Frequent BIOS resetting

[New Leaf]

First, some background.  I recently posted a problem about adding memory to my wife's IBM 300GL.  It wouldn't boot after that.

Thanks to a helpful suggestion, I removed the new memory, reset the BIOS, and everything was fine.

New situation:  After that was worked out, I installed a better CD-Rom drive in the same machine.  Darned if it didn't exhibit exactly the same symptoms.  Everything seemed OK, but it wouldn't boot.  So I reset the BIOS again, and just like before, everything was fine.

I figured what the heck, and put the new memory back in.  I reset the BIOS, and this time, it worked fine.

So bottom line with this machine seems to be, every time I install something, sneeze or look at it funny, I have to reset the BIOS.  And after doing that, it runs like a champ.

My question is:  Does this sound normal?  I've installed lots of upgrades in various computers over the years, and until these recent incidents, I had never reset a BIOS even once.  In the past few days, I've done it repeatedly.  Why is this necessary?  Is it an indication of some other problem?  

[merlin_2]

you may need to flash the bios?upgrade it in laymans terms...

[Raptor]

What if you use the Fail safe settings rather than the default settings?

[New Leaf]

Hello again.

I checked, and the latest BIOS is already installed.

I don't see an option for "fail safe" settings.  I've tried reapplying the default settings, but that doesn't seem to help.

I've found that after I reset the BIOS, everything stays OK until I power the machine down completely.  Then I need to clear and reset the BIOS before it will start.  In the BIOS setup screen, there are pointers to two things: Non-parity memory (which is what is has, and is a setting that I can't change anyway); and the date/time.  

I always save the settings before exiting, but after powering down, it always asks for them again.

Is the date/time prompt a clue?  Could it just be a matter of replacing the battery?  

Once again, thanks in advance!

[2k dummy]

Is the date/time prompt a clue?  Could it just be a matter of replacing the battery?

Yup. Cmos battery is dead. When you power off all CMOS info is lost.

[2k dummy]

Is the date/time prompt a clue?  Could it just be a matter of replacing the battery?

Yup. Cmos battery is probably dead. When you power off all CMOS info is lost.

[New Leaf]

The problem is still persisting, and it's getting really frustrating.

It has reached the point where every time I power down the system, I have to clear the BIOS to get it to restart.  Once it does, it runs fine ... until the next time it's powered down.

I replaced the CMOS battery.  I re-flashed the BIOS with the latest version.  I've checked every setting.  I removed the new memory, which seemed to be the thing that touched this off in the first place.  Still no luck.

I've run out of ideas!  Raptor, in an earlier reply, you referred to "fail safe settings."  I'm not sure what those would be.  There's no mention of them anywhere in the setup windows, nor in the manual.

The symptoms, to summarize:  After I power down, and try to restart, it runs for a moment or two, then halts.  If I clear the BIOS, it prompts for two things: non-parity memory (which I can't change); and date/time.  The date/time it displays is always correct, but it seems to want to be updated anyway.  Changing it doesn't affect the behavior.  Next time I try to power up, I have to go through the same steps again.  

Help ... !

[merlin_2]

what operating are you using it may or may not be an issue...is it win95...you say you have to reset the bios  when powering down...do you mean that when you re-boot you get the post screen?

[Computer_Commando]

...

I replaced the CMOS battery.

If I clear the BIOS, it prompts for two things: non-parity memory (which I can't change); and date/time.  The date/time it displays is always correct, but it seems to want to be updated anyway.  

Since you replaced the battery and the date/time are correct and everything else is lost, this tells me that the real-time clock is working, but the CMOS memory is not working fully.

It could be that the CMOS memory gets corrupted everytime.  See this:  http://www.pcguide.com/ts/x/comp/mbsys/bios_Corrupted.htm

http://www.pcguide.com/ref/mbsys/bios/compCMOS-c.html

[New Leaf]

To merlin_2:

The operating system is Windows 98.

What happens is this:  When I power up, I can hear the computer start to come to life.  After 5 or 10 seconds, it completely, totally stops.  The screen is blank.  The fan stops running.  The hard drive doesn't move.  Everything comes to an absolutely halt.

I then clear the BIOS, by moving a jumper.  I power back on, and the system starts.  All the BIOS settings are OK, and nothing has changed in the system since last time.  However, the BIOS setup screen prompts me for memory type, and time/date.  I simply re-save the settings, power down, put the jumper back in the right position, and power up.  I get past the post screen, Windows starts and everything runs fine.  

But the next time I power up, I have to go through the same procedure again.

I had hoped that replacing the battery would take care of this, but it made no difference.  And again, when I'm prompted to go into the BIOS setup screen, all settings are fine.  The time/date is correct, even though I'm prompted to re-save it.  The hard drive settings, video settings, etc., are all OK.

I'm pursuing the tips on the help screens that Computer Commando provided, in hopes that will lead to something.  So far, nothing seems promising, but I'm still working at it.

[New_Leaf]

I've solved this problem.  I thought I'd post the final solution in case someone with a similar problem reads this thread in the future.

First, all the advice given previously was excellent.  Before doing anything else, try all those steps.  (When you replace the CMOS battery, take the old one with you to Radio Shack ... that would have saved me 15 minutes of driving.)

Read the links that were mentioned, because there are several good tips in those.

If all that fails, as it did for me, go to the manufacturer's website and read everything, and I do mean everything, they say about your model.  In this case, it was an IBM.  There are hundreds of IBM machines, but I was able to find quite a few pages relating to this particular model.  And, on one obscure page, was a clue.  It turns out that in certain circumstances, the BIOS defaults to a certain processor speed.   I checked the BIOS, and found the processor speed was set incorrectly.  When I fixed that, I pretty much had the problem solved.  

I was also able to determine that the new DIMM was faulty.  That's what set off this string of events in the first place, and resetting the BIOS seemed to help, but the incorrect processor speed setting was making other weird symptoms and masking the real problem.

Hope this helps someone, and in the meantime, thanks again, everyone, for the tips.  This forum is great!