BIOS Repair help needed if possible. Thanks.

[DoctorDave89]

I know this forum said just general BIOS help and nothing specific to hardware, etc. but I couldn't post it anywhere else and I am hoping someone knows how to point me in the right direction.

Hi all, I am new here. I registered because I have fiddled with a computer problem and searched google for days and attempting to troubleshoot myself now with no success. I came across this website and decided this was a pretty good place to ask for help. I guess you could say I am a little above average computer user but I believe my problem involves the BIOS and that is a little more involved for my knowledge and simple google searching. I rarely ask for help on forums.

Here's the computer facts:
HP COMPAQ Presario SR5510F, model#KQ513AA-ABA. (Desktop Tower)
AMD Athlon X2 5000 Dual-Core.
MOBO is an ECS MCP61PM-HM Rev 1.0B (The Iris 8)
Phoenix - AwardBIOS v6.00PG, BIOS date 02/29/2008
2gb (2x1gb) DDR2 RAM.

Here is the relevant background of the problem, I talk some about Linux but please bear with me, I am confident you will come to realize the problem is with the BIOS:
A while back my HDD crashed, I managed to pull my info off. Computer sat for maybe a year while I used my laptop. Recently installed a new Seagate 1TB SATA HDD. Installed an old version of XP SP2 but became inpatient and fed up in the process of updating due to constant 100% CPU usage, taking ages to perform simple tasks and distorted sound, not to mention problems recognizing devices, etc.

Anyway, I decided to install something better so I booted up an Ubuntu 10.04 Live CD I had lying around (which I know is outdated now) and started to install. Computer froze at 98% completion. Did a hard shut down and tried again. By pure bad luck my internet connection happened to go down during the second try disturbing the installation. (Linux needs it for updating, etc. during install) I was forced to shut down and restart the process and that's when it all started...

I have messed with it so many times it's impossible to recall the exact order of events (I have started a typed log of what I do now in a .txt file) but I can give you a run down of it's behavior.

Note: I have since switched to Xubtunu 12.04 Live CD to attempt installation, but that is probably irrelevant.

When attempting to boot the computer, it does one of several things, I will explain from least amount of activity to most to make it simple:

1. Fan revs up the RPMs and does not slow down like normal, screen displays nothing.

2. Computer fires up as usual and attempts to POST, displaying BIOS diagnostic screen, memory test is always 'OK' but may not detect the HDD & CD-drive. Hangs on this screen, F10 to enter bios never works, and only sometimes actually giving the message "Entering setup..."

3.Comuter fires up, POST's successfully, detects HDD and CD-ROM, goes to that famous black screen with a blinking cursor while deciding what to boot. If it ever gets to this screen which is fairly common it does one of a couple things:
3a. Hangs on this screen and does nothing.
3b Prints CD label or prints "detecting boot logo" and switches to the Xubuntu CD boot screen (which is a screen displayed while reading CD/loading installation setup) and hangs here.
3c. Gets to Xubuntu CD boot screen, but returns to black blinking cursor screen and hangs here.
3e. Gets to Xubuntu boot screen, restarts to POST, briefly displays blinking cursor, loads Xubuntu CD boot screen, returns to blinking cursor screen and hangs.

side note: with these linux CD's usually you can hit a key on the boot screen and it will bring up a rough menu but this only is hit or miss, if it works, the computer simply goes back to the blinking cursor when I choose installation.

4. In order for me to get into BIOS setup utility, I have to take out the CMOS battery to reset the BIOS. This defaults the config so that when the comuter is booted a manufacturer screen with COMPAQ displays instead of the BIOS POST diagonistic splash. I can only get into BIOS if the COMPAQ screen comes up and I hit F10. Usually it will work, but sometimes the computer hangs at this screen and does nothing, not even entering BIOS. Once in a while when I hit F10 to enter BIOS setup utility, the entire screen displays a pattern of unintelligable distorted graphics and colors, usually I shut down at this point, but once I waited a couple minutes and the setup utiity loaded, but the keyboard was not operational. (It is a PS/2 plug)

5. Other things it does is the COMPAQ screen will be distorted, and I have seen the BIOS POST screen distorted as well.

Things I have tried:

Unplugging power.
Resetting CMOS battery.
Unplugging/checking HDD and CD-Drive cables.
Taking out, blowing off dust and replacing RAM.
Different bootable CD
Booting from USB stick with same OS (not supported)

The fact that it is hard to enter BIOS utility, the screen distorts on BIOS screens or attempting to enter the BIOS utility, and the CD is rarely booted but when it starts, the computer fails to continue with it, has led me to believe that my BIOS is some how corrupted.

My question to you guys is, A) do you agree that the BIOS is the problem and B) Is it possible to repair the BIOS without an operating system installed on the HDD?

P.S. I have heard of utilizing floppy drives in recoveries like this, but the computer only has a CD drive and does not allow USB stick booting as far as I am aware, but I guess I could get a USB floppy drive if they are affordable.

Thanks very much for your time with this problem, I am pretty much out of ideas. The computer is not old, only a few years, and I feel like I should be able to get it running again, but I just don't know where to go from here. As far as I know the Compaq support page only has a BIOS update windows intallation wizard file and that can't help me now. Also the ECS website doesn't list my MOBO model as far as I know.

Thanks again for any advice!!