BIOS kaput?

Hi there,

I've got an HP Compac nc6000 laptop at work. I haven't moved it or
carried it around with me. The laptop stays all the time on my table.

Since a few days, I get a weird error message when I turn on the
computer.

First, it checks memory for a couple of minutes. When it's finished, it
displays the following screen:

================================================== ===========

525282 Kb OK
162 - System options not set

The following configuration options were automatically updated.
Total memory installed: 524288 Kbytes
CMOS checksum invalid, default values loaded

F1 Save Changes
F2 Ignore Changes
F10 Computer Setup

================================================== ===========

If I press F1, then everything is OK. The laptop starts up as usual (Win
XP).

What could have gone wrong? Is my BIOS kaput?

Thanks in advance,

Marcos

"Marcos Martinez Sancho" <noemail@noemail.be> wrote in message
news:Xns9AF86E78E3256none@128.251.168.112...
> Hi there,
>
> I've got an HP Compac nc6000 laptop at work. I haven't moved it or
> carried it around with me. The laptop stays all the time on my table.
>
> Since a few days, I get a weird error message when I turn on the
> computer.
>
> First, it checks memory for a couple of minutes. When it's finished, it
> displays the following screen:
>
> ================================================== ===========
>
> 525282 Kb OK
> 162 - System options not set
>
> The following configuration options were automatically updated.
> Total memory installed: 524288 Kbytes
> CMOS checksum invalid, default values loaded
>
> F1 Save Changes
> F2 Ignore Changes
> F10 Computer Setup
>
> ================================================== ===========
>
> If I press F1, then everything is OK. The laptop starts up as usual (Win
> XP).
>
> What could have gone wrong? Is my BIOS kaput?
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Marcos

The small, on system board, battery that maintains the flash (CMOS) settings
is probably kaput and needs replacing...

Phil

Agreed. The OP is describing classic symptoms of CMOS battery failure.

.... Ben Myers

On Tue, 12 Aug 2008 05:41:52 -0500, "Philip Doragh" <someone@microsoft.com>
wrote:

>"Marcos Martinez Sancho" <noemail@noemail.be> wrote in message
>news:Xns9AF86E78E3256none@128.251.168.112...
>> Hi there,
>>
>> I've got an HP Compac nc6000 laptop at work. I haven't moved it or
>> carried it around with me. The laptop stays all the time on my table.
>>
>> Since a few days, I get a weird error message when I turn on the
>> computer.
>>
>> First, it checks memory for a couple of minutes. When it's finished, it
>> displays the following screen:
>>
>> ================================================== ===========
>>
>> 525282 Kb OK
>> 162 - System options not set
>>
>> The following configuration options were automatically updated.
>> Total memory installed: 524288 Kbytes
>> CMOS checksum invalid, default values loaded
>>
>> F1 Save Changes
>> F2 Ignore Changes
>> F10 Computer Setup
>>
>> ================================================== ===========
>>
>> If I press F1, then everything is OK. The laptop starts up as usual (Win
>> XP).
>>
>> What could have gone wrong? Is my BIOS kaput?
>>
>> Thanks in advance,
>>
>> Marcos
>
>The small, on system board, battery that maintains the flash (CMOS) settings
>is probably kaput and needs replacing...
>
>Phil
>

Ben Myers <ben_myers_spam_me_not@charter.net> dixit:

> Agreed. The OP is describing classic symptoms of CMOS battery
> failure.

Indeed. I got my CMOS battery replaced a few minutes ago by the IT guys
and it is OK now.

Marcos