I have a Compaq Armada 7790DMT laptop. there is NO WAY to access the BIOS/CMOS setup!! i have tried all the classic methods: hold F1, hold F10, ctrl-alt-esc, del, etc. i could find nothing about it on the internet. does this thing have no BIOS/CMOS setup that is accessable before Windows loads, during POST?? first time i have ever heard of a PC without a BIOS/CMOS setup!! what am i missing?? or does it genuinely not have a BIOS/CMOS setup??? thanx. The things that come to those that wait may be the things left behind by those who got there first.

also tried F2. no good. ideas??? The things that come to those that wait may be the things left behind by those who got there first.

It is fairly well known that some Compaq's kept the CMOS program on a hidden partition on the original hard drive - if access to that is lost, no CMOS setup If that's the case, should be a download from Compaq (HP) to rectify the problem If you get people asking the wrong questions, you don't have to worry about the answers

I've not memorized all ComCrap models, and this very thing is one reason (just one) that I avoid them like the plague SOME Comcrap computers have at least SOME PART of the bios program on a hidden partition on the hard drive. If you've upgraded/changed/replaced/trashed/other the hard drive, ...... go to Comcraps website and download whatever in ell they call their diagnostics, disks.... as in: http://h18000.www1.hp.com/support/files/armada/us/locate/20_912.html I BELIEVE this is what you want http://h18000.www1.hp.com/support/files/armada/us/download/9260.html

I agree with Responses 1 & 2. If the hard drive has been replaced or repartitioned and the Compaq utility was not run, that would explain the problem.

It looks like the routine is on the hdd in a hidden partitions. If it was deleted or is bad will need to recreate it. F10 is the correct key. look here http://forums1.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/bizsupport/questionanswer.do?threadId=775202&prodTypeId=321957&prodSeriesId=96229 and here http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/UCR/SupportManual/TPM_220709-003_rev3_us/TPM_220709-003_rev3_us.pdf

Try pushing the Fn and Esc keys at the same time.