Compuq booting problem.

Kuasimodem · 02-23-2002, 05:22 PM

I've got an old Compaq Presario 4550 that has a weird booting problem, the only way to get the computer to boot up is to clear the CMOS every time. This got to be such a PIA that I installed a switch in one of the empty PCI slots and connected it to the CMOS jumpers.

I want to set this computer up for my grandmother to be a replacement for her Vectra P100, it's a K6-233 w/48Mb RAM.

I've flashed the bios to the latest update, reflashed it back to original, and flashed it back to the new one. Done a low level format of the hard drive. I've also run the "Restore Disk" numerous times.

Full system specs:
Compaq motherboard
AMD K6 @ 233Mhz (66Mhz FSB)
48Mb of PC66 (this is the max for this board)
40x CDROM
4Gb Quantum Bigfoot
Dlink ISA NIC
USR 56k ISA modem
onboard video and sound

Anybody have any ideas to try before I just part this pig out?

BTW - I thought that I'd become "Ultimate" by asking a question

Wizzard~Of~Ozz · 02-23-2002, 05:31 PM

Have you tried replacing the battery? Sounds like it's loosing it's setting every time you power down.

Kuasimodem · 02-23-2002, 06:05 PM

Just checked the battery, 3.02V on a 3V rated battery. I also checked it with the battery installed and the power disconnected, and it's still 3.02V.

Could it be that when I reformatted the hard drive I may have wiped out some hidden sectors on the drive for the bios? If so, how do I recover it?

I really want to get this ready for her, she is almost out of hard drive space (730Mb) on her old system, and she mentioned that she would like more speed.

Xeroid · 02-23-2002, 09:50 PM

Most Compukes use a non-dos partition on the hard disk drive for cmos/setup/diagnostics. You probably didn't hurt anything with a format C:\. If you did a fdisk then you might have removed the hidden non-dos partition. Link Here.

Mike

Kuasimodem · 02-23-2002, 11:02 PM

Cool link, I'll give that a shot, since I did run fdisk and repartition the drive.

I'll let you know if it works

02-23-2002, 11:52 PM

It's probably a screw between two components.

lynchmob · 02-24-2002, 02:49 AM

Older Compaqs have that crappy IML (Initial Microcode Load)system partition bios.The core bios on the mobo just locates and loads updated bios code from the IML.I'm surprised you could do anything with that comp.I had to download and run the F10 setup program on a Compaq 486 once.
lynch

Kuasimodem · 02-24-2002, 07:50 AM

Typical Compuq support, all three of the files that are listed on that page are no longer available.

I deleted the partition on the hard drive, and flashed the bios again with SP7107(just in case), and I'm now running the restore disk again. It did something different this time too, it got up to about 4% and then prompted for a restart.

Here's hoping that it works

Failure!!

Does anyone know how to restore that stupid Compuq partition? I can't find anything on the Compuq site.

Kuasimodem · 02-24-2002, 11:18 AM

I found the files in that link by doing a manual search for the SP's, downloaded each one, created the floppies, and got the error message "Setup not for this machine."

Does anybody have the original setup floppies for a Presario 4550, and could you email them to me?

Still looking for a solution

02-24-2002, 04:40 PM

When you "flashed" with SP7107, it should have put the Compaq partition on. You should be able to access it with "F10". I can e-mail you the SP7107.exe if you think the one you have is bad.

Let me know.