Starving artist needs help!

[skye]

;) What a nice forum. I'm glad my computer is dead so I found this place. well, okay, that's a big fat lie. But this is a nice forum.

I need help if anyone can give it. I tried to use Acronis partition manager to partition my HD and something went horribly wrong. (understatement) I could not load windows, it had a NTLDR missing error. I couldn't get the files to download from a boot disk. Then I tried "Killdisk" to delete the partition and no such luck. So I tried FDISK to set up XP from DOS. It seemed to work, but then I could not load windows. I reset the Bios. Now my monitor will not boot at all, it flashes lights but no picture. I have a COMPAQ PRESARIO 5wv254

I can't get the monitor to load at all, there's no operating system. Is there anyway to get the monitor up and start this thing?

:sad: - Skye

[Catweazle]

Have you got a Windows XP install CD? Have you got a Recovery CD which came with the PC?

[skye]

I have a XP setup disk, when I bought the PC five years ago it came bundled with Windows ME, I have the recovery disks for that but when I installed XP all previos snapshots of the OEM version of ME were wiped of course, and I also unpartitioned the drive way back then to get back the 3 or four GB that ME partioned. That was all successful and I had no problems.

I've pretty much resigned that this is unfixable. After an FDISK, I couldn't get xp to install again and then the icing on the cake, the monitor won't load now. It does work though, I tested it on another computer. Unless there's some DOS fix to restart the BIOS I can't get the monitor to boot at all to see anything loading. It'd be a minor miracle.

Thanks for your help though, I'll have a shoebox full of spare parts.

:) - Skye

[Thong_Ispector]

How did you reset the bios...

Did you use the reset to failsafe settings or did you flash the bios?

If you power up then press the insert key and hold it while you power down and back up, some systems will go to a default config and let you back into the setup.

[skye]

Thanks TI - it didn't work though but I will remember the tip, thank you for posting. What I did to "update the Bios" was use a floppy disk from compaq's website with a ROMPAQ that they said would update the BIOS, I wouldn't know the difference between flashing or resetting to failsafe is. I'm pretty much new to this kind of trouble. I wished I found you guys before I had trouble. Powering up then pressing the insert key and holding it while you're powering down and back up, that did not work.

I am getting a new hard drive I hope, this one seems beyond hope. thank you everyone for the responses, I appreciate it.

;) -Skye

[Thong_Ispector]

Bad bad bad news...

What you did was flash the bios...

Best guess...

What you now need is a new motherboard...

That CPU is a 700mhz AMD Duron...

I would personally not put more money into a Compaq...
You can get a motherboard that will accept that cpu and most everything else in your system for $34 at Tiger Direct...
You would also need a new case and power supply... $50 +/-

So to repair what you have call it $100...

You can go to Walmart and get one that is light years faster with tons more ram for $199 and add your own operating system...
(It comes with Lindows)

[Catweazle]

It does sound like the BIOS flash has gone awry, and that would render the PC inoperable.

Replacing a motherboard in a Compaq PC isn't really a worthwhile option. Best course of action is to get hold of another PC which is only a working system box and to use your existing mouse, keyboard, monitor etc with it.

[skye]

Thanks a bunch CatWeazel and TI for your advice. (great avatars by the way!) I had the feeling this was the case and you are right, I need to upgrade more anyway.

*cue violins* - even though it was an old machine it was still sad to disasemble it. I saved the cooling fan.. could use it for a rearview mirror car charm. :lol:

;) - Skye

[charlieB]

that is a very sad story tho... :(

[skatamatic]

Sounds like what happened to my computer! Except I can make the monitor turn on by taking out the BIOS battery and putting it back in while the power is off. See if that works for you! (Except mine is still pretty broken after that point)