Member Avatar for chibiepi

Hello,

I have a problem with my pc. It is an old HP Compaq Presario 5716 (about 6 years old).

When I turned on the computer, the usual "COMPAQ" screen appears, however, instead of continuing to the usual Microsoft blue screen to start up, it just stays frozen on the COMPAQ screen.

This happened a few times recently, but before I could just randomly hit Ctrl+Alt+Del a couple of times and it would restart normally.
But this time the Ctrl Alt Del doesnt work...

Can you please help me? I really appreciate it, thank you

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by Carebare47

Dani AI

Generated

Freezing at the COMPAQ splash on a Presario 5716 means the POST (firmware/initial hardware check) is not finishing. and have already mentioned BIOS/battery and internal-connection possibilities; those are reasonable. The steps below avoid repeating those suggestions and focus on other quick, non-destructive checks that often find the root cause.

  • Remove every external device (USB drives, printers, network cable, card readers) so only monitor, power and a keyboard are connected. If it posts, add devices back one at a time to find the culprit.
  • Try a different keyboard or temporarily unplug the keyboard; a stuck or faulty key can stop POST. While powering, tap Esc, F2, F10 or Del repeatedly to try to reach the Startup/BIOS menu.
  • Listen and watch: note any beep sequences and NumLock/CapsLock LED blink patterns and write them down. Those patterns are POST codes and can indicate which subsystem failed.
  • Do a power discharge: unplug the PC, press and hold the front power button 10–15 seconds, then reconnect power and try again.

If those steps do not move past the logo, inspect and test other hardware that was not covered in earlier replies: visually check the motherboard for bulging or leaking capacitors, try the machine with the discrete video card removed (or connect to a different monitor/input), and consider testing or swapping the PSU if available — weak supplies commonly cause early hangs. Also remove any recently added PCI/AGP cards or optical drives and try booting.

If nothing changes, the firmware or motherboard may be failing. Before attempting board-level repairs, remove the hard drive and attach it to another computer (or use a USB adapter) to back up important data. When opening the case, always unplug mains power and ground yourself. If unsure, take the unit to a technician or consult the HP/Compaq service manual for model 5716 for model-specific POST code and disassembly guidance.

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Member Avatar for jbennet

I think the battery which holds the Date/Time and BIOS settings has died

This has ahppened on a thinkpad of mine, leading to it hanging at bootup on the "IBM" bit. I swapped the battery and went into the BIOS to redo all my settings and reset the date and time - then it worked fine

The battery is on the motherboard and looks like the ones in watches - check your motherboard manual (there cheap, £5 - like £30 max)

REPLACE IT YOURSELF AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!!!

IF YOU PUT IT IN THE WRONG WAY OR GET WRONG TYPE/VOLTAGE IT WILL KILL YOUR PC FOREVER!

Member Avatar for Carebare47

Hi,
I had the same problemb, i think you have the same computer as me, it started when i re-built it, and i cant remember what i did, i am sure that it has nothing to do whith the battery. try cheking that all the wires inside are in firmly, and the CPU is in properly. It that dosent work, try re-building your computer. I think it might be a problemb with the CPU not being in the correct position, or the RAM cards ( maby they are loose?). Chek the hard drive is set as master.

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