Solved Booting up the system

[shipinom]

I bought a used Compaq system. Seems a problem when booting you get to the screen where you have
F2 and F10 and then F11 where you can re install the factory settings.
The system hangs and the only way out is to reboot. after several times it will bring up Vista.
Now I was able to install Windows XP Pro. I did a reformat of the hard drive C: NTFS and everything seemed to check
out and no errors
When I closed the system down and then tried to power it up I started having the same problem again.
After several re boot XP came up and ran without problems.
I don't think it is the hard drive.
would it be the BIOS ?
never had this problem with other machines.
would appreciate any thoughts or suggestions.
Thank You
larry

 

[MilesAhead]

It would be helpful if you filled in system specs. Various manufacturers use different schemes with the BIOS set up program. Some have hidden partitions. This could have gotten hosed when you installed the OS. But it's just guessing unless you provide specifics.

 

[Patonb]

I think iit may be the hard drive.

Have you used Ubuntu before? I would try getting an Ubutu livecd and see if booting to that has any issues.

Using it as a livecd will not change your windows at6 all.

 

[shipinom]

It would be helpful if you filled in system specs. Various manufacturers use different schemes with the BIOS set up program. Some have hidden partitions. This could have gotten hosed when you installed the OS. But it's just guessing unless you provide specifics.

Thank you for the response. I will gather it together and get back in a Day?
Larry

 

[shipinom]

It would be helpful if you filled in system specs. Various manufacturers use different schemes with the BIOS set up program. Some have hidden partitions. This could have gotten hosed when you installed the OS. But it's just guessing unless you provide specifics.

Compaq SR5510F
CPU AMD Athlon 64X Dual core 5000+
Bios 5.27
Core Ver V6.0
No wireless card
no floppy
Product # KG513AA-ABA
Build 83NAV3PRAz
We were able to change the boot sequence from HD, CD/DVD to CD/DVD, then HD
during the boot up we cannot get f11 to respond. although once we did get it to give us the options to restore the system to the factory settings.
Larry

 

[shipinom]

I think iit may be the hard drive.

Have you used Ubuntu before? I would try getting an Ubutu livecd and see if booting to that has any issues.

Using it as a livecd will not change your windows at6 all.

Yes I have used the liveCD before. I usually run Linux using Virtual Box but I will re create one.
Will see what happens. the restore OS is on Drive D but we cannot get F11 to respond except in one case to allow us to set it all back to factory.
Larry

 

[shipinom]

I think iit may be the hard drive.

Have you used Ubuntu before? I would try getting an Ubutu livecd and see if booting to that has any issues.

Using it as a livecd will not change your windows at6 all.

I created a liveCD for Ubuntu and first tried it out on my windows 8 system and all works.
then tried to boot the Compaq SR5510F system and it appears to be reading the cd drive however the esc. boot system F10 and f11 option screen comes up and as always it freezes. the one time we did get into the bios we saw the boot sequence is hard drive then cd/dvd,
I downloaded a bios update from Compaq for this system and it is still the same revision level so I am thinking that since we did manage to install WindowsXP Pro that we should try and do the update with it running and perhaps it will correct the bios problem?
Larry

 

[Patonb]

Try the update... It may help.

You need to switch the boot order to cd/dvd then Harddrive to properly check if it is your hard drive.

 

[shipinom]

Hi Patonb I was hoping that by bringing up WindowsXP then running the bios update from a usb device that perhaps we could get to a point where F11 might work.
because of the file size of the update for the bios I am assuming that it will completely replace the current bios.
Larry

Try the update... It may help.

You need to switch the boot order to cd/dvd then Harddrive to properly check if it is your hard drive.

 

[shipinom]

Patonb; can't do the bios as you have to have a copy of Vista installed.
we have the product Key for the copy that is on the D drive
now do you know where I can download a copy of Vista home premium 32bit? I am going to see if I can find one.
Larry

Hi Patonb I was hoping that by bringing up WindowsXP then running the bios update from a usb device that perhaps we could get to a point where F11 might work.
because of the file size of the update for the bios I am assuming that it will completely replace the current bios.
Larry

 

[OldMX]

Get a parted magic live disk, then boot off it, load the partition editor and format the "c" drive and in the recovery partition enable the "boot" flag, then restart the computer, it should load the recovery utility now.

 

[shipinom]

Thank you ! I have partition magic and will work on now.

Get a parted magic live disk, then boot off it, load the partition editor and format the "c" drive and in the recovery partition enable the "boot" flag, then restart the computer, it should load the recovery utility now.

 

[Patonb]

No bios is before the OS.. you hit Del or f2 or esc as soon as you boot. Way before windows loads.

 

[shipinom]

Thanks Patonb we have tried Esc or F10 or even F11 just as soon as any light comes on and it doesn't seem to catch the command.
sometimes it even says setup starting and ,,, nothing happens.
what puzzle's me is that we got xp installed finally yesterday and it comes up fine. when we formatted C: there was no errors and it runs fine.
going to take a break and get my mind cleared.
thank you for the ideas and will try more in the morning.
Larry.

No bios is before the OS.. you hit Del or f2 or esc as soon as you boot. Way before windows loads.

 

[shipinom]

I got the copy of parted and created the live cd however so far have not been able to boot from it as the system is reading the HDD first and not the cd.
Larry

Get a parted magic live disk, then boot off it, load the partition editor and format the "c" drive and in the recovery partition enable the "boot" flag, then restart the computer, it should load the recovery utility now.

 

[Patonb]

Until you switch the boot order you won't be able to get the gparted running.

You may also want to double checkj your cAbles are al plugged in properly.

I have had a half plugged in drive bugger up a boot.