Deskpro 4000 Question

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.compaq (More info?)

Someone donated a Compaq Deskpro 4000 to our church. I am the
unofficial tech volunteer trying to get it working. The video
appears to be out. We tried it with a known working monitor and
all we get is a blank screen. No video even though system appears
to power on and hard drive lights up. My guess is that the video
card is bad? I think it has a separate card for video. I have the
manual, but it it sketchy. This is a 166-233MHZ adjustable machine
desktop model. I would like to get this box working again. Is
there a definitive way to diagnose the problem or should I just
find a video card that will work? If it is a video card maybe I
can fix it. If it is the system board we will just take out the
drives and junk the rest. Going to Compaq for obvious expense
reason is not an option. Any helpful information is welcome.
Thanks.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.compaq (More info?)

The best way to find out what is wrong with the computer is to start with a
minimum workable computer setup and then to swap components for anything that is
suspect. Start by disconnecting all hard drives, floppy drives and CD-ROM
drives. Remove all cards except the video card. If the system boots, then you
have a fair indication that the motherboard, CPU, memory and graphics card are
OK. Next, swap in graphics card from another system. Next, check the memory in
the system. If the memory is 72-pin SIMM, make sure that it is installed in
matched identical pairs. Once the motherboard-and-video combo are booting up
and running, add in the other devices one at a time. If one of them causes the
system to fail to boot, then it is the likely cause of the original problem.

If you can't get the system to boot with the minimum workable hardware after
swapping video cards and/or memory, it is likely that the motherboard is toast
and the system is due to be scrapped.

A hardware Power On Self Test (POST) card is an indispensible tool for this sort
of troubleshooting, because it indicates the source of POST failure and gives
the state of power to the motheboard... Ben Myers

On 24 Oct 2004 18:51:39 GMT, Ron Martin <Ron_44_Martn_bounce@primenet.com>
wrote:

>Someone donated a Compaq Deskpro 4000 to our church. I am the
>unofficial tech volunteer trying to get it working. The video
>appears to be out. We tried it with a known working monitor and
>all we get is a blank screen. No video even though system appears
>to power on and hard drive lights up. My guess is that the video
>card is bad? I think it has a separate card for video. I have the
>manual, but it it sketchy. This is a 166-233MHZ adjustable machine
>desktop model. I would like to get this box working again. Is
>there a definitive way to diagnose the problem or should I just
>find a video card that will work? If it is a video card maybe I
>can fix it. If it is the system board we will just take out the
>drives and junk the rest. Going to Compaq for obvious expense
>reason is not an option. Any helpful information is welcome.
>Thanks.

 

[Eugene]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.compaq (More info?)

Ron Martin wrote:

> Someone donated a Compaq Deskpro 4000 to our church. I am the
> unofficial tech volunteer trying to get it working. The video
> appears to be out. We tried it with a known working monitor and
> all we get is a blank screen. No video even though system appears
> to power on and hard drive lights up. My guess is that the video
> card is bad? I think it has a separate card for video. I have the
> manual, but it it sketchy. This is a 166-233MHZ adjustable machine
> desktop model. I would like to get this box working again. Is
> there a definitive way to diagnose the problem or should I just
> find a video card that will work? If it is a video card maybe I
> can fix it. If it is the system board we will just take out the
> drives and junk the rest. Going to Compaq for obvious expense
> reason is not an option. Any helpful information is welcome.
> Thanks.
Some of the 166 DP4000's had on board video and some don't. First thing to
try on there is to open the case, lay the machine on its side (if a tower),
pull the riser up and bit and then give it a good bump to reseat it. I
used to see these all the time that would not boot up due to that connector
and got a lot of funny responses when I told people to whack the riser card
but it fixed it most every time.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.compaq (More info?)

A CMOS reset would be worth a try also....

Dale

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.compaq (More info?)

Thanks to Ben and everyone else for the replies.

on 24 Oct 2004, ben_myers_spam_me_not @ charter.net (Ben Myers)
wrote in news:417c123b.14999157@news.charter.net:

> The best way to find out what is wrong with the computer is to
> start with a minimum workable computer setup and then to swap
> components for anything that is suspect. Start by disconnecting
> all hard drives, floppy drives and CD-ROM drives. Remove all
> cards except the video card. If the system boots, then you have
> a fair indication that the motherboard, CPU, memory and graphics
> card are OK. Next, swap in graphics card from another system.
> Next, check the memory in the system. If the memory is 72-pin
> SIMM, make sure that it is installed in matched identical pairs.
> Once the motherboard-and-video combo are booting up and
> running, add in the other devices one at a time. If one of
> them causes the system to fail to boot, then it is the likely
> cause of the original problem.

Seems like a very round about way to diagnose a problem?

<snip>

>
> A hardware Power On Self Test (POST) card is an indispensible
> tool for this sort of troubleshooting, because it indicates the
> source of POST failure and gives the state of power to the
> motheboard... Ben Myers

Where can I get one of the POST cards at a reasonable price? Do they
usually come with a list of error codes and/or any explaination? Are
they difficult to install?

>
> On 24 Oct 2004 18:51:39 GMT, Ron Martin
> <Ron_44_Martn_bounce@primenet.com> wrote:
>
>>Someone donated a Compaq Deskpro 4000 to our church. I am the
>>unofficial tech volunteer trying to get it working. The video
>>appears to be out. We tried it with a known working monitor and
>>all we get is a blank screen. No video even though system
>>appears to power on and hard drive lights up. My guess is that
>>the video card is bad? I think it has a separate card for video.
>>I have the manual, but it it sketchy. This is a 166-233MHZ
>>adjustable machine desktop model. I would like to get this box
>>working again. Is there a definitive way to diagnose the problem
>>or should I just find a video card that will work? If it is a
>>video card maybe I can fix it. If it is the system board we will
>>just take out the drives and junk the rest. Going to Compaq for
>>obvious expense reason is not an option. Any helpful information
>>is welcome. Thanks.
>
>

 

[Eugene]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.compaq (More info?)

Ron Martin wrote:

> Thanks to Ben and everyone else for the replies.
>
Did you get anything working? I have a couple of these system baords laying
around still if you need one.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.compaq (More info?)

Hi Ron,

How have you got on? I am in the middle of trying to do this sort of
diagnosis as well for an upgrade that I have got wrong.

It does seem like a round-about way, and a POST card can help, but what
Ben suggests is the classically accepted way of diagnosing issues, and
is recommended by people like Scott Mueller who wrote "Upgrading &
Repairing PCs" now in 16th edition.

See http://www.upgradingandrepairingpcs.com
I hope you get on ok.

Regards,
Tony