Tony
Fri Jun 27 11:10:10 PDT 2008
It's true, the <Pause> key usually works fine - but more often, I find,
there is one or ½ of a screen that don't stop, back in good old DOS it used
to stop everything right away - right now it's the lines of IDE information
that goes by so I've stopped using Pause now. One other thing is you can
often set a 'Quick Boot' option in the BIOS and that stops the displaying of
POST info which is a delay - I disable this and forfeit the speed-up myself,
I like that it counts the memory and it gives the machine some time to
stabilize electrically and I believe I have fewer problems with strange
'hangs' when booting - and you'll have time to read some of the early stuff
there too!
Tony. . .
"R. C. White" <rc@grandecom.net> wrote in message
news:6B385EC1-6BE8-4F90-9C83-CDFEDAABD082@microsoft.com...
> Hi, Tony - and BP.
>
> USUALLY, the Pause/Break button (upper right on most keyboards) is
> functional even during POST (Power-On Self Test, for those reading along).
> When you see the first page of text, press that button and take as long as
> you need to read the screenful of information. Then press almost any key
> and the process will continue. Some systems present a second or even a
> third page of info as devices and IRQs are detected; a second timely press
> of the Pause key should let you read that, too.
>
> Unfortunately, my current keyboard (from Microsoft! The Wireless Desktop
> Laser 6000) does NOT let me use the Pause/Break key at that point, so I
have
> to READFAST - and then <Ctrl><Alt><Del> a few times to get all the info -
> and that near the bottom of the page disappears REALLY fast! :>(
>
> (Digression: This is a nice keyboard - but with several maddening traits.
> The Function keys (F1 - F12) are grouped in 3s, not 4s - and they do
double
> duty, toggled by the F Lock key between the normal F5 and "Open", for
> example. The Pause/Break key toggles to "ScrLk", for which I've seldom
> found a need. :>( On boot or reboot, this key is set to the ScrLk
function
> and I can't get it toggled to Pause/Break , or at least, not quickly
enough
> to do me any good.. Don't you just LOVE Microsoft's hardware? Maybe HP's
> keyboard works more sensibly.)
>
> RC
> --
> R. C. White, CPA
> San Marcos, TX
> rc@grandecom.net
> Microsoft Windows MVP
> (Running Windows Live Mail 2008 in Vista Ultimate x64 SP1)
>
> "Tony Sperling" <tony.sperling@dbREMOVEmail.dk> wrote in message
> news:u5$hNXD2IHA.4164@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> > You are right, the Boot Screen text messages are wizzing by rather
> > quickly,
> > but usually the messages that identifies the BIOS info stays long enough
> > to
> > be read - among other things, the brief pause give you an option to
press
> > <F2> or <DEL> or whatever it happens to be, to access the BIOS Setup
> > utility - if you want to write down some of the information, you can
enter
> > the BIOS at this stage and all the version information can be read from
> > inside!
> >
> > Don't make changes that you don't understand what they are for - but you
> > can
> > safely turn off support for devices that you know you don't have!
> > Notebooks
> > often do not have a lot of options so probably better to leave it alone,
> > but
> > it is absolutely safe to go inside and read - then <F10>, and you are
back
> > out again!
> >
> > Or, as an alternative - your monitor probably eats a few seconds to
light
> > up, so you can give the machine the 'three-finger' (Ctrl+Alt+Del) if
> > you've
> > missed anything and after the re-boot you'll find it is easier to read
> > some
> > of that stuff since the screen has already been activated.
> >
> >
> > Tony. . .
> >
> >
> >
> > "BP" <brcphillips@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> > news:mn.d5117d8619e3459a.88421@hotmail.com...
> >> I like my HP. Having used it for 6 months I'm sorry I didn't get the
> >> larger monitor, but it's a sweetheart. Oh, and sometimes I wish I had
> >> waited for another 6 months because the machine now being sold is
> >> faster, etc. But I recall having waited another six months before
> >> getting this one so I'd get a faster, etc. machine. Oh Well.
> >>
> >> And thank you for the information. I've checked the HP site and there
> >> are no new updates for the computer. You've also solved a minor puzzle
> >> for me. I can see white text on the screen during the boot process,
> >> but it's never on long enough to read and I've wondered what it said.
> >> I still can't read it, but at least I have an idea what the subject
> >> matter is.
> >>
> >> Tony Sperling has brought this to us :
> >> > With HP, you are actually lucky, because if you visit their home site
> > you
> >> > can type your product name and number into the search-box and it will
> > take
> >> > you to the correct place where there are (or isn't?) updates waiting
> >> > for
> >> > you.
> >> >
> >> > As an alternative - when your machine is booting, the first thing
that
> >> > appears on your screen is the name and BIOS number of the graphics
> > card -
> >> > the next thing that displays will usually be the CPU and memory and
> >> > BIOS
> >> > info of your machine and if you want to look for updates you go to
the
> >> > manufacturers site and see what they have. Most times, when you buy
> > someting
> >> > new, it is at least six months old and updated system drivers and
> >> > BIOS's
> > are
> >> > likely to be available. But if you are not having any trouble with
the
> >> > machine or the OS, then you may want to wait, many updates concerns
> > specific
> >> > hardware that you may not have anyway. HP don't issue a lot of BIOS
> >> > updates - it is my understanding that they make a considerable effort
> >> > to
> > do
> >> > it right the first time. My HP notebook is three years old now and
> >> > there
> > has
> >> > been one single update that I wanted, in that time.
> >> >
> >> > If there are things you don't like about a HP machine, it is not
likely
> > to
> >> > go away with an update - it is probably associated with the
particular
> >> > philosophy by which HP build their products.
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > Tony. . .
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > "BP" <brcphillips@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> >> > news:mn.d4b87d862e637a69.88421@hotmail.com...
> >> >> Carlos expressed precisely :
> >> >>> One of most recommended fixes by Tony is to upgrade (flash) your
BIOS
> > to
> >> >>> the latest version in case of strange troubles.
> >> >>> I helped one friend of mine who could not add a second DDR-667 2
gigs
> >> >>> memory stick to his brand new Gigabyte GA-MA790FX-DS motherboard
> > (Vista
> >> >>> x64). 2 gigs DDR-667, Vista would boot Ok.
> >> >>> 4 gigs DDR-667, Vista would BSOD on boot.
> >> >>> His BIOS was ver F3 so I downloaded the latest one, a.k.a. v F6.
> >> >>> And that was it!
> >> >>> Vista is now happy with 4 gigs.
> >> >>> Carlos
> >> >>
> >> >> Carlos and Tony - This thread raises some questions fro me. How do
I
> >> >> find out about the mother board, BOIS, etc. that is in my system so
I
> >> >> can find out if there are updates? I have an HP and I've checked
the
> >> >> HP site to look for updates to my system, but is there another way?
>