Topic: Oh jesus, it never stops  (Read 8420 times)

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Offline Clark Kent

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Oh jesus, it never stops
« on: August 23, 2005, 05:50:27 pm »
I booted up my old Compaq 5000 today to set up for my sister since I have a new laptop.  When i tried to set up Win XP to use I found that the hard drive was constantly being accessed, and CPU constantly was active despite no programs being open.  I didn't like it, and unable to see an unauthorized process, I just simply decided to wipe the computer and start from scratch.  The copy of XP is one I bought off of ebay, no disk, no manuals, but have been unable to register it, so I assume I bought an unautorized copy of XP, and would go back to the original ME. 
Did that, no problem, began to conduct updates, when all of a sudden both the DVD rom drive and the CD-RW drives ceased to be recognized.  I'm not sure where it happened, it was somewhere in the multiple restarts while updating.  In any event, I can't even load the recovery CD anymore because windows won't recognize the damn drives anymore.  The DVD drive will open and close, the CD-RW will do nothing now.
can anyone help me out?  If not, I think I will just take this damn thing out to the range and use it as target practice for my MAK-90.
CK

But tell me, can you heal what father's done?
Or fix this hole in a mother's son?
Can you heal the broken worlds within?
Can you strip away so we may start again?
Tell me, can you heal what father's done?
Or cut this rope and let us run?
Just when all seems fine, and I'm pain free, you jab another pin,
Jab another pin in me
-Metallica

Offline toasty0

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Re: Oh jesus, it never stops
« Reply #1 on: August 23, 2005, 05:54:09 pm »
Bet ya dollars for doughnuts that it's your active virus scanner software doing a bootup scan...
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Offline Clark Kent

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Re: Oh jesus, it never stops
« Reply #2 on: August 23, 2005, 05:55:33 pm »
Bet ya dollars for doughnuts that it's your active virus scanner software doing a bootup scan...

There should be no anti virus installed, as I have not had the chance to install it.
CK

But tell me, can you heal what father's done?
Or fix this hole in a mother's son?
Can you heal the broken worlds within?
Can you strip away so we may start again?
Tell me, can you heal what father's done?
Or cut this rope and let us run?
Just when all seems fine, and I'm pain free, you jab another pin,
Jab another pin in me
-Metallica

Offline Clark Kent

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Re: Oh jesus, it never stops
« Reply #3 on: August 23, 2005, 05:59:31 pm »
I also do not see any hint of the drives in the BIOS.
CK

But tell me, can you heal what father's done?
Or fix this hole in a mother's son?
Can you heal the broken worlds within?
Can you strip away so we may start again?
Tell me, can you heal what father's done?
Or cut this rope and let us run?
Just when all seems fine, and I'm pain free, you jab another pin,
Jab another pin in me
-Metallica

Offline toasty0

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Re: Oh jesus, it never stops
« Reply #4 on: August 23, 2005, 06:01:13 pm »
Is there anything important on the HDD?
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Offline Clark Kent

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Re: Oh jesus, it never stops
« Reply #5 on: August 23, 2005, 06:02:11 pm »
Is there anything important on the HDD?

Nope, shouldn't be.  I've hardly even turned it on over the last year.
CK

But tell me, can you heal what father's done?
Or fix this hole in a mother's son?
Can you heal the broken worlds within?
Can you strip away so we may start again?
Tell me, can you heal what father's done?
Or cut this rope and let us run?
Just when all seems fine, and I'm pain free, you jab another pin,
Jab another pin in me
-Metallica

Offline toasty0

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Re: Oh jesus, it never stops
« Reply #6 on: August 23, 2005, 06:04:43 pm »
Do you know how to scratch and format a HDD?
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Offline Clark Kent

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Re: Oh jesus, it never stops
« Reply #7 on: August 23, 2005, 06:06:05 pm »
Do you know how to scratch and format a HDD?

