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I've gotta troublesome box I'm working on...
Old Compaq Presario.
Upon boot, I get "cannot load OS". Swapped out hard drives -- same problem. Removed both memory sticks, didn't help anything.
Next I'm going to try a clean OS installation from CD *crossing fingers*.
But if that doesn't work, what should I look for next?
pray :D
is bios able to see this drive?
if yes, boot from floppy and see if you can see the drive or even format it.
This is odd...
Just lost visual -- the monitor no longer detects the connecction to the box. It did just a minute ago! Of course, all is connected as it should be...so now on top of everything else, I'm blind as a bat!
Sound like you have more problems than just the HD.
Put the HD in a different box.... If it boots then you probably have MB issues on the original box.... Is the video card built in?
This is just getting wierder and wieder...
Doesn't look like it was the video card. When I took the Windows CD out of the drive and tried booting up again, everything was fine. So I put the Win2k CD in the drive, and I lose my monitor?! That's a new one!
Then, I put both sticks back in, and it tells me I have 164mb -- memory error. So, the memory stick problem looks like a good possibility, though I have a feeling that's not all that's going on here...
<edit>Nevermind, looks like the CD drive thing was just a coincidence...the monitor problem is occuring off and on.</edit>
<edit>Or the...monitor cable...sorta came out of it's port...while I was tinkering...heh heh...</edit>
Ok, now I can give you guys some real detail to work with --
1) Swapped out memory sticks with two others I have on hand.
2) Swapped out hard drives
3) Booted from W2k CD
So, it starts to load Windows 2000, when lo and behold I get this:
Quote:
File \i386\ntkrnlmp.exe could not be loaded.
The error code is 16
Setup cannot continue. Press any key to exit.
Looks like something is intermittent... Trial and error is so much fun.... ;)
run a complete memtest86. Maybe the Mobo is gone....
You might also want to try resetting the BIOS to the default config as sometimes things in there get changed. (User never knows how it was changed of course) ;)
Got that from here: (although its not error code 16 it might work before you chuck the computer) http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;318729
Also, did you check how hot the CPU is in the bios? A hot CPU has given me wierd Windows setups problems in the past.
Well, things started to get better, then they got worse. I finally got a hard drive in there that would somewhat work. Got into W2k installation...and it froze during hardware detection.
Hardware detection? Aha! Some device had to be the culprit!
This seemed to make sense, as the computer will only come on half the time. The other half the power light comes on, but no HDD light, and nothing on the monitor.
So, I tried everything, item by item, until eventually I had everything but the hard drive removed. Swapped out memory sticks too. So now, I just have a hard drive and memory....no luck.
Now I can't get it to even boot up. Nothing on the monitor. Hard drive light is always dead. Swapped hard drives and IDE cables. Nothing.
Is it done for?
COMPAQ:
IF you know what the original hardware configuration is..return it to that.. don't stuff around doing anything else until that is done..
That includes the memory.. if you have 2 sticks of ram and one dosen't have a Compaq sticker on it.. leave it out..
Also.. the BIOS memory error is typical Compaq.. ..oooooo i have a memory change.. errror error..... don't panic about that.. if you hadn't been fiddling and it came up in a normal start THEN I would panic..
Cheers
Unfortunately I don't know the original config, but I did just try putting everything back together until I had it as it was when it came in, trying to boot up after each addition...still nothing. The only difference is I at least have the HDD light glowing, but nothing comes up on the monitor. So I'm thinking -- video card perhaps? Well, video input is built directly into the motherboard...ugh!!!
If you can give any further details, model no. etc, I may have additional info for you re, original config etc, as I have an old set of Compaq factory support disks for a range of modelsQuote:
Angelic, after reading the posts here, I would suggest checking the power supply - if power is good, it's probably the motherboard. Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings.
jm, I'm not sure if this is the right info, but the bottom of my case says it's a Compaq Agency Series CM0900. Ring a bell, or am I looking in the wrong place?
Compaqs are notorious for placing the system BIOS info in a hidden partition on the hard drive, if this partition gets erased or corrupted the computer cannot respond. This is especially true of the older models. You can only make it work by using genuine Compaq parts and by booting with a special SoftPaq CD that will create the hidden partition and install the BIOS for that particular model machine. Do you still have the original drive? Did you fdisk it? if so did it contain a small partition that you may have thought insignificant?
Sorry, no Agency series, have Presario's, 400/500/600/700/800/900 series, and 3000/6000/8000 series. Deskpro's and ProLinea's. ProLiant/ProSignia/ Systempro serversQuote:
Originally posted here by AngelicKnight
jm, I'm not sure if this is the right info, but the bottom of my case says it's a Compaq Agency Series CM0900. Ring a bell, or am I looking in the wrong place?
Checked the 900 series, there is nothing with cm, model nos all start with cd, possibbly you have newer machine than my info allows
Well, I'm afraid it's done for guys. Unfortunately I have no idea what the original config was, but I can't really do anything anyway since I can't connect to a monitor to see anything.
I swapped out power supplies. No change.
So I think this one's R.I.P., unless one of you knows any miracles.
so, go to your backyard and burry it there :D
Have you tried another video card perhaps?
Well that's the problem, the video card is built into the motherboard.
Is there an open PCI slot? If so you can place any PCI video card in it. Most computers work just fine with multiple video cards. Try it if you have one. If it works, and the video on the mobo is fried, then simply disable the onboard video from the BIOS and use the PCI video.