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I recently tried overclocking my desktop and I went a bit too far. The machine no longer gets to the screen that allows me to enter the bios. I tried switching the CPU but this did not work, it still will not let me get to the bios. Is there any way to fix this?

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This is a side note, but most Asus motherboards have overclocking protection, so it will reset the settings back to default if it can't boot anymore. – The How-To Geek Aug 4 '09 at 2:41

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You can reset your BIOS settings to default a few ways:

  • Remove the CMOS battery temporarily then place it back in
  • Use the CMOS jumpers
  • A method also available on most new computers is to hold down the reset button itself.

These methods are explained in more detail here.

There is also the possibility your motherboard is toast, but try the above methods before losing all hope and wasting money.

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How is the reset button used to clear the CMOS? I have never heard of this, although it is an interesting idea. Maybe hold the chassis reset button for 10 seconds to clear the CMOS. – hanleyp Aug 17 '09 at 3:58
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Look at the support document / specification of your motherboard as there is sometimes a jumper that can reset the stored settings.

If you can not find this information then -

Unplug the machine, unplug the PSU (this step is not always needed), take out the battery from the motherboard.

Pray for 15 minutes to the computer god, and turn the PC back on without the battery in.

If this does not work, I would try again but wait about a hour.

Hope this helps!

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You can't just pray to the computer god! You must also dance with a goat. Bad news--it's a slow dance. And the song that you dance to must be "Muskrat Love." – Nosredna Aug 4 '09 at 0:40
Of course, the worst part is looking the goat in the eyes, knowing that there's an altar and knife in the next room.... – Babu Aug 4 '09 at 2:14
But, with luck, the goat sacrifice you until after the computer has rebooted. :D – Jonathan Leffler Aug 4 '09 at 7:08

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