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Compaq Presario 4766 SetUp

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by hpoppe 1 view

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I've a Compaq Presario model 4766 (at least it says so on the front panel) with serial nr.8719BKJF017. Motherboard by Compaq 1996. The "diagnostic partition" is lost and entering the BIOS is not possible. I need to restore the "dianostic partition" in order to set up an ISDN card. Now the PC claim that it has no available I/O adresses left (not IRQ). After several (more than 20)e-mails and telephone calls to Compaq in Norway (where I reside) and Compaq in the US, Compaq simply says that the machine is probaly gone. It's less than 5 years old, and I find their answer not acceptable by any standard.
The machine was built in the UK. I've tried the downloadable setupfile for 4760 and 4788 after advice from Compaq, but it will not work. Message saying: this setup is incompatible with this machine. I would not be surprised if Compaq is unable to help, but I'm sure there are better brains with more experience among the public reading this :-)
Can anyone help with a link to a downloadsite or mail me the setupfile? (The one that creates two floppies and you have to remove all partitions and boot from the floppy to make a new setup/diagnostic partition, yes I have done this before on number of Compaqs :-))

33 replies

by castillo49_2000

We had a lot of nightmares with Compaq with differnet kinds of problems and no solutions from Compaq. Solving problems on their ground always ended up in a loop ! Nobody
knows what is going on. So, all we did is Fdisk and make one partition, formatand install OS [ not the one that came with Compaq otherwise you end up with the same problem ] Just a regular 95B or 98SE. Anyway,
I will try to find you the Disk.

by hpoppe

Thanks for sharing your frustrations over the worst support service in the world.

by jimjennings

I think that the file you are looking for is named SP1363.exe. You put the disk that this file creates in the floppy drive and hold down the F10 key during bootup, and this will allow you to enter the setup program. If your email address is the sameas your user id here I will mail you the program, or you can get it from Compaq.

by buffalodan

Just my 2 cents worth,

This is a common shortcoming with Compost...

cryptic web links, incomplete explanations and incorrect or missing support files...

This is why compost supports and encourages their own certification track.

I once attempted a 20MB hdd upgrade in a compost portable(luggable) computer that compost stated would support an HDD, I based my quote to the individual upon word from the compost tech support people, (a toll call too)(I even wrote down the tech support person's name...), and proceeded with the upgrade, well 20 hours later, I finally gleaned from a senior tech at compost that I did in fact need not only a bios upgrade, but also a power supply upgrade, total cost to me, $535.00. My customer held me to the formal quote, which I based upon my interaction with a trained and certified Compost technician. This was circa 1987, things havent changed much since.

by pbgerrard

Well I have alwas avoided Compaqs because of all their problems and the fact that they are so proprietary. To do almost any upgrades you need to buy some accompaning part from Compaq that is very overpriced. When you tried to run the 4760 and 4788files from Compaq, and they did not work; they will never work except on those machines. Packard Bell computers also have had this problem. When you have a setup disk for one specific computer model, you can only use it on that model. You probably got an error message saying "This is not a Compaq 4760".

Compaq does not want you to use their files on otther computers, so the setup file does a quick scan of the BIOS and sees what model of computer it is. If you can find it, you need to get the setup file for the 4766. The file for the 4765 will probably not work.

One other thing you can do is create a windows boot floppy on another computer. Make sure fdisk and format are on this floppy. Insert it into the the compaq and boot up the compaq. You should get a dos prompt. Fdisk the drive and system format it. Then insert the the master disk for the compaq. type in dir. Look for a setup file. Run it. That should be the installation file for the operating system. Proceed according to any on screen directions.

by dcosgrove

In addition to the other replies, I don't think that model compaq had a restore partition. To the best of my knowlege, that came a couple years later. Also, the only trouble you should have using another win 95 install cd will be the modem. Most compaqs used a proprietary 33.6 modem upgradable via software to 56k. They require a softpaq to install and it is very hard to find.

by hpoppe

The machine has a restorepartition.
I need the files to rebuild it. Thanks

by buffalodan

Compost Pressario 4760 series setup softaware
ftp download link is this:

ftp://ftp.compaq.com/pub/softpaq/sp2001-2500/SP2141.exe

Hope this helps

by hpoppe

Thanks, but as stated in the original question, I've already tried this one. It doesn't work :-)
The 4766 seems to be a special series that Compaq doesn't know about :-)

by buffalodan

Sorry guy, here's what is probably the truth...

The 4766 was an interim system offered as a bridge between technology releases,
and as such, is incompletely documented, even at Compost headquarters...

To put it bluntly, you are screwed, untiland as such, someone who owns a 4677, with the diagnostic partition intact, creates the files that you need. I have searched not only Compost, but throughout the web for this file...to no avail...

