My Laptop will not finish POST before stopping and showing a blank screen. I can enter BIOS and make changes (BOOT sequence, and restore defaults so far).
On startup, no beeps, the DVD twirls and clicks, and CPU fan increases RPM. The screen shows the POST progress bar for halfway, then stops and shows the blank screen. CPU fan continues high RPM.
This came about through operator error. The HDD has Ubuntu and Mint, and I wanted to try Debian. I shut down, started up while opening DVD, and shut down before POST could finish. On startup to play with Debian, the POST problem began. I know, really really dumb.
Unit is a Gateway M685-E. I have removed both memory sticks and switched them, and back again. The event log only shows those. I have not removed the CMOS battery yet. I attempted to unplug the DVD drive, but a laptop is infinitely more complicated than a desktop in hardware.
Any ideas out there? Tnanks!

Well, resetting the CMOS battery would be a good start...IF you can even do it. The battery may not be removable on a laptop. Best thing would be to go and download the latest BIOS firmware from your manufacturers website, and install it. That will not only update the BIOS, but reset it at the same time, and correct anything that is correctable.

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Thanks TBOne. The battery is in the corner under the central cover plate, popped out easily. It tested a full 3.33 V. I left it off 15-20 minutes, re-installed. NO change.
OK, so now at the Gateway support site, I should download and burn the latest BIOS, set the boot to CD-ROM, and it should take? If the unit won't get past POST, how will it read a CD?

No idea if it will or not, but it's really your only option, other than getting Gateway to repair/replace it. And are those the instructions you got from Gateway's website?

No, Gateway gives NO support to old equipment without $99. up front; I couldn't think of any other way to get the updated BIOS into the machine. And, of course it didn't work.
SO, I am asking, how should I get the updated BIOS in there?

You cannot, since the machine won't boot without BIOS. If you tried the CD/DVD/USB/whatever-tech-support said and it didn't work, you're stuck. Bad BIOS = no booting ANYTHING. You've reset everything, and it's not working...so, it's either $99 to Gateway for support, you might check eBay for a motherboard/replacement machine of the same type, or just pony up for a new machine.