Error message: Invalid configuration. Performing automatic IDE configuration

I have a Dimension 4600 desk-top with Windows XP, version 5.1.2600

My problem started 2 weeks ago after several years of normal start-ups.

It shows up at start-up before the DELL logo appears on the screen. An error message appears that states "Invalid configuration information. Performing automatic IDE configuration." The primary and secondary drives are then listed, followed by the instruction: "Time-of-day not set. Please run SETUP program by pushing F2". Having gone through this procedure and storing the settings by pushing + , startup continues normally. All this causes an annoying delay in every start-up.

 

Phoning the German DELL software support hotline (I live in Germany), I was told that this must be due to a BIOS problem. I then downloaded and installed the most current version of my BIOS (A12). This did not solve the problem.

 

On http://support.euro.dell.com I found instructions for restoring the Set-Up-Standard-Values on several Dell Dimension models including mine (Journal ID 0801392STC, Article-ID 155066 of 11/21/2007). These did not work because I could not figure any way to execute the suggested changes in the SET-UP Window. The instructions provided at the bottom of the window for executing changes worked for the Time-of-Day and Date but not for the Drive setting nor for the USB Legacy Support setting.

Does anybody have any better ideas?

 

I have two reasons to suspect that the problem may be due to a faulty shut-down of the system rather than the start-up itself:

1) The computer starts up as soon as I turn on the current. I don't have to push the start button. Before the problem appeared, I did have to push it.

2) With each shut-down, an error message flushes up signaling a script error in the program ccSvcHst.exe - an instruction to go to a line which cannot be read. I would like to know how to correct such errors.