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BIOS set to PXE boot + Bad NIC = NO BOOT
The onboard Ethernet adapter in my XPS 410 stopped working. Following POST Windows sees no Ethernet adapter. I tried a variety of things, including making sure it was enabled in the BIOS in the first place. The machine would boot to Windows but, given that it had no functional NIC, could not see the WAP or the rest of my network.
So being the clever fellow that I am, I ordered a PCI Ethernet NIC. And while waiting for it to arrive - here's the good part - I continuing fiddling around to see if I could somehow make the onboard Ethernet adapter active again. Specifically I changed the BIOS setting from "Enabled" to "Enabled with PXE". For those of you too smart to do this, that means the computer tries to boot from the network. Which it can't find. Because the Ethernet adapter doesn't work. Net result: at boot the computer doesn't even go through POST now, it just displays a black screen with a white flashing cursor. Forever.
Anybody know how I can reset the BIOS or otherwise make it so the computer can boot? The machine still has some life in it, and I'm hoping I won't have to name it "The Brick".
Thanks.
RoHe
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June 1st, 2014 16:00
Reset BIOS to factory defaults:
*And if battery is more than ~2-3 years old, this might be good time to install a new one. CR2032 3-volt lithium ion battery, ~$2 at discount stores.
tubelugs
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June 2nd, 2014 08:00
Hats off to Ron, who gave an accurate and effective answer. Within 7 minutes of my post. On a Sunday.
Thanks Ron.
Interestingly, resetting the BIOS also made the built-in Ethernet adapter visible again. I'd never really thought about BIOS settings getting corrupted (excepting perhaps an interrupted update flash), but apparently they do.
RoHe
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June 2nd, 2014 10:00
Glad that worked. Hope you can return the card you ordered. Please mark this thread as solved.
BTW: Did you post a question a few days ago about an onboard NIC that disappeared in this exact same PC model, using a different user name? I told someone else to try clearing BIOS to see if that would make the onboard NIC reappear. And if not, to consider buying an add-in NIC card, but that user never responded... Just curious...:emotion-5:
tubelugs
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June 2nd, 2014 15:00
shesagordie
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June 2nd, 2014 16:00
tubelugs
You can mark the "Did this answer the question? Yes" button, in Ron's post now. :emotion-2:
Bev.
RoHe
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June 2nd, 2014 16:00
When you're logged in to the forum and with this thread is open, you should see a box under every one of my posts that looks like this:
Click the Yes under the post that answered your question. - Thanks.
It just seemed odd to me somebody else posted exactly the same problem with the onboard NIC in the same PC model just a few days before you posted. I guess it's possible some Microsoft update did something that caused the NIC to disappear.
Strange things always happen when Microsoft is involved... :emotion-4:
EDIT: Thanks, Bev.