DP I was experimenting with my memory timings in chipset config in my bios at 5 5 5 12 2T all was still well to cut a long story short I ended up crashing the machine It would not post or do anything just lit up and all the fans ran nothing else and would switch on and off randomly looked on intel to see what to do easy just make a boot disc ...blah blah How you do this on a machine that does not post is beyond me? I did not want to remove batt and wipe cmos as this seemed like a last resort and I did not know what implications this would have on my existing settings as I have never done this Anyway tried numerous options removed jumper to put board in recovery mode nothing worked My board jumper was set to config so I took a chance and set it to normal powered it up and it started to boot so I could f2 into bios Put all the settings back to where they were powered down put jumper back to config and machine was perfect and runs as it did before Was I just lucky ? as there is no worthwhile info I can find on what to do if the machine does not post and boot. I have stuffed up lots messing around but this was the first time I killed it like this where I could not get to bios What should I have done? Thanks Nigel
The BIOS-clearing method is exactly the right one when it won't post. You don't need to be too worried about clearing the BIOS, it's a perfectly acceptable thing to do when overclocking and fiddling with memory timings.
OK so next time I stuff it up disconnect power remove batt wait a hour batt back and power up and I should be good to go? Do I then need to udate/reload bios after I have done that? Is there a way I can save a copy of my bios with all its settings to re use as a reference if I had to set up from scratch? Sorry for all the questions just want to be prepared
1. Yes. 1 Hour is a bit excessive. Remove the battery, switch off the mains & press the power button on the PC. This will drain all electrical charge from your PC & should clear the CMOS after about 10 minutes or so. Re-insert the battery & switch on your PC normally. You need need to update the Time & Date settings in your BIOS. 2.Not with your motherboard its not. Some boards have a bios backup option that can be loaded after a CMOS clear. But I'm pretty sure your board doesn't have this option. Just write down the major settings - like RAM timings, voltages etc. At least you know what to aim for if you need to clear the CMOS again.
True - but (no offense here) some cheaper motherboards dont come with a CMOS clear jumper & removing the battery is the only way to clear the bios settings. I think the Intel DP35DP does have a jumper - Please consult Page 54 of your motherboard manual.
The 3 pin jumper I found and used only had 3 options normal ,configure and recovery I dont think there is a cmos jumper although I could of overlooked it My jumper was set in the configure mode when I found it so after I came right and changed back the mem timings I put the jumper back how I found it This board is very fiddle unfriendly I dont think this board was made for anyone who wants play around with overclocking It did not worry me as I did not really have any intentions of tweaking before getting the machine BUT now I want to As I said I think I will change the board later as I want to change my case as well so I will do them at the same time Cheers Nigel
Be prepared for emergencies, get your tool-kit together while things are working, and learn how to use it. Make an Ultimate Boot CD. Memory testing will run from a boot floppy. Vista can be repaired from the install disc or there's a downloadable ISO. A Linux Live CD can often transfer important files to a pendrive.
