BIOS Time-out?

  • Thread starter Thread starter johnn
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J

johnn

I have a relatively new computer, with plenty of memory, HD space etc.
However, this is probably immaterial.

One day last week, when I started the computer, it just sat there with the BIOS splash screen
showing.
Pressing F2 (to access the BIOS) had no effect.
After about 90 - 100 seconds, the computer booted.

This is now happening every time. Once the computer has booted, it works great.

My MB is Intel Corporation DG35EC AAE29266-205
My BIOS is Intel Corp. ECG3510M.86A.0107.2008.0826.1637

I have checked with the Intel site, and there is no newer version of the BIOS available.

Is it possible that the BIOS looks for certain components it can not find, and then waits to time
out and start the computer?

Thanks for any ideas!
__________________________________
johnn
__________________________________
"God is dead"
- Nietzsche (1844-1935)
"Nietzsche is dead"
- God
 
johnn said:
I have a relatively new computer, with plenty of memory, HD space etc.
However, this is probably immaterial.

One day last week, when I started the computer, it just sat there with the
BIOS splash screen showing.
Pressing F2 (to access the BIOS) had no effect.
After about 90 - 100 seconds, the computer booted.

This is now happening every time. Once the computer has booted, it works
great.

My MB is Intel Corporation DG35EC AAE29266-205
My BIOS is Intel Corp. ECG3510M.86A.0107.2008.0826.1637

I have checked with the Intel site, and there is no newer version of the
BIOS available.

Is it possible that the BIOS looks for certain components it can not find,
and then waits to time
out and start the computer?
Click to expand...

When you boot, your computer goes through the Power On Self Test (POST) and
yes, if it is expecting to find components that aren't there it will time
out. Check your boot order to see if you have a network boot first in the
boot priority (although usually you'll get a message). Or perhaps you have
a floppy drive as first that doesn't exist. Try putting the hard drive
first, optical drive second.

Did you add a USB device? Make any other hardware changes? Have a new USB
stick or printer plugged in while booting?

However, it should be noted that these things don't happen all by
themselves. If you really made no changes to the hardware or the boot
priority, you are having hardware issues. Since this is a new computer, I
would not wait to exercise the warranty. In any case, this behavior has
nothing to do with Windows since the problem arises before the operating
system is even booted. So if the computer mftr.'s bottom tier tech support
tells you to reinstall Windows, speak to someone who knows what s/he is
talking about.

Malke
 
johnn said:
I have a relatively new computer, with plenty of memory, HD space etc.
However, this is probably immaterial.

One day last week, when I started the computer, it just sat there with the
BIOS splash screen
showing.
Pressing F2 (to access the BIOS) had no effect.
After about 90 - 100 seconds, the computer booted.

This is now happening every time. Once the computer has booted, it works
great.

My MB is Intel Corporation DG35EC AAE29266-205
My BIOS is Intel Corp. ECG3510M.86A.0107.2008.0826.1637

I have checked with the Intel site, and there is no newer version of the
BIOS available.

Is it possible that the BIOS looks for certain components it can not find,
and then waits to time
out and start the computer?

Thanks for any ideas!
__________________________________
johnn
__________________________________
"God is dead"
- Nietzsche (1844-1935)
"Nietzsche is dead"
- God
Click to expand...

The bios does have time allowances for looking for devices. The time you
mentioned is way out of league for that. And I don't know if you're saying
the PC from switched on to XP fully booted is that time frame, or while the
bios is doing POST. And, I don't know, if its the former, what is normal
time for XP to finish booting on your specific PC. And, if its the former
as well, how much additional time you're speaking of.
--
Dave

CDOs are how we got here.
A modified version, new taxes in the future, is how Congress will get us
out?
 
I have a relatively new computer, with plenty of memory, HD space etc.
However, this is probably immaterial.

One day last week, when I started the computer, it just sat there with the BIOS splash screen
showing.
Pressing F2 (to access the BIOS) had no effect.
After about 90 - 100 seconds, the computer booted.

This is now happening every time. Once the computer has booted, it works great.

My MB is Intel Corporation DG35EC AAE29266-205
My BIOS is Intel Corp. ECG3510M.86A.0107.2008.0826.1637

I have checked with the Intel site, and there is no newer version of the BIOS available.

Is it possible that the BIOS looks for certain components it can not find, and then waits to time
out and start the computer?

Thanks for any ideas!
Click to expand...

