My brothers stupid computer won't boot! AAAAHHHHHHH!!!!

It's been over 2 weeks since I've last been on. I posted two different threads that tie into this one. I can't remember the threads names but the final result is that nothing I do will make his computer boot up properly.

I first thought that it was a virus or something so I took his Hard Drive out and set it up as a slave to my Hard Drive and ran every Fix-it and Anti-whatever program I could think of on my computer. The result; nothing.

I then thought that maybe it was the RAM so I bought some RAM for him and it turned out that RAM was not the problem.

I don't know what else to do. The place I was going to take it to went out of business! He was an honest guy that didn't charge very much to look at and fix computers.

If you guys can't help me I will have to take it somewhere where they charge an arm and a leg to fix computers. Gagh!

Here is the problem:

The computer won't boot in ANY mode. Once the computer does it startup stuff it goes to the WinXP startup screen and freezes. Sometimes it doesn't even make it that far.
Upon booting it can access the CD drive and do repairs from there and use the CD's dos function but that's it.

The computer specs are:

Pentium 3
192 mbs RAM
Windows XP OS
500 mghs

That's all I can remeber right now. I still have that problem where I can't access the BIOS menu on startup. It is password protected and I can't get in. Is there a program that will fix this?

I have the computer here with me. If someone has a hardware question I think I might be able to answer it.

Someone help.

 

Okay.

I will either have to set the computer up here or open it up. It might take a little while.

Thanks for the quick reply.

 

What does the BIOS reset jumper on the mainboard look like and where is it located?
The battery you are talking about, are you talking about the Power Supply Unit that plugs into the wall or the mainboards battery? I noticed a Lithium battery on the mainboard.

 

I don't have a manual. I will have to download one.

I know very little about hardware so it's hard to keep up when someone gives me good technical advice.

Thanks.

 

OK. Found something interesting. There is a little red box with 10 switches on it. The box is an inch long and half a centemetre wide. Each switch is labled in sequence; 1, 2, 3, etc.

There are little charts or tables or whatever on the mainboard that describe what each switch can do.

This one say's:

CLEAR CMOS...............SW1-5....ON
CLEAR PASSWORD........SW1-4....ON
KEYBOARD POWER ON...SW1-3....ON
BIOS CRISIS RECOVER...SW1-2....ON

I was going to post some questions but it's pretty obvious that I just need to turn some of these on or off to change some settings.

I was afraid of wrecking the computer if I turned on the wrong switch.

I'm going to use this thing to make some changes.

Is this red box considered the BIOS reset jumper?

I will post my results and the computer specs when I am done.

 

Well, I disabled the password setting and am able to get into the BIOS menu, but it doesn't fix my computers problem. I was hoping that if I changed some things around I could boot the compuer properly. I was wrong.

I opened up the computer and wrote down every bit of info I could find.

My specs are:

P3
450 mhz
Windows XP OS
BIOS Date: 06/22/99
System ROM: EA9C - FFFF
BIOS Version : HZ.01.04US
System Name: HP Vectra VLi8
Hard Drive: 10240 mb
RAM 192 mbs of PC 100
Phoenix BIOS
Shadow RAM: 384 kbs
Cache: 512 kbs
Hard Drive: Maxtor 51024H2 - (PM) 10GB
Power Supply Unit: Delta Electronics Inc. HP pin number 0950-3439 Model DTPS-200PB-109a
CD Drive: TEAC 32XMax CD-ROM Readable pin number D4385-60001 Laser 785 +- 25nm, 0.1mw Manufactured in July 1999

I'm not sure about the Mainboard. I don't know if it's a Hewlett Packard or an Intel or a Vectra. It didn't specificaly say. I opend up the computer and wrote down everything I could find that could help you, Mastertech, in determining what kind of Mainboard I have.

Words written on the Mainboard said:
In one spot - HP (I assume that's Hewlett Packard) A- -63 5183-8095
In another spot - KZM-6120

There were also black micro-chips on the board that had info. I'll write the info down and maybe it will help.

Chip 1:
Intel PCI
L9320071
SL37M
Intel 98

Chip 2:
ERYSTAL
C54280 - CM EP
ASAAEG9910

Chip 3:
MATROX MGA
MGA-G200A-D2
9933KG006

Chip 4:
INTEL AGP
FW82443ZX
F930TD70
SL33W
INTEL 98

As for the CPU being Boxed or OEM, I couldn't tell ya' cause I don't know that either mean.

If you still need more info on the specs just tell me what and where to look.

Thanks.

