CMOS Checksum Error

Mange · Post by **Mange** » 2006-02-23 06:16am

Something odd happened when I started my PC this morning. All I got was a screen saying that a CMOS checksum error had occurred. I shut down the computer, waited a few minutes and turned it on. Then I got the option of restoring the BIOS values (which of course I did) and there haven't been any problems since. I updated my anti-virus software, ran it and I ran Ad-Aware and Spybot after that and they've all turned out blank. My firewall hasn't reported anything and neither my anti-virus software. I haven't made any changes to the system since I got it (January 2005).
What could've happened?

EDIT: Last time I rebooted I got a message saying "Verifying DMI Pool Data" which I don't remember seeing before. However, Windows XP loaded and everything works fine.

EDIT 2: Something more has happened. My computer doesn't have a floppy disc drive installed, but when I looked at "My computer" a floppy disc unit now shows up (as A: drive). Furthermore, it says that it's using the RAW file system. I remember that the screen I got after starting my computer this morning said something about the floppy drive, but since I haven't got a floppy drive installed I thought nothing of it. All my other units (such as the DVD-ROM, the DVD-RW and the cardreaders) all shows up fine. Can I remove the non-existent drive from "My computer" or should I do a system restore? I think this is all very strange...

Faram · Post by **Faram** » 2006-02-23 07:15am

Last thing first, do not do a system restore!

The "DMI Pool Data" is because you loaded the default settings and I you have a device configured in bios that do not exsist.

Perhaps activated a unused sata controller os somthing, but it is nothing to worry about, as long as it works.

The CMOS checksum error might be because the battery on the motherboard is out of power, replace it.

Mange · Post by **Mange** » 2006-02-23 07:21am

Faram wrote:Last thing first, do not do a system restore!

I already did.

However, nothing out of the ordinary happened.

Faram wrote:The "DMI Pool Data" is because you loaded the default settings and I you have a device configured in bios that do not exsist.

Perhaps activated a unused sata controller os somthing, but it is nothing to worry about, as long as it works.

Thanks, I feel a lot better. Everything works fine (it's just that the non-existent drive is there in My Computer, but I can live with it of course).

Faram wrote:The CMOS checksum error might be because the battery on the motherboard is out of power, replace it.

I thought that was a possibility also, but the computer is only slightly more than a year old and is on virtually every day. Could it really have drained so quickly?

Ace Pace · Post by **Ace Pace** » 2006-02-23 09:22am

Question: My windows thinks I have a pair of floppy drives(I have none) I've disabled them in the hardware maneger, could it be related to BIOS?

Mange · Post by **Mange** » 2006-02-23 10:12am

Ace Pace wrote:Question: My windows thinks I have a pair of floppy drives(I have none) I've disabled them in the hardware maneger, could it be related to BIOS?

That's also one of the things I was wondering.

Uraniun235 · Post by **Uraniun235** » 2006-02-23 11:08am

Ace Pace wrote:Question: My windows thinks I have a pair of floppy drives(I have none) I've disabled them in the hardware maneger, could it be related to BIOS?

It's entirely possible that BIOS was configured at some point to show that there were two floppy drives connected.

Mange · Post by **Mange** » 2006-02-23 01:31pm

Uraniun235 wrote:
Ace Pace wrote:Question: My windows thinks I have a pair of floppy drives(I have none) I've disabled them in the hardware maneger, could it be related to BIOS?
It's entirely possible that BIOS was configured at some point to show that there were two floppy drives connected.

Is it possible to remove the non-existent floppy drives from BIOS and Win XP without screwing things up?

General Zod · Post by **General Zod** » 2006-02-23 01:36pm

Mange the Swede wrote:
Uraniun235 wrote:
Ace Pace wrote:Question: My windows thinks I have a pair of floppy drives(I have none) I've disabled them in the hardware maneger, could it be related to BIOS?
It's entirely possible that BIOS was configured at some point to show that there were two floppy drives connected.
Is it possible to remove the non-existent floppy drives from BIOS and Win XP without screwing things up?

. . .Do you mean by fiddling with the boot up order, or BIOS actually having the floppies mentioned somewhere? I don't think you'll find too many BIOS programs out there that don't have some mention of a floppy.

Mange · Post by **Mange** » 2006-02-23 01:43pm

General Zod wrote:
Mange the Swede wrote:
Uraniun235 wrote: It's entirely possible that BIOS was configured at some point to show that there were two floppy drives connected.
Is it possible to remove the non-existent floppy drives from BIOS and Win XP without screwing things up?
. . .Do you mean by fiddling with the boot up order, or BIOS actually having the floppies mentioned somewhere? I don't think you'll find too many BIOS programs out there that don't have some mention of a floppy.

Yeah, good point... From WinXP then.

Ace Pace · Post by **Ace Pace** » 2006-02-23 02:03pm

Uraniun235 wrote:
Ace Pace wrote:Question: My windows thinks I have a pair of floppy drives(I have none) I've disabled them in the hardware maneger, could it be related to BIOS?
It's entirely possible that BIOS was configured at some point to show that there were two floppy drives connected.

As far as I know the only thing relating to floppies in my BIOS are settings telling it that its the highest track number and not to bother checking for floppies.

Uraniun235 · Post by **Uraniun235** » 2006-02-23 06:03pm

General Zod wrote:
Mange the Swede wrote: Is it possible to remove the non-existent floppy drives from BIOS and Win XP without screwing things up?
. . .Do you mean by fiddling with the boot up order, or BIOS actually having the floppies mentioned somewhere? I don't think you'll find too many BIOS programs out there that don't have some mention of a floppy.

If your motherboard is at all worth it's silicon, the BIOS should have an option where you can set what type of floppy drive is connected, and this option should include a setting for "None".

As far as I know the only thing relating to floppies in my BIOS are settings telling it that its the highest track number and not to bother checking for floppies.

So there's no setting where you can tell it what kind of floppy drive is attached (i.e. 3.5" 1.44MB, 780KB, etc.)? Because that dialog box usually includes a "none" option.