If you want to try reseting the configuration in the BIOS (clear NVRAM), see the following (I think it has instructions that go back as far as your now ancient system):
<ADMIN NOTE: Broken link has been removed from this post by Dell>
Alas, that solution implies that I can *get* into the System Setup. While I can hit DEL during the initial boot and get the "Entering Setup" screen, it never actually gets there. The keyboard (and everything else just hangs until I hit the Reset or Power button).
What I'm suspecting is that the flash BIOS was at least partially destroyed.
As a test, I noticed that if I yank the system board jumper entirely (indicated on the board silkscreen as "recovery"), the system actually skips the POST and boots to floppy. I stuck a DOS boot floppy in and it booted it fine. Except there was absolutely no video or keyboard.
So as another test I downloaded the A09 BIOS update (the latest on the site), stuck it on floppy, and booted that. It *tries* to boot, and then the system speaker begins a low "buzzing" sound, which continues forever. My guess is it's reporting some sort of error, but without video I can't see.
I'm going to try one or two more things, while I price out replacements. Luckily all the components (hard drive, RAM, video, etc) are still fine so I might just replace the motherboard & case with something significantly faster, stick in all the leftover bits, and toss the Dell remnants in my ever-growing junk pile. But hey, it served me well and had a good life.
Good manners dictates that, since I managed to solve my problem, I come back here and post my solution for "archival purposes".
So I was correct in my suspicion that the flash BIOS had been toasted. My attempts to re-flash using the Dell A09 BIOS failed. I'm not sure why, since there's no display when doing this "recovery".
*But*, in searching around here I discovered that the D233 uses an OEM Intel motherboard (440LX). I went to Intel's support site and downloaded *their* BIOS update utility. Heck, I had nothing to lose, since I was already pricing replacement systems.
Lo and behold, it worked. The Intel-generated floppy went through its paces (takes a while) and double-beeped to indicate success. I reset the jumper to "Configuration", rebooted, and got the Setup screen.
Quick check of the settings (they were all correct at default), reset the jumper to "Normal", and reboot again.
Win98SE "rediscovered" all of the system components, which is typical with a BIOS change, and expected. Two reboots later, and the system was fully operational as though nothing had happened.
Anyway, although "the" answer wasn't here, there was enough other info to point me in the direction I needed.
volcano11
2 Intern
•
28K Posts
0
February 5th, 2002 03:00
If you want to try reseting the configuration in the BIOS (clear NVRAM), see the following (I think it has instructions that go back as far as your now ancient system):
<ADMIN NOTE: Broken link has been removed from this post by Dell>
Let us know if this helps.
Steve
b_p_smith
3 Posts
0
February 5th, 2002 13:00
What I'm suspecting is that the flash BIOS was at least partially destroyed.
As a test, I noticed that if I yank the system board jumper entirely (indicated on the board silkscreen as "recovery"), the system actually skips the POST and boots to floppy. I stuck a DOS boot floppy in and it booted it fine. Except there was absolutely no video or keyboard.
So as another test I downloaded the A09 BIOS update (the latest on the site), stuck it on floppy, and booted that. It *tries* to boot, and then the system speaker begins a low "buzzing" sound, which continues forever. My guess is it's reporting some sort of error, but without video I can't see.
I'm going to try one or two more things, while I price out replacements. Luckily all the components (hard drive, RAM, video, etc) are still fine so I might just replace the motherboard & case with something significantly faster, stick in all the leftover bits, and toss the Dell remnants in my ever-growing junk pile. But hey, it served me well and had a good life.
b_p_smith
3 Posts
0
February 5th, 2002 21:00
So I was correct in my suspicion that the flash BIOS had been toasted. My attempts to re-flash using the Dell A09 BIOS failed. I'm not sure why, since there's no display when doing this "recovery".
*But*, in searching around here I discovered that the D233 uses an OEM Intel motherboard (440LX). I went to Intel's support site and downloaded *their* BIOS update utility. Heck, I had nothing to lose, since I was already pricing replacement systems.
Lo and behold, it worked. The Intel-generated floppy went through its paces (takes a while) and double-beeped to indicate success. I reset the jumper to "Configuration", rebooted, and got the Setup screen.
Quick check of the settings (they were all correct at default), reset the jumper to "Normal", and reboot again.
Win98SE "rediscovered" all of the system components, which is typical with a BIOS change, and expected. Two reboots later, and the system was fully operational as though nothing had happened.
Anyway, although "the" answer wasn't here, there was enough other info to point me in the direction I needed.