# Dell dimension 9150 access bios if USB not working.



## davidwh000 (Dec 22, 2007)

I have a Dell Dimension 9150 and the USB's, all on board and those on a PCI card have stopped working. I cannot therefore boot the machine into BIOS mode and need to as I reset the BIOS by using the internal jumper. I cannot enter BIOS or Setup as the keyboard is not recognised and I cannot therefore use F1 or F2. The diagnostic lights 1, 2, and 3 are coming on when I try to boot the machine and I get the screen asking for F1 or F2 to be pressed.
Please can anyone let me know if they have any ideas.
Davidwh000


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Diagnostic Lights 1 2 & 3 being lit simultaneously indicate the BIOS is not executing.
Have you tried using the F1 or F2 keys? If so, what happens?


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## davidwh000 (Dec 22, 2007)

I cannot use F1 or F2 as the usb's are not working so when I boot the machine the BIOS does not think there is a keyboard installed. I have ordered a PCI card which has 2 PS2 sockets on it so that I can try and use a non USB keyboard to launch the BIOS but it will probably not arrive for a week or so as it is coming from HK.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

My bad, I forgot about Dell having no PS/2 port. 
Why did you clear the CMOS? Clearing the Bios really shouldn't disable the USB.


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## davidwh000 (Dec 22, 2007)

I removed the CMOS battery and the reset password link and then replaced them and this cleared the BIOS settings including the date which is why I have to go into setup before I can start the PC in Windows again.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

But for what reason did you clear the CMOS? Again, that shouldn't have effected the USB functions.
Please let us know if the add-in card works.


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## davidwh000 (Dec 22, 2007)

I thought that there might be some BIOS corruption so reset te CMOS to start again hoping that it would recover the on board USB's but it only made the problem worse causing the machine not to boot at all because the BIOS clock is wrong. If I can get into the BIOS I hope that I can boot the machine and resume fault finding the original problem which was the on board USB's not working. The USB's on the PCI card did work but only after windows was fully up and running. Without the keyboard and ability to launch the BIOS I cannot boot to windows and proceed with locating the real fault.


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

If the USB ports do not work in the Bios the fault is in the motherboard not Windows.

Are you using a wired or wireless KB?

Try tapping F12 as soon as you turn the PC on.


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## davidwh000 (Dec 22, 2007)

I am using a wired USB keyboard connected to the USB's on the PCI card. I have tried F1, 2 and 12 and tried both on board USD conne ctions and those on the PCI card.


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

Generally a usb card in a pci slot will not work for until after boot, some will not work until after the OS loads drivers for them.

Do the native motherboard usb ports have power to them? I.E. the mouse lights up on boot.

Have you tried the front ports?


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## davidwh000 (Dec 22, 2007)

The keyboard and mouse both flash the LED or laser when I switch on prior tro the error message coming up so I am pretty sure USB power is OK. I have tried the front panel USB's and the result is the same as with the rear connections. Do you think that the PCI PS2 module will work or will it also need the PC to have booted before it could be used for the F1 or F2 startup to BIOS functions?


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

It may but it's hard to say for sure Dell boards are anything but standard.


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## davidwh000 (Dec 22, 2007)

Thanks for all the help and suggestions to date. I now need to wait until the PCI PS2 board turns up and then I will try again. I managed to save all the data on the disks and have another machine running so it is now a challenge to fix it for learning rather than necessity. Thanks again, I will post again when I get more results.


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