Windows wont boot/load

[i1t4yomindi]

the computer was working perfectly fine this afternoon. left for 2-3 hours and came back. the mouse didnt move, alt ctrl del didnt work. so i manually restarted it from the power button.

then it went to just the compaq logo screen and does nothing. i did this several times and results came out the same. and then i pressed some f# keys and now, it doesnt even go to the compaq screen, it just goes blank.

this is a compaq 5020 on windows 98se

Please help!

[Cricket]

Try replacing the IDE cable first. But make sure you get the right type. The Compaq may be using a 40 wire Cable Select IDE cable instead of a normal 40 wire cable that uses the master/slave jumper settings on the hard drive. If it's using a 80 wire IDE cable, you can just get another 80 wire IDE cable.

Cricket

[rjfvillarosa]

Where you in the same building for the 2 to 3 hours that you left the machine? did you notice any flicker in the lights or any kind of surge in the power supply. These Compaq's have notoriously weak bios chips and the slightest electrical spike will fry them, leaving you with the symptoms you describe.

[i1t4yomindi]

yes, i was on a nother computer at the time. i notice somehting unusual, usually if i leave for that long it should have been on screen saver mode but it isnt. i didnt see any flickering.

actually, for some reason, when i turn the computer on, the cdrw light keeps on flashing. then yesterday after the 50 time or so (estimate) it worked, but it showed a screen that said something about laid 1 (cd-rom). and it went to windows. and while surfing at sprint.com it frooze.

now, its doing the same thing again, it wont boot up and the cd-rw keeps on flashing.

[rjfvillarosa]

Are you confident enough to remove the side case cover and reset the CMOS via the motherboard jumper or by removing the motherboard battery?

[edfair]

And comfortable enough to reseat the memory?

[i1t4yomindi]

sorry, i do not know how to cmos my motherboard, especially my compaq as the inside is very compact.

my bios is old, and i dont think i can change any settings through bios.

i did uplugg my burner, and today after about 12 times it restarted.

i am not sure what it is, i unplugged the cd burner but still the computer is acting up, i think it might be the hard drive as the hd light doesnt flash.

[rjfvillarosa]

You say you disconnected the CD, I guess that means you are OK taking the side cover off the machine. What you need to do is remove the battery from the mother board, but this should be done with the Power lead removed from the back of your machine. Take the side cover off before you remove the power lead and familiarize yourself with the motherboard and battery, the battery is a chrome disk about the size of a quarter, it has a small clip holding it in place. Touch the frame of the machine with your hand a couple of times and then remove the power lead from the back of your machine followed quickly by the battery. Wait about half an hour to an hour and then replace the battery and then the power lead, this will reset the CMOS to the basic settings, hopefully now your machine will boot. The first thing you will notice is that the time and date are wrong but you can adjust those in control panel.

[i1t4yomindi]

i just wanted to ask how does replacing the battery help the computer boot?

i am not sure if i will perform this task, my friend told me to replace the mobo battery a few monthes ago when my clock lagged by about 15 minutes.

but when i open the computer up, i cant even get my hands to the mobo. i dont know where it is, if i find it, i doubt i can reach it. because the compaq is built very compact, only thing you can do is add pci cards and cdrw.

but i do want to reconnect the cd burner as it is a very important hardware that i use often but i am afraid it wont boot. (i am not sure because the screen said something about the cdrw when it didnt boot, thats why i unplugged it and it works fine now. well it takes a few power on to boot)

also, thank you guys for helping me, i know its not the best job, i appreciate it.

[rjfvillarosa]

Originally Posted by i1t4yomindi i just wanted to ask how does replacing the battery help the computer boot? i am not sure if i will perform this task, my friend told me to replace the mobo battery a few monthes ago when my clock lagged by about 15 minutes.

Did you replace the battery?

The battery is required to maintain power to the CMOS/BIOS chip when you switch your machine off. The CMOS chip contains BIOS information (Basic Input Output System) this information is the most basic information your computer uses to start your machine up, it knows what hardware you have and runs tests (POST power on self test) to check all the hardware is there and functioning and also where to look for your operating system. It is very easy for the BIOS information to become corrupted, thats why I originally asked you if you had noticed any flickering in the lights, if this information gets corrupted in anyway it is possible that your computer will become confused as to where to find things and either "hang" (waiting for information) or crash. Resetting the BIOS via the motherboard jumper or removal of the battery for half an hour, automatically resets the BIOS information back to the original default settings and hopefully your machine will then have the correct information in order to boot itself.

[i1t4yomindi]

no i did not replace it. so far the computer is looking pretty good. it only takes 2 power on to boot. i might try to replace it. do i have to buy a new one or just take it our for a few hours?

[rjfvillarosa]

Under the circumstances you might as well replace it, they are very inexpensive.

[i1t4yomindi]

is their a way to cmos it through the bios, like set default settings or do i have to take out the battery?

[GaryRouth]

I'd strongly recommend replacing the battery as a first step in your troubleshooting (just as rjfvillarosa recommended), otherwise you face losing a lot of time just getting the system to start. By replacing the battery 1st thing, you simplify the troubleshooting a great deal, too.

Is this a picture of your motherboard?
http://partsurfer.hp.com/cgi-bin/spi...ber=320756-001

(the CMOS ["Bios"] battery is the little coin-shaped battery you can see up next to the two memory slots, on the side of the motherboard away from where you plug in your keyboard and mouse. The battery is possibly a Sony 2032 type = should be available at your local computer store or electronics store for about $1.50 USD. You can replace it by following rjfvillarosa's instructions posted earlier. If this is not the same as your motherboard, you can still use the illustration to see what the battery should look like on your board.)

Compaq Support article explaining how to enter Bios Setup & other info:
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/d...name=c00007683

(basically, for your model, you press F10 as soon as you see the red Compaq splash screen at startup)

Depending on the outcome of replacing the CMOS battery and resetting your Bios Setup values, you may then want to run some diagnostics. Look in your Program menus for the Compaq Diagnostics, which can test several parts of your computer and report any problems it finds. If you can't find the diagnostics anywhere, you can try downloading and running a version for a webpage such as this http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/s...wareitem=33684

Try to make sure it's compatible with your exact model #, which you can find on a sticker, usually on the back of the case.

Best of luck
. . . Gary

[P.S. ...make sure that the time & date are correct while you are in Bios Setup]