Help With A Compaq

Nothing or even when it boots up it freezes (even when FORMAT C: ) and FDISK are being ran.

Im really at a lost here.

an FDISK or FORMAT command at a dos prompt, you definitely have a hardware rather than a software issue.

As stated before....it appears that this began with your changing the video card from Nvidia to ATI...but you haven't said yet whether the Nvidia is on-board video (incorporated into the motherboard) or a separate card like the ATI card is. Nor have you said yet the reason for changing the video card in the first place. Nor have you said how you uninstalled, or if you even did, the Nvidia card prior to installing the ATI card.

What other peripherals are hooked up currently besides the keyboard, mouse, and/or sound?

Are there any yellow marks in Device Mgr? Have you tried going into SafeMode and then Device Mgr to see if you have duplicate/multiple entries listed for the same hardware or if you have hardware listed there that isn't even in your system anymore?

TONI

adding memory won't help if the other stick has a flaky chip or two. Of course, the memory processing in the Northbridge could also cause a similar problem, as well as memory in cache.

Have you tried testing the memory by running memtest from a floppy it must run error free for many hours.

One other possibility could conceivably be that of the bad capacitor problem discussed in many places by Robert Proffitt.

The fact that it even happens in FDISK [running from a floppy?] from DOS with no involvement of the IDE ports would seem to leave bad memory reads as the basic problem.

TONI to answer ur question u should know that Compaq UWAVE motherBoard dont have a Video Card OnBoard built on it. its unplugable both.

Now the compaq still freezes even with out Windows Verisons. (meaning i even tryed Lindows 5,Xandros) and still Freezed (able to change back to Windows ME or Whatever.

Currently Compaq is still freezeing up.

And the Power Supply that came with the compaq im guessing its died because I switched Power Supply with another computer around the house and put the one that was inside it inside the compaq and the compaq in the old one and when u turn the old one on it does not turn on but the CD led are green and stuff and its fan is turning. and the Power Led on the computer it self is Not Green its orange on both the Busy and Power of the computer. (i have no clue if that means anything)


And im still waiting 4 those 2 CDs to come in to check if it can fix it.

Specs on the compaq are still the same

Computer Profile Summary from Belarc

Operating System
Windows XP Professional Service Pack 2 (build 2600)

Processor a
1.10 gigahertz AMD Athlon
128 kilobyte primary memory cache
256 kilobyte secondary memory cache
Drives
40.01 Gigabytes Usable Hard Drive Capacity
COMPAQ DVD-ROM SD-612B [CD-ROM drive]
LITE-ON DVDRW SOHW-1613S [CD-ROM drive]
3.5" format removeable media [Floppy drive]

WDC WD400EB-00CPF0 [Hard drive] (40.02 GB) -- drive 0, s/n ********, rev 06.04G06, SMART Status: Healthy

System Model
Compaq Compaq PC

Main Circuit Board
Board: Compaq 06E4h
Bus Clock: 100 megahertz
BIOS: Compaq 786K1 03/28/2002

Memory Modules
256 SDRAM

Controllers
Standard floppy disk controller
Primary IDE Channel [Controller]
Secondary IDE Channel [Controller]
VIA Bus Master IDE Controller
Bus Adapters
VIA Rev 5 or later USB Universal Host Controller
VIA Rev 5 or later USB Universal Host Controller
Communications
PCTEL Platinum V.90 Modem
SMC EZ Card 10/100 PCI (SMC1211TX)
Network Card MAC Address: ***********
Network IP Address: *******

Display
ATI Technologies, Inc. 3D RAGE PRO AGP 2X [Display adapter]
Compaq FS740 [Monitor] (16.3"vis, December 2000)

Multimedia
VIA AC'97 Audio Controller (WDM)
Other Devices
HID-compliant consumer control device
HID-compliant consumer control device
HID-compliant device
HID-compliant device
HID-compliant device
HID-compliant device
HID-compliant device
HID-compliant device
USB Human Interface Device
USB Human Interface Device
HID Keyboard Device
Standard 101/102-Key or Microsoft Natural PS/2 Keyboard
PS/2 Compatible Mouse
USB Composite Device
USB Root Hub
USB Root Hub

Please Help Me!

why you switched video cards, how you removed the old drivers before installing the new ones, nor have you tested the memory as Bob suggested.

Instead you jumped again to doing something else....removing windows and installing the third operating system at this time (Linux) and replacing the power supply without telling us what wattage the old one was and what the wattage is on the new one.

AND you still have the same problem going on.

Three choices......RAM, VIDEO, POWERSUPPLY....on what could be wrong, and you've ignored two out of those three and added a third to the mix now.

Consistency is key in getting people to help you....that means we trouble shoot one item at a time in order to absolutely rule it out, and then go on to the next thing it can be in order to actually pinpoint it. You can't keep adding things to the mix without getting to the root of the other things we've been talking about because otherwise you are adding to the problem by compounding it.

TONI

I switched Video Cards because the screen wasnt turning on with it (but we found out why so like it can go back inside of the compaq but its still freezeing and i need it in this one so i can be able to use this computer thatz why the ATI is inside the compaq now and the NIVIDA is in this other one.

Drivers? Removed? i never removed any LOL i dont know where u asking that from but i do believe i have telled all of you that what i have done was DID A CLEAN INSTALL OF WINDOWS ME/XPSP2 (i take Linux off so dont talk about it anymore)
I KillDisk the 40GB harddrive and which was from www.KillDisk.com and then used the CD Windows XP/SP2.

according to what Bob suggested? was nothing to be a help of the Memory thing that he was giving i suppose didnt have a clue what they was giveing out so i ignored it 4 the purpose of nothing of never being able to use it in the 1st place.


Watt?
Compaq Power Supply on the Back where the red switch is have 115,230 then on the compaq label of the Power Suppy says output power 250W

On the new one its 115,230W according to the power supply on the back in graved.

Is this all the answers u guys needed?

Who replaced it? I think that with the graphics cards you have, the 250W power supply was nowhere near enough to pull what you need now that you have new hardware installed. You mentioned the 115.230 but that isn't the watts on the second one that is in it now......that's the voltage. Look again at the label for the W and it should be at least 350W or higher now......

I don't understand what you said about the memory issue so please reword the answer. Thanks.

TONI

I recently fixed a friends computer of the same make and when i sent it back it did exactly the same thing! Kept freezing for no apparent reason. I dicovered this was due to the keyboard! it was a usb keyboard which hadn't had the drivers installed! if you keyboard is usb connection. Try unplugging it then boot up! If you computer works fine then, you need to get the drivers from their web site.

Okay you guys am Back and the CDs i ordered from Compaq/HP did work but didnt stop the freezeing so what do you guys think the problem is ?

Not enough RAM, could be graphics card, which is sucking up resources, could be your old processor and can't handle the load, also could be too many programs running, spyware etc. Try all, and one would be your solution.
ROger

Okay Guys Please help me out wit this

I No Longer have a Compaq Computer.
Now what i have done is Bought this MSI K7N2 DELTA2 MotherBoard and case.I did buy a new in the box power supply from the Thrift Store, do you think this might be the problem? If so, how can I check to make sure this is working properly? (Even tho i know its not it)
Because the Fan is Running.

Used the same AMD CPU,CD/DVD COMBO,DVDPLAYER,HD 40GB,and the
Now about the Memory it's not SDRAM anymore its DDR and we had bought these 2 items only.

MotherBoard and Memory 512 DDR Generic!

But i have been haveing countless problems...
The Screen will not turn on from its sleep! and also i have got these from (PCClub). Now the 1st MotherBoard i got was Messed up which has been taken back and replaced with the same MotherBoard, but although, the man there used his CPU and Memory on this Board and Video Card and it worked! but when i tryed it here, didnt work, So what do you guys think the problem is?

PICTURES OF THE MOTHERBOARD AND EVERYTHING!
http://www.joinme.net/gcxr/Compaq/index.html
http://pcclub.com/products/detail/A4854897_1.jpg

The Store's Page of the MotherBoard!
http://pcclub.com/product_detail.cfm?itemno=A4854897

512MB DDR400 PC3200 Memory
http://pcclub.com/product_detail.cfm?itemno=A4303393

but first, it is not unusual to have problems coming back out of sleep mode. Simplest solution is to disable it and forget about using it.

What you are saying about the power supply makes little sense to me. What wattage is it? If you know that it not working properly, why waste yours and our time on it. Get a good power supply!!!

So this is different memory, so the prior memory, which was a great candidate to be the source of all of your problems is now gone, CORRECT????

So we are back at the starting point because basically no prior symptoms, tests, result have any meaning for this setup.

Is this the one where the mobo was set on anti static material rather than cardboard to check that the mobo wasn't shorted??? These things are fresh in your mind but not ours. Please, let's try to address only the basic start up problem first.

The mobo, CPU/HSF, one stick of memory [even if you intend to run Dual Channel later]. The video card, and let's include the keyboard [PS2 type only!] this time. On the cardboard. Turn the power on, what happens??? If you know that the power supply is bad I feel stupid asking. LOL

Can you get into the BIOS?

Remind me/us exactly what CPU you are using. Does the mobo support Dual Channel meory, what FSB??

Give some answers and let's hope we can get it working properly.

I have no clue what you are saying about the Sleep Mode Disableing and forgeting about having to use that.

Okay now i have a good working Power Supply But still the screen dont respond.
Picture of the Power Suppy that didnt work
http://www.zodm.com/images/TZB19340.jpg
But the Power Supply im useing now is the same just another one that works.

What i meant by the memory meaning when i bought the new MB i couldnt use SDRAM anymore had to buy DDR. and i was guessing that the only reason why the screen isnt comeing on is because of the memory which is a Generic Type.

Stick Of Memory Useing

http://www.pcclub.com/product_detail.cfm?itemno=A4303393

I dont have no clue of your next summary here
Something about Anti Static Material Rather Than CardBoard.

Whatz pluged up the the MB now.
1.CPU,FAN,HeatSink (CPU IS AMD 1.1GHZ)
2.Video Card
3.Memory
4.20-PIN,and 4-PIN connecter.
5.Power Supply.

Get into the BIOS?
Hey are you reading what i posted?
THE SCREEN IS SLEEPING!
As in Orange LED Light NOT GREEN

Reminding what I have

A AMD CPU 1.1GHZ!

The FSB of the MB i believe is 400?

with a problem with their monitor being in sleep mode and we suggested that the CMOS jumper pins on the motherboard be moved from the ON position to the OFF position for about ten minutes (leave the monitor connected to the computer, but everything powered off), then reset the jumpers back to the ON position. This actually cleared the BIOS and reset everything back to defaults on the motherboard. Then power up both the computer and the monitor.....and the screen came alive again.

TONI

tell you how i got this MotherBoard from the start

First Bought it from the PCClub then pluged up that one but also the Screen didnt awaken from its sleep.
But we found out because the MotherBoard was Messed up so we Replaced it and got another MotherBoard went home pluged it up Now unlike the other board this one works because we seen it turn on over at the PCClub store.

BUT! He Used His
CPU,HS,FAN
Memory
Video Card
And his Power Supply.

And the screen showed up so im not thinking i shouldnt have to restart the BIOS because 4 one thing i already did.

Now the MotherBoard IS NOT IN ITS CASE 4 THE LAST TIME! for the people who was asking about pluging up the SPK and it has been in its Case but i didnt hear any beebs anyway, and another thing when PCClub turned it on they didnt use a SPK he pluged up his HIS VIDEO CARD NOT THE ONE IM USEING,HIS CPU,HIS Power Supply,& Memory but the MotherBoard of course

AND OVER THERE IT HAD TURNED ON SO IM THINKING THAT THE MEMORY IS MESSED UP! because i have had times when i used to have SDRAM and without having a Memory inside the screen dont respond to the computer at all so even tho i have the DDR 512 Memory it can be messed up.

But im just saying as a reason that can be the problem.

the screen was coming back from it's sleep. Thus I thought that you were using sleep mode as a way to save power when the system wasn't being used.

Regarding the cardboard, I probably got you mixed up with another thread I was working with. He had put the mobo on a piece of cardboard to isolate it from the case, as a means of insuring that the mobo wasn't shorted to the mounting plate.

Re colors of LEDS, I'm color blind, they all look the same to me, so I never even notice the color..

Your problem may be caused by the FSB, There is no way that a 1.1 AMD can support a 400 MHz FSB, very likely 266 at the best, possibly only 200 MHz. What type CPU is it??? T-Bird, or XP??? I think that it is a T-Bird and if the later model can support a 266 FSB, but some earlier versions only supported 200 MHz FSB. So restore the CMOS to defaults and if you get int the BIOS set the memory bus to 100 first.[that should give you a 200 MHz FSB using DDR memory.

If you originally had set the mobo to a 400 MHz FSB, you will now have to reset the CMOS to the defaults and try again.

into the BIOS, then it should already be set to the Fail-Safe settings = 200 MHz FSB. [DDR 3200 will run fine at the slower clock rate]

Are you getting any beeps at boot?? [do you have a speaker connected to the mobo?].

Any chance that the mobo got shorted to the mounting plate when installing it??

Vendor tested with his CPU, any chance that your CPU is dead???

Bad memory [or not fully plugged in] should give beeps.

Flaky memory should work but give erratic performance.

As far as I can see your version of the mobo DOES NOT have the onboard video which could conflict with your card.

your mobo manual. So fire away when you digest my prior post.

Hey Dragonbssj i have the same pc as you only i have 512 megs of ram so its not that,i have had the compaq 5004us for a long time and it just started to do the same thing you wrote about like the freezing even when its in dos or bios and no windows runnin its not the hardrives and i doubt its overheatin and i think it could be the processor i am wondering if a replacement processor would do the trick, have you tried a different processor i would love to know about anything else you tried. ill take my responce here or at scannartist@yahoo.com thanks oh and if you fixed it tell me how

I have had a plan that it was the motherboard or the CPU. so to find out i went and bought a MotherBoard and new RAM also. and then it still didnt work so what i have did is that i told PCClub and i went down there about 3 times and this time i telled them to test the Memory and while tested...Now which ever way this whould have turned out whould have sloved the problem anyway.

If the Memory Didnt pass the memory test the Then it was the Memory But if that was the case then on the other motherboard it whouldnt have turned on. then i look at the CPU and the PCClub telled me Its Cracked!!!!!!!!

The CPU is Cracked! Now to answer your problem it can be your CPU is messed up as well. i suggest buying the things i bought or just Buy the CPU (like about $60-$150) On what GHZ you want it to be.

This is what the Compaq been changed to.

1.CPU is not yet here.
2.MSI K7N2 Delta2-LSR NF2U400 ATX $69.99
3.512MB DDR400 PC3200 Memory
4.A ATX computer case (Not much $20)
5.40 GB or 80GB Hard Drive

Well Thanx for everyones HELP

before they started using a heat spreader on the CPU, it was very easy for the person installing the HSF to the CPU to crack the CPU. Very common problem.

If you are the one to install it, be careful. The mounting device is really crappy and risks damaging the chip or putting a screwdriver through the mobo.

Hope that everything works out for you.

can i use any amd cpu on my compaq 5004us or does it have to be an amd athlon or even does it have to be an amd athlon 1.1 also i could use some links to a cheap site for one thats also reliable

the CPU is unreliable. If it is, it is more likely caused by overheating. CPU's don't get flaky very often. Memory does, as well as a number of other things.

The 1.1 should be very low cost if you simply want to try another. First, I repeat that you should start an entire new thread with just your problem. Personally, I think the CPU is the least likely cause.

To look for AMD 1.1's [they are XP's], after 1.4 they became Athlon XP T-Birds, still using the same socket. For upgrades, check with Compaq.

If you start a new thread, I would be happy to help. Study this thread and you will see that the originator has been all over the map and still doesn't have a working system.

To find older CPU's go to:

http://www.pricewatch.com

You are not going to get new in a retail box. Most gaurantee that they are not DOA, if so they send you another one. These older CPU's are normally "pulls", items taken out of new systems or hadrware that never sold and the vendor bought a boatload of them and "pulled" the parts from them to sell separately. Nothing wrong with that, but don't be foolish enough to believe that they thoroughly test them.