Thanks, people, for responding.
It had me baffled, but finally the answer came:
I have an external (plugs into a USB port) Verbatim 15-in-1 card reader.
When plugged in, this unit is seen by the system as four drives.
Well, it seems the unit went kaput, and the BIOS was trying to read defective drives.
Simply unplugging the unit fixed things.

Thanks again!
__________________________________
johnn
__________________________________
"God is dead"
- Nietzsche (1844-1935)
"Nietzsche is dead"
- God
 
johnn said:
Thanks, people, for responding.
It had me baffled, but finally the answer came:
I have an external (plugs into a USB port) Verbatim 15-in-1 card reader.
When plugged in, this unit is seen by the system as four drives.
Well, it seems the unit went kaput, and the BIOS was trying to read
defective drives. Simply unplugging the unit fixed things.
Click to expand...

Glad you got it sorted. Thanks for updating the thread.

Malke
 
I have the same problem. I have a EMachine W3052. My problem is that it will
not boot on it's own sometimes it will but only after I turn the pc on and
off over and over. It has the EMachines Logo and sits there. I press f10
and if I'm lucky it goes to boot options. please help. I have unpluged
it. I have moved the pc, ( maybe the chi was the problem) it is getting
old oh the pc is nearly 3 1/2 yrs old. but my son put a Radion gamer card
, wireles key and mouse and fast download. please help.
 
Nurzena said:
I have the same problem. I have a EMachine W3052. My problem is that it
will
not boot on it's own sometimes it will but only after I turn the pc on
and
off over and over. It has the EMachines Logo and sits there. I press f10
and if I'm lucky it goes to boot options. please help. I have
unpluged
it. I have moved the pc, ( maybe the chi was the problem) it is
getting
old oh the pc is nearly 3 1/2 yrs old. but my son put a Radion gamer
card
, wireles key and mouse and fast download. please help.
Click to expand...

Next time please make a new post with all pertinent details instead of
shoving your question into someone else's old, closed thread. You do not
have "the same problem" as the OP at all.

Your symptoms point to a failing power supply. eMachines are notorious for
having bad power supplies and what's worse, when their power supplies go
they often take the hard drive and motherboard with them. Back up your data
NOW and replace your power supply ASAP.

Malke
 
Malke said:
Next time please make a new post with all pertinent details instead of
shoving your question into someone else's old, closed thread. You do not
have "the same problem" as the OP at all.

Your symptoms point to a failing power supply. eMachines are notorious for
having bad power supplies and what's worse, when their power supplies go
they often take the hard drive and motherboard with them. Back up your
data
NOW and replace your power supply ASAP.

Malke
Click to expand...

Either that, or, flaky motherboard onboard cmos, Bios can't make claim to
data that isn't stored properly. That is, its trying to process gibberish
and storing gibberish.
--
Dave
April 16th, 2009 Day 1 post Tea Party.
This day in history occurred:
Nancy Pelosi response was undignified per her allegation that such are
funded by right wing money big money and attended exclusively by right wing
extremists.
White House staff indicated that officially not recognizing the nation-wide
gatherings in any fashion.
Some news reporters were found attempting to goad responses from attendees
at the gatherings with response not filling their (some news reporters) TV
political needs. Too bad for them.
Woebama in Mexico. 2nd amendment rights being pinged again. Ignoring
locking down the U.S/Mexico border again.
We the people...
No political party or otherwise in that.
Locked signature to prevent subsequent historical revisionism.
 
Lil' Dave wrote:

Either that, or, flaky motherboard onboard cmos, Bios can't make claim
to
data that isn't stored properly. That is, its trying to process
gibberish and storing gibberish.
Click to expand...

Certainly it could be another hardware component, but the OP said he had an
eMachine and the failing psu that kills everything is a known-issue with
eMachines. My colleagues and I have seen this with eMachines plenty of
times, so that's where I'd start.

(BTW, you should trim your signature to the standard of no more than 4
lines.)

Malke
 
Malke said:
Lil' Dave wrote:



Certainly it could be another hardware component, but the OP said he had an
eMachine and the failing psu that kills everything is a known-issue with
eMachines. My colleagues and I have seen this with eMachines plenty of
times, so that's where I'd start.

(BTW, you should trim your signature to the standard of no more than 4
lines.)

Malke
Click to expand...

Do you stop a rider of loud Harley and tell the rider to put different
pipes on the bike? The loud pipes and the big sig are both Freudian
things.

It's a "Lil'" pee-pee thing, and "Lil' pee-pee Dave" can't help it.
 
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