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  • Quick Question for Omnisphere Users (p.3)
2014/11/13 13:00:51
dstrenz
bitflipper
Today I have a new problem...I cannot get into the BIOS on this new computer. It boots so fast that even holding down or rapidly pressing the Del key doesn't get me in. Windows 8.1 has a way to force booting into the BIOS on a restart, but my BIOS doesn't support it. My next step is to unplug the boot drive and thus force it to open the BIOS.

You're sure it's the Del key? My newest machine uses F1 or F2 (forgot which). While i was booting the screen flashed by so fast I had to stare at the screen and boot several times to read 'Press Fx for bios'.
2014/11/13 13:38:30
rtucker55
This may sound silly but I have actually tried to take a video of the boot process, then taken the video and watched it frame by frame to see if I captured the magic screen shot containing the bios key...
 
Sometimes I was lucky first time other times not...
2014/11/13 14:09:37
The Maillard Reaction
Can you try a VariAC*




*Just for Bit.
2014/11/13 14:43:44
bitflipper
LOL, I actually considered videoing the boot screen so I could see what it says. I was sure it was Del to open the BIOS because I'd successfully done it a time or two before, when I first set it up.
 
Turned out to be the USB keyboard. Apparently the USB port was not being initialized fast enough. I dug out an old broken keyboard that had a PS/2 connector and that worked. So now my virtualization features are enabled in the BIOS and VirtualBox is once again working and I have XP installed there and it works just great. Thanks again to Bill for suggesting that!
 
Mike, I actually have a Variac around here somewhere. I should try to find it...it's in one of these boxes...along with my tape demagnetizer.
2014/11/13 14:45:57
dstrenz
rtucker55
This may sound silly but I have actually tried to take a video of the boot process, then taken the video and watched it frame by frame to see if I captured the magic screen shot containing the bios key...
 
Sometimes I was lucky first time other times not...

That doesn't sound silly. Wish I had though of that then... Come to think of it, I wonder if that screen would stay up while a CD in the drive is spinning up and it's deciding whether it's bootable..
2014/11/13 15:40:07
bitflipper
I even tried disconnecting the boot drive, hoping that would force it into the setup, but it didn't. It just hung on a prompt telling me to insert a bootable disk and press Enter. That's dumb. What if the boot disk was bad? I'd have no way to change the boot sequence.
 
It's about as sensible as the old "no keyboard connected, press any key to continue" message we used to see. You'd think BIOS's would have made more progress in the last 30 years.
 
Here's a trick I've used many times: when at the grocery store trying to read 4-point ingredient listings on products, I often take a photo so I can zoom it. I have to avoid high fructose corn syrup, so I read a lot of labels. Try to find a brand of barbecue sauce that doesn't have it. All because of government price-fixing on sugar to guarantee our domestic sugar industry makes a consistent profit. That's why everything uses HFCS, which in turn is a big part of the reason for the epidemic of childhood obesity in this country. And don't get me started on peanut policies...I'd have to ban myself for talking politics.
2014/11/13 16:27:12
MachineClaw
I usually on a cold boot press <F4> or <F11> or <F12> and can get into BIOS.  I've never hit the DEL key and gotten in my BIOS.  Guess it depends on the computer. 
 
 
and I just use my Phone camera as a magnifying glass. 
 
Do you actually take a picture of the label?  you must have a bunch of pictures of various labels you have forgotten to delete in your phone.
2014/11/13 19:39:32
bitflipper
Depends on the BIOS vendor which key you press to enter the setup. I've seen F2, F1, F10 and ESCape used.
 
And yes, I would indeed have a lot of useless photos on my phone if I didn't routinely delete them all. Who knows how many pictures I've taken that accidentally included conclusive proof of alien visitation in the background?
 
2014/11/13 19:43:15
dmbaer
bitflipper
I have to avoid high fructose corn syrup, so I read a lot of labels. Try to find a brand of barbecue sauce that doesn't have it.



Going OT, but ...
 
Got a Trader Joe near you?  Their BBQ sauce does not have crap in it (nor does their ketchup).  Any health food store will also stock non-crap brands.  There are a number of DIY recipes easily found on the web, if there are no commercially available options close to you.
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