Compaq can't read cdrom

[DeadIslets]

I've reformatted the HD on a Compaq Presario 5152 and now when I boot off the floppy I cannot read the CDRom drive. I created a bootdisk off another W98SE system and the disk works fine on other computers. However, when I boot the Compaq from it I can see the drive letter but cannot access any data from the drive. I've also downloaded a W98SE image from bootdisk.com and I have the same problem. I thought when I formated the HD this would be just a simple task but now that I'm about out of hair I realize otherwise. If anyone has any ideas about this I'd love to hear about them.

Thanks!

Keith

 

[stuuked]

did you set the bios to read the floppy first, if so you may have took the cdrom out of the picture, check that first then, when the floppy startup disk boots are selecting with cd rom support. is it a newer cd rom, by that i mean did it come with the computer.

 

[franklin97355]

Get some diagnostic software and test your hardware (memory and hard disk to start)

 

[DeadIslets]

Thanks for the replies. This is an older PC probably '98 or early '99 (it's not mine ... I offered to do this for a friend) and has no way to set the boot sequence from the bios like the new MB's do ... and yes the cdrom came with the computer. My gut tells me this may be a proprietary issue w/Compaq but I have not confirmed it at this point.

Keith

 

[loop127]

Two things and don't be offended,

you've chosen to start it with cd support

and

you've tried the drive letters d: e: f: g: and dir'd them all.

RAMdrive usually gets d: but with my clean install it put my drive to e: and I just dir'd letters until the drive spun.

If there is more to it let us know

 

[DeadIslets]

loop127, thanks for response and no I'm not offended in any way ... just glad for the help. I am indeed starting w/cd support. When I dir drive e: I receive the message CDR101: Not ready reading drive E: Abort,Retry,Fail? which tells me it's seeing drive e: just can't do anything w/it. Dir on the other drives generate the 'Invalid drive specification' message.

Keith

 

[garebo]

How many different cd's have you tried in that cdrom?


Good advice + great people = tek-tips

 

[DeadIslets]

garebo, thanks for the response. At this point I've tried 4 cd's in this cdrom and get the same response from all of them.

Keith

 

[loop127]

I just finished a similar project an hour ago...
the floppy would not register so I couldn't boot to it to run format etc.
I took the drive to another machine with a known working bios, wired it in, and fdisked, formated, and loaded an os.
Put it back in the first machine and voilla ~ pc.
My guy wanted a working pc, if he wants an updated bios we can work on that later.
you may want to concider the same.
by the way all the drives work with the OS just wont boot to a: (yet)

let us know

 

[DeadIslets]

loop127, good idea. I was just about up to that point, but instead I downloaded a dos usb driver from bootdisk.com and modified my floppy boot disk to incorporate. I borrowed an external usb cd-rom, plugged it in and the system recognized it on boot-up. I was then able to copy all of my W98 cd to the HD and install successfully. I then downloaded diagnostics from the compaq site and when I ran them got a sequential read error on the original cd-rom. I've got a couple of extra cdroms around the house and when I get a few minutes will install a replacement ... it's beginning to look like the whole issue may have been a hardware problem all along.

Keith

 

[garebo]

thats what i was thinking all along, thats why i asked the question i did.


Good advice + great people = tek-tips

 

[loop127]

Good Job

now i am off to wreck a monitor that won't stop blinking...more later

 

[garebo]

Be careful with that monitor, they carry a deadly charge even when disconnected from main power source.
Not really worth opening up, unless you really know your stuff!


Good advice + great people = tek-tips

 

[DeadIslets]

I replaced the cdrom drive w/another drive I had around the house and it works. I have a question concerning the old drive -- is the sequential read error I received during diagnostic testing indicative of hardware failure or could it be something as simple as dirt on the lens? If I need to put this old drive in the trash i certainly will, but on the other hand if it's something simple I'd love to salvage it.

 

[garebo]

Well, you could try opening it up and cleaning it up, check the "rails" to see that they slide up and down or left and right, you could even apply a bit of white grease to make sure they slide well.
Then just clean any obvious dust or dirt and then use either a spray or fine cloth on the optics.

then try it again.


Good advice + great people = tek-tips

 

[DeadIslets]

garebo, took the drive apart and the motor shaft was out of the forward nylon bushing and protruding out the back of the motor, diagnosis -- drive cooked. By the way, do you know how to update the bios on a compaq? I've done alot of reading but don't see exactly how to do it. Is some of the information stored in a separate partition? Seems I've read something about that.

Thanks.

 

[garebo]

I dont suppose you can push the shaft back into position can you? I havent opened one up in a long time, dont quite remember the bushing and shaft, so you would certainly know better.

On the Compaq, I dont know what age your puter is, but if its done the way i have seen they use what is called rompaq's. They are simply bios updates. All you do is go to their (HP-Compaq) tech support, then find your mobo, then find your rompaq and download it. I believe the instructions go with each rompaq, but if not, you can also print out or download the instructions, which, actually are pretty simple and standard. The only difference is that the rompaqs place the bios on part of the hard drive instead of a rom-bios chip on the mobo. I think thats the way it goes.
But all you have to do is do as it says and all will go well, just make sure you get the correct rompaq. ON the other hand, if you get the wrong one, i dont think it will even install, they have it done pat.

But if you need help along the way, let us know.
Usually its a matter of putting the new bios on a win98 boot disk, insert the disk into your floppy drive, turning computer on, going into bios and setting your bios so that it boots from the a drive and reboot. Then when you get to the a drive you type in the name of the new bios and it does all the work. But check the instructions they give you, should be about the same as this.
After that you may or may not have to re-set your bios by moving the jumper from 1 and 2 to 2 and 3, remove battery and remove all sources of power, like the power cord to the wall outlet. Wait a while then put the jumper back from 2 and 2 to 1 and 2 and put battery back in and power up.
Buy you may not have to do that.
One thing, before you start, boot up and press the "pause-break" button as it boots and write down the bios info string, should be at the bottom of your screen but may be on top, anyway write down the info so that when you install the new bios you can see that its different and should have newer date on it as well!
Good luck, they usually go well.





Good advice + great people = tek-tips