hp omnibook 4150 2

[tommarsh]

Need Help with omnibook 4150
after running the built in diagnostics-the unit won't power up. It starts to for about 3/5 seconds and powers off.
Is there a keyboard combination to unlock it/reset ??
I was installing Win2KPro and was all done excewpt for the BIOS fix which i didn't know about until i had already installed the OS over NT4.0 workstation.
Here's the other big problem-no A drive and so i had tried to setup an external zip drive to boot from and it didn't like the iomega software AT ALL.
I was hoping to run a debug and wipe the hd clean and start over.
please help me-it's my girlfriends laptop-i'm bummed and feeling stupid.
Thanks, Tom

 

[KimberTech]

http://h20004.www2.hp.com/keeper_rnotes/bsdmatrix/matrix31634.html

Diagnostics and drivers for the 4150

Does it have a CDRom?
Better question, does it come with a restore cd so you can put it back to factory standard?

Kimber There is no such thing as a dumb question. Only a dumb mistake because you didn't ask...

 

[tommarsh]

Thank you for the quick responce.
It does have a CD-Rom set for the first boot seek.
No-I don't have the restore CD's but I do have a lot of different types of software and if I need something else-I'll get it.
Any ideas ?
Thanks, Tom

 

[KimberTech]

Can you boot from the cd and then get the diagnostics for that thing loaded?
That would be a fast possibility...and if it doesnt work it will give us some idea as to whether you want to try to upgrade the O/S after all, or whether you have other problems.
Did the notebook have any issues before you started this?

Will help if I can.

Kimber
There is no such thing as a dumb question. Only a dumb mistake because you didn't ask...

 

[tommarsh]

It doesn't stay powered up long enough for a boot.
At Apple, we have a keyboard combination, for reseating back to factory specs, it's called PRAM (programableRAM).
I was wondering if hp had anything like that.
Have you heard ¿
Thanks

 

[KimberTech]

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/lpi06389/lpi06389.pdf

This is the manual...all I have been able to find is that there is a reset switch on the base of the unit...but as far as "I" have ever seen, non Mac pcs and notebooks are all factory reset either in the bios or by shorting two pins on the mainboard.

Have a look at the link, and see if you can get your hands on the restore CD for this unit. If you can restore it, and it works, then you can rule out any hardware failure etc that just happened to "go" while you were upgrading.

To get into HP bios, hit F2 when you see the logo on startup.
If you dont get power long enough, try keeping it plugged into the wall for starters, and you can also pull the battery and carefully clean the contacts to make sure you are getting proper power to the unit.

Will keep digging to see if I can find anything else.

Kimber There is no such thing as a dumb question. Only a dumb mistake because you didn't ask...

 

[joyful4]

You need two files, the w2k compatible 4150 bios and the HP Configuration Interface plus you may need to change device drivers as well. The following URL should help:

http://www.hp.com/notebooks/us/eng/support/windows2000/index.htm

 

[tommarsh]

Thanks everyone-i have come into possession of an "A" drive.
Now if i can just get it to stay powered up long enough.
I'm going to the manual link now.
I already have the compressed file for the BIOS.
I learned about it too late. and when i went to run it-then i got the read me file about the before & after instructions. I didn't run it right away because i thought it would flash the board right away and i wanted to be at a command prompt-not on the hard drive-so that why i tried to use an external zip drive-last resort, i don't like them-and when i rebooted with zip software-the system started hanging and i never could recover and things went downhill fast after that.
any way-that's the whole story-i'll try the link and reset button-hope this isn't too long for posting etiquette

 

[tommarsh]

thanks everyone fort your help.
my girlfriend has since "remembered" that she has an A drive for it AND she got it to boot up, like nothing was wrong with it, by pushing the reset button while hitting the power button and she threw in some F keys, at random, as well.
talk about dumb luck. (not her-the luck)
thanks again, Tom