Compaq boot problems

[Terabyte]

Hopefully some one can help me out with this issue. I am working on a
desktop for a friend which is a Compaq S6000CL and it will not boot.
What it does is start up normally but ends up at a black screen with
a blinking cursor. If I try to select F1 to get into the bios or F8
to run system recovery it goes to the same black screen with a
blinking cursor. I have tried removing all of the hardware piece by
peice and booting up in between each time but still nothing. I have
removed the HD and tried a different one and nothing. It never makes
it to the the windows login. It does not respond to an XP disk to try
and repair the OS either. The owner of the machine said that they used
it normally before they shut it down for the night and the next time
the powered up, it was like this. ( I am not quite sure if I believe
that 100% but that is what they said). I am running out of options.
Any suggestions?

 

[David Maynard]

Hopefully some one can help me out with this issue. I am working on a
desktop for a friend which is a Compaq S6000CL and it will not boot.
What it does is start up normally

What does "start up normally" mean? Especially since you say you can't get
into the BIOS.

but ends up at a black screen with
a blinking cursor. If I try to select F1

Try F10

 

[philo]

Hopefully some one can help me out with this issue. I am working on a
desktop for a friend which is a Compaq S6000CL and it will not boot.
What it does is start up normally but ends up at a black screen with
a blinking cursor. If I try to select F1 to get into the bios or F8
to run system recovery it goes to the same black screen with a
blinking cursor. I have tried removing all of the hardware piece by
peice and booting up in between each time but still nothing. I have
removed the HD and tried a different one and nothing. It never makes
it to the the windows login. It does not respond to an XP disk to try
and repair the OS either. The owner of the machine said that they used
it normally before they shut it down for the night and the next time
the powered up, it was like this. ( I am not quite sure if I believe
that 100% but that is what they said). I am running out of options.
Any suggestions?

Compaq is usually an F10 to enter the bios
try that

 

[Ken]

Hopefully some one can help me out with this issue. I am working on a
desktop for a friend which is a Compaq S6000CL and it will not boot.
What it does is start up normally but ends up at a black screen with
a blinking cursor. If I try to select F1 to get into the bios or F8
to run system recovery it goes to the same black screen with a
blinking cursor. I have tried removing all of the hardware piece by
peice and booting up in between each time but still nothing. I have
removed the HD and tried a different one and nothing. It never makes
it to the the windows login. It does not respond to an XP disk to try
and repair the OS either. The owner of the machine said that they used
it normally before they shut it down for the night and the next time
the powered up, it was like this. ( I am not quite sure if I believe
that 100% but that is what they said). I am running out of options.
Any suggestions?

Have you run a good memory test on your RAM??

 

[Terabyte]

I am sorry for not clerifying what happens during the boot process,
but when it starts up it runs the post normally but than goes
straight to the black screen. When I try and select F1, F2, F8, F9,
F10 or any other key combo, the same thing happens---black screen
with blinking cursor. I have swapped the RAM to another machine and
it works fine. Thanks for your help thus far.

 

[Ken]

I am sorry for not clerifying what happens during the boot process,
but when it starts up it runs the post normally but than goes
straight to the black screen. When I try and select F1, F2, F8, F9,
F10 or any other key combo, the same thing happens---black screen
with blinking cursor. I have swapped the RAM to another machine and
it works fine. Thanks for your help thus far.

Not all machines deal with RAM the same way. What will work in one
machine will sometimes fail in another. Putting different RAM in your
machine would be more meaningful than taking your RAM and putting it in
another.

It might well be something else, but I would test the RAM if it were my
computer.

 

[philo]

I am sorry for not clerifying what happens during the boot process,
but when it starts up it runs the post normally but than goes
straight to the black screen. When I try and select F1, F2, F8, F9,
F10 or any other key combo, the same thing happens---black screen
with blinking cursor. I have swapped the RAM to another machine and
it works fine. Thanks for your help thus far.

keep trying the F10 key
you should get into the bios eventually...
if not...
you can go to the HP website and download the setup floppies for
your machine...
it may have a harddrive or other hardware failure...
you may want to plug and replug the harddrive data and power cables

 

[johns]

Almost sounds like power supply problem. You can
get that if you don't have the 12v line ( for P4 ) connected
to the mobo. I've seen that line fail from the PS. I have
even seen it "go weak" and produce a chronic blue
screen after booting up.

johns

 

[Terabyte]

I will try a few more of these ideas. I will respond back either way.
Thanks for the help.

 

[David Maynard]

I am sorry for not clerifying what happens during the boot process,
but when it starts up it runs the post normally

No offense but that isn't any clearer. What is it doing that you interpret
as a normal post?

I presume you mean you get a big red Compaq on the screen and no visible
error messages.

but than goes
straight to the black screen. When I try and select F1, F2, F8, F9,
F10 or any other key combo, the same thing happens---black screen
with blinking cursor.

And when are you hitting these keys?

I have swapped the RAM to another machine and
it works fine. Thanks for your help thus far.

As a wild shot, try removing the hard drive. You should get a BIOS message
that it's removed and a chance to get into setup.

The reason I suggest that is because certain types of hard drive failures
(as opposed to just completely dead) can cause the system to hang.