Can't get into the BIOS

[lostsoul62]

I added some RAM and the computer just kept rebooting. I finaly put everything back the way it was after 2 hours of troubleshooting and now I get
BIOS ROM checksum error
Detecting floppy drive A media
Drive A error, System halt

I know my keyboard works because without it, it will tell me
I can't get into the BOIS so I figure I have a blow motherboard thanks to the additional RAM I tried to put into it.
The computer is a ADM 3000 with 2700 RAM
Should I put this computer into the garbage can or does anyone have any ideas?

 

[cboucher]

Since it's giving you a BIOS ROM checksum error, you may be able to reflash the BIOS and get your system up and running again. You'll need to look up your motherboard model number (or PC model number if this is a pre-build computer like a Dell or HP, etc) and then download the BIOS update software from the manufacturer's website. There will be instructions on how the flash the BIOS there. The one thing that concerns me is the floppy drive error as a lot of BIOS updates run from a bootable floppy. There are ways around it such as booting into DOS or Windows from a USB flash drive, but those ways can be complicated if you've never done it before.

 

[lostsoul62]

I drained the Cmos but still doesn't work so I will somehow have to flash the BIOS by hooking up a floppy and trying to boot into it and see what happens. Is this something I still have to worry about on the new motherboards since I'm planning on building a new computer.

 

[cboucher]

The problem you described is kinda rare to begin with, so I wouldn't lose too much sleep worrying about the same thing happening on a new build.

 

[GibsonSGKing]

I've had something sorta similar to this happen. It was a Compaq pc. The bios had a bug that when under certain circumstances, you couldn't access it. They released a patch for it. Ok, all was good. But the only way to install the patch was going into the bios >_>

 

[lostsoul62]

This is an an update:

BOIS ROM checksum error

Detecting floppy drive A media

Insert system disk and press enter

I have XP and I made a dos boot dish from my other XP computer and when I reboot I get a repeated message "Insert system disk and press enter". When I press enter the message repeats. Do I have the right floppy system disk?