Computer Problems

Update: I will leave this page up for others to view and learn from. These are issues that I have encountered. This should take care of the old Compaqissues and I'll restore this system
to factory to hand down to my daughter, installing a zip drive for her backup.

8-6-00

Update:

I have learned that the main issues that I have been dealing with are strictly related to a proprietary computer. In this case: Meaning that Compaq reserves a lower area of the hard drive for their BIOS. (partitions off an area, loads their BIOS there, then continues with their setup of the Drive.

Since I am using a hard drive other than the Compaq that came with this system, I will continue to receive the errors that I have been encountering since installing this 16.8 gb drive 1+ year ago. I thought, in part, was an issue dealing with the Opti Opti Controller as reported by MS. Then I thought that perhaps it was the issue of perhaps not being able to handle a drive over 2 gb, then over 8 gb.

Since Compaq's BIOS should be loaded into the lower level on the hard drive, or partition, the system is seeking it. When it does not find what it wants, it is forcing the system to run in the MS dos compatable mode, and slowing the Overall performance. No Program can acess the BIOS in this thing. Including many online tests as well. So that stands true to reasoning. Numerous Anti Virus programs cannot even check the BIOS. So I get the errors in the log of not being able to scan that area. It doesn't exist, so how could it scan it?

Solution: Reinstall the original hard drive, and slave your other hard drive, or your larger one.

Draw backs: The original hard drive is over 4 years old, slower technology, and with the newer drives, the overall performance and speed is hard to give up. I am running in MS Dos compatability mode on all drives. (ie: slower performance) However, I was willing to give up those to have the larger drive working. Big difference between a 1.61 gb, and a 16.8 gb.

Causes: Overall system performance has dropped, but by adding a 166 mhz processor (had a 120) that has picked up a bit of the difference. I have lost drives, intermittenly. I cannot access 2nd hd, every other boot. The floppy will work once in a great while. The cdrom will disappear, but I have learned to leave an Installed Program cd in the tray and each time it boots up, the drive is detected. It seems to perfer MS programs.

Overall thoughts: Leave well enough alone on Proprietary, unless you are willing to give in order to receive. Slave your new hard drive, you will be happier in the long run.
Better yet, Build a NonPropietary system, then you may do as you wish without these
problems.

I need advice on some problems
that exist on my system.

This system has never operated correctly since I purchased it brand new, and paid over 3200 for it.

I do some computer repair & just need guidance on OLD & Tired unresolved issues.

Like a mechanic, ours is always last to be fixed. ;)

My sys has been running in this state since it was returned to me from Compaq Corporate Headquarters located in Cypress, Texas in August 1999. Of course this was the last time that they would work on it since my warranty had expired since they had it for 2 months!

Guess that's why I had over 200 + existing unresolved cases!
Can we say Lemon? lol

I know that my sys was at 52%, it had not been shut down that day,
& it's always starved for resources. This is not a Normal reading on resources. :)