Always used the recovery CD to do that, so...no.
CK

But tell me, can you heal what father's done?
Or fix this hole in a mother's son?
Can you heal the broken worlds within?
Can you strip away so we may start again?
Tell me, can you heal what father's done?
Or cut this rope and let us run?
Just when all seems fine, and I'm pain free, you jab another pin,
Jab another pin in me
-Metallica

Offline toasty0

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Re: Oh jesus, it never stops
« Reply #8 on: August 23, 2005, 06:13:58 pm »
Ok, it's been a while...

during boot up hit ctrl+alt+del

that should take you to a DOS screen...

if you see a blinking corrot ">" type "C:" without the quotations...

no type "fdisk"...

that will whipe you HDD clean.

if we still in business you should be able to a restart. Your XP CD is a boot disc and you'll now (should) be able to format and install.

Good luck!
MCTS: SQL Server 2005 | MCP: Windows Server 2003 | MCTS: Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist | MCT: Microsoft Certified Trainer | MOS: Microsoft Office Specialist 2003 | VSP: VMware Sales Professional | MCTS: Vista

Offline Clark Kent

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Re: Oh jesus, it never stops
« Reply #9 on: August 23, 2005, 06:20:28 pm »
Ok, it's been a while...

during boot up hit ctrl+alt+del

that should take you to a DOS screen...

if you see a blinking corrot ">" type "C:" without the quotations...

no type "fdisk"...

that will whipe you HDD clean.

if we still in business you should be able to a restart. Your XP CD is a boot disc and you'll now (should) be able to format and install.

Good luck!

Well, tried ctrl+alt+delete and it just restarted the computer each time I tried it.  No DOS prompt for me it would appear.
CK

But tell me, can you heal what father's done?
Or fix this hole in a mother's son?
Can you heal the broken worlds within?
Can you strip away so we may start again?
Tell me, can you heal what father's done?
Or cut this rope and let us run?
Just when all seems fine, and I'm pain free, you jab another pin,
Jab another pin in me
-Metallica

Offline toasty0

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Re: Oh jesus, it never stops
« Reply #10 on: August 23, 2005, 06:25:30 pm »
Ok, it's been a while...

during boot up hit ctrl+alt+del

that should take you to a DOS screen...

if you see a blinking corrot ">" type "C:" without the quotations...

no type "fdisk"...

that will whipe you HDD clean.

if we still in business you should be able to a restart. Your XP CD is a boot disc and you'll now (should) be able to format and install.

Good luck!

Well, tried ctrl+alt+delete and it just restarted the computer each time I tried it.  No DOS prompt for me it would appear.

BRB...
MCTS: SQL Server 2005 | MCP: Windows Server 2003 | MCTS: Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist | MCT: Microsoft Certified Trainer | MOS: Microsoft Office Specialist 2003 | VSP: VMware Sales Professional | MCTS: Vista

Offline toasty0

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Re: Oh jesus, it never stops
« Reply #11 on: August 23, 2005, 06:35:15 pm »
Ok...you need to put either your XP install disc or ME boot disc in before startup. Sorry bro.
MCTS: SQL Server 2005 | MCP: Windows Server 2003 | MCTS: Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist | MCT: Microsoft Certified Trainer | MOS: Microsoft Office Specialist 2003 | VSP: VMware Sales Professional | MCTS: Vista

Offline Clark Kent

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Re: Oh jesus, it never stops
« Reply #12 on: August 23, 2005, 06:37:16 pm »
Ok...you need to put either your XP install disc or ME boot disc in before startup. Sorry bro.

The ME boot/recovery disk that came with the computer has been in the computer this whole time.  Seriously, the computer does not see the optical drives at all, not in windows, not in BIOS, no where.
CK

But tell me, can you heal what father's done?
Or fix this hole in a mother's son?
Can you heal the broken worlds within?
Can you strip away so we may start again?
Tell me, can you heal what father's done?
Or cut this rope and let us run?
Just when all seems fine, and I'm pain free, you jab another pin,
Jab another pin in me
-Metallica

Offline toasty0

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Re: Oh jesus, it never stops
« Reply #13 on: August 23, 2005, 06:38:01 pm »
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Offline toasty0

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Re: Oh jesus, it never stops
« Reply #14 on: August 23, 2005, 06:39:39 pm »
Ok...you need to put either your XP install disc or ME boot disc in before startup. Sorry bro.

The ME boot/recovery disk that came with the computer has been in the computer this whole time.  Seriously, the computer does not see the optical drives at all, not in windows, not in BIOS, no where.

