Can't run FDISK

If FDISK is reporting no fixed disk present, that suggests that the BIOS is not seeing the hard drive.

Make sure that a hard drive is connected.

Looking at the user manual:

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/DocumentIndex.jsp?contentType=SupportManual&locale=en_US&docIndexId=179111&taskId=115&prodTypeId=321957&prodSeriesId=96219

The only comment they have on no drive found is that the drive may not be connected.

It does look like some of these shipped with Windows NT installed. So, the drive might be formatted as a NTFS volume.

You need to run FDISK and delete the non-DOS partition before you can create a DOS partition for W95.

Still, my guess is that they used a bulk eraser or external system to wipe the hard drive. Open the drive compartment, and verify that the hard drive is properly seated.

Chas

Ok. Yours is a COmpaq. Compaq's use part of the Hard Drive to store the BIOS Info. That's what it can't see the HDD, coz it has no BIOS Info.

Go to the Compaq/HP (Now) site, download the Start-up oir Bios Disk for your Compaq system - ensure the number is correct, etc. It must be for the exact same system as your is. It'll be a single file. EXE - run it (on any other system) - It'll ask for a floppy disk (give it a new / formatted - no bad sectors one) and open-itself-out onto the floppy disk.

Then use this floppy to boot-up your Compaq System. On boot-up, it'll ask if you wanna restore the bios. Say Yes... It'll do some work and then ask you to re-boot.

After a reboot, you'll be bale to see the HDD and use HDD utils, etc. No problems - like any other system.

You'll lose all the data on the HDD - and remember, when re-partitioning your HDD - don't delete the small (approx 3MB) partition you see - when using FDSIK. That's the BIOS Info stored there. And if you do delete it by mistake - you'll have to repeat the above steps again ;-)

All the best...

Rickey is correct that for most Compaq PCs part of the BIOS is stored on a non-DOS hard disk partition. However, the BIOS portion that sets drives is contained in CMOS on motherboard.

It will be a good idea to install soft BIOS, once you get hard disk operable.

Try running Seagate's SeaTools and see what information it provides. SeaTools works with most hard disks, not just Seagate ones. It is available here:

http://www.seagate.com/support/seatools/B7a.html

Dalton