XPS 400 will not enter bios setup

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Hello all,

Got a bit of a problem with a dell xps 400. The machine badly needs to be reloaded, so i have need to enter the setup utility to configure the raid controller so that XP setup will detect the HDD.

The problem is that the computer refuses to enter the Setup Utililty. I can select it from the boot menu, or I can press f2 at the dell POST screen, but in either case the computer will attempt to load BIOS setup, then act as if nothing happened and start to load windows. I have even tried removing all bootable media just in case, and when the standard "no system disk press F1 to retry or F2 to enter setup utility" message appears, i wil press F2 and the message will just repeat, over and over.

I have tried reflashing the BIOS to version A07 and the problem still exists. Without the ability to enter the BIOS setup utility and configure for windows setup the computer will eventually be useless.

HAS ANYONE ever experienced this before? I can only think its a hardware problem but other than refusing to enter the BIOS utility it works fine (windows only needs to be reinstalled because of the usual junk buildup but the pc is stable).

Any help is appreciated, this is driving me nuts.
 
Kinda what I was leaning towards, I was unsure because i was still able to write the bios successfully. Oh well, its not mine, just doing someone a favor. I would never buy a dell, save for parts and scraps like this one.
 
Those Dell XPS computers have very specialized motherboards. They exhibit very strange problems, different than any other computer... Yours is an example of this. I've trashed my share. Good luck
 
Yeah I have had a few XPS600 systems exhibit different but just as strange MOBO problems. Its a shame because the case is so nice and nothing else will be likely to fit it. The case is the nicest thing about the computer. Oh well. Thanks for the help though.
 
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