checksum error cannot access bios

[bek]

Hi folks, am new to this forum and could really do with some help.
My mum has an old pc...she is not on the internet...only uses it to mess around with photographs and uses word...windows xp...128ram and 10gig, that's all I know really!
She went on holiday for 3 weeks and switched the power off...taking into account the clocks changed???
When I switch it on it says f1 to resume or del to setup. Say's something about the clock is not set in the bios. If you press F1 it gets to the windows is loading blue windows screen, clicks and goes round in circles. If you press del to run set up it just hangs at a black screen with the curser flashing?
Is it the battary?
I have toyed with moving the jumbers but would really like some help here.
Cheers

[dl65]

 bek..... Sounds like the internal battery has died ....... Get a new one , replace the old one , then go into the bios and reset the time and date and reset with all the default settings and you should be ok......
BTW , what make and model is the pc ?

dl65  

[bek]

Cheers for getting back to me...don't know the make and model as it's at my mum's house...can let you know over the weekend. I paid £50 for it  from a friend 18 months ago! Are battaries standard? How long do they take to fail as I still have my really only computer in the garage...will that one do just to get the clock changed? Can I get one from PC world?
  

[GX1_Man]

The battery is inexpensive and easy to change. They usually last 5-10 years, but can last even longer. Your local PC shop will have one.

[pcdoc4christ]

Bek:

Most PCs have a battery that is flat, like a watch battery, that you can easily replace (as GX1 said).  However, some PCs (older Compaq computers, for example) have them soldered to the motherboard, so you will need to solder the new one in place, if this is the case.

Doc

[GX1_Man]

That was an excellent engineering solution, wasn't it?  

[Fed]

A cunning trick to sell more soldering irons.

[bek]

Thanks Guys will go and get the hard drive and look, I think now you have mentioned it that it is a compaq, will just be my luck!

[Fed]

Thanks Guys will go and get the hard drive and look

Good luck

[pcdoc4christ]

That was an excellent engineering solution, wasn't it?  

Yeah, almost as good as Dell's early decision to make proprietary motherboards that would fry unless you used only their power supplies!

 

[bek]

replaced the battery but the same thing happened, checksum bios clock not set, f1 to resume del to setup, setup just hangs?
Not bothered why this is happening just want to get the thing working again!! Does this mean using the windows setup discs and formatting the hard drive? Please tell me it does not!!!

[bek]

Is anyone out there?
Still got the same problem with checksum error...any help would be great?
 :-?

[GX1_Man]

What model Dell? Service tag would be even better.

[bek]

It's a compaq not a dell :-?

[Fed]

Sometimes getting into setup can be a bit tricky, try maniacal tapping of the Del key as soon as you turn it on.
If that fails then try the same with the F8 key after it posts to see if you can get into safe mode.