On 16/08/2020 23.37, Mark Misulich wrote:
On 16/08/2020 21.27, Mark Misulich wrote:
2. I downloaded the bios software on another computer, and loaded it to a USB stick. Then I inserted the USB stick into the laptop and booted into the bios setup, where there is a selection for one to reflash the bios program. But the cursor won't move to that selection in the bios menu, so I can't reflash the bios. I had hoped that by reflashing the bios it might resolve the booting problem
I would appreciate some help to resolve this problem.
Could it be a keyboard issue? Hi Carlos, I don't think it is a keyboard issue. I had no problems before the attempt to reinstall the bootloader, and the keys allow me to move the cursor (highlighting) around the bios menu. But some parts of the bios
On Sun, 2020-08-16 at 21:45 +0200, Carlos E. R. wrote: menu don't seem to be active all of the sudden, that's what I mean when I write that I can't access them. It's what led me to think that the bootloader software must have messed up the bios software. But, I have to say that I'm not Mr. Computer Surgeon, so I could be all wrong about that. I should be able to access the function in the bios menu that allows me to reflash the bios, but the highlighting won't move to that and several other functions in the list. Other functions in that menu are accessible as I can move the highlighting up and down in the list to those functions, but they are of no use in resolving this problem.
The keyboard itself had a bad key manifest itself about a year ago, so I bought a used serviceable keyboard and installed it in place of the malfunctioning keyboard. It has been working fine since, and seems to be working normally now.
On desktops machines there can be a hidden button where the back connectors are to reset the BIOS. It is that accessible if the motherboard is designed for overclocking. Otherwise, there would be a jumper on the board to do it. You would have to see the documentation of the board to find it. Flashing the BIOS should be a last resource. More difficult if it is a laptop. Maybe what you are seeing is the BIOS mode for a plain user, not the admin. There would be two different passwords.
CMOS battery?
I don't know specifically how to troubleshoot for a bad battery, but when I have had one go bad on a desktop motherboard on a desktop computer, the symptom was that it wouldn't hold computer time.
That's the typical one, but can also corrupt the configuration. Although in that case the corruption should be detected and it would do a full self reset.
I had to reset the date and time each time I booted the computer. My laptop hasn't had any such problem, and it has been booting normally even after the glitch with the grub menu not showing the second operating system. I have used it on opensuse alone for the last week, and had some time to try to resolve what I thought was a minor issue this afternoon by rerunning the boot loader software via yast. That was when the present problem occured.
Tried booting any rescue media on USB stick?
I haven't tried to boot any rescue media on USB, other than the external drive running the most current stable Supergrub2 disc. The external disc drive connects via USB. I have some things to attend at present, later this evening when I am free I will download the Supergrub software for USB stick and try it.
I would try the openSUSE rescue image. http://download.opensuse.org/distribution/leap/15.2/live/openSUSE-Leap-15.2-... -- Cheers / Saludos, Carlos E. R. (from 15.1 x86_64 at Telcontar)