Need to reset BIOS to original settings - without seeing it

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Guest

Ok, my nVidia GeForce 440 PCI 64Mb is shot. But the BIOS is set to read that
card for the display. So, when I turn the computer on, the monitor stays
blank, but there is no "check cable" message. How can I reset the BIOS
settings to defaults so I can plug the monitor cable into the integrated
intel video card and get some video feedback? Help is greatly appreciated!
 
venemon said:
Ok, my nVidia GeForce 440 PCI 64Mb is shot. But the BIOS is set to read
that
card for the display. So, when I turn the computer on, the monitor stays
blank, but there is no "check cable" message. How can I reset the BIOS
settings to defaults so I can plug the monitor cable into the integrated
intel video card and get some video feedback? Help is greatly
appreciated!
Click to expand...

One way is to clear the CMOS. There will be a jumper on the motherboard
that can be set to clear the CMOS - you will need your MB manual to identify
which jumper. This then sets the CMOS to default settings.
 
thank you for replying, maincat. So far I have removed that jumper and
created a floppy BIOS disk and put it in my usb floppy drive, but i restarted
and still have that black screen. I may have done something wrong, but
suggestions are still welcome!
 
venemon said:
thank you for replying, maincat. So far I have removed that jumper and
created a floppy BIOS disk and put it in my usb floppy drive, but i
restarted
and still have that black screen. I may have done something wrong, but
suggestions are still welcome!
Click to expand...

On my motherboard, the jumper has three pins. Normally pin 1 and 2 are
used. To reset the CMOS, I have to move the jumper to pin 2 and 3, then
back to pins 1 and 2. Then it reboots fine, with an option to use the
default CMOS. Your motherboard may do the same.
 
You didnt mention what kind of card you were replacing it with. But, yes I
would say that before you reboot your bios, make sure that the new card is
seating down correctly into the slot. You should be seeing the bios
bootscreen without having to reset your bios. Remember that resetting your
bios without knowing what the settings are, could create a big headache
latter. If you dont know what the settings should be, you might have to look
into your motherboard manual, or go onto the motherboard manufacter forums
and see what they should be.

Hope this helps...
 
Thanks for the input. I haven't decided to replace the card yet, but as
things are coming together it looks like I don't have a choice. Perhaps this
is a good opportunity to upgrade. But I still have a question. What is the
exact procedure for resetting the bios by means of the 3-pin jumper on the
MBoard? Do I just pull the jumper off of pins 1 & 2, reboot, shut down, and
replace onto pins 2 & 3, or just move over to pins 2 & 3 and then back to 1 &
2 without turning it back on? I'm confused, I've never dealt with that kind
of jumper before. Once again, thank you all for your 2 cents.
 
venemon said:
Thanks for the input. I haven't decided to replace the card yet, but as
things are coming together it looks like I don't have a choice. Perhaps
this
is a good opportunity to upgrade. But I still have a question. What is
the
exact procedure for resetting the bios by means of the 3-pin jumper on the
MBoard? Do I just pull the jumper off of pins 1 & 2, reboot, shut down,
and
replace onto pins 2 & 3, or just move over to pins 2 & 3 and then back to
1 &
2 without turning it back on? I'm confused, I've never dealt with that
kind
of jumper before. Once again, thank you all for your 2 cents.
Click to expand...

When I reset, I move jumper off pins 1 and 2, put on pins 2 and 3, no reboot
necessary since the CMOS is powered by battery, then back to pins 1 and 2.
It may be the same for you, but you must check with your MB manual.

My CMOS then gives a choice of default settings when I reboot. You may have
to change some setting in your BIOS when you get it back.
 
venemon said:
Ok, my nVidia GeForce 440 PCI 64Mb is shot. But the BIOS is set to read that
card for the display. So, when I turn the computer on, the monitor stays
blank, but there is no "check cable" message. How can I reset the BIOS
settings to defaults so I can plug the monitor cable into the integrated
intel video card and get some video feedback? Help is greatly appreciated!
Click to expand...
the exact procedure for resetting the bios is different for different
motherboards, sometimes as others have said it's a matter of changing a
jumper for a short period of time, others it's a matter of shorting 2
pins together, refer to your manual.
You can also remove your bios battery for a couple of hours then replace
battery and start your PC. (when you do this also have your PC unplugged
from the power.
Also don't forget to move your video cable from the crapped out video
card output to the on board video socket. (easy to forget to do, makes
one feel like an idiot when you haven't done it)
 
Haha, heh heh heh. Sorry for your trouble everybody, but I just realized
that my RAM was not locked into the slot on the MB, so the computer was not
even starting up all the way. That was quite deceitful. But thank you all
for your suggestions, and I think we've all learned a valuable lesson. :-)
 
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