F2 Doesn't Enter BIOS

Question

Pressing the F2 key when the machine is booting doesn't allow me to enter the BIOS. How can I fix this? The machine is a Dimension E521. Thank you.

Philip42h · Answer

Most likely, by pressing F2 at exactly the right time! :smileywink:   You need to press F2 after the message 'Press F2 etc ...' comes up (before that the keyboard won't be activated with the BIOS) and before the progress bar gets to the end! You might need more than one 'boot' to get it right!   If that's not the case, check that the keyboard is connected to one of the top pair of USB ports on the rear - Dell recommend the top right rear port, both the upper rear pair work on my E521 - its possible that the other ports are not enabled for the keyboard during the boot sequence ...

Philip42h · Answer

... also remembered this post: http://www.dellcommunity.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=dim_bios&thread.id=51172  where Nniixx reports that with BIOS 1.1.4 the keyboard appears not to be powered up during the POST screen if there is an external USB hub (such as the one in a Dell flat panel display) connected.   So, if my previous suggestions don't work, try with the keyboard and mouse as the only connected USB devices to see whether that helps ...

mrodriguez1266 · Answer

Thank you for the suggestion. Plugging the keyboard into the right rear USB port let me access the BIOS.

DimensionGoku · Answer

Hello, I hope someone has the answer to my problem because it's just insane.

Fixing a dell E521 (amd) for a friend, I was going to install windows xp fresh, but no keyboard would work when computer ask to press F2 to go to bios, at first I thought it was because I was using wireless kb, but then I used a Dell regular usb kb and computer still didn't go to bios as the usb doesn't get the power fast enough. so i decided to remove the battery to clear cmos and hope the default boot up was cdrom first.

now I have a bigger problem, pc is searching for the card reader boot or usb devices I guess, I get these errors now. I read about too many dead pc with bios update (pc has 1.1.4) anyway how can I update bios with not kb!!

diskette seek 0 failure

keyboard failure

press F1 or F2 to continue

so that's it? the computer can't be used because I can't enter the bios? it doesn't have ps2 ports. I don't have any usb hub connected or anything weird. Computer was working fine but has a lot of viruses, so fresh xp was needed. It no longer has warranty. How can they make a pc with such a flaw? assuming that there aren't any working around.

Thanks in advance for any help.

DimensionGoku · Answer

Anyone that can help me? please!! I just need to get into the computer bios, how can I do that when computer doesn't send power to any usb fast enough when dell logo appears and present the F2 after that I get 2 errors:

Diskette drive 0 seek failure

Keyboard failure

Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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F2 Doesn't Enter BIOS

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