If bios is not seeing the hardware it could be a bios corruption or a hardware failure. No way to be sure without testing...
MCTS: SQL Server 2005 | MCP: Windows Server 2003 | MCTS: Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist | MCT: Microsoft Certified Trainer | MOS: Microsoft Office Specialist 2003 | VSP: VMware Sales Professional | MCTS: Vista

Offline Clark Kent

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Re: Oh jesus, it never stops
« Reply #15 on: August 23, 2005, 06:40:45 pm »
Ok...you need to put either your XP install disc or ME boot disc in before startup. Sorry bro.

The ME boot/recovery disk that came with the computer has been in the computer this whole time.  Seriously, the computer does not see the optical drives at all, not in windows, not in BIOS, no where.

If bios is not seeing the hardware it could be a bios corruption or a hardware failure. No way to be sure without testing...

How does one test such a thing?
CK

But tell me, can you heal what father's done?
Or fix this hole in a mother's son?
Can you heal the broken worlds within?
Can you strip away so we may start again?
Tell me, can you heal what father's done?
Or cut this rope and let us run?
Just when all seems fine, and I'm pain free, you jab another pin,
Jab another pin in me
-Metallica

Offline toasty0

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Re: Oh jesus, it never stops
« Reply #16 on: August 23, 2005, 06:42:38 pm »
Ok...you need to put either your XP install disc or ME boot disc in before startup. Sorry bro.

The ME boot/recovery disk that came with the computer has been in the computer this whole time.  Seriously, the computer does not see the optical drives at all, not in windows, not in BIOS, no where.

If bios is not seeing the hardware it could be a bios corruption or a hardware failure. No way to be sure without testing...

How does one test such a thing?


Diagnostic equipment.
MCTS: SQL Server 2005 | MCP: Windows Server 2003 | MCTS: Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist | MCT: Microsoft Certified Trainer | MOS: Microsoft Office Specialist 2003 | VSP: VMware Sales Professional | MCTS: Vista

Offline Clark Kent

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Re: Oh jesus, it never stops
« Reply #17 on: August 23, 2005, 06:44:06 pm »
Ok...you need to put either your XP install disc or ME boot disc in before startup. Sorry bro.

The ME boot/recovery disk that came with the computer has been in the computer this whole time.  Seriously, the computer does not see the optical drives at all, not in windows, not in BIOS, no where.

If bios is not seeing the hardware it could be a bios corruption or a hardware failure. No way to be sure without testing...

How does one test such a thing?


Diagnostic equipment.

Assuming it's the BIOS, is there a way to "reload" it, or uncorrupt it?
CK

But tell me, can you heal what father's done?
Or fix this hole in a mother's son?
Can you heal the broken worlds within?
Can you strip away so we may start again?
Tell me, can you heal what father's done?
Or cut this rope and let us run?
Just when all seems fine, and I'm pain free, you jab another pin,
Jab another pin in me
-Metallica

Offline toasty0

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Re: Oh jesus, it never stops
« Reply #18 on: August 23, 2005, 07:41:47 pm »
Ok...you need to put either your XP install disc or ME boot disc in before startup. Sorry bro.

The ME boot/recovery disk that came with the computer has been in the computer this whole time.  Seriously, the computer does not see the optical drives at all, not in windows, not in BIOS, no where.

If bios is not seeing the hardware it could be a bios corruption or a hardware failure. No way to be sure without testing...

How does one test such a thing?


Diagnostic equipment.

Assuming it's the BIOS, is there a way to "reload" it, or uncorrupt it?

Maybe one of the others guys here knows, but I'm not sure.
MCTS: SQL Server 2005 | MCP: Windows Server 2003 | MCTS: Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist | MCT: Microsoft Certified Trainer | MOS: Microsoft Office Specialist 2003 | VSP: VMware Sales Professional | MCTS: Vista

Offline Nemesis

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Re: Oh jesus, it never stops
« Reply #19 on: August 23, 2005, 08:24:36 pm »
Assuming it's the BIOS, is there a way to "reload" it, or uncorrupt it?


I don't have any direct experience with Compaq laptops but did a google search and then a search of HPs site.  The following Link might be useful.  Giving your precise model would make more accurate targetting easier.

If all else fails removing the BIOS battery (a small circular battery mounted on the motherboard) and waiting a while will clear the CMOS settings back to factory defaults.
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