'Jackson' wrote:
| Okay, I see your point and it makes sense. I will give it a dry run
| and check out what it copies as the BIOS. But my present 64-bit twin
| CPU system is very different from the 98 system that I had before and
| I am not sure that CMOSRAM32 knows where the stuff is kept. I googled
| for the old file, but could not find any reference that it could be
| used on machines that run XP.
|
| I guess that if the "retrieve" part of the program copies stuff to a
| floppy from my HD, that the "restore" part of the program would copy
| it back to the same memory location.
|
| Thanks for your help.
_____
Let me suggest this, to expand on the advice others have given you -
Look at the current settings in the BIOS.
Write then down.
THEN try whatever you wish in the way of a program that saves the settings.
Change your CMOS battery.
Reboot into the BIOS settting pages.
Compare the new settings with the written record.
With a Dell, I seriously doubt you will find anything has changed that will
make a difference in the operation of your system. But if it has, then you
have the written record AND the backup program.
Removing the CMOS battery can NOT change any settings in the Dell BIOS that
will prevent the system form being able to boot to the BIOS pages OR boot
from a floppy (if any) OR from your hard drive.
BIOS is an acronym for Basic Input/Output System, and is a complete (though
very tiny) operating system that can handle the initial startup of a
computer system. This tiny (well, not so tiny, as it is larger than the
complete RAM for the original IBM PC) 'operating system' is NOT dependent on
the CMOS Battery. Only the few parameters that can be set in the BIOS pages
and the Real Time Clock are dependent on the CMOS battery. And, as others
have pointed out, you have a moderate amount of time to change the CMOS
battery and restore power from the mains before the contents of the CMOS
memory disappears.
Finally, if the CMOS battery needs to be changed because the Real Time Clock
looses the time, then you likely have ALREADY lost the BIOS settings, but
just not noticed the difference because they are neglible for the Dell.
Once, long ago (as PC generations are counted), there WERE BIOS settings
that had to be correct for a system to operate (hard drive parameters -
number of heads, number of cylinders, precomp) but that time is gone along
with 20 MByte hard drives.
But having put the cart before the horse, let me now recommend what you
should have done in the VERY first place; CONTACT DELL SUPPORT. This
newsgroup is not really the best place to get the help you need. In fact,
NO newsgroup can replace the precise support from Dell, support that can be
based on EXACT knowledge of your system hardware (via the identification
numbers.)
Phil Weldon
| On Fri, 29 Jun 2007 20:54:21 -0600, "Harry Ohrn" <
[email protected]>
| wrote:
|
| >| >>
| >>>
| >>>| >>>> When I replace the CMOS battery in my Dell desktop will my XP(MCE)
| >>>> recover its settings on its own or will I have to provide all those
| >>>> settings myself?
| >>>>
| >>>> There is a DOS program (CMOSRAM2) that copies and restores all those
| >>>> settings automatically for Win98. Is there such a program for XP?
| >>>>
| >>>> Thanks.
| >>
| >> On Fri, 29 Jun 2007 07:34:54 -0600, "Harry Ohrn" <
[email protected]>
| >> wrote:
| >>
| >>>Your CMOS or BIOS settings are completely independent from the
operating
| >>>system. So XP will have no bearing in changing the CMOS settings.
| >>>
| >>>Most programs that save CMOS Settings, and I'd suspect CMOSRAM2 would
be
| >>>the
| >>>same, are run from a boot floppy. You start the computer with the
floppy
| >>>and
| >>>run the CMOS save app to create a copy of the settings on the floppy.
| >>>After
| >>>you change batteries you run the floppy again and restore the settings.
| >>>
| >>>--
| >>>
| >>>
| >>>Harry Ohrn MS MVP [Shell\User]
| >>>
www.webtree.ca/windowsxp
| >>
| >>>
| >> Yes, that what I was asking about. Do you know of such a program that
| >> will work on XP?
| >>
| >> When I remove the battery to change it, the computer will be totally
| >> without power. I assume that all the bios settings are in volatile
| >> memory and will be lost when the old battery is removed. That's just
| >> an assumption; if the bios settings are stored in permanent memory
| >> they will be okay. I was told that some systems have a capacitor that
| >> provides a charge for the bios memory for a short time while the
| >> battery is being changed, but who knows...
| >>
| >> I don't mind setting the time manually, but I don't want to have to
| >> reset all that bios stuff if there is an application that will do it
| >> for me.
| >>
| >> Thanks. Jackson
| >
| >I think you missed my point. Because you will boot the program that saves
| >your CMOS settings from a floppy disk you don't need one that works with
XP.
| >XP isn't even going to be loaded because the floppy will load before the
| >hard drive. Just boot your CMOSRAM32 floppy and save the CMOS settings.
|
| Okay, I see your point and it makes sense. I will give it a dry run
| and check out what it copies as the BIOS. But my present 64-bit twin
| CPU system is very different from the 98 system that I had before and
| I am not sure that CMOSRAM32 knows where the stuff is kept. I googled
| for the old file, but could not find any reference that it could be
| used on machines that run XP.
|
| I guess that if the "retrieve" part of the program copies stuff to a
| floppy from my HD, that the "restore" part of the program would copy
| it back to the same memory location.
|
| Thanks for your help.
