I am an old beginner & hope someone can help. My Grand Daughters computer failed and I was going to send her my old 486. Recently I cleaned it and forgort to replace the cable to the hard disk. I had all sorts of problems with BIAS then discovered the loose cable and put it back. When I start the computer it goes through all the memory checks and the following appears. BIOS and Video ROMs Shadowed 486 Primary Cache enabled No boot device avaiable To continue press......(Esc) I press Escape and the note goes off only to return. If I hit F1 the help does not come up. The system is PhoenixBIOS(TM)A486 Version 1.01.02 DECpcLPv+486SX Version 1.04 640K base memory 07424 Extended Memory. I have disks for MS-DOC 6.2 and Windows 3.1. I have tried startup disks for 95 and 98 without success. I would like to reload both the MS-Dos and Windows 3.1 Thanks Brian

Ok - very likely on an older machine, the CMOS clock battery has worn out - easily replaced (probably). What happens (error messages) when you attempt to start the machine with a floppy disk? You can enter the CMOS/BIOS setup when the machine first starts by hitting a specific key sequence - the commonest for Phoenix are: Ctrl+Alt+S Ctrl+Alt+Esc Ctrl+Alt+Ins Assuming that you've connected the cables correctly (red wire goes to pin '1' on both ends of the data cable, power plug must be connected) then what you want to look for in the setup is an 'autodetect hard drive' feature. Once selected, the machine should be able to setup the hard drive. If the battery is dead, these settings will only last as long as the computer is powered up. The battery allows the machine to keep time and 'remember' the hardware settings. Something of a service guide here if needed (PDF) Post back with any progress or questions. Use

Jboy Thanks for your comprehensive reply.When I put in any Floppy in, I get the same problems as when I try to start without. I tried the three sequences you suggested, nothing changes. It could be the battery, two weeks ago when I cleaned out the dust, the clock was on time, the machine had not been used for well over 12 months. I cannot locate the battery, it must be one of the older type that I beleve were soldered in place. I will keep trying to find an in. Thanks again Briggs

Hi Brian Somewhat of a better manual here (PDF) - according to it, F1 should allow you to enter the setup. Occasionally machines are set to bypass the floppy drive when booting - it's faster, but can be troublesome when the hard drive won't start the system. Normally you'd enter the setup and change the boot order so that 'A:' is read first. Being unable to enter setup poses a real stumbling block. Are you certain that the boot floppy is good? I'm guessing that the battery is weak - when they get to be around 10 years old (in this case, 8) they're generally done. Some are a real pain to change, but you can connect a so-called 'external' battery to the board sometimes. Other than double-checking the cabling to the hard drive, or looking for a 'clear cmos' jumper on the motherboard (which may or may not help), not too sure what else to suggest. Use