Dealing with the lack of bootup with newer mainboards
 

I've been pondering this for a while now, and figured there's enough fellow computer folk out here to enlighten me a bit.

On newer mainboards, a lot of the bootup is masked by just an image that says "Pentium 4 Motherboard" or something similar. Whenever I troubleshoot a friend's computer, I tend to run into those mainboards.

They don't respond to the usual DEL or F8 commands during bootups to get me into the position to deal with certain problems.

One example in particular that has really given me some grief is a buddy of mine bought a Dell laptop, and managed to mangle it up pretty nicely, software-wise. When it came to formatting, I needed to alter the boot sequence in the BIOS, but couldn't access the bios! I'm not a dumb guy, but this really drove me in circles. I tried connecting a USB floppy drive too, no dice.


Is there any way to disable this startup image, or to still get into the bios on these newer P4 mainboards?

I couldn't even get into the boot menu with good ol' F8.

Now, unless the DEL and F8 commands have been replaced, and I'm just too uninformed to have known about it... I don't think that's the case, but if it is, please do tell.


I don't have any specific info for you guys. It's just the newer mainboards where the bootup checks are replaced by a full screen image, then up comes Windows.

Refer to the motherboard's manual. My mobo does similiar thing by default - with the picture on bootup, but you can still get into bios, and you can turn the pictar off. Just refer to the manual, it should be in there. Otherwise worst motherboard evar.

Try hitting escape when the picture shows up, usually gets rid of it.

Are you just trying the DEL and F8 keys?

I've found a variety that seem to work....

On my mother's HP it's F10 that kicks it into bios...

I've also found that F1 and F12 works on the gateways at the college....

and I once ran across a slap-dash computer that required me to hit the TAB key to get rid of the splash screen and then F6 to get into the bios....odd thing.

Anyway, like the man said, if it ain't working check the manual. If it isn't there bang the keyboard repeatedly with your head during boot up and I'm sure you'll run across it.... :)

TAB to get rid of splash screens is rather standard nowdays.

i believe it is F2 on my Dell laptop, try that to get into the bios

what model laptop?

[rant]god damnit, why can't they all settle one one bios access key? Or at lest show on the screen what key you need to get rid of the splash screen/pull up the BIOS.

Damn the people who think a text-based bootup is scary.[/rant]

I tried a variety of keys, but they were mostly at random. I'll take a few of these to his laptop and see if I can get in, just for the sake of knowing.

Yotta, you've got my vote on that one.


Thanks for the input everyone, I appriciate it, even if it's just for the next time something comes up like that.

I had a major computer crash awhile ago and my bios defaulted back to a picture during the boot-up.

You should be able to go into your bios and change the setting.

I've tried numerous combinations of the above mentioned keys, and I've managed to show the text based side of things, but still no bios.

It really isn't an emergency, but I think when I get some time, I'm going to get his mobo model and check for a manufacturers manual or something. I'm more curious than anything else now.

The motherboard/PC manufacturer's website support usually provides the keystrokes for entering the BIOS -- I had to use F10 for an old Presario last week, and I found it through trial and error, going through all the F keys

A tip that has worked for me so far:
Hold any key continuously, so the boot fails on a 'stuck key detected'.
This should bring up a screen which allows you to enter the BIOS, and disable the splashscreen...

This is not really on topic, but, if the mobo does foc (loooonnnng beep before it shuts down), press insert to bypass that and it will boot.

However! If you don't have a fan connected to the mobo (cpu 1), then don't override the <b>f</b>an <b>o</b>ff <b>c</b>ontrol.

Just thought I would throw that in since we are talking about boot key sequences.

Oh, also, holding down a key until the keyboard buffer screams won't always work. "del" works on so many boards it should be the default, in my opine.

My Thinkpad wants <b>F</b>unction keys pressed, but, it displays that info before anything else.

99% of the time its F1 F2 or del

generally, it is TAB to get out of the splash screen, then you will have to usually press DEL to get into the bios.

now, for compaq and dells, that really isnt much of a splash screen, you will need to press another key.. Generally it is F8 or F10 if I am not mistaken... just basically click things until one works ;)