finding the BIOS is not going to be the problem - getting the computer to boot now that (apparently) the BIOS has been hosed is a whole different matter.

Hmmm, I have a couple of links, but none are very helpful in terms of reviving a failed flash procedure (which is basically what happened here). Let me do a bit more research real fast.

OK, I need you to do some things that are not 'hard' but can get complicated. How familair are you with your hardware (motherboard, PSU, etc.)?

Not super familiar but ive done stuff before...what does this entail?

unplugging all power to your motherboard and removing the CMOS battery - and leaving everything like that for 30 minutes
Also, if you can find the motherboard manual / know the exact make and model then we can try a CMOS reset as well - I ma *hoping* this is a newer system with a backup CMOS that we can clone -

I will unplug everything including the battery and leave it overnight. Unfortunately so far, i cannot find any info on the motherboard model for this machine.

The machine seems to be the same as all of the following, especially the gateway:

Arima: W730-K8 based laptops
eMachines: m2350, m2352, m68xx, m64xx
Gateway: m520, 74xx, 72xx
Targa: Visionary 811
Voodoo: Envy M:860, and many other models not listed here.

So if anyone else would like to give finding the mobo model out a chance, that would be a good start...

thanks again

Motherboard manufacturer should be somewhere stamped on the motherboard itself (usually either close to the middle, or along the edges - but when it the case it can be a PITA to actually find it, much less read it. If you have time over the next couple of days, see if you can - I'd recommend a flashlight, particularly a High Intensity LED light (the bluish white lights tend to reflect the white lettering most commonly used for writing on motherboards better, IMO, than standard incandescent lights do.

okay sounds good sir, i will give this a shot and let you know. thanks for all the help so far.

Well i found the model number for the motherboard, but the maker is stated as Gateway on a few different things ive seen on the web.
I cant find a model number or info on the mobo without removing everything from it in the laptop, and thats if its even there...

Gateway 40-A06600-E170 motherboard

It seems like the mobo is a Systemboard 7300 series board.

whoops - I somehow missed the fact that this is a laptop. My apologies.

I searched for the Gateway 40-A06600-E170 and saw it advertised on eBay, and other parts supply websites, so I am guessing that is the actual motherboard.

I went searching for many different terms, but have not been able to find out anything at all.

I would use this link and try chatting with their tech support to see if there is anything they can do to get your system back to booting - IOW, get the BIOS back up and running - most of the 3rd party information I have found relates to either physically replacing the BIOS chip or else taking way too much of a chance of frying the board itself, and those are things *I* don't want to try myself, let alone try to walk someone else through.

I have seen the board around places, the cheapest I saw on eBay was $89 USD (although it looked like there was another link for $49) so that may end up being your only alternative, but since it is their machine, let the Gateway folks decide what the next step is.

Don't let them talk you into buying another board from them - the price will be steep (around $300+ USD from what I have seen). Just get them to say definitely or not whether they can help you get this machine's BIOS back up or not.