    AST RESEARCH, INC.         TECHNICAL BULLETIN #0714A                 12-20-91

                        PREMIUM EXEC 386SX AND LOSS OF SETUP

    Loss of CMOS setup or Password Enabled error messages have been reported on
    some new Premium Exec 386SX systems.  This problem occurs because the Premium
    Exec is designed with a rechargeable Ni-Cad CMOS backup battery that has a
    shelf life of approximately 42 days (worst case) from the date of
    manufactured.

    Under some circumstances when CMOS has been lost, the message "PLEASE ENTER
    PASSWORD:" may appear prior to any of the error messages listed below.  If
    this occurs, it will be necessary to toggle the Password Override Switch to
    override the password prior to running ASTSETUP.  Please consult the Premium
    Exec User's Manual for additional information on this procedure.

    The problems are resolved by simply powering up the system using the AC
    Adapter and pressing Ctrl-Alt-Esc to run ASTSETUP after the following
    messages appear:

        40.08 TESTING CMOS CHECKSUM CHECKSUM...FAILED
        40.01 CMOS RAM ERROR CHECK BATTERY AND RUN SETUP
        20.03 MEMORY SIZE ERROR - RUN SETUP
        PRESS F1 TO CONTINUE OR CTRL ALT ESC FOR SETUP

    Please Note: If the F1 key is pressed, the system will attempt to boot first,
                 from the floppy drive, then the hard drive. If no floppy disk is
                 present, the system will display "Disk Boot Error, Please Insert
                 a System Disk and press Enter".   If this occurs insert the
                 Premium Utilities Diskette in drive A: and hit the Enter key and
                 choose "Run System Setup" from the menu that appears on the
                 screen.

    To assure complete charging of the backup battery, it is recommended that
    after running ASTSETUP, that the system remain plugged into the AC Adapter
    for approximately 8 hours.