Server issue when booting up

[chrsbrss]

First, let me say thank you for the website, this has been an awesome teaching tool for me.

Here's my issue. I am setting up a network server by following your guide step by step. The instalation is going okay (apart from some occasional foul ups which set me back occasionally. It's tough typing with all thumbs....) but when I boot up I get this message prior to continuing..

I know it's in the bios and have attempted to get in there to fix it but for some reason no matter what it continues to do this. Of course I would like to get it set up properly because it's a headless server, so if some problem arises where the power goes out I would like it to just boot back up and start running again. When I do hit the F1 key it proceeds and take me to the logon screen with no other hiccup.

Computer:

Dell Dimension 9150
2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 duo
4 GB RAM.

The computer came with two optical drives (DVD ROM and DVD +/-R). The DVD +/-R has been removed because it failed, I plan on removing this current DVD ROM and installing onto another computer because it's a headless server after all.... And am eventually planning on installing two HDD in the place of the optical drives eventually.

Any tips and suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Ian]

Hi and welcome to the forums.

I don't have a Dell in front of me so cannot walk you through the process step by step but if you hit F2 when you get that message it should take you into the BIOS. On the left hand side? there is the menu with lots of options. You have two issues you need to resolve: it's looking for a floppy drive plus your failed cd-rom. Basically you need to tell the BIOS not to look for them.
One of the options on the bios menu should be drives. Expand that and locate your floppy drive (diskette drive) and cd-rom and set them both to off/disable/not present or somesuch. (sorry I cannot give you a more detailed explanation but without a dell in front of me I'm blagging it)

Have you tried this?

If you HAVE tried the above and your Dell keeps "forgetting" those settings then maybe your battery is failing. On your motherboard there should be a watch-type battery. It's often a CR-2032. Swap it out with a fresh one and see if that helps your dell remember your settings.

Whilst you're in your BIOS locate the option which says something like "halt if keyboard not present" and disable that option too. That way it'll boot without a keyboard.

Does the above help?

Ian.

[chrsbrss]

Thanks Ian, I've never considered the battery, I'm willing to bet that this is the issue.

Chris

[Ian]

Only if it keeps forgetting the BIOS changes you've made. Another clue will be your computer keeps forgetting what day/time it is.