stubborn Compaq BIOS! cannot access floppy or hard drive

Hot-swapping and Boot-Block flash & Boot block flash and floppy support
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computerbud
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I've replaced a motherboard in a Compaq Presario 7360. There was no video signal from the previous mb.

Now, this motherboard gives me video at bootup. The Compaq logo appears, the memory is checked, then the light on the floppy drive comes on, but the system never access the floppy disk. The light on the floppy drive goes off, and it just hangs with nothing else in the POST.

I cannot access the CMOS setup using F10 or any other combination of keys. I assumed it might have been a bad CPU, but changing that didn't work either.

I've swapped out the memory and power supply while disconnecting everything else...same result.

I've discovered that the brilliant engineers at Compaq put system information on a 'bios' partition on the hard drive. Appearantly, setup cannot be accessed without getting info from this 'system partition'.

So, I hooked the hard drive as slave on another machine. I didn't see any problems. The main partition and system partition both appeared. I could view both partition's files with no problems.

So, I've been trying to get some response with the hard drive connected to IDE1. I still receive the same response.

Should I flash the BIOS? Is there a way to do it without access to the floppy drive?

Could the partition on the hard drive be corrupt even though it looks ok as slave on another computer?

Any other ideas would be helpful.

ComputerBud
edwin
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If this is a system that needs a system partition, there has to be a floppy-based version of that setup utility too. Check the support section at Compaq.
edwin/evasive

Do not assume anything

System error, strike any user to continue...
computerbud
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Thanks for the reply.

I don't think a floppy based version of the setup will help. It doesn't seem to want to read the floppy drive. I've put a startup disk in it, when the light comes on, it never seems to make a noise such that it is spinning the disk to read it. Then the light goes off like nothing was accomplished.

I thought maybe the BIOS needed to be flashed since nothing seems to be working correctly.

computer bud
edwin
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Tried another floppy drive? Tried clearing the CMOS?
edwin/evasive

Do not assume anything

System error, strike any user to continue...
computerbud
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yes, I tried floppy drive and I believe I cleared the CMOS.

In clearing the CMOS, I unplugged all peripherals and power supply. I removed the battery, then closed pins 2-3 on the 'Clear CMOS' jumper for 30 secs, then closed pins 1-2 (normal), put battery in, then connected everything.

Is there anything wrong with my procedure to clear CMOS?

Thanks again for the help.

ComputerBud
edwin
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Nope, sounds like the proper way to do that.

Essentially leaves one part that wasn't swapped out: the CPU. Got any spare ones lying around?
edwin/evasive

Do not assume anything

System error, strike any user to continue...
computerbud
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actually, I swapped that out too. I didn't state that very clearly.

I'm tempted to get another motherboard.

cb
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