 

I will use those programs and post the results. Thanks.

I don't think that the problem is software, though. When I had set up the Hard Drive to my computer I transferred all my brothers valueble files. Then I put the Hard Drive back in his computer and formated it and tried to reinstall Windows XP in the hopes that the reinstallation would fix everything. It didn't.

I guess the HD is stuck waiting for the installation to finish. I say 'guess' because the installation never finished and the computer won't boot.

So far both fans are working and I have set the BIOS settings to default. I am going to try those downloads now.

Thanks again.

 

At what stage did the XP install fail?
I would try running setup again.

 

The installation of Windows XP copies all of the files it needs to install and then it has the countdown to reboot. It counts to zero and reboots the computer but the computer won't reboot properly because of the mysterious problem I'm having.

If the computer were working normaly it would copy the files, reboot to the WinXP screen and then continue with the installation. Since it won't boot properly it freezes on that first WinXP screen you get when installing. Sometimes it doesn't even make it to that screen.

I hope that adds some clearity. That's why I say that the computer is waiting to finish installing.

Anyway, I used the programs you suggested and the Hard Drive passed every test and there were no errors reported. The memory test was the same. No problems there. I couldn't get the BIOS update program to work, though.

I unzipped the contents to a floppy disk and put it in my brothers computer but the computer did not recognize the software on it. It said to remove whatever may be in Drive A: or D: and restart the computer. I'm paraphrazing what the acctual message was. Anyway, I restart the computer and the BIOS has not been changed.

Do I have to make the floppy disk an MS start-up disk first? Then put the BIOS info on there so the computer can boot from the disk?

Thanks.

 

OK.

First - to create a system diskette I went to START, MY COMPUTER, right clicked on drive A:, chose FORMAT, and selected CREATE AN MS START-UP DISK.

Is this not the right way to do that? Is what I did considered creating a system diskette?

Second - there is no folder called (ex: c:\bios\vli8\hz0110\Systdisk). The program came in a zip file and I unzipped it to the floppy disk after I created an MS start-up disk. Same thing, no?

Third - I booted my brothers computer with the disk and the computer recognized it. I typed in "Flash" but I get this error message: Cannot flash when Memory managers (e.g. HIMEM) are present. PRESS ANY KEY TO EXIT.

 

Okay. I will do that.

Thanks.

 

There is no file by that name on the disk. ???!!!

 

Thank you, Mastertech. Your commitment to solving my problem is much appreciated.

I will try what you said.

Thanks again.

 

If that doesn't work. Try this, When setup first starts, while setup is asking you to press F6 for raid drivers. Press F7 to disable ACPI, your BIOS may not be ACPI compliant. Though the flash may correct that. (one would hope) it is still worth a shot if it doesnt work.

 

It seems that the Computer Gods don't want me to fix that damn computer!

I put that download on one floppy and the BIOS thing on another but I ran into some problems when I booted from floppy number 1.

The download you had me put onto disk number 1 was a Windows 95/98 boot program. That should have been fine but for some reason the computer did not recognize any info on the floppy when I booted from it.

I recall that when my brother first asked me to fix this mysterious problem I suggested I install Windows 98 on his computer. I thought, at the time, that his computer had a RAM problem and couldn't use Windows XP for lack of RAM. When I tried to boot from my old Windows 98 CD his computer did not even recognize that there was a CD in his CD drive! I thought that was very strange.

What I'm suggesting is that, for some unknown reason, his computer will not recognize anything that is Windows 98. Can this be true?

I'm starting to think that this is hopeless and my brother should just get a newer, better computer.

@ Zyto - Thanks for the suggestion. I will try that.

 

Sorry if this sounds to simple,,you mentioned a RAM problem,,,maybe its just memory stick thats not placed properly,,,Please check if the sticks of memory are set in place properly.It may not boot if memory is not seated correctly ,,, Glenn

 

good thinking. Always start simple. Since everything you have done so far is in 16bit mode, higher memory banks aren't being used.

 

The RAM sticks are fine. I checked over and over and over again. That was my first assumption. That's why I bought more RAM. Now his computer has 192 mbs of RAM. It was 128 mbs. Whenever I boot his computer (or try to boot) I watch the self check stuff and it always counts 192 mbs of RAM installed.

Thanks for the suggestion though.

 

You are still using the same 128 memory stick he had before, you just added a stick of 64MB? try switching the sticks around try remove the 64MB stick try removing just the 128 stick. perhaps they are not compatible with eachother.

 

They're compatable. I've tried every combination and I get the same result no matter what.

