Laptops Forum·2,709 discussions

Compaq Presario 1200 will not boot up. (WARNING: 1999 laptop)

Hello,
I have recently found a Compaq Presario 1200 (running Windows 98 SE) and I figured I would try to turn it on again. It did nothing when I pressed the power on button, so I found a compatible power cable and charged it. When I turn it on, it either flashes the middle button (=not enough battery) or turns on the “powered” button and shuts off after a while. I think this means the battery is broken.

[i]Broken stuff on it:[/i]
-As I said, the battery.
-The screen is completely broken, and even an external VGA monitor will not work.
-F7 to F11 are missing, along with “7” and one of the start buttons.

Now, I don’t know if we can do anything about this. After all, the computer is over 22 years old. Would just be neat if we could have it work.

Topic

IMHO

In reply to Compaq Presario 1200 will not boot up. (WARNING: 1999 laptop)

I think spending time or money on such an ancient laptop is a complete waste when you can buy a new laptop for about $200 – $300 with the latest version of MS Windows installed or a Chromebook for even less.

Too much wrong with it.

In reply to Compaq Presario 1200 will not boot up. (WARNING: 1999 laptop)

As Tom noted….

If you want a working 22 year old machine, I see them on Ebay for less than what it would cost to fix this one.

[Author]

Replies