There are old Dos CMOS SAVE programs that still work.

ftp://garbo.uwasa.fi/pc/sysutil/cmos93cd.zip

     CMOS.COM   v0.93   10-12-1996   Charles Dye  

Another CMOS save and restore program.  No, this is not a particularly

original concept.  Why am I offering mine to the public?  First, it saves

and restores all 114 bytes of CMOS memory; many older programs only save

the first 50.  This used to be Not A Big Deal, but many BIOS manufacturers

are now using the 'high' 64 bytes to store important stuff.  Second, it's

freeware.  I hope you find it useful.

CMOS /SAVE filename

   Save CMOS to file "filename".  If you don't specify "filename", the

   default is CMOS.SAV.  You may use /S instead of /SAVE, or /BACKUP /B

   /WRITE or /W.  I don't really care about the switch character either;

   -S or even just S will do it.

CMOS /LOAD filename

   Load CMOS memory from "filename" and reboots.  Again, the default

   filename is CMOS.SAV.  You may also use /L or /RESTORE or -R.  Nobody

   loves a syntax fascist.

CMOS /VER filename

   Verifies the contents of CMOS against a file.  /V or /COMPARE or /C is

   okay here.  In a batch file, ERRORLEVEL 7 indicates a mismatch between

   CMOS and file.

CMOS /DUMP

   Dumps current contents of CMOS to the screen (or to STDOUT) in hex.

   Useful only to hexperts.

My CMOS file format is different from everyone else's; you can't share data

files between my CMOS.COM and SAVECMOS.EXE or ROM2.EXE.  Mine requires a

special file header to prevent you from trying to load, say, AUTOEXEC.BAT

into CMOS, and to guarantee file integrity.

Legal terms:  Anyone may use the program.

You are not expected to register CMOS, or to send me money.

Anyone may distribute unaltered versions of the files by any medium whatso-

ever.  I prefer that they be ZIPped, to maintain the file time-and-date

stamps and to keep the files together, but neither point is crucial.  If you

don't feel like keeping the source or doc files on your boot diskette, that's

your business.

You may alter this program for your own use.  If you wish to distribute an

altered version, I ask that you first remove my name from all files.

THIS PROGRAM CARRIES NO WARRANTY WHATSOEVER.  If it somehow destroys your

tax records for the last seven years, I'm sorry, but I can't do anything

about it.  (Don't name your tax records CMOS.DAT!  You Have Been Warned.)

I make no promise of support.  If you report bugs to me, I may or may not

fix them.  If you have neat ideas for features to add, you can ask; but

unless you set my imagination on fire, I probably won't add them.

This program was originally intended to support EISA and Micro-Channel CMOS

as well as the regular old AT type.  I never implemented these, and I

probably never will; neither EISA or MCA is going to be a major market force

in the forseeable future.  However, if you really want me to add MCA support,

send me a PS/2 and we'll talk.

CMOS was created using Eric Isaacson's A86 assembler.  This assembler creates

.COM files directly, eliminating the need for LINK and EXE2BIN.  It also

doesn't require the 'red tape' directives needed by other assemblers.  Code

in, program out!  Look for A86V402.ZIP in Garbo or Simtel.

I can't seem to get that utility to work. I tried running the file from a DOS boot disk and IT seems to backup the CMOS and save it fine. Then I make my changes and back that up.

When I try to push the new bios settings, it doesn't seem to overwrite them. I could possibly be screwing up the command line but I don't think so.

Any ideas?

Guntok

Did you ever receive any response on your posting, I need to do the same at my company?

The Dell Client Configuration Utility is supposed to be used to set such values via a packaged executable it creates (must be run as an admin on the box), but I am having problems with it, as sometimes it creates a package that works fine, but then other times it creates one that doesn't do anything... they really need some more documentation or troubleshooting info on this product.

The utility is posted at the following location, if you want to give to see if it will work for your environment: http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/format.aspx?releaseid=R73202

If anyone knows a bit more about these issues, or a better way to implement the changes in an enterprise environment, please let me know?

Thanks! :)

Keith