Bios is all in German

[Lona]

My PC froze today and when I tried to reboot it got the length of xp logo then black screen.

I went into the bios and it's now all in german with lots of ((( and (((

My German isn't very good but was able to save it to default which didn't work.

I reset the cmos and took out the battery rebooted but it's still the same

I can hit or miss get into safemode.  Tried various restart dates but none worked.

I've checked device manager and everything there looks ok

Tried putting in my xp disc but pc wouldn't read it.

Don't know what else to try.

[Philip]

I've got some teach yourself German CD's

[Odos]

Sounds to me like the bios has been currupted. Have you tried to reflash the bios ?

Tony

[Lona]

don't know how to reflash the bios

I have reset the bios from inside the motherboard

[Odos]

don't know how to reflash the bios

I have reset the bios from inside the motherboard

Go to the motherboards manufacturers web site and they will have all versions of the bios for your board for download. They will also have any applications you need to do this along with info on how to flash the bios.

Resetting the bios will make no difference if it's currupted. What is your motherboard maybe I can find the links for you.

[john]

Sie konnten diesen Aufstellungsort finden, um vom Interesse Noreen zu sein : http://www.wimsbios.com/biosupdates.jsp

[Simon]

Are you actually getting into Windows, Lona?  Is it just the BIOS that's the problem?

[Lona]

It goes to the Windows logo then screen goes black, simon and the fan comes on and I have to switch off manually.

[Lona]

Go to the motherboards manufacturers web site and they will have all versions of the bios for your board for download. They will also have any applications you need to do this along with info on how to flash the bios.

Resetting the bios will make no difference if it's currupted. What is your motherboard maybe I can find the links for you.

This is my motherboard information Odis.......................

Thank you for choosing the MS-7091 v1.X Micro ATX
mainboard. The MS-7091 v1.X mainboard is based on Intel® 915P
and Intel® ICH6R chipset for optimal system efficiency. Designed to
fit the advanced Intel® Pentium Prescott LGA775 processor, the
MS-7091 v1.X mainboard delivers a high performance and professional
desktop platform solution.

[Sebby]

It sounds to me like the motherboard is dead, given that it won't even boot from a CD anymore.

[Simon]

If you can get into the BIOS, apparently there is a language option, Lona.  All you would need to do is find it in the settings.     If you can set the language back to English, hopefully Windows will start.

[Steve]

If its ami bios its off the main menu screen I think under utility???

[Odos]

As Simon has said if there is a language option and you can change it and that is whats causing the problem you may be able to start windows. The thing that puzzles me is why did it change in the first place.

If that doesn't help and you wish to consider reflashing the bios please bear in mind that you can kill your computer if it goes wrong, having said that I've flashed many many boards with only one ending up dead.

As far as bios updates go I can find nothing for your version 1.xx board at all unless it's hidden away in the medion archives.

Version 2 is here http://www1.medion.de/downloads/index.pl?op=detail&id=2931&type=treiber&lang=uk

If you want to search the main medion site to try and find the version 1.xx bios then it's here http://www.medion.co.uk/ I can't do it because you need to put in your computers serial number before it will allow a search for what you want

Sorry can't be more helpful  

[LesD]

When the machine starts to boot do you aways see the same things up to the point where it gets to the Windows logo and the freezes unless of course you enter the BIOS?

If so do you see the hard disk drives register correctly in the POST?

To my mind there are many factors that could give the symptoms you describe.

Maybe the BIOS has become corrupted.
This could be in two forms, a setting like the Language that has been referred to already.
A good starting point to start to fix this would be to look for the Load Fail Safe defaults option and select this and see if the PC boots. If not it may be that the code in the BIOS has become corrupted and to put this right the BIOS would have to be reflashed with the right firmware (code) again.
To flash a BIOS you must get all your ducks in a row and do it right otherwise the machine will to all intents and purposes be rendered useless!
That said I have done this a number of times and by far the best way is to boot it in from a prepared floppy disk or a bootable CD failing this.

As has already been said you must obtain the exact right BIOS firmware code for your motherboard (right down to the correct mobo revision number that should be on a label on the mobo). Get this code, preferrably direct from the mobo manufacturer's web site. The download will often be a zip file containing the firmware code file that will likely be in the form of a .rom or .bin file and the flash tool too.