There are two RAM slots. He had two 64 mb sticks and I bought him a new 128 mb stick. Since there are only two slots I can't use one stick so it equals 192 mbs max.

 

did you try the disableing of ACPI like I suggested?

 

Not yet. I took a break to eat lunch. What you suggested was in regards to the updated BIOS problem right? Are talking about pressing F7 when the computer is booting or when installing Windows XP? I think you are talking about when installing Windows XP. I remember somehting about raid drivers when installing XP. If it is when installing Windows XP, will that make a difference since the installation can't finish because the computer won't boot?

 

when you first start setup and you have the blue background, at the botton it will say press F6 to supply addition RAID drivers or something to that effect. you press F7 and that disables ACPI if your BIOS is not ACPI compliant and you try to boot with ACPI enabled it willnot boot windows.

 

OK. I will try installing the OS again. It can't hurt installing it for the one billionth time.

Thanks.

 

Again a simple question did you ever start with the same configuration 64 and 64 ???,,,before you got the extra Ram???



QUOTE....He had two 64 mb sticks and I bought him a new 128 mb stick.

 

yes xp does do a good job at detecting whether ACPI compliance is there, when it's already installed but setup has no plug and play functionality,especially in 16bit mode, until later in setup for hardware detection.

 

My appologies, I was thinking of Windows 2000. Once I was having a similar issue. Setup would never get past the 16bit portion of setup. kept locking up. I checked all over and ended up calling microsoft and asking. The tech on the phone told me to try that and I was amazed it actually worked.

I whole heartedly agree the BIOS must be updated

 

I hate this computer!

Doing what Zyto said didn't do anthing to help the situation. Thanks anyway.

Yes, I did use 64 and 64 before I got the new 128 stick. I said I tried all combinations many, many times.

Now the computer starts on its own after I shut it down!

I was sitting there and it suddenly came on. I thought it was strange and that maybe I forgot to turn it off but a few minutes after shutting it down agian it turned itself back on. I unplugged it from the wall so it would stop doing that.

Did you read my post on how the computer won't recognize that latest download you had me put on floppy, Mastertech? It seems that I can't update the BIOS. I hate this computer and feel like giving up on it.

 

I did that and the computer doesn't recognize anything on the floppy disk. I did it twice just to make sure.

I hate this computer!!!!

I give up!

 

The boot order starts with the A: drive. It should work. The files are on the disk. The UBD worked. It did say complete. It just doesn't recognize the floppy as bootable.

It say's something like," Remove items from removeable dirves and restart".

Sorry for being so brief but I just wrote a long reply but the connection screwed up and it didn't get transmitted and it got lost and I have to go out now.

Thanks.

 

No problem -- we've all been there!

No problem -- we've all been there!

BUT -- don't give up. Hey, it's a challenge.

We're major geeks. We can overcome this challenge (I'm just joining this thread and I probably won't post anything helpful -- I'm just cheering on the "players" from the sidelines).

But I know what you mean (my post count is 90% "I want to give up on my computer - it's out to kill me if I don't kill it first" posts.)

 

OK. That program worked, but I what did it do. Oh, I remember. It updated the BIOS, right?

I still can't boot though. After it was all done I restarted the computer and it froze on the same spot.

What should I do now?

@ pegg - I'm not a Major Geek though. I'm only a Geek in training. Computer challanges are VERY, VERY FRUSTRATING!!

 

Okay. I will try that. Instead of repairing the OS should I format the hard drive and reinstall the OS, or does it not make a difference?

 

The BIOS was updated to HZ01.10 but that didn't make a difference. I reinstalled the OS and it still froze.

Is there anything else you can think of, Mastertech?

If not, I realy appreciate all the help you've given me.

 

I apologize for not posting earlier. It is rude of me to just let this thread sit without responding for so long. I appreciate all the help you've given me, Mastertech.

I havn't had the time all summer long to spend on my brothers computer or post on this site.

He's given up on the computer and is going to get another one.

 

I'm running the same motherboard, I need the link to the motherboard manuel so I can set the dip switches to disable the onboard audio/sound, I need to add video/sound cards.

reply to brandonhall_1@hotmail.com

 

Just got old HP Vectra VLi8 today for free, had to reset dang password, etc, but will not allow Win XP to install. Gets to half way point installing all files, then crasshes with a BSOD. I thnk the processor has had overheat issues inthe past (i put in a P3 700 Mhz slot 1) but not sure if that is it. Seems to hang with other processors too. Any help out there?