Bios missing

[srsndguru]

Changed CMOS battery, lost all access to Bios minues and Setup utility’s no keys work Bios is missing now. How do I recover or replace software for Bios recovery

[TheOldMan]

Changing the CMOS battery - the coin shaped battery on the motherboard, is supposed to be a simple procedure but perhaps the battery was inserted upside down or it is not seated properly in the holder.  Please recheck that.  The information on the battery should be visible - in other words you can read the battery number etc while the battery is in the holder.  Also verify the clip is holding the battery flat in the holder.  Lastly verify the battery is a good one.

While not stated in the post, does the PC still boot up?  Or "No"

Just to clarify the motherboard for that PC is listed

https://support.hp.com/us-en/product/hp-pavilion-570-p000-desktop-pc-series/13823514/model/16571089/...

The picture shows the CMOS battery to be right next to the memory slots.

[srsndguru]

First , thank you for your assistance and prompt response. I did check again to see if the 3vlt. Battery is inserted properly . It is. I had tested it on my volt meter prior to install. The reading was 3.2 volt. DC. I have again this morning attempted multiple times to boot the computer and bring up the Bios setup Or recovery utility or any Bios minues. I tried the escape key, the f2 key, the windows and B key and even the curl-alt-delete methods . I cannot recover the Bios setup utility. Tnothing will boot. Black screen. Thank you again for your suggestions. Srsndguru 

[TheOldMan]

Well I did not solve anything, yet. Please indicate the reason for replacing the CMOS battery.  It seems it should be working.  Did the PC boot properly before changing the battery?  Was anything else done besides changing the battery?

[srsndguru]

Hi Again The Old Man, ok, let me begin at the beginning, my teenage grandson gave me this HP 570-p026 computer to fix. He had it stuck on dreaded blue screen saying something like insert disk to install operating system or something like that. His keyboard is a Logitech wireless Bluetooth. I booted it up, it went to blue screen. I pressed escape key then f2 . I opened a Bios screen that I was able to preform diognostics on memory, then extensive scan on the hardware. Both scans passed ok. I wasn’t sure where to go from there and decided to research what to do next. After a couple hours of research and taking notes I began to somewhat understand what the Bios did and what I might do next when I returned the next morning. So that evening I decided to clean the inside as it was very dusty especially the fan that cools the aluminum fins covering the processor. After cleaning all fans and most of the dust on the components, I then decided that while I had the panel cover off that I would replace the CMOS battery, in order to get my big fingers in there to remove it. I removed the 2 memory modules to access the battery . After replacing the batter with a new one. I replaced the 2 RAM modules, inserted them into place until the tabs clicked. The next morning I powered up the computer and neither the Bios Setup Utility or any minue would boot. Nothing.I researched all day and and read that if I pressed the right keys that the Bios could be recovered. Didn’t work. More research, I learned that I could download CMOS memory software that would recover the Bios Utility. There were different versions I essentially sure what version to get from hp support , download the software to a usb storage device and load it onto the dhp desktop computer. So here I am. I’m not a computer mechanic. I just figure things out from time to time on the many windows computers I have had over the years. Sometimes I can fix things by researching where I can. I’m an old man like yourself, 69, and I have always tried to repair things I use that break no matter what they are. This Bios encounter is new for me . But I do enjoy working with computers and like using what little knowledge I have to help family and friends . Like what you are doing right now to help me. And thank you again. Srsndguru 

[TheOldMan]

Thanks for the more detailed reply.  It does sound as though the original problem was with the Windows OS but something must have happened during the "cleaning out of dust",  Changing out the CMOS battery should not have caused the problems that are described now.

There is a possibility that that either the memory modules got damaged but I would think the computer would be beeping that error.  Also, the BIOS is not missing, just perhaps the way to get into the menu at start up.  First, if the keyboard and mouse were disconnected during any of this, perhaps trying the USB 2.0 ports - the ones in the same stack of connectors as the ethernet lan port, not the ones next to the HDMI port.  Sometimes using the USB 2.0 ports will work at bootup before the boot cycle loads Windows.  Also, I tell users to start tapping the Esc key and then try the power up.  Keep tapping the Esc key until the Esc menu pops up.

Assuming the tests that were run before can be run again but if all passed and you can get this far again, then try the Windows repair from the install media which you can make from here:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

With a working PC, scroll down to the "Using the tool to create installation media" and follow the directions.  Then try to boot to this new media.  Of course, if you still cannot get into the Esc menu, then that will not work either.

BTW: Us "Old Men" have more difficulties than the younger generations that grew up with computers.  The only reason I got into computers was because of work and we had the old IBM with a x86 processor and floppy disk drives back then.  Just got more complicated since.

[srsndguru]

Good news today, Hi again,  The Pld Man, I was using an HD cable , as there is an input for one on this HP desktop computer. For some reason It worked initially but now didn’t. Do I installed the old standard 15 pin vga cable as my Samsung Smart tv isn’ so smart because it doesen’t have a vga input on it, So I dug out my old LG computer monitor with the vga input. I hooked it up , started the computer repeatedly pressed the escape button and the Bios Minue opened up. So I ran the long and short version of the drive 1 and the memory tests both passed like before. I escaped that and took me to the- Blue Boot Device Not Found screen. I then turned restarted the computer and with the F10 key, I think,  Found my way to the Blue Select Boot Device screen. I m not sure if I should choose one of the 2 options on the screen. UEFI Boot Devices- 1, UEFI; IPv4 Realtech PCIe GBe Family Controller. Or 2, UEFI; IPv6 same thing only it’s 6. Or should I download and copy the windows 10 recovery software link you sent me. I have installed windows 10 from scratch on a new SATA hardrive I replaced on another hp computer a couple years back. This is unfamiliar territory for me now. But I know it’s doable with help. I’m not sure which rout to travel on here. What would you do. Obviously your helpful information about the Bios minue still being in the computer was exactly right, And  me reading that I needed to re-install it. That would have led to me in the wrong direction. So thanks for that. 

[TheOldMan · Accepted solution]

AH ha.  Now we are getting somewhere.  With the memory and hard drive passing the test, I would make the Windows 10 install media and try to reinstall Windows 10.  With the newly made install media, see if you can boot to that and run the install.  You might need to get into that Esc menu again, with the install media in place and then pick that from the boot options.

[srsndguru]

I’ll be working today with the Bios setup utility minues to see how to configure the settings to try and get the Windows10 to boot. I will post at some point today or this evening on my results. Meanwhile I am going to attempt to find a list of hp recommend settings in the Utility Setup Minue.