dell optiplex gx1 - how do you get into the bios menu?

[Mad Scientist Jr]

I have an old Dell optiplex gx1 500L with a dead hard drive.

When I start up, it briefly flashes the Dell logo and the model, and
then says "cover has been removed" and stays there.

I have tried pressing different keys upon powerup to get into the bios
menu (F1, F10, DEL etc) and had no luck.

How can I
1) get to the bios menu
2) get the machine to stop complaining about the cover being removed
?

Much appreciated!

PS There was a sticky on the machine saying password is
"administrator".

 

[Gerard Bok]

I have an old Dell optiplex gx1 500L with a dead hard drive.

When I start up, it briefly flashes the Dell logo and the model, and
then says "cover has been removed" and stays there.

I have tried pressing different keys upon powerup to get into the bios
menu (F1, F10, DEL etc) and had no luck.

How can I
1) get to the bios menu

Most likely: press F2

2) get the machine to stop complaining about the cover being removed

Two ways. Either keep the cover in place or switch of the
detection feature (also in the bios, under security.)

 

[Mad Scientist Jr]

Thanks for the reply.

F2 (or any of the Fn keys) isn't working. It seems no matter what I
press, after a couple seconds the screen goes black except for "Alert!
Cover was previously removed"

Is there some jumper setting or something else that could be preventing
me from getting into the BIOS?

 

[Pen]

Thanks for the reply.

F2 (or any of the Fn keys) isn't working. It seems no matter what I
press, after a couple seconds the screen goes black except for "Alert!
Cover was previously removed"

Is there some jumper setting or something else that could be preventing
me from getting into the BIOS?

-F2 is the correct key to enter setup. So, try going here and reading about
clearing a forgotten password, which seems a possibility for your problem.
http://support.dell.com/support/edo...ug_sdt/setup.htm#disabling_forgotten_password

 

[Paul]

Thanks for the reply.

F2 (or any of the Fn keys) isn't working. It seems no matter what I
press, after a couple seconds the screen goes black except for "Alert!
Cover was previously removed"

Is there some jumper setting or something else that could be preventing
me from getting into the BIOS?

The chassis intrusion switch is documented here:

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/ban_gx1/en/sm_sdt/remsff.htm#chas_intrus_sw

and it is also mentioned in this diagram:

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/ban_gx1/sysbrd1.htm

The info is not that helpful, but it starts here:

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/ban_gx1/

A failing chassis intrusion doesn't necessarily have anything
to do with the switch.

The chassis intrusion function can be handled by the Super I/O
chip. For example, on a Winbond W83627THF, it says:

"CASE OPEN. An active low input from an external device
when case is opened. This signal can be latched if pin
VBAT is connect to battery, even W83627THF is power off."

What that says is, a computer can actually log the fact that
the case cover has been removed, even if the computer is
unplugged from the wall. Now, if in fact that is how it
worked, we'd be pestered with that all the time (from
doing maintenance/inspection inside computers). It suggests
to me, that perhaps that chip is failing, or the CMOS battery
is failing - the fault could be near the Super I/O, but
exactly what makes them do that is unclear. All I can suggest
to you, is that fiddling with the switch is probably not
going to help, as it is likely not the root cause of the
problem. Something else is busted, and that message is
just a side effect.

A Super I/O chip also handles keyboard input, so if the
keyboard doesn't work either, the Super I/O is common
to both problems.

Good luck finding it,
Paul

 

[kony]

I have an old Dell optiplex gx1 500L with a dead hard drive.

When I start up, it briefly flashes the Dell logo and the model, and
then says "cover has been removed" and stays there.

I have tried pressing different keys upon powerup to get into the bios
menu (F1, F10, DEL etc) and had no luck.

How can I
1) get to the bios menu
2) get the machine to stop complaining about the cover being removed
?

Much appreciated!

PS There was a sticky on the machine saying password is
"administrator".

I suspect you are not pressing the keys at the right time,
maybe not fast/soon enough. Be furiously hitting F2 (Or
<DEL>) when you turn the system on.

After you get it turned on and in the bios menu, do
something similar to what is suggested here,
http://supportapj.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/ws530/en/ug/html/2securty.htm#1100212

If you still can't get into the bios, unplug the system from
AC, pull the battery out for 10 minutes, put it back in then
try the system.

 

[Gerard Bok]

"CASE OPEN. An active low input from an external device
when case is opened. This signal can be latched if pin
VBAT is connect to battery, even W83627THF is power off."

What that says is, a computer can actually log the fact that
the case cover has been removed, even if the computer is
unplugged from the wall. Now, if in fact that is how it
worked, we'd be pestered with that all the time (from
doing maintenance/inspection inside computers).

Maybe I'm totally wrong here, but what I understand is:
the machine logs the switch being activated, i.e. the case has
been opened. This indication can be reset in the bios.
But access to the bios can be password protected.
So, the administrator can find out (either from the screen or
from remote software) that the case has been opened.

 

[Mad Scientist Jr]

I removed the pswd jumper, and still couldn't get in. Then I unplugged
the hard drive - it turned out to be dead and was stopping me from
getting into the bios. Then I could get in fine.
Thanks to everyone

 

[peterfelgate]

I removed the pswd jumper, and still couldn't get in. Then I unplugged
the hard drive - it turned out to be dead and was stopping me from
getting into the bios. Then I could get in fine.
Thanks to everyone

If there's a problem with detecting the hard drive(s), the bios spends
two to three minutes trying to probe them - if you had waited a while
the bios will probably have eventually given up and returned a prompt -
this catches many people out...

