Computer people! How to get into bios setting?

[pga]

I am having trouble getting my aircard to work with my laptop and after spending WAY to many hours with several tech supports I found out at a EVDO forum that a solution is to change a setting in the bios upon booting up.

Anybody know how to access that bios setting?

What button to push I suppose......any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanx,

pga

[Fred Jones]

Typically, you select del or F1 at startup. As soon as your computer starts to boot, look at the screen. Most systems will tell you what key to push to get into the BIOS or system setup. Some of the big companies like Dell, however, don't allow you to change all the BIOS settings.

[pga]

Thanx Fred I appreciate it.

I will give it a try. I don't remember seeing anything like that when it boots and I tried the del key but now I'll do F1 and see what happens.

It's a Sony Vaio running Windows 2000 Pro.

You da man!

[herrmag]

Originally posted by Fred Jones

Typically, you select del or F1 at startup. As soon as your computer starts to boot, look at the screen. Most systems will tell you what key to push to get into the BIOS or system setup. Some of the big companies like Dell, however, don't allow you to change all the BIOS settings.

WHAT??!!! I always build my own PC's, but I do have a Dell laptop and I've never heard that you can't access the BIOS. That just seems silly if it's true.

[herrmag]

I don't understand why you need to access the bios to get your "air card" to work. I assume by aircard you mean wireless network card, right? The bios has nothing to do with that. Might be a driver issue. Did you use the install cd? Might want to check the manufacturer's website for the latest drivers as well.

[pga]

herrmag,

thanx for your insite too. I used the software that came with it.

It's a Novatel V620 wireless aircard, like you thought,from Verizon that after I spent way to long with the techs that couldn't help I was directed to a forum called EVDOforums.com and they had lots of info of this card locking up computers when you go to install the card. The only solution that I saw from one guy was to go into bios settings> power management> and then disable the ACI Bus manager.

Does this sound like a bad idea? Will it change anything else on the machine?

This person said it fixed the problem but of course this was just one person.

Thanx

(That forum has lots of info if you want to check it out)

[Larry]

Almost every system requires you to push some button while the system is booting. Nowdays, most systems start to boot long before your monitor "warms up", so the solution is, statr pushing a button as soon as you turn it on, and keep pushing it once or twice a second untill you either get there, or you see, say, the Windows "curtain" screen. (When you see Windows it's too late. Let the system finish booting, then shut it down, and try again).

Common keys I've seen to access BIOS:

delete (most clones)

f1 (most HP and Dell)

f10 (most Compaq)

I've also seen :

f2

f12

and at least one wierdo that required something like control-f1, but that was a long time ago.

Some of the Compaq Deskpro systems, the f10 key actually made the system boot from a hidden area of the hard drive, which contained programs for setting BIOS, and diagnostic programs. If that partition has been deleted, the only way to set BIOS is to boot from a set of floppys. (They're available for download from Compaq.)

I don't think any of the Compaq home systems (the Presario line) used that system.

[stevenaa]

Sony's website says to press F2.

"The only solution that I saw from one guy was to go into bios settings> power management> and then disable the ACI Bus manager"

Do you mean ACPI Bus Manager. This sounds like a hack to me. It may be a viable workaround but if you monkey with the Power Settings, then wen you run on battery the system may not be able to power down hardware not being used. This will shorten battery time.

[Coach Williams]

you'll get a bigger response if you use the CORRECT title....

:laugh: