How do I get into bios?

I have a Twinhead laptop with the following markings: Slimnote 486SLC. The bios information that comes up on boot is as follows:

CL-G6410VGA Bios Version 2.10C Copyright 1992 Cirrus Logic Inc, All Rights Reserved Copyright 1987-1990 Quadtel Corp, All rights reserved

Phoenix Bios (TM) A386 Version 1.01 Copyright (C) 1985-1991 Phoenix Technologies LTD All rights reserved

Phoenix Bios for VLSI 82C310/82C312

80486LC Bios version 1.1, 11/22/93 All rights reserved THAPM bios for VLSI 82C310/312 Version 1.20

Doing a system info using "Checkit" shows that the Rom bios is Phoenix and the date is 4/19/90 The processor is identified as a 80386AT machine (A20 active), (Protected) Note: The diagnostic program I used, (Checkit) is rather old so it could be mistakenly identifying this machine as a 386 when it is in fact a 486 but that is not my concern. The machine has a VGA accessory jack in the back so that I'm assuming you can connnect a VGA monitor to it. I never tried to do this until today and found that it will not work. You do see some raster changes taking place on the monitor during bootup but you never get a display. I was thinking that perhaps I might have to go into bios and tell the machine that it is outputing to an external display rather than the LCD one? If so that calls for two questions. Should I be able to get a simultaneous display on the laptop as well as the external monitor? And then if not how do I get into bios? (I would like to know this anyway). I have tried Delete, Alt, Cont Z , C, F1 every combination that I could think of and nothing works. You see, I need to connect up a video projector that came in for repair to this laptop and need to determine that it will produce a normal display on a VGA monitor first. Any assistance with this problem will be greatly appreciated. Lenny Stein, Barlen Electronics

Reply to
captainvideo462002
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To enter the CMOS, try F2. If that doesn't work, you might try holding F2 & booting.

Most laptops that I have seen use (FN)F5 to 3-way toggle the LCD, external, or both.

WT

Reply to
Wayne Tiffany

Try holding down any key during boot. Many BIOSs will see that as a keyboard failure and may offer to enter setup.

Reply to
Shawn D'Alimonte

As Shawn D'Alimonte so eloquently stated:

Where's the 'any key'??? LOL

Had to be said...might as well be me. ;-)

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Tom	

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Reply to
Tom

On 13 Apr 2005 08:13:36 -0700, " snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com" put finger to keyboard and composed:

Try Ctrl-Alt-S or Ctrl-Alt-Esc

- Franc Zabkar

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Reply to
Franc Zabkar

Lenny...... your machine is in fact a 386. The SLC chip was made by Cyrix, a little thing about three quarters of an inch square and it went like stink (for its time). They usually had an oversize heat sink as they ran very hot. Most early Phoenix Bios were accessable ONLY with a bios change program. There are (read... used to be) lots of freeware stuff out there for this. BTW, the bios program for the 286/386 Compaq's will usually work on this. As for the VGA port, I think you will find it is an EGA. Same socket, different pinning. I think that TI actually made these machines for Twinhead. This link may help on the BIOS

Regards Lee in Toronto

Reply to
Lee Babcock

IIRC 486 SLC uses a 386 chipset so it'll detect as a 386.

Some of these laptops had a special driver to select the VGA output from within the OS, you might have to find that.

Reply to
James Sweet

The SLC chip actually ran quite cool and didn't require a heatsink, I had one in my desktop machine many years ago, it was indeed as fast as the real

486 my friend had at the time.

The later Cyrix Pentium class chips did indeed run very hot, and were not as fast as claimed for most tasks either.

Reply to
James Sweet

i can give you some idea's on the Start up try at memory scan. DEL Key, common to many but not to common in Phenix type bios. F1 +Shift +S

etc/.

Reply to
Jamie

The SLC's came from 16 - 40 Mhz and the higher speed ones were very hot indeed! They actually produced a tiny little cooling fan on a heat sink for them, but getting replacements for them was almost impossible Regards Lee in Toronto

Reply to
Lee Babcock

On Wed, 13 Apr 2005 18:04:28 -0400, Lee Babcock put finger to keyboard and composed:

If it's 15 pin it's VGA.

In any case the Cirrus Logic VGA BIOS identifies itself as "CL-G6410VGA Bios Version 2.10C".

- Franc Zabkar

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Reply to
Franc Zabkar

EGA did NOT have the same socket as VGA...

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Reply to
maarten

The confusion is probably that some early multisync VGA-capable monitors did have the 9 pin connector, and many early VGA boards did as well so they could drive a CGA or EGA monitor though I think they all had the 15 pin also to run a VGA.

Reply to
James Sweet

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