Urgent PC Bios warning anyone help?

[andy armitage]

Hi guys

I have just switched on my pc and it won't start up I currently have this message on the screen

Please enter setup to recover bios setting
Press f1 to run setup
Press f2 to load default values and continue

I daren't press anything as I haven't backed ul any files and I have no idea what to do!

Any PC gurus here that can help?

Thanks

Andy

[swanbourne]

I'm thinking your BIOS backup battery may have expired. If it was me, I would load the defaults and continue but others may have a different opinion. Have a look at this before you do anything - http://www.ehow.com/how_5011717_check-cmos-battery.html . It's possible you may have to reflash your BIOS but if you Google the message you see on startup there's enough there to keep you reading for a while ;-)

Eddie

[andy armitage]

Thanks for your help Eddie I just managed to get hold of my friend who built it and he said the same as yourself that the Bios battery may be on it's way out and keep an eye on it, but he got me out of that screen and started the PC phew it's not a good feeling when that black screen comes on :)

Andy

[Cowie]

What the boss said.

If it's a modern(ish) machine it should be a case of opeing up the case and replacing the cell battery on the motherboard - usually something like a CR2032 - which should last a few years.

[Skier]

You won't lose any data by pressing F2 to load default values. Eddie may be correct in that you need a new CMOS/motherboard battery but this is usually noticed as your PC clock and calendar often read in error. Is your machine quite a few years old? If pressing F2 recovers your machine to a bootable state note the time and date - if there's a large discrepancy in either time, date or both then it will almost certainly be the battery. If you are unable to boot then you need to get it to somebody competent to further investigate; if you do this I would remove the hard drive first (so you won't lose your data) and explain to them what you've done.

It's an often repeated mantra but for f*^%s sake BACK-UP YOUR DATA!

[Carlton-Browne]

Just be aware that some applications may not like it if the BIOS clock is out. Don't waste lots of time troubleshooting faults until you know you've solved the CMOS battery issue; I seem to remember Itunes being one of the culprits but it may also confuse things like antivirus if it thinks it has the wrong update file. I speak from bitter experience.

[andy armitage]

thanks for your help chaps the machine is a few years old now but my friend who is a PC guru built it so any problems he will sort them out but I couldn't get hold of him but I knew the good old TZUK members would know :)