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help dead compaq computer! winxp killed it!

G

guywithoutaclue

Senior member
help!

I'm installing windows xp professional on one of my lan computers, problem was that its a stupid compaq. I don't know what the deal is with these compaqs but it previously had windows98se on it, and so naturally I formatted that drive to make room for windows xp. So everything is going slick and I get the files copied, but after the initial formatting partitions and copying files I get a screen that says something to this effect

"can't find nt*blah*rl " or something like that.
and "can't read multipartition 0/0/1" I'm not sure about the numbers part

and so I try reinstalling windows xp again, but ofcourse nothing... so i try installing like 10 times to make sure but no luck. So can anyone help? I know I didn't leave much but I can't get beyond the first restart, like on other hand-maid computers the next step would be installing the xp files with that stupid screen talking about "new features". I don't even get that far...

And now I can't even install win98se back on it...


is it the compaq bios that prevents any upgrades in OS's?
any suggestions will do.

Thanks for time


its an old celeron 566
model 7585
with a 10 gb hd one partition with 2 gigs the other with 8gigs
 
On Compaq computers BIOS is stored on hidden hard drive partition. Formatting hard drive erases that partition, which makes computer unbootable.

What you need to do now is to get original QuickRestoreCDk and by restore factory default settings by booting from that CD. Once everything is back, install WindowsXP as a dual boot and you'll be fine.

I hope this helps,
 


<< Best thing to do with a compaq is shoot it >>


:Q
alternatively just restore with the compaq disk & do an XPupgrade if you can.
for dual booting it's best to have another partition on which to install XP!
 
Compaq really has the BIOS on the hard drive? I thought that was just a restore partition. Most of the actual BIOS features are just hidden anyway.
 
Did you try booting with your win98 boot disk, fdisk (to delete/recreate partition), format your hardrive and then reinstall win98?
 
Thanks guys I think you are all right about the stupid bios being on the hard drive, cause that would make sense. I tried booting from wind98se cd and the computer won't even run the setup process. Thanks guys you've been alot of help, but now I can't find that stupid system restore cd. damn! and I've looked everywhere! oh well, I guess I have my work cut out for me.

Thanks alot everyone...


oh yeah and it is a compaq presario model 7585
 
Actually the bios is not on the hard drive in presarios. What is on the hard drive in that non dos partition is the utility that allows you to access the bios. used to be that you could also run those utilities of of a floppy disk instead of the hard drive not sure about the more recent models though. If the bios was on the hard drive then if you tried to boot without a hard drive nothing would happen at all. I would try writing zeros to the drive then repartitioning and installing again. Sometimes when a drive is repartitioned and/or formatted some things are left there that wack the drive out. check the drive manufacturers website for a write zero utility most have one for download.
 
I had major problems trying to put 2000 on my presario laptop. It kept telling me that it did not have drivers etc. I contacted Compaq for imformation on drivers for their hardware (atleast the name in device manager was Compaq) but they said I had to contact Microsoft and they offered no further support.
 
My sister just recently bought an old Compaq Presario to have as an extra computer. Other then it was really cheap, I don't know why?

But anyway, It had Win95 on it so I fdisked and formatted it and was able to successfully load both Win98 and WinME on it.

I remember in the older days, you used to have to install the system partition on them but that has not been my experience with newer Compaqs.

Doesn't help you, but figured I would add my 2 cents.
 
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