Member Avatar for Richard_44

Stuck on screen- processor type: intel(r) core (Tm) i5-2320 cpu @ 3.00ghz Processor speed: 3000mhz L1/L2/L3 cache size: 64 kbx4 / 256kbx4 / 6144kb Memory size: 8192 mb DDR3/ 1333 MHz / single channel Channel A: XMM1 0 MB Channel B: XMM2 8192 MB Bios Revision/Date: v8.13 01/11/2013 Time and date not set. And in bottom left corner highlighted blue F1 : Boot. Now my keyboard Num Lock light is lit but no buttons work on keyboard where can I go or do to get beyond this?

  • 2 Contributors
  • 1 Reply
  • 383 Views
  • 3 Hours Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by rproffitt

Dani AI

Generated

The system described by stops at POST with a BIOS warning about the clock and a prompt to press F1, while the keyboard LED is lit but keystrokes are not registered. Building on 's "reduce to essentials" approach, the following ordered checklist isolates the most likely hardware-level causes and keeps actions safe and reversible.

  1. Keyboard and ports: swap in a known-good wired keyboard and plug it into a rear motherboard USB 2.0 port or a PS/2 port if present. Front-panel and USB3 ports sometimes are not initialized during POST; a lit LED does not guarantee the data lines are working. Avoid wireless or USB hubs during diagnosis.
  2. CMOS/BIOS clock: a persistent "time/date not set" message commonly means the coin cell is weak. With the PC unplugged and discharged (unplug, hold the power button 5-10 seconds), replace the CR2032 battery or remove it for several minutes to force a CMOS reset. This will clear BIOS errors and often remove the F1 prompt.
  3. Minimal hardware POST: follow @rproffitt's suggestion but in a prioritized way — disconnect all USB devices, optical drives and extra storage, remove any nonessential PCI/PCIe cards, and try POST with one RAM stick in the primary slot. Reseat RAM and the video card; dirty contacts or a marginal module can halt POST.
  4. When the keyboard still doesn't respond: if a different keyboard and clearing CMOS do not restore input, suspect a motherboard USB/controller fault or corrupted BIOS. At that point, testing with a simple PS/2 keyboard or an emergency BIOS recovery (if the board supports it) is the next step; otherwise professional servicing is reasonable.

Cautions: always power down and unplug before touching components and use basic ESD precautions. Replacements (battery, keyboard) are inexpensive and quick to try; motherboard-level faults are costlier. This checklist focuses on the fastest, lowest-risk checks to get past the POST halt.

Member Avatar for rproffitt

That's a desktop so options are plentiful. Google "The Dead PC" to see how we reduce the parts inside to as few as possible.

Mind you that I am running into folk that don't want to troubleshoot but exclaim "just tell me how to fix it." For those folk you send them to the service counters in the world. If you want to try your first PC repair then it's the usual. Remove parts that aren't needed like all USB connections and try again.

Later if need be you try without drives or extra video cards.

Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.