 

[Mad Scientist Jr]

It does take a while to detect the hard drive, but my problem now is,
when I try to install XP, it seems to be getting caught in an endless
loop with loading a driver. I saw this error a while back on another
system and solved it by swapping out the video card. However, I don't
see a BIOS option to turn off onboard video - I plugged in a PCI video
card I had, and the setup seems to get a little bit farther (it doesn't
end in a "blue screen") - however, setup seems to stay on "Installing
windows components, 39 mins left" forever.

Are there any known issues with XP and this system?

Thanks...

 

[Ben Myers]

My wild guess is that the GX1's integrated ATI Rage Pro with 4MB is not
supported by XP. I do not know if upgrading the video memory to 8MB would make
any difference. I ***MAY*** have a 4MB ATI memory upgrade module here. They
are pretty scarce.

The Crystal Semiconductor CS4236 is another potential XP issue, because it is an
older audio chip, and a little less mainstream than all the Creative Sound
Blaster chips.

The Intel 440BX chipset, the integrated 3Com PCI 3C905B-TX, and the National
PC87309 are fairly standard items.

How much memory is in the system???

I would suggest upgrading the chassis with GX110 motherboard, CPU and riser
card, a fairly painless operation. (I have some pulled and functioning GX110
boards here.) But I am unsure how well the result would work under XP.

.... Ben Myers

 

[Jay B]

I recently prepped a gx110 866mhz with XP and I'm not happy with the
performance on it, although its not bad. I was thinking of putting
Windows 2000 on it. i also have a pair of gx1's and put win2k on them
and they are perfectly usable for office work.

 

[Ben Myers]

I'm with you, Jay. The older Pentium 3 computers are just fine for Windows 2000
or Linux, but XP is often a stretch. I've sold a number of inexpensive P3-Win
2000 boxes, and the clients like them.

You are also confirming that a GX110 runs XP properly, something I have not ever
tried. How much memory? I think I would max it out at 512MB... Ben Myers

 

[Mad Scientist Jr]

The system has 256 MB.

Is there a way to disable the onboard video?

I will also try disabling the onboard sound and see if that makes a
difference...

I don't have to have XP, I could get by with 2000 (or even 98, though I
would prefer not).

Can someone point me to all the drivers for the sound, video, nic, etc,
for 2000 or 98?

Also, does anyone know if this system is ATA100 capable?

Much appreciated...

 

[S.Lewis]

I recently prepped a gx110 866mhz with XP and I'm not happy with the
performance on it, although its not bad. I was thinking of putting Windows
2000 on it. i also have a pair of gx1's and put win2k on them and they are
perfectly usable for office work.

Depending on the amount of system RAM, those machines will run WinXP
perfectly fine - after stripping the startup items and setting custom
adjustments under the system properties/advanced tab/performance menus.

With much of the XP fluff minimized, they should do just fine provided they
can run with 512mb of RAM. Not sure which chipset is in the GX110...815
maybe?

Stew

 

[Jay B]

its running right now with 256mb, but 512 was tried and didnt make any
difference.
memory is running about 140mb with nav corp.

 

[kony]

My wild guess is that the GX1's integrated ATI Rage Pro with 4MB is not
supported by XP.

Yes it is.

I do not know if upgrading the video memory to 8MB would make
any difference.

No, XP will run on a 1MB video card, maybe even 512K... you
just can't switch resolutions and color depths of course.

I ***MAY*** have a 4MB ATI memory upgrade module here. They
are pretty scarce.

It's probably not worth the bother, one can pick up an 8MB
ATI AGP or PCI card for pocket change, if it were an issue.

The Crystal Semiconductor CS4236 is another potential XP issue, because it is an
older audio chip, and a little less mainstream than all the Creative Sound
Blaster chips.

XP may support it natively, but if not, XP would install and
run, merely not showing an audio device or it
non-functional.

FWIW, the CS4235 WDM Win2k driver on the following page may
work on XP, if another cannot be found from the sound card
or motherboard manufacturer.
http://www.cirrus.com/en/support/drivers/audio/OS3.html

Does that mean it'll install completely? No, but these
shouldn't matter during the initial window installation
anyway, it can just ignore anything it doesn't support.

 

[peterfelgate]

The system has 256 MB.

Is there a way to disable the onboard video?

Not through the bios. It is automatically disabled when you plug ion a
PCI graphics card

I will also try disabling the onboard sound and see if that makes a
difference...

I don't have to have XP, I could get by with 2000 (or even 98, though I
would prefer not).

Can someone point me to all the drivers for the sound, video, nic, etc,
for 2000 or 98?

Also, does anyone know if this system is ATA100 capable?

It only runs the in-built controller at ATA33 speeds, but will run ATA
66, ATA100 and ATA133 hard disks; from memory the GX1 cannot take the
80 pin connectors so you might have to stick with the original 40 pin
cables. Hard disks must be jumpered for cable select not master or
slave.

 

[peterfelgate]

GX110 has only two memory slots of max 256 Mbytes each, so total max is
512 Mbytes. GX1 has three slots so can go to 768 Mbytes.

 

[S.Lewis]

GX110 has only two memory slots of max 256 Mbytes each, so total max is
512 Mbytes. GX1 has three slots so can go to 768 Mbytes.

Good. So the GX110 can run 512mb of PC133 which should be fine for WinXP.
The GX1 sounds like a 440BX board (except for the earliest models maybe)
that can run 768mb of PC100 - also fine for a basic WinXP machine
email/internet/office/etc.......


Stew