BIOS Updates forum

I posted this on another forum, but it didn't go so well. Here's my situation. I have a laptop from 1988, an hp vectra ls/12. When I start it, well. Here is the copy from my other post.

I just found an old hp vectra ls/12 from 1988.

http://www.hpmuseum.net/display_item.php?hw=220

It has been in the basement for years, and I assume it has not been touched for over 5 years. It was my dads. When I plugged it in, it started and had errors. My dad has apparently known about this but he could not fix it. I will start it again and read what happens.

I turn it on. "error: bad configuration information found in cmos!"
It makes beeping/humming noises that repeat. like da daaaa da daaaa for a while, then it stops and starts again. It is juts paused right now. I do escape
"error: incorrect video configuration - please run SETUP!"
I do escape. The screen is lit but blank. The ac is plugged in, I think the battery is dead. I have no idea what operating system it has. I have a blank floppy disk here. It has a 3 inch floppy drive.

___now, I found the following out. I wait for it to "start", and I do escape to get to this command prompt thing. I do "config". I get to "Hardware Setup/Configuration Program." The Date is 01/01/1988. After an hour, I turned it off, and it got reset from 00:50:00 to 00:00:00. In the "Hard disk drive" area, It is set at "not present" It gives me 50 choices of hard drives, and I don't know what to pick. If I choose the right one, will it let me boot to dos or whatever it has?

just to let ya know i wont be able to post forabout 15 hours

Propably CMOS battery has drained empty. Therefore CMOS settings and the clock have disappeared.

You need to seek the CMOS battery and replace it.

Ok, so if I do find a cmos battery, do they all work? I need to find one for a 1988 laptop so will it be hard?

Also, It doesn't know what kind of hard drive is inside it. I can choose 50 choices. If I do the right one, will it work ok?

If you find the bios battery, try to get a similar from watch repair shop.

I am not sure if you are really missing the hard drive. Error message may be due to CMOS not being able to store data.