Member Avatar for grgreen

Ok,

I have a pretty old school Dell that I'm trying to sell for a customer on eBay.

Problem:

  • He has a freeware version of Linux installed and does not remember his password so I need to reinstall Windows from the Dell restore disks.
  • The PC will not boot form the CD drive, so I need to get into the BIOS settings to change the boot order.
  • Everytime I use any of the normal keyboard combos that would take you to the BIOS it just takes me to a Linux setttings module and I can't get into the BIOS no matter what I seem to try.

Soulutions:

  • I figure if I can get a boot disk, the computer will probably boot by default from that because it has a FDD installed. The problem is I can't seem to find a working computer with a FDD to make the boot disk on.
  • Any other suggestions??
  • 4 Contributors
  • 5 Replies
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  • Latest Post Latest Post by Member #210412

Dani AI

Generated

Thread follow-up: confirmed the problem was solved. For anyone who lands here later and still can't get into firmware despite trying the usual keys mentioned by and the troubleshooting prompt suggested by , the tips below cover practical options that weren't in the replies.

Try a different keyboard and port first. Many older motherboards do not initialize some USB keyboards or front-panel USB in time for POST. If possible, use a PS/2 keyboard or plug the USB keyboard into a rear port, power the machine off, then power on and start tapping the setup/boot-menu key immediately. Timing matters: once any OS text appears it is usually too late.

If the firmware still ignores input, reset the board to defaults. With the system unplugged, either remove the coin cell for 30–60 seconds or use the motherboard"s CMOS-clear jumper (consult the service manual). That returns the board to factory settings and often restores default boot behavior. Warning: this clears custom BIOS settings and may not remove an administrative BIOS password on some systems. Take ESD precautions and note original jumper positions before changing anything.

When changing firmware is not an option, bypass it: a small boot manager burned to optical media can chainload USB devices on systems without native USB boot support, or the internal drive can be moved to another PC (or an external enclosure) to run restores or image the disk. These hardware workarounds are usually safer than guessing random key combos. "s long key list is handy, but prioritize keyboard type, port choice, CMOS reset, and safe hardware workarounds before trying many keys.

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Member Avatar for jbennet

Try hitting F12

Member Avatar for John A

Half the battle is figuring out the BIOS brand. Once you know that, you can research on how to enter the setup. So, what screen output do you see when you start up the computer?

Member Avatar for jbennet

Try F12. On my dell dimension i can hit F2 for setup or F12 to choose boot device/run diagnostics.

Member Avatar for grgreen

Thanks for your help guys! I got it figured out. I'm not sure what the deal was exactly. But I finnally did get into the BIOS.

Thanks,

Member Avatar for Member #210412

Ctrl + Esc
Ctrl + F1
F2
F4
F8
F10
F11
F12

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