Hello there my name is Brandon. I'd just had a problem with my grandma's old old old computer and really can't find any solution or indication that there is actually a problem. Here is what is said in the error message. When you boot up: Diskette drive B Failure Invalid configuration information - please run SETUP program. f2 for SETUP utility So i press f2 System configuration was invalid. Review all configuration settings. Conflict with Serial / Modem Port and/or IRQ Selection. I've tried every different setting in the SETUP utility to try to resolve this and I just haven't had any luck. If i turn off drive b, all of the errors still come up EXCEPT the diskette drive B failure one of course. Here's what the setup looks like (what I thought necessary to post) computer. Hard Disk 1 : Type 1 Base memory: 640k Serial port 2/ Modem port: [disabled][disabled] Serial Port 1: [com1][IRQ4] com3/com4 Base: [3E8/2E8] Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advanced, Brandon

I have the impression that this is an old computer that hasn't been turned on in a long time. If that's true then the first thing you should do is open up the computer's case (with the power off, of course) and carefully disconnect all the various connections and re-seat them one-at-a-time. When computers sit for a long time, the connection surfaces (mostly copper and aluminum) become oxidized and lose conductivity. By unplugging and then "re-seating" the connections this thin layer of oxidation is broken up and the connection is re-established. The CMOS settings have failed because the CMOS battery is probably dead. While it's okay to "play around" with this old computer with a bad CMOS battery, it would be good to try and replace it with a good battery before doing much with it. Otherwise, everytime you cut the power off for more than a few seconds, you will have to re-enter all the CMOS settings. About the CMOS settings: IS the hard drive really a "type 1"? Or is that the default setting? You have to make sure you correctly setup the hard drive in an old computer like this, there is no "auto configure". The wrong setting can actually damage some hard drives. What is this "serial port2/modem"? Is it hardware that is actually in the computer, or just a BIOS setting to enable the BIOS to initialize a add-in card of some kind? And this "com3/com4 base" is something I've not seen. It enables the BIOS to support a com3/com4 type setup, something kind of unique in most old PCs. It is possibly the cause of the "conflict" error you report. You see, according to IBM PC standards (which old computers like this strictly adhere to), you have the following COM port configuration: COM1 - IRQ: 4/Address: 3F8 COM2 - IRQ: 3/Address: 2F8 COM3 - IRQ: 3*/Address: 3E8 *COM3 can also share IRQ4 w/COM1 COM4 - IRQ: 3/Address: 2E8 So, you have COM3 & 4 enabled, but COM2 disabled, which is disabling the IRQ3 which COM3 & 4 need. The BIOS is probably reporting this as a "conflict" (just a guess on my part, but since you really don't have any physical COM3 or COM4 ports, why not just disable them in the BIOS?) If you actually have a B drive in this old computer, maybe the re-seating of connections will bring it back to life.

First let me say thank you for such a speedy response. This computer is turned on and used on a regular basis, this problem only just started a month ago and was only just now brought to my attention. I wouldn't know if the hard drive is actually a type 1 or not. That's what the setting was when i turned the computer on the other day. The serial port2/modem is a BIOS setting that was just in there, considering it's disabled I don't think that's causing much of a problem. my steps from here are to disconnect the power and open this old puppy up and disconnect / reconnect all the connections inside and hopefully that solves it on it's own. If it doesn't then I'll attempt to enable/disable the correct coms to your guess standards. I don't hold you responsible for any mishap or damage that may be caused because quite frankly I think it's time for a new computer. Thanks Again, Brandon

Oh, okay, sorry about that. I didn't realize that the computer had been in regular use. Electronic connections will still develop excessive resistence just with aging, but not as badly as electonic equipment that is just sitting on a shelf somewhere. I'm not so sure that will solve your problems now. It still sounds like you "lost" the computer's CMOS settings. If the CMOS battery is about dead, then if the computer has been turned off over night or a weekend, the CMOS memory will loose the values which are entered from the setup program. This causes all kinds of problems. If it's an easy battery to replace, then you'll do yourself a favor by replacing it. If the hard drive has been working okay set up as a "type 1", then that is fine. I was under the impression that you started this computer up after it was off for a long period of time and were trying to get it working again. I really wasn't implying that the serial port2/modem being disabled was a problem. What I was implying is having the COM3/COM4 enabled was possibly a problem. You don't have a COM3 or a COM4, so why should they be enabled in the BIOS?