BleepingComputer.com: windows 95 / dos help needed after CMOS battery change

I have a Packard Bell Pentium computer w/ Windows 95 that was set up to boot in MS DOS. The CMOS battery went dead and was changed.

My problem is that after start up, the computer shows a flashing cursor and will not accept any typed characters.

The screen reads:

0040960 KB

Please Wait . .

Keyboard. . . . . . Detected

Processor Spreed . . . . . .100 MHz

Hard Disk 0 Installed Maxtor 7546 AT

Floppy A: Installed



-

Do I need to enter a password / reset one? I know the computer is a relic, but we use it to program a chip that has not changed in years. Someone else set this up and I have no idea what to do. Restoring boot in Windows 95 and then going to DOS will work for us also.

Thanks in advance for any help!

All I can think of is check your BIOS to make sure it is booting from HD. Since the CMOS battery was replaced some BIOS settings may have been reverted to its default values, which may not be configured to boot from your HD.

Start by setting your Computer Clock to Current Date?

When the CMOS Battery Dies or is Replaced, it Automatically reverts the Computer Time back to Original, same as many of the Settings.

It Basically Kills the Upper Memory of a Computer as it was designed for.

That also applies for every Computer Built since CMOS was installed in them.

Definitely enter the BIOS setup and check the defaults of all the settings. Since the last reported detection is the Floppy Drive, see if it is set to the wrong type. Many old BIOS default to a 5¼" drive, and can hang waiting for a response if there's only a 3½" drive fitted (usually 1.44MB).

Also unplug the system and reseat all cables.
Maybe the hard drive cable is loose enough that the BIOS sees the drive but is somehow preventing the system from booting.

I have another option as well but I wont present it until you check the cables to eliminate that possibility.


Curiosity questions:
When was the last time this system booted successfully?

Is this the first time you have replaced the battery?
If so, consider yourself very lucky. They typically only last about 5 years

Thank you all for the suggestions. I have tried everything except for opening the machine and checking the hard drive cable connection - nothing has changed.

This is the first time I have changed the battery, the OE one must have been on steroids!

Any other suggestions?

Thanks in advance.