Unable to access Setup/BIOS

follow-up from previous answer (posted at 1644 CST 2Sep03)

SP2141 & SP2373 are the correct Setup and Diags for this model.

Create the floppies from the softpaq files (by executing SP2141.EXE and
executing SP2373.EXE), and with the new hard drive blank, boot the SP2141
floppy disk. This will put Setup on the hard drive. It should ask for the
Diags diskette. When it does, insert the disk that SP2373.EXE created.
When it finishes, the 'non-dos' partition will have been created on your new
hard drive. This is the partition that your computer boots to when the F10
key is pressed when the solid rectangular block is in the upper right hand
corner of the screen on boot up.

You can now load the operating system on the hard drive.

Mike in Houston

"chas samuels" wrote in message
...
Was given a Compaq 4784 machine without the harddrive and its cable.
Installed a spare harddrive which the machine recognized. I could
partition,
format and transfer system files to it OK. But, when I boot up the
machine,
I'm unable to access the CMOS Setup when the cursor blinks in the upper
right
hand corner of the screen.

I downloaded the appropriate (I think) softpaqs for the Setup but when I
try
to use it, I get a message indicating my machine is the wrong one.

Is there a work-around or cure for this problem?

Thanks in advance.

Setup and diags need to be installed on the hard drive prior to formatting
it for the operating system.

Actually, to install the Compaq Partition, they need to be installed on a blank
drive, before you partition, not after.

The correct diskette is bootable, and will create the Compaq Partition and its
Setup, which is the user interface to the onboard BIOS and CMOS settings. It
can also be ran from the bootable diskette anytime after the OS is installed.

Dale

Thank you for your responses, Mike. I had the SP2141 already and downloaded
the SP2373. Made diskettes for each. Tried three different harddrives: two
Western Digitals and a Maxtor. One had the OS on it, another just formatted
with system files and the third nothing on it. In all cases, the machine
recognized the harddrives and all were set up to be master/single.

In every case with the setup diskette (SP2141), the diskette would boot up and
eventually hit a point where it would produced a little window indicating it
was "retrieving data...please wait." In every case, the next thing I got was
another window containing "Setup not applicable for this type machine."

So, that is where I'm at now. Have any other ideas?

Charley

One had the OS on it, another just formatted
with system files and the third nothing on it.

Lets be clear--when you say "nothing on it", you mean a blank drive--no
partitions, which also means not formatted, of course.
Mike has posted confusing information--in his first post indicated you ran
these diskettes after partitioning but before formatting, and in a later one
that you were to run these on a blank HDD. It needs to have no partitions,
ususally one does this with FDISK....

Dale

The last time I saw this, the original system board had been replaced with a
non-Compaq board.

Mike
"chas samuels" wrote in message
...
Thank you for your responses, Mike. I had the SP2141 already and
downloaded
the SP2373. Made diskettes for each. Tried three different harddrives:
two
Western Digitals and a Maxtor. One had the OS on it, another just
formatted
with system files and the third nothing on it. In all cases, the machine
recognized the harddrives and all were set up to be master/single.

In every case with the setup diskette (SP2141), the diskette would boot up
and
eventually hit a point where it would produced a little window indicating
it
was "retrieving data...please wait." In every case, the next thing I got
was
another window containing "Setup not applicable for this type machine."

So, that is where I'm at now. Have any other ideas?

Charley

Dale,
Don't put words in my mouth. Show me in the first post where I used the
word partitioning?
Grrrrrrrrrrrr!

"DEJ57" wrote in message
...
One had the OS on it, another just formatted
with system files and the third nothing on it.

Lets be clear--when you say "nothing on it", you mean a blank drive--no
partitions, which also means not formatted, of course.
Mike has posted confusing information--in his first post indicated you ran
these diskettes after partitioning but before formatting, and in a later
one
that you were to run these on a blank HDD. It needs to have no
partitions,
ususally one does this with FDISK....

Dale

Did they happen to give you the Quick Restore CD? Running this would lay
down the diags partition and the OS that Compaq shipped it with. The OS
could be removed later, leaving the setup partition intact. If you do have
the QRCD, I'd try installing it.

What part of the world are you located?

Mike in Houston

"chas samuels" wrote in message
...
Thank you for your responses, Mike. I had the SP2141 already and
downloaded
the SP2373. Made diskettes for each. Tried three different harddrives:
two
Western Digitals and a Maxtor. One had the OS on it, another just
formatted
with system files and the third nothing on it. In all cases, the machine
recognized the harddrives and all were set up to be master/single.

In every case with the setup diskette (SP2141), the diskette would boot up
and
eventually hit a point where it would produced a little window indicating
it
was "retrieving data...please wait." In every case, the next thing I got
was
another window containing "Setup not applicable for this type machine."

So, that is where I'm at now. Have any other ideas?

Charley

Dale,
Don't put words in my mouth. Show me in the first post where I used the
word partitioning?
Grrrrrrrrrrrr!

That's exactly the point. You should have. The diskettes need to be run
before you partition, not before you format. What you posted was
incorrect--even you know it, as you in a later post indicate the diskettes
should be run on a blank HDD.....

Grrrrrrrr yourself.....

The last time I saw this, the original system board had been replaced with a
non-Compaq board.

Could be. Poster should check the board for Compaq identification.

My bet is he tried to run the programs with partitions on the HDD. I certainly
may be wrong, but that's my bet.

Dale

Since the second post was 12 minutes after the first, why bother with the
spanking? You were hours late in correcting my spelling. Show me in the
first post where I used the word partitioning?

"DEJ57" wrote in message
...
Dale,
Don't put words in my mouth. Show me in the first post where I used the
word partitioning?
Grrrrrrrrrrrr!

That's exactly the point. You should have. The diskettes need to be run
before you partition, not before you format. What you posted was
incorrect--even you know it, as you in a later post indicate the diskettes
should be run on a blank HDD.....

Grrrrrrrr yourself.....