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Computer stalls on compaq screen

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by fran_loman

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When I log on to computer it stalls at compaq screen. All I can do is press f10 (I believe) and it takes me to BIOS screen. No matter what values I change at BIOS screen my computer never goes past compaq screen. I have pictures of the screens off of the bios screen. Also how do I know whether the BIOS detects the hard drive? That is the problem.

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Here is history that put me where I am at now. I installed SP2 and didn't turn off my virus protection (2002 I believe). Computer broke so I had to log on using my boot disk. While doing that I was asked a question I believe about partioning the disk drive and I answered Yes and while the computer was doing something the computer got cut off. After that I have been having this problem. In 2001 my hard drive went bad and I go a new hard 60 g hard drive in 2 partitions. Also my memory was upgraded also.

11 replies

by dawgit

Useing your boot disk... just what boot disk did you use? That's important to know. After the SP2 is installed, you needed to re-do a 'new' set of 'Boot-Disks' (yes disks) all 6 of them. This because you have just changed to basic OS. (it's MS's way of doing things)
Now what you can try is to boot with your original CD. Then boot in safe mode, and check every thing out from there.
As for determining if the BIOS is reconizing your HD, do the F10 again at start-up, there is a page that shows the attached drives. (0 or 1 Primary and Secondary, and 1 or 2 Primary and Secondary) That should be your HD and CD/DVD

by fran_loman

I was told to get a windows xp disk and I might have used that. When I got the computer originally it had 98 but because I used it for work my job upgraded to xp professional. So I didn't have any back up disks. I purchase a windows xp professional disk and tried to use that. It was only one not six. My original boot disk is windows 98 not xp which is now on the computer.

by hal 9000

It gets a bit hard to answer correctly but if you have a P4 with an Intel Chip Set M'Board you need to Flash the BIOS to the Latest available. This was a common thing with every P4 system when SP2 became available. If you don't FLASH the BIOS the system will never start and all you should get is a blank screen.

The worrying part of your question is where you say that [i]I was asked a question I believe about partioning the disk drive and I answered Yes and while the computer was doing something the computer got cut off.[/i]

If this actually happened what should have happened is that the Boot Partition was formatted and then the OS installed at which point the computer would have rebooted so it could finish installing Windows. If it was stopped at that point it will not have a working Partition available and what's worse is that you have wiped all of the data on that partition so it will no longer be available.

Now if you are using a Windows Install CD with SP2 included the system [b]Can Not[/b] restart and complete the install as the BIOS is wrong and doesn't support the new MS version of Windows XP.

What I would suggest at this point is to grab a copy of a Live Linux place that in the CD/DVD ROM Drive and try booting off that to see if the computer is actually working still. A Live Linux will Not affect any installed Programs on the HDD as it loads into Virtual Memory and runs straight from there.

You should be able to pick up a Live Linux Copy from most Newsagents as a Cover Disc on any Linux Mag and on some General Computer Mags as well. If you prefer you can download a copy from here

http://tinyurl.com/23nmq

Or you can buy direct from them if you like. While any will do things like Puppy are small and fast to download my personal pick would be Knoppix STD as it gives you some better tools that are useful to fix Window Installs.

But no matter which one you pick you should always have a copy available if only to test hardware to make sure that it's working properly.

Col

by hal 9000

If you look at that particular model you have an AMD K^2 500 MHZ CPU with 64 MEG of installed RAM as per the HP Specs listed here

http://tinyurl.com/ynhcml

I would suggest that you look at the lower part of this page to find out what type of CPU is fitted to your computer without opening the case.

http://tinyurl.com/ym4q65

Col

by fran_loman

How do I save that file on a disk? Can I just burn it on a CD? Also I recheck my model is 5461. I do know I have the max of everything in the computer. I pressed F10 but didn't see an advanced option. I saw standerd CMOS option but there wasn't what type of CPU is fitted in. Also neither or the other options had it either. I already have the computer open trying to remove any dust. Is there a place I can look in there?

by hal 9000

So you need to use some CD recording software to convert an ISO Image to CD and record this straight away. How this is done depends on your Burning Software so you'll have to look up the directions for converting an ISO Image to a CD in that program.

As for having the case open you can tell How Much RAM that you have installed and if you remove the Heat Sink & Fan you can read he numbers on the top of the CPU to see who makes it and what speed it is but this will require the removal of the Heat Sink Compound which probably isn't the best idea as you have to clean it properly with Alcohol Wipes to make sure that there is no contamination and then reapply the Heat Sink Compound to allow the heat transfer to occur from the CPU to the Heat Sink.

If you have an AMD CPU there should be no problems running SP2 that only happened with Intel CPU & Chip Set M'Boards. Is it possible that a new M'Board has been fitted to this case during it's life that could explain why the specs don't match up.

Col

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