Need help with APM!!!

[rheteric]

I recently converted my Compaq Presario 1200 12XL526 from winMe to WinXP. It appears that the advanced power management features are missing. When I go into the control panel - power options, the computer is set for laptop/portable settings, however, I do not have any battery control options. There is no tab to set alarms in case of low battery levels, nor is there a battery icon in the system tray to indicate how much juice is left. I do have the ability to enable Hibernate mode, which it is enabled, however, I there is not a hibernate option in the shutdown window.

I thought I could download a third-party battery program to at least get me battery status information, but both BatteryBar and Power-Center gave me no readings and never knew the status of my battery, i.e. charging/full/draining. I assume that these programs also rely on an internal windows applet such as APM or APCI. (I dunno what type of power management this machine has.)

I think what I may need is either a sofpaq from Compaq's website or a BIOS upgarde. The BIOS is a Phoenix Technologies, and I checked their website for any downloads or upgrades, but found none. And if I'm lucky, this will be some "easy" fix that you more experienced TechIMOers can spot from afar and alleviate this CompAche I have.
Thanks for your help and consideration.
-rheteric

[rheteric]

^bump^

[PresterJohn]

are you able to get into the bios to check if the power options are enabled?

[rheteric]

Thanks for the inquiry PJ. Yes, I am able to get into the Phoenix BIOS. Unfortunately, the BIOS is very rudimentary. I am only able to change system time/date, available boot drives, and memory allocation (2, 4 ,or 8 MB) for video display. There are no other options apparent to choose from. This, of course, remains as the factory Compaq BIOS which under power-up displays the Compaq logo on the screen. I would be ecstatic to find that this BIOS is flashable, but I'm not holding my breath. Anyone else????