Hi.

I've acquired an old Athlon 3000 XP system with busted HDDs, but a valid Windows XP license. I'd like to get it running, but there is a small (or huge) problem.

Although the system POSTS correctly, the PC boots to the CMOS setup screen every time. It seems that the CMOS settings are stored as the time/date are stored even if I turn off the PC power so it wouldn't appear to be the battery or link.

I've tried another keyboard in case it was a stuck key or keyboard fault and I've disconnected/removed all cards and drives and turned off all unnecessary motherboard items (FDD controller, Serial ports etc.)

I've had a look around on the 'net, but for the few people who have had this problem, it seems that the motherboard is the issue and it has had to be replaced. It's not worth it for me, I'd just have to ditch the system.

I'm not certain yet what mobo it is as I have not recognised any designations on it (I've had this problem before) but it is a Packard Bell microATX system.

If anyone has a good and solid idea, I'd like to give it a whirl. Otherwise, thanks for having a look.

Do you get any kind of error message as it goes into the bios menu? It's usually an indication that something isn't set up correctly; memory timings for example.

Have you tried "load safe defaults" or similar option?

I have tried Load failsafe defaults and later manually disabled all but the IDE channel 0

I get the standard PB screen with F2 for setup and F8 for boot device and it then goes straight to CMOS setup. I did not see the option to turn off the PB screen- and therefore see any messages that might appear, but I get the "all is OK" single POST beep before the CMOS screen.

I would have thought of battery or CMOS clear link, but time and date is correctly stored each time.

I remember that there was a beep code- 1 long and 3 (I think) short beeps. With a Phoenix BIOS, this indicates a graphics (on-board) problem. If it was 1 long and 2 short (I don't think it was) then the MoBo is apparently knackered. I don't get this code since I cleared the BIOS, but I'll try a separate graphics card. I think the beep code popped up yesterday after I loaded the failsafes. I'll find a little time later to have a fiddle.

I wouldn't mind another Athlon XP machine with Win XP on. I've got two spare XP machines with Celeron CPUs that are (not surprisingly) pretty slow and useless.

You say that the bleep codes are for a Phoenix MB (Is that what you have) or is it a different manufacturer?

Anyway I had issues with my Gigabyte Mobo some time ago

See this post http://www.x404.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=12443&hilit=mobo

Anyway so I would recommend that

You short out the BIOS – see the manual on how to do that
Then if that does not solve it disconnect everything
Then plug in just 1 stick of memory, a HDD and the Cd drive with XP in it and have the CD as the boot device

Then see if that fixes it

Thanks for the thoughts. I've just tried it with an AGP card and I have already tried it with one stick of different RAM, with and without IDE drives attached. It still boots straight to the CMOS screen.

There is no way to turn off the PB welcome screen (that I can find) and so I cannot see any messages prior to the CMOS setup appearing. It says press ESC to switch screen. I assume that this is supposed to get rid of the PB screen, but it doesn't work!!

I am getting pretty stuck now and I think that I will have to try and find a mobo manual (if I can identify the mobo) to check the couple of links that are on the board, but I am assuming that it all went belly up for no (apparent) reason, and that would explain why someone dumped it in the nearby park!!

I can't help but wondering what type of keyboard you're using... is it USB or PS/2? If you've not yet tried a PS/2 keyboard it might be worth a go, as I seem to recall having a similar issue many years ago, (I couldn't even access the BIOS) and I solved that by plugging an old PS/2 Keyboard in and trying again.

If you've already tried this you can ignore this post...

Thanks, John. It is a PS2 keyboard and I've tried two because I am sure one of my spare keyboards is faulty, but I don't know which one!!

I'm going to give it one last go today and then I think I'll chuck it. I have two Athlon XP systems already, so if the CPU is OK, I'll install it in one and use the CPU from that in the other to upgrade them both.

I have just had one of those FFS!!! moments. I found the MoBo spec and the jumper settings and the CMOS clear jumper was set to "Clear".

I thought it had to be something seriously simple or seriously fatal, and it was simple.

I can forgive myself, because, irrc, the last time I did this was my first, from scratch, build when I started it up for the first time with the link set to clear. That was in 1999.

I also can't see any reason why this was dumped with the link set to clear.

I haven't tried doing much with it yet, but I plan to swap CPUs around in the next few days so will hold off installing Windows until then.

Thanks for your interest, everyone.

I was going to suggest that but I thought you couldn't be as daft as I've been in the past.

It's always annoying when it's something bleeding obvious but I always console myself that it's save me money. Glad it's sorted.

I am surprised it was that, but why on earth was it left like that in the first place? unless some numpty had a fiddle with it before it was dumped. Now it seems that the only thing that was wrong with it was the HDD (goosed).

I thought that it couldn't be that because the CMOS data was stored. Obviously, another lesson learned.

Bad news, however. I forgot that the XP license sticker was ripped (2 and a half sections of the code missing) and I can't get the code from the HDD- because it is goosed!

I am going to downgrade it to a 2400XP Athlon and pop Win 2000 on it.

OK, so this is strange. I've just had another look at the specs- so that I can install the 2400XP- and the jumper I set was not the CMOS clear. It is known as the "Safe Mode/Normal/Recovery" jumper and it was set to Safe Mode instead of Normal.

Now that explains why the CMOS data was stored and I don't feel half as bad now as I did for missing what I thought would have been something bleeding obvious!!

Ah ha.

You have to watch it with old mobos, they do take a bit more tinkering with that modern boards. Simple little silly stuff usually.

It's a shame if you can't copy the HDD, I think belarc gives the licence numbers for installed software and I think that includes the OS code. It's here if you can.

There will be no joy getting anything from the HDDs. One (which I think was added to the system) was screeching away from heads in contact with the platter(s) and the other just wouldn't work in the software environment.

Its a shame, but I have got enough Win XP machines, but only one rather old and tatty one with Win2000 on. I will either install Win2000 and then stick it in the loft until I have good reason to want to play with it, or I might put a Linux distro on. I've been meaning to play with Linux for AGES!!