System bootup problem!

[hlp45777]

I have a COMPAQ 5084 (Presario) upon bootup I get a message "missing operating system", I have tried various bootup disks 95, 98, ME. I keep getting the "remove disks or other media - Press any key to restart" message. How can I get this system to recognize the boot disk, or how can I get into DOS to get started. It is possible that the floppy or the cd drive are different from the manufacturers original, not sure. Anyone have any Ideas?:confused:

[gary_hendricks]

Are you sure you are booting up from the floppy drive? Check your BIOS. Make sure it is booting from the floppy. Also check that your hard drive is formatted with fdisk and format.

[hlp45777]

I have been trying to get in the bios, what key on startup do I use, I can get into setup by using F-10 but I cannot find the Bios or the boot order?? Setup has the categories:
System
Communications
Storage
Input devices
Multimedia and
Exit
:o

[edfair]

Suspicion that your BIOS & CMOS access is on a hidden partition on the hard drive. Compaq did that on some. And since you don't have access it possibly suggests that the hard drive has failed, which would explain the failing to boot.
You can download what Compaq calls a rompaq, two or more floppies, specific to certain models, that allows manipulation of the special partition.

[GaryRouth]

Hmm - sounds like you are in either Bios Setup, or the Compaq diagnostics already ("Setup" usually refers to the "Bios Setup"). Check under the "System" menu to look for boot order options. Most of the newer Compaq(Hp) bios listings start with the menus Main, Advanced, Power, Boot, & Exit [makes it easy to find the Boot stuff, huh = under the Boot menu]. Your machine is likely from before that.

And - be sure to double-check the obvious - that no removable disks are in floppy, optical, or Zip drives.

The special partition that edfair mentions is easy to find the download for, if you have the exact model information for the computer (on a sticker somewhere on the computer). The download enables you to recreate both the proprietary system/bios information and the diagnostics tools and partition. Searches start at http://www.hp.com nowadays, since Hp acquired Compaq a while back.

Did you get bootdisks to match your Windows version from http://www.bootdisk.com ? Have you tried a bootable Windows CD (same version as the one already on the computer)?

If you can get the PC to boot from a floppy, or if you indeed have access to workable Compaq Diagnostics = run the diagnostics for the hard drive and the system memory.

Best of luck
. . . Gary

[hlp45777]

Well I finally got the comp to boot in DOS, I found the driver for the CD-Rom, and am trying to install it, I selected all the files to install and it wants me to install the files to C:\DEV it says press RETURN for default, where in the heck is return on the keyboard??When I type C: and press enter the comp says Invalid media type reading drive C, does that mean the hard drive cannot be read? I think my friend may have erased the hard drive drivers if that is possible! Anyone have a suggestion?

[hlp45777]

Well I have gotten the driver to be installed to my sys file and auto exe.bat, and mscdex to C: drive, the program then says "re-bbot to install drivers an mscdex.exe" but when I reboot with the operating system disc in, It tells me invalid dick, repalace and hit any key to continue" I remove the disc and I get the same message, how do I finish the installation?? Anyone have an answer to this one???:o

[edfair]

Try back to DOS off the floppy and run fdisk. Then 4 and view partitions to see if there is an active partition detected. And the type.
Your friend could have deleted the active partition, then recreated it without formatting. That would be one reason for the problem. Partitions have to be created, then formatted, to be usable, and the boot stuff added to make it bootable. Some operating systems automate the process so the steps are invisible to the user until something happens.
At this point I would suggest that you download a 98SE bootdisk from www.bootdisk.com and use it to gain access to the system. That is a known quantity and has options to access the hard drive and CD for diagnostic purposes.
What OS are you planning on installing. You mentioned DOS , 95, and 98.

[GaryRouth]

If at any point you've installed a non-9x version of Windows on that computer, and used the NTFS file system for a primary partition, when you use the fdisk option 4 to view the partitions, you should see a "non-DOS" partition listed. If the computer has any NTFS logical drives setup on an extended partition, fdisk won't see them. You'd have to use an NT-kernel based disk managment tool for that (Windows NT/2000/XP).

Have you good backups of all important data? You might be looking at a clean install coming your way.

If there is (or was) data on the drive that's not on a backup anywhere, and must be saved, stop everything else that you're doing & concentrate on saving the data first. You can slave the drive in a Windows XP computer (or use an external USB 2.0 enclosure) and see if you can see the data. If the data is not visible, you might want to try a Recovery program - some have trial versions, and several are available at sites like download.com.

If you haven't anything in particular worth saving on the computer, and the main hardware (motherboard, cpu, video card) is the same, you have the option of running the Recovery procedure [though you may have to recreate the special partition, depending on your particular model's setup] - and of course, you'd have to still know where the disks are!

Best of luck
. . . Gary

P.S. ... before going through any major work on the system (after you've saved the important data) -- you might want to run as many hardware diagnostics as you can, to make sure that you aren't "beating a dead horse" = if there's irrecoverable hardware failure, you'll want to know - before investing a lot of time & energy on failing parts.

[hlp45777]

OK, I have updated the bios, installed the driver for the cd rom, had to set the cd-rom as slave on the same cable as the hard drive, and have successfully installed windows ME, I have updated internet explorer to version 6. My newest problem is I cannot access the internet. I have comcast cable setup. after working with comcast, and succesfully pinging the computer with a positive test (all four pings) we have determined that I have a winsock dll problem. I have run the IE troubleshooter and only have one winsock file.
I am not too familiar with this stuff! What do I do now, how do I check or test this winsockdll or upgrade or what do I have to do. Is this the problem, what else can I check???:rolleyes:

[glc]

Try this:

http://www.softpedia.com/get/Tweak/Network-Tweak/WinSockFix.shtml

[hlp45777]

I GOT IT!!! I deleted all the tcp/ip's and restored them. I am now connected online! Thanks to everyone fpr their help, PC-Mech is the greatest. I am going to become a supporter this pay! I think that is what it is called, someone send me some info in case I don't find it on the website ( Ya know how dense I am, ha ha). I know I saw something about it somewhere, might not be called a supporter but sounds right, thanks GLC but the site you gave me was for XP, this comp is ME but I put it in favorites anyways. Have 2 other XP's. Thanks again guys (and Gals).:D

[glc]

That utility works on all versions of Windows, not just XP.