Boot-up problem -

[langben520]

Hi all

My HP compaq nc8230 suddenly refuses to boot up. I'm suddenly promted to insert smartcard, but when I do it just says invalid smartcard. I have never been required to do so before and I have succeded in booting the pc only once.

I havent used the pc for apprx. 4 months and now the problem apparently has begun.

The smartcard prompt appears as early as a bios password would. furthermore the one time I managed to boot the pc the HP logo was in a high solution (small on screen). the other times when it just dies with the smartvcaard promt, the HP logo is in a low resolution (big on screen).

any suggestions?

 

[m3mn0n]

Sounds like faulty hardware if it happens that early.

Try going into the BIOS and tweak the boot priority. I'm not familiar with that particular BIOS, but it might be for some reason trying to boot to that device.

But then again, if it doesn't find a boot image, it should default to another device (HDD, floppy, optical drive).

So it's either a faulty piece of hardware, or your BIOS settings are screwed up where it's trying to boot to that device AND ONLY that device (others being disabled).