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On 16/04/17 20:41, mr meowski via list wrote: > On 16/04/17 19:17, Neil via list wrote: > >> I have been looking at some help files online about clearing the CMOS >> using a button, but they all talk about opening up the tower, because >> the button is inside. However, yesterday Michael showed me a sort of >> button on the top of the tower, which to me means there is no need to >> open up the tower. Have I got that right? >> >> By the way, do you live a long way from Holsworthy? I don't want anyone >> to make a special journey because I am an idiot. (Which I already know >> anyway.) > Hey, don't go setting yourself up for failure here :] > > It's going to be a walk in the park when you actually do this. First > grab a copy of your official motherboard manual from here: > > ftp://europe.asrock.com/Manual/Z170%20Extreme4.pdf > > As ever the damn page numbers don't actually line up with reality, so > check the page numbered "9" which is actually page 15, might be easier > to just skip to section "1.4 I/O Panel". However you navigate it, you'll > end up looking at the schematic for the business end round the back of > your PC where all the plugs go in. Whilst there are indeed several > relevant hardware buttons and reset jumpers on the inside of your case > on the actual motherboard, Asrock did conveniently put a CLEAR_CMOS > button on the back panel as well - it's labelled "16" on the diagram and > lives between the left most stack of PS2+USB connectors and the HDMI > port. It won't be particularly big and you might want to have the end of > a pencil or something a bit more delicate than the tip of your pinky > ready to make depressing it a little easier. > > Section "2.7 Smart Switches" informs us that the CLEAR_CMOS button will > only work if the PC is off and unplugged from the power (this is normal) > so you'll need to do that first. Depress and hold the CLEAR_CMOS switch > for 5 seconds or so and let go. Plug the machine back in, step back so > you can clearly see the screen and power back up. > > That's it - simple! You should see the difference immediately - instead > of the usual blank screen and insta-boot to Linux now you should see > whatever fancy splash screen Asrock have setup as the default UEFI > settings kick in and initialize your PC, just like an old fashioned BIOS > init but prettier. You may even see it doing familiar things like > "Testing available memory..." but I doubt it. > > Whatever happens next is critical but we genuinely don't know until you > try it. With the UEFI now fully defaulted it may well decline to > recognise your existing Linux install (which is on the 'old fashioned' > system type of MBR formatted disk; no EFI partition; BIOS compatible) > and will instead just sit there at some variant of the startup screen. > It will almost definitely tell you what the problem is: "no operating > system found, please enter setup" wouldn't surprise me in the least bit. > > However, your chances are at least 50:50 that it will grumble for a > second or two, probe your disks automatically, detect an old-school > BIOS/CSM compatible system and then either offer to boot it or just go > ahead and launch it anyway. If so, then good! > > Either way, don't go any further without a couple of experimental > reboots while hammering away on the F8 and/or F12 keys just to make 100% > sure that the CLEAR_CMOS has taken and you can now get into and muck > around with your previously locked up firmware - that was the entire > point of this operation after all. > > At this point, you'll probably want to report back with how things have > gone. Let's not make things any more complicated than they need to be at > this stage. You DO need to upgrade the BIOS at some point, and ideally > do a BIOS backup to your secondary BIOS both before AND after any > firmware upgrade but one thing at a time eh? > > The only problem I see with this procedure is that it will quite > possibly NOT boot your current Linux instance when the firmware has been > reset to defaults but thankfully you have a backup laptop to communicate > with and look stuff up if that does happen. Fixing that is also simple > and merely requires getting into BIOS setup (which you'll now be able to > do) and changing a few things. > > In your manual there's an entire section on all the UEFI settings > (Chapter 4 UEFI SETUP UTILITY) but let's leave that until afterwards. > > The end is in sight now. > > Cheers If you're still in doubt Neil, and want a hand-hold .. I certainly don't mind coming over again... but it would have to be Friday/Sunday as I've got a monster week ahead with a tooth extraction on Wednesday in Exeter :/ If you're feeling bold I can just sit in the room, and keep an eye on things .. or I can do the scarier bits (I've dabbled in live 415V 3-phase cabinets now for my sins....) and am gradually building courage ... :) Kind regards, Michael.
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