Next you need a bootable floppy and I would recommend a DOS bootable floppy or a Windows 95 or 98 one. I would avoid a Windows ME type or later. Such bootable floppy disk images can be download from the web and Google finds any number. You will also need the flash tool/program for you particular BIOS. AWDFLASH.EXE is a common one but it is BIOS type dependent and is often available from the same source that you can download the BIOS code from.

With your bootable floppy disk prepared with just the boot files, the flash tool/program and the .rom or .bin file on it there is one important step left.

Go back into the BIOS and make sure that your floppy disk is the first boot device. If you cannot get that far because the BIOS is too badly corrupted the next best things is what you have done already and that is to make sure that the settings are all cleared by removing the CMOS battery and if there is one, moving the CMOS clear jumper to the clear position, being sure to have the mains power removed by unplugging it at the wall socket before moving the shorting link to the clear position. I know there are some machines where you can do this without unplugging the mains but not being familiar with yours this is the safest way to proceed. Once you have cleared the BIOS be sure to put the jumper back into the normal position before you reconnect the mains power to the machine.

Now put the floppy disk you have prepared into the floppy drive, boot the machine from it and follow the prompts. You may be offered the option to save the existing BIOS code if so do so. Next cross your finger, trust that you have got it all right and go for it. I just hope that you are successful and that your machine is not one of these "modern" ones with no floppy drive although I am given to understand you can achieve much the same from a bootable CD but have never done it this way myself.

I hope by now you machine is alive and well again.

If not maybe you have a hard disk drive failing, the one containing the operating system would be favourite from the symptoms you describe. The last one I recall that I had go down kept reporting diminishing capacity in the POST where you see them register themselves when all is well. This is why I asked early on if you always see the same thing reported in the POST before the machine tries to go into Windows.

Next it could be the processor overheating and the thermal cutout operating to protect the processor from damage. A faulty or even dirty clogged up processor fan might cause this. I read on another forum of someone who had a clip break and the fan became dislodged.

Another favourite for machines freezing is duff memory. There is the Memtest program that can be downloaded and run ad nausea to check out the memory very thoroughly but for starters you could try, assuming that you BIOS will let you, enabling the memory test in the BIOS that makes the machine take longer to boot but does not Skip the memory test. I expect the option in the BIOS that you need to look for will refer to Skip Memory test. If you see this disable it and boot again and watch as the memory check runs through in the POST.

That's all I can think of for now. I hope there is something in my ramblings that is of assistance to you.

Best of luck 

[Inactive]

Lona, it sounds like you have a Medion Computer, similar to mine, I seem to recall that the bios is locked, go to;

http://www.medionsupport.com/phpbb2/index.php

They are experts on Medion Computers there, someone will help.

Good luck.

[Lona]

Well guys, the latest update to my problems is with the advice of Sandra from pc-pals thought it might be a driver problem so she got me to uninstall the nividia driver in safemode.

Rebooted the computer and it booted up to windows using windows vga driver.

I then tried to reinstall nividia updated driver and pc went back to it's former state.

I have pc working again but everytime I try to install nividia driver it fails

Bios is still in German and I'm afraid to flash the bios incase I really make things worse.

[Sebby]

Can you still not boot from a CD, Lona?

[Inactive]

Which Model Number is your computer Lona?

[Lona]

Which Model Number is your computer Lona?

Medion 8383

[Inactive]

...also, have you looked at M Information about your computer?

[Inactive]

Medion 8383

OK, that is different to mine.

[Inactive]

Bit of a long shot Lona, have you checked Windows Update for an NVidea driver update?

[mrapoc]

I'd say a reflash may havea chance at fixing this (as in the latest ENGLISH one off the manuf website)

If not, get hold of the manufs and complain. They should fix it for you

[Lona]

Pc is more than three years old and out of warranty so don't think Medion will sort for nothing.

It's been a really good PC and never given any problems over the years, that is till now. 

[Inactive]

Mine is just coming up to 3 years Lona, same here, no problems yet..