Welcome to the world of Compaq, you wonder why i refer to them as Compost...

i truly am sorry i could not help...

by hpoppe

Thanks guy! I've searched as well, to no avail. I also have two Compaq Armada laptops with dockingstation with DVD. These rune Win95 (300 MHz PII prosessors, 64 MB RAM 4 GB disk), to me prime candidates for a Win98 (SE / ME) upgrade. (We use them to show CD/DVD -ROM presentations through a projector), but the upgrade was unsuccessful. I contacted Compaq only to hear them say that these laptops cannot be upgraded, and there are no paches or files to help. These were bought at a cost of NOK 20.000 ( apx US $ 2350.-) in 1998!!!
Nobody said anything about this at the time of purchase. No more Compaq for me!

by buffalodan

Curious, every link I've found for this model was European. Seems this model was released only on the other side of the pond from us here in the USofA.

Good luck again....

by hpoppe

It could very well be a model released in a rather small number.
Thanks for your suggestions, should you happen to come across someone with such amachine, maybe you would be kind enough to give me an e-mailaddress of that individual?
Thanks.
By the way, I didn't find anything on the silicon valley homepage you suggested either :-)

by erikbutler

I have had this problem before and it was a pain in the a$$. What you need to do is find out what the "BOM" ID is for that pc.
Then there is a utility from compaq that loads the bios partion on the HD.
Sorry i can't remember anymore details thanthat. Kinda like a traumatic Exp. you try to block it out :)

by netbroker

God you have been through hell with this one, I admit and I concurr with all the up to the minute drama here on this model.
I happen to like Compaq if you have a friend in the business who can supply you with all the the darned proprietary parts for these interim technologies. Considering the effective life of a PC is at best 18-24 mos(before parts become hard to find and repairing becomes obsolete), I imagine these OEMs will continue on this path, making one model for one world and another for the rest of us.
My best bet would be in you really have to have this repaired, ship it to someone in the US and have us bark at Compaq for a while until we get resolution and satisfaction that it works.
I happen to have in my manageable domain about 450 Compaq deskpros, prolineas,proliants, armadas,and presarios.
when I need service they tend not to balk, unless they really want me to take ALL my business to Dell.

LS
Compaq ASE
Dallas, TX

by hpoppe

I should need to have a personal friend inside Compaq, or ship the PC to the US?? Sorry, that is, to me, simply very bad service from Compaq. It's not hardware, it's a softpack abut 1.5 MB.
I still think Compaq sucks. I've been able to reduce our number of Compaqs at work, and now we will stop buing new ones all together. I have in my domain 19 Compaqs. We had 27, but as they are replaced, it will not be with new Compaqs.

by buffalodan

I thought I had provided an e-mail address I had found,

just in case, here it is again:

kissi@stockholm.crosswinds.net

I do hope this helps

by buffalodan

I found this guy with a website search at dogpile.com, I have not contacted him though.

His website makes public, his use of a compost presario 4766, I will contact him, and inquire as to wheter or not he could generate the necessary floppies to rebuild your diagnostic partition.

by hpoppe

Thank you for e-mailing "kissi". I've also asked "kissi", but so far no answer. I've had a long string og e-mail conversation with Compaq support in the US, since Norwegian Compaq support will not even admit that the model exists, but suddenly they just stopped answering and now only sends what appears to be an automated response stating that they do not have the technical specs for this model, and I should contact Norwegian Compaq support....
I think the Compaq Presario is a lost case. I will probably discard it and replace it, but certainly not with another Compaq product. I'm also going to, eventually replace all the 65 Compaq workstations for which I'm the administrator with somthing that is non-Compaq. Their support realy sucks!

by mad max

According to my database you need SP8875 for this model... Have you tried this one which is available on the compaq site but without a 4660 I cant test it I'm afraid.

by hpoppe

Sorry, I've tried it and it doesn't work either. I've now tried _every_ softpack available at the Compaq ftp site, none works. Compaq support in Norway told me that the computer probably has to be replaced !!
Compaq support really, really SUCKS!

by buffalodan

Technically speaking, you do not need to restore the diagnostic partition, If the above referenced gentleman was able to prepare the 3 floppy set for system bios setup, these can be booted to and used to manipulate bios.

I am sorry that things had not worked out better, but you cannot say it was for lack of effort...and yes, judging from the age of this system, Compaq would feel no need to support it further, their corporate mindset...we all have deep pockets.

I wish you well, and am sorry that things have not worked out differently.

Take care. Dan

by teknik

I have the diagnostic disks of all Compaq models.And I've found yours.They are nearly 2.3MBytes.Just tell me an e-mail adress that I could send them with at least 2.5 MBytes of free space.Then please rate my answer and let me earn these ponts.I'm waiting for your reply ...
Zafer

by hpoppe

Due to the absolute incompetence of Compaq support, and the sheer frustration that builds up trying to converse with them, the Presario was turned over to the city dump Saturdag May 5. Along with tha Presario, any little bit of trust I had in Compaqwas also discarded of.
Thanks to all contributors to this string.

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