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This page gives you a few things to try if you find yourself stuck.
Please note: This page makes frequent reference to the BREAK key. On some keyboards, the BREAK key is marked PAUSE. If your keyboard has neither key, see Beginners The FAQ:Hardware Break Support key for how to configure another key as BREAK.
This can happen for several reasons. A few examples:
*Status
command to display the CMOS RAM settings. If necessary, use the *LoadCMOS
command to load a known-good CMOS settings file (if you have a Raspberry Pi, see CMOS RAM on the Raspberry Pi).*Cat
on the drive produces the text “Option 00 (Off)” in its first line of output).*Opt 4,2
command. For example, on a machine with a USB-connected hard disc as drive 5, you might use:*SCSI
*Drive 5
*Opt 4,2
*Cat
should now have “Option 02 (Run)” in its first line of output.
boot_delay
parameter in config.txt – see config.txt (Raspberry Pi). It may also indicate that you have additional disc drives connected (see next bullet point).
Boot-up can pause for 10-20 seconds when contacting the DHCP server: this is perfectly normal. A longer pause may indicate a network problem (e.g. Ethernet cable disconnected) but RISC OS should proceed to the desktop after 30 seconds.
If it stays stuck at that message, the most likely problem is that RISC OS has not detected an Ethernet interface. This can happen if you are using a device that doesn’t have one fitted (e.g. a Raspberry Pi Zero or Raspberry Pi 3A+). It can also happen on a Pi 4 if you had previously used that SD card to boot a different model of Raspberry Pi.
Remedial action: Press the ESC key on the keyboard. This should take you to a desktop error box with “Cancel” and “Retry” buttons: click on “Cancel” to reach the desktop. If you find yourself at the command line, type *desktop
to enter the desktop.
Once at the desktop, enter the configuration utility (e.g. by double-clicking on !Boot).
When you save your settings, you will be prompted to reboot. This reboot should go straight through to the desktop.
RISC OS is expecting a standard (105-key) keyboard. Keys over and above the standard set (e.g. multimedia keys) may not work, and other features like “intelligent touch strips” are right out.
Having said that, some models of standard-layout keyboards won’t work with RISC OS. If you are having problems with a keyboard, try a different make/model of keyboard.
If moving the mouse does not move the pointer, check that the mouse is plugged in properly (with a wireless mouse, try fitting new batteries). If this fails, try pressing Ctrl-Break to reset the computer. If the mouse still isn’t working, try a different make/model of mouse1.
1 Some models of mouse won’t work with RISC OS. In general, a standard 3-button mouse is more likely to work than a 7-button “gaming” mouse.
If you’re using RISC OS 5.24 or RISC OS 5.26 on a Raspberry Pi, you may run into problems if you mix USB1.1 devices (keyboard, mouse) with USB2 devices (e.g. memory sticks) on the built-in USB ports. Symptoms are that the USB1.1 devices misbehave (repeating/unresponsive keys, jerky pointer movement, “stuck” mouse buttons). Workaround is to connect the mouse (and keyboard) to an external USB hub instead of using the built-in ports.
This bug is fixed in RISC OS 5.28.
If nothing happens when you press keys on the keyboard and/or click a mouse button (but the mouse pointer still moves) this may indicate that an application is misbehaving. Try each of the following in turn:
3 If you successfully use ALT-BREAK to quit the application, the system could still be unstable. Save as much work as you can, then shut down and restart.
You may discover that certain configuration settings are no longer as you set them (e.g. the Filer display format is different, the screen saver is unexpectedly active/inactive, or perhaps the CD-ROM drive has disappeared from the icon bar). These, and other problems, can happen if CMOS RAM contents have been lost or overwritten.
Possible reasons:
The first thing to try is to restore your CMOS RAM settings. You can do this as follows:
After restoring the settings, check that they survive a power off / power on cycle. If there is still a problem, it may indicate that the backup battery needs replacing. Alternatively, if you have a Raspberry Pi, see CMOS RAM on the Raspberry Pi.
If you hadn’t saved your CMOS settings, reset them to factory defaults by doing a Delete power-on (i.e. hold down the Delete key while powering on the computer).
It is possible for an application (usually a game) to change the screen resolution such that when you return to the desktop the icon bar isn’t visible at all4, so you can’t get to Display Manager to change the screen resolution to something more sensible.
The easy fix is to press CTRL-BREAK to reboot, but you may not want to do that (e.g. you have unsaved work). In that case, proceed as follows:
wimpmode 32
4 For example, an “HD Ready” monitor may claim to support 1920×1080 but its maximum resolution is actually 1680×1050 so it “cheats” and displays only part of the picture.
5 You probably won’t see a command prompt, but you might notice the desktop display shift upwards slightly.
This will typically happen if you’ve somehow managed to select a RISC OS monitor type that is unsuitable for your monitor.
wimpmode 32
– as mentioned above
This could be for one of two reasons: