BIOS ACCESS to disable quick boot

[Balsamo]

Hi there, this is my second subject which is related to the first one.

I have difficulties upgrading my memory (RAM).  And i came to the conclusion that it might be because the quickboot is enabled by default.  (it is what is written in the manual anyway)

With quickboot enabled, memory are not tested, and so additional ram cannot be checked (at least, that is how i understand it).

the problem is that i cannot access the BIOS which usually allows this change.

When i start my computer, my screen only turns on when arriving on the administrator screen (the one with the password) - too late of course to access the BIOS.  No HP logo screen for me!

Additional problems are that my keyboard reset (so the lights are turned off, lights like NumLock, CapsLock, etc every time i shutdown or restart the PC, so it is impossible to determine when the keyboard is actually connected);

I also have no beep during the start up (boot process) which were useful to tell you when starting keys like F10 or F2.

Any help would be really appreciated

[erico]

You will need to use the BIOS administrator password to access the BIOS as you appear to have set one, based on your description. Press power and then immediately begin tapping the F10 key at a roughly half second interval.

[Balsamo]

Hi Erico, and thank you for your reply.

Actually, i have not set up anything.  It came like this from the shop where i bought it.

Sorry to say, but full of inconvenient stuff like that.  As default, it used to put itself on sleep every 5 minutes with the obligation to 1./ Switch user, and then re-enter my password.   It was not easy to disable that feature.

I have already tried to press F10 from the start, but it seems to basically block the boot, leaving me with no other options to shut down and restart.

I can try again, but i doubt it will work.

How can i check if i am the administrator or not?

[erico]

Watch the  video at the URL below to learn how to restore the BIOS settings to factory default settings. That includes  removing the passwords.

http://h20574.www2.hp.com/results.htm?SID=5389530&MEID=28072572-C6C4-4C09-9237-C2F3ED7A7C44

Once you have done that you can go into the BIOS and disable the quickboot option.

[Balsamo]

Well,

I had a bad feeling about doing this.

And i was right.

I just did as shown in the video, that is remove the battery for thirty seconds and replace it.

Then it started to reboot but hey i get the familiar long beep and nothing...it just won't boot.  and of course F10 or escape are useless options

Now i am really stuck

[erico]

Reseat the memory modules and then try again.

Is your PC still in warranty?

I hope the following is not the case: (from the manual)

CAUTION: If you enable the stringent security feature and you forget the setup password or the power-on password, the computer is inaccessible and can no longer be used. If you lose or forget the password, the system board must be replaced. This scenario is not covered under warranty. To prevent the computer from becoming permanently unusable, record your configured setup password or power-on password in a safe place away from your computer. Without these passwords, the computer cannot be unlocked.

[Balsamo]

Hi Erico,

Not to be pessimistic, but i have already done that.

The video only shows how to remove the battery for thurty second.  There was no mention of any button or jumper.  

The manual also says that those password and security level are to be enable through the setup.

As i said, i have never been able to gain access to the computer setup.

It is silly enough to enable option like quickboot by default, i hope HP do not enable such stringent security feature by default as well.

Should i press the CMOS button?  Is there something to be done with any jumper somewhere?

[erico]

Is your notebook still in warranty?

[Balsamo]

Yes, 

But since i live in the mountain in central america, it is still a very annoying thing.

I have just contact the online support, and they said that the motherboard should be replaced.  Still don't know why.  There would be no such trouble, or at least those trouble would be more obvious, if silly options like quick boot were not enabled by default.

One lesson learned: be careful when playing with the CMOS.  The internet is full with people stuck like me after having cleared the CMOS.

[erico]

The reason the system board has to be replaced is that your system has enhanced security by design. It is not like a consumer model. That is why that caution was given in the manual.

I suspect that your systemboard has other issues anyway. You should have been able to upgrade in pairs of memory modules produced by well known memory manufacturers. The memory manufacturers, like KIngston, Crucial, ADATA and others, can guarantee the compatibility of their products because they have been exhaustively tested in a Quality Assurance lab. Don't try upgrading memory by simply matching memory types and bus bandwidth and adding a module to an already installed module that is not identical. It is usually a waste of your time and financial resources, unless you just happen to be lucky. Let the memory makers do the work for you.

You are correct. Playing around with the BIOS can be pretty lethal to a PC or notebook to someone who doesn't know what they are doing.