CMOS settings that can't be set




I am hoping you can answer a question I have. I recently bought two old Olivetti 286s with the model numbers M250E and M290S. I bought them so I could start to work with the hardware side of computers, but I have been unable to gain access to the CMOS to change things like hard drive size, memory, boot sequence etc. The computers do not show a keystroke to access the CMOS at boot up, and I have tried most of the common key combinations like <Del> and <Ctrl>+<Alt>+<F2> and <Alt>+S etc, but none of these works. I know the computers have a built-in setup for the CMOS because when I disconnected the floppy drive from one and then turned it on, the CMOS Setup Screen came up. But only the floppy drive section was available, the rest was not.
Any help in what the keystroke is, or another way to access all of the CMOS would be appreciated.
- Luke Fletcher


A well-written motherboard manual will tell you how to access your system's CMOS settings. Perhaps in recognition of the fact that there are so few of these around, BIOS manufacturers these days generally provide on-screen instructions on how to access the CMOS.
But if you're stuck with an older machine and no manual at all, there are several combinations you can try. If <Delete> doesn't do the trick, <Esc> might be the magic key. <Ctrl>-<Esc> and <Ctrl>-<Alt>-<Esc> are also worth trying.
- Neville Clarkson


Category: Hardware
Issue: May 1997
Pages: 152

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