First, I don't know desktop models too well as I prefer towers, hence my knowledge about things like ISA/PCI boards is very limited.

I can think of 3 things for you to check:
1) Perhaps it is shorting or otherwise damaged?
2) Perhaps it actually needs something plugged into one of its slots?
3) Perhaps it's from another model and doesn't work in yours?

Thanks!
Answer was

Tetrium wrote:

2) Perhaps it actually needs something plugged into one of its slots?

Just tried with Yamaha isa card and pci mach64,booted up well,seems it for some reasons didnt like its empty or with post card.

My personal suspicion there is that having a bunch of long traces which don't go anywhere (i.e. no termination) causes some kind of interference - perhaps acting as an antenna - and prevents built-in devices from starting up properly. Possibly similar to how SCSI devices throw their toys out of the pram if started without a terminator.

Strange though.

rein_ein wrote:

Thanks! Answer was […]
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Thanks!
Answer was

Tetrium wrote:

2) Perhaps it actually needs something plugged into one of its slots?

Just tried with Yamaha isa card and pci mach64,booted up well,seems it for some reasons didnt like its empty or with post card.

Lol, yw! 😁

Wasn't really expecting this to be the issue here, but I've seen other things which seemed similarly strange at first.

Nice machines though. My 1st IT job had an office with about a dozen of these and were incredibly reliable.
They all had at least a sound card plugged in so don't know if this was a "feature"

I own one of this Compaq Deskpro 2000. It works without any card plug in in expanding plate. It has built in video. So is ready to go just with keyboard.
Probably your win95 install was with some card plugged in, so win 95 refuse to start, but bios time screen would be there I think.
I remember that when it has had configuration problem it has taken around a whole minute to display an error.
If I remember well it refuse to start just with POST card plugged in. But I am not sure about that.

On the Expanding plate there aren't any active electronics so I don't know what is the problem.

The power supply is always ON, so be careful, even when knob is switched OFF. I dropped a srew driver while it was opened and it is gone know.

On my turn, because title of your post is so vague can I put some question under the same title.

TryAgain wrote:

I own one of this Compaq Deskpro 2000. It works without any card plug in in expanding plate. It has built in video. So is ready […]
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I own one of this Compaq Deskpro 2000. It works without any card plug in in expanding plate. It has built in video. So is ready to go just with keyboard.
Probably your win95 install was with some card plugged in, so win 95 refuse to start, but bios time screen would be there I think.
I remember that when it has had configuration problem it has taken around a whole minute to display an error.
If I remember well it refuse to start just with POST card plugged in. But I am not sure about that.

On the Expanding plate there aren't any active electronics so I don't know what is the problem.

After some time playing with it i can clearly say about mine machine:
-seems i have one of ISA slots dead,coz noone of card can be detected plugged on it
-it boots and works well without expansion card
-still lurking about way how to enter bios,heard need some kind of utility installed 😒

TryAgain wrote:

On my turn, because title of your post is so vague can I put some question under the same title.

Sure why not 😀

O'key. If your original win95 installation is worked.
Do you see one white mark blinking on your right sight and on the monitor when computer starts. Then you need to press F10. Probably after text with video card information and how many memory is installed. The memory must be in dual channel configuration just as in your picture. Two equal memory sticks. Right after beep is heard.

If you don't see any blinking mark on right upper corner of screen, then your diagnostic and configuration partition on hard drive is either not active or not functional or broken.

You need to download the diagnostic and configuration exe and to create diskette from it. And boot the computer again with diskette in bay.
An year ago I search Hewet Pacard site about compaq products and had problems finding software but probably because these days maybe had some server reorganization.
Mine was model 2133 in drop down menu.
My board was if I remember well 505-101. Which means it is capable of cpu supply mod to enable Pentium MMX, and bios support USB ports through expansion card, preferably old two ports will work. Mine was japan chip combo with support of firewire too.

There is bios update which enables big hard drive up to 128Gb, but don't return to old bios, because my refuses to accept new one again.
And I use some tricks to flash it again.

I scrapped a similar slot 1 deskpro a couple years back. It had onboard ESS Audiodrive and an identical ISA version on the riser. I always wondered why, makes sense now!

Here are two versions of the Compaq BIOS setup and diagnostic package for the Deskpro.

Non of them are for the Deskpro 2000 if I remember right but at least one of them worked with my Deskpro 4000? Socket 7 motherboard although I think the working package actully was for a PII Deskpro. I messed with the Deskpro board all the way back in 2013 so dont trust anything I say.

Skyscraper wrote:

Here are two versions of the Compaq BIOS setup and diagnostic package for the Deskpro.

Non of them are for the Deskpro 2000 if I remember right but at least one of them worked with my Deskpro 4000 Socket 7 motherboard although I think the working package actully was for a PII Deskpro. I messed with the Deskpro board all the way back in 2013 so dont trust anything I say.

deskpro_BIOS_setup.zip

Thanks for sharing,goona be usefull

So the questions If anybody can answer will be great.
First is.
Why 128Mb don't work with pentium processors. with our without mmx? How much memory is cached? (Mine has Cpu supply mod)

With pentium memory configuration is 96MB. first slot 2x16MB and in second 2x32MB.
But with WinChip has not any problem with 128MB. 4 x 32MB. What memory is cached and how?

Second question. My WinChip has cutted three pins for bus multiplier and work with default 4, I menage to link and enable 3x but with no avail. It still works at 4x.

So now the system bus is 50 and cpu at 200.
My harddrive is 40GB with last bios 1999 june.

Not all pci and isa slot can be populated you need to keep that in mind, some are shared. The only slot which accept PCI video card is one close to power supply.

Yes the name of expansion card was riser card.
Voodoo 2000 PCI worked in it and Voodoo 2 accelerator on other side pci slot, back then It had another video card S3Virge connected with short video cable with Voodoo 2. Right bellow video I placed audio card and on other side first is video capture and TV, under it is USB card and special(one famous ISA NIC I forgot the name now) isa card for for network 10Mbit.

Try to inspect riser card carefully for slot damage when pulled or inserted cards. Riser card hasn't any active electronic components if I remember well, so it is very unlikely that it is damaged. Also the slot for the riser card alone.

I can't find on hp site where was the old support again. But you need to distinct two close models one is Compaq Deskpro 2000 and another was maybe 4000 or 2000n or something which is also penitum mmx or another one with pentium 2 already.

TryAgain wrote:

So the questions If anybody can answer will be great. First is. Why 128Mb don't work with pentium processors. with our without m […]
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So the questions If anybody can answer will be great.
First is.
Why 128Mb don't work with pentium processors. with our without mmx? How much memory is cached? (Mine has Cpu supply mod)

With pentium memory configuration is 96MB. first slot 2x16MB and in second 2x32MB.
But with WinChip has not any problem with 128MB. 4 x 32MB. What memory is cached and how?

Second question. My WinChip has cutted three pins for bus multiplier and work with default 4, I menage to link and enable 3x but with no avail. It still works at 4x.

So now the system bus is 50 and cpu at 200.
My harddrive is 40GB with last bios 1999 june.

Not all pci and isa slot can be populated you need to keep that in mind, some are shared. The only slot which accept PCI video card is one close to power supply.

All socket 7 boards with 4 72pin memory slots can run (at least) 4x32 MB for 128MB total. Witrh a few exceptions Socket-7 boards can not cache more than 64MB memory with 512KB cache, uncached memory will slow down Windows a bit and since 64MB is plenty for a (non Super) Socket 7 system running Windows 9x it makes sense to only use 64MB.

My Compaq Deskpro Socket 7 board dosnt use any common chipset but some strange Compaq workstation chipset (with lots of chips), Im pretty sure my board can cache more than 64MB.

The problem is why Winchip works with 128Mb, but Pentium 133 original processor won't. It is just replaced processor, no mode supply is used.

I am sure that mine cache is 256 pipeline burst cache coast. It is capable of caching 64 MB in write back mode and pay attention 128 in write through. It is different for 486 which 256 Kb cache can cache only 64Mb in write through mode. Because of different architecture one is 32 bit data bus, another is 64 bit data bus. The motherboard chipset is Triton II 430HX server class chipset. With 512kb cache coast it is capable to accept theoretically 512MB.

So Specs are not right. Computer not accept 128MB in original configuration as is stated. It is checked by me.

I found sp15800.exe, file, sp4711.exe, sp2579.exe, sorry I am unorganized and don't know what is this files about. But probably are important.
If you not going to use big Hard drive. Don't upgrade bios. The bios is soldered and you must asure that uninterrupted power supply and original configuration when going through this step.
I have other information about this computer.
I try to figure out what.

my model is Compaq Deskpro 2000 model 5133 with some trade mark numbers for western europe
the other model was model 2500, which is with sdram edo I think and pentium mmx.

this is link about similar machine
https://ancientelectronics.wordpress.com/tag/ … q-deskpro-5120/

under cover it is glued label with configuration about jumpers it is marked on board too.

I find for what is sp4711.exe on google.

file is F10 Setup and Personal Computer Diagnostics

here is the link

http://h20564.www2.hp.com/hpsc/swd/public/det … 3&lang=en&cc=hr

read carefully for first time you can create diskette. It must not contain bad sectors or you need to check it with Norton Disk Doctor.
This is Dos.

This version is on my computer, bios is very basic.
Because I have one big audio card maybe creative gold ISA which has bios on its own.
When enter after retrieving information it beeps several times, even whole melody and fill several screens with china glyphs, before enter in setup program.
Mine has problem with one memory slot maybe 3, probably cold soldering spot and give me memory errors which is very annoying while I finally manage to by pass with some touches of memory sticks. Because memory sticks and memory slot are different metal coating and power supply mod was made not very gentle in mind.

I suggest you to not touch the cache coast stick. It is very hard to remove and to put again. Without cache coast stick I think computer can't run, If I remember my tryings.

Even though when testing memory it is switched on and off. This testing is very useful to me.
Some specs http://www.ctechinfo.net/documentation/qrgs/deskpro2000.pdf
search for deskpro_2000.pdf file it is guide about 6200 which is mmx but in the same case, and similar arrangement.
Here is another useful link http://www.motherboardpoint.com/threads/deskpro-2000.38585/

sorry that I occupied your thread.

rein_ein wrote:

So i just received Compaq Deskpro 2000 After complete disassembly and testing i find out that it boots up well even with origina […]
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So i just received Compaq Deskpro 2000
After complete disassembly and testing i find out that it boots up well even with original w95 but only if i remove additional board with isa and pci any thoughts why?

I gotta I ask, what were the original symptoms when it wouldn't boot? Did you get beeps? