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Start up failer

Discussion in 'PC hardware help' started by manners, Jan 19, 2005.

  1. manners

    manners Guest

    Hi guys :)

    I have a problem with an old computer I recently inherited *compaq presario* and im not computer savy so im asking for everyones help. I will provide as much information as possible but the only thing it says on the outside of the computer is *pentium processor* and the name of the computer.

    I will start off with this, the computer did not come with a harddrive so I purchased one, its a maxtor 80gb 7200rpm and I think its refubished because it came out the box looking very terrible, the grey bag it came in was open and screws were everywhere in the box and the cd it came with was dirty and some what scratched.

    I had a friend open the case to the computer and it was very dusty I might add *giggle* and so we installed the harddrive *very easy* but as soon as we turned on the computer the harddrive was beeping several times and I get compaq splash screen and then a error

    *Non-system disk or error
    replace and strike any key when ready*

    this is what it says.

    I press control,Alt,Del to restart and the same thing happens all over again, what can I do?

    HELP!
     
  2. GrandpaBW

    GrandpaBW Active member

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    It means that there is no operating system on the hard drive. You need to format it and put on Windows XP or whatever OS that computer will handle.

    I would also check the place where you got the hard drive. If they sold it to you as being a new hard drive, demand your money back, and shop elsewhere.
     
    Last edited: Jan 19, 2005
  3. manners

    manners Guest

    Im sorry if I didn't mention this but I tried to put windows 2000 on it *no luck*

    When ever I try to go onto bios it gives me a keyboard error, makes two beeps and then this error,

    *Non-system disk or error
    replace and strike any key when ready*

    Any other suggestions or anything else you should know to help the situation?

    regards, Vanessa
     
  4. manners

    manners Guest

    how do you know if your motherboard is not working?
     
  5. ddp

    ddp Moderator Staff Member

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    did you get a recovery cd with computer??
     
  6. manners

    manners Guest

    Well im at a loss guys :(

    my friend put in a harddrive with a xp operating system in it and I still get the same error code. I cant even press a key on the key board because it will give me a keyboard error and right back to this error code.

    *Non-system disk or error
    replace and strike any key when ready*


    what can I do???
     
  7. ddp

    ddp Moderator Staff Member

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    do you have keyboard in correct port??
     
  8. manners

    manners Guest

    no it did not come with a recovery cd and yes I have the keyboard in the right port.

    The harddrive was taken out and the bay for the original hardrive is to big for the new one I bought.And when I got it *the computer* all I got was just the hardware and no installation cds.
     
  9. ddp

    ddp Moderator Staff Member

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    on the case front & back, check for model & type? #
     
  10. manners

    manners Guest

    This is the model and type *compaq presario* i can get you the model # in a minute, I think it was built in 95'
     
  11. ddp

    ddp Moderator Staff Member

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    you might have a problem than as computer is either a 486 or early pentium so won't read hd capacity correctly like maybe 8 gigs out of 80gigs
     
  12. manners

    manners Guest

    So am I at a loss?
     
  13. ddp

    ddp Moderator Staff Member

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    is computer a desktop or tower. does keyboard have an at or ps2 connector(at the size of your thumb nail & ps2 the size of your baby finger nail). does computer turn off when you press the power button
     
  14. manners

    manners Guest

    1.its desktop,monitor,keyboard,tower.

    2. keyboard has 3 connections and a built in paper shredder, ps2 is one of them and another that looks like a monitor connection *I have never seen anything that looks like this before. But I connected a regular ps2 keyboard in and they both work the same.

    3.The power button is in the back of the computer, nothing in the front except a sleep button and cd type buttons, like play,stop,fastforward etc.
     
  15. ddp

    ddp Moderator Staff Member

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    right now unless you can get the model # off the computer it is likely the new hd won't work in computer until you can get into the bios to setup the hd
     
  16. Divinus

    Divinus Guest

    I hope that compaq isn't like the one I threw in the garbage a few days ago. It was around the first class of pentium's also. The strange thing was is I did some investigating after I kept getting HD controller errors and the damn thing doesn't have a normal BIOS like you and I would think of it. It has some pre-made compaq specific software that ran on the original hard drive. There is no way to boot into the BIOS at all. The only thing you can do is let a small auto-detect utility try to determine the drives.

    If you hit any key on the keyboard while it's starting up and try to get into the BIOS, it will give you a keyboard error. This was one of the many signs of having that old system that compaq used.

    I believe the key to get into the bios on compaq was F11 or F12, something like that. Just go down the row and hit all the damn F-keys until it gets in. It could also be a few other key combinations, but I doubt it.

    If you do indeed get a keyboard error whenever you press anything on the keyboard, then you probably have the old system I was refering to earlier. Lets just hope that you don't have it and pressing an F key will get you into the bios successfully.
     
  17. manners

    manners Guest

    model # 6708

    I got a windows 98 floppy but nothing installs, it says *device drive not found,abort installation*?? and Iv selected every option.

    Regards, Vanessa
     
  18. ddp

    ddp Moderator Staff Member

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  19. manners

    manners Guest

    Im sorry guys:( to waste time with you.

    It was the harddrive and the mother board that is bad, so I took the hardrive back and got my money back and havn't trashed the tower yet but that will be today.

    Thanks soooo much ddp for helping me, im glad your here.

    I give my Kind regards to ddp,

    Vanessa
     
  20. ddp

    ddp Moderator Staff Member

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    your welcome just too bad not able to get it to work, oh well teach & learn
     

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