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CMOS and Bios Issues |
The CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor) error message is referring to a battery-backed chip on your motherboard that holds hardware configuration information. This information is ALL important.
Protect this data. If you don't have a program like Norton Utilities or Nuts & Bolts that backs up the CMOS information, you need to print it out or write it down: Enter the PC setup program by pressing Delete or some other key (often noted on screen) early in the boot-up process--before Windows starts loading. Go to each screen of the program and press Print Screen to make a printout, or write down the info.
About that error: Your PC generates the error if it thinks the CMOS information has changed without your having changed it. A virus, a dying battery, or a one-time anomaly can cause this situation.
When you get this error message, you need to restore the CMOS settings. If you have Norton's or Nuts & Bolts' Rescue Disk, reboot from that emergency boot floppy and follow the prompts. If your backup is on paper, you'll have to enter your system's setup program and restore the settings manually. If you don't have a backup, research your system's configuration using printed documentation, or call the vendor.
When you've reentered the information, save your changes and boot your
PC. Make sure everything is working properly, then close Windows and turn
off your computer. After a few minutes, turn it on again. If the error
returns, you've got a dying battery. You'll have to open your PC, find
the battery, and replace it--or find a technician to do the job for you.
If your battery is soldered on to the motherboard, you'll have to replace
the motherboard, too.
Unless you have confidence in your soldering or want to take it to
the local Computer Shop
(Computer batteries last about five years.)
If the problem isn't the battery, update your antivirus program and run a scan. Todays Motherboards come with new "Flashable" Bios technology. The downside is there is a "Block" removed that allows viruses to infect your Cmos/bios.
Other things to try if you still have the error.
Check your System Files and Delete Windows 98 uninstall information;
if you find either of these. Uninstall un-necessary files.
ROOT DIRECTORY GARBAGE.
In Explorer, go to C:\, select View, Details, click the Type header,
and use a text editor (like WordPad) to look at files with the extension
.txt, .old, .log, .prv, or .---. Chances are they're all deletable. If
you regularly back up the Registry, kill System.1st. If you don't dual-boot,
delete any .dos files.
WALLPAPER.
Delete any of the wallpaper (.bmp) files in C:\Windows that don't particularly
strike your fancy.
HELP FILE INDEXES.
You can delete help file indexes, since Windows recreates them as needed.
Click Start, Find, Files or Folders. In the Named field, enter *.fts, select
a hard drive in the "Look in" field, and press Enter. Delete all files
that appear as a result of the search.
OLD 3.X Leftovers.
If you've upgraded from Windows 3.x, you may have a folder called C:\Windows\System\win32s.
Delete it. ODDS AND ENDS. You can consider dumping any file in the Windows
folder that has the extension .log, .bak, .old, or .---. If you turn off
your computer at night, you don't need anything in the Windows\Temp folder
that's more than a day old.
WINDOWS 98 COMES with some very good utilities. One of them is Disk Cleanup, a program that handles at least some of the file buildup problem. You'll find it at Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools. Select the Disk Cleanup tab to clean up day-to-day garbage. Use the "Clean up" button on the More Options tab to bring up the Add/Remove Programs Properties box to uninstall unwanted Windows features and programs.
See; Utilities and Tools for Win98
The BIOS (Basic Input Output System) has a lot to do with how well your PC runs--and even whether it runs at all. It's on a ROM (Read-Only Memory) chip on older PCs, while newer PCs have flash BIOS memory chips that allow writing (using special software). The BIOS programming performs key functions at start-up, directly accessing the hardware to control the Power On Startup Test (POST).
It also tests the integrity of the memory and makes sure the drives
are present and match the type set up in CMOS memory. Then it accesses
the disks to read the start-up data. Later, the BIOS programming provides
low-level I/O to the operating system, and it may also contain the Setup
program for CMOS memory. Compared to the BIOS, the battery-powered CMOS
chip is a simple (though essential) component, which stores data pertaining
to the hardware.