# BIOS/CMOS setup on a Deskpro

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bios-cmos-setup-on-a-deskpro/29168>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 13, 2000, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bios-cmos-setup-on-a-deskpro/29168 "2000-08-13T05:09:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![mblackwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5fc32e/32.png) [@mblackwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mblackwell)\
**Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bios-cmos-setup-on-a-deskpro/29168/1 "2000-08-13T05:09:47Z")

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I have an old Compaq Deskpro 2000. When I try to start it it has an “options not set” error and a “date and time not set” error. After it gets past that point it trys to boot from the C drive. I want it to boot from the A drive. I have tried all of the key combinations I can think of at startup. I have searched the Compaq site. I tried clearing the CMOS with the jumper. Can anyone think of anything to try to either get into the CMOS setup or force it to boot from a floppy?

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**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\
**Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bios-cmos-setup-on-a-deskpro/29168/2 "2000-08-13T09:25:31Z")

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I have a four year old Compaq Presario. On this PC, you press F10 to get into setup. Most importantly, F10 only works for the two-second interval during boot-up when the cursor is a block on the upper right hand side of the screen. (E.g., at the beginning of boot-up a small cursor appears on the left of the screen. You have to watch carefully until the cursor switches to being a block on the right, and press F10 during the 2-second window before it switches back).

On my PC, once you are in CMOS, disk-drive bootup is located in the Security Management/Advanced options.

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**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\
**Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bios-cmos-setup-on-a-deskpro/29168/3 "2000-08-13T14:51:41Z")

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On some older Compaqs there is no BIOS setup in ROM, you have to use a floppy disk with the appropriate setup program. You can run this program from the floppy drive or the C: drive with a clean boot. The soft paq #'s (setup programs) are listed on the compaq website for the appropriate machines and can be downloaded. They will self install on a floppy. These setup programs will work even on newer machines if you can’t get the BIOS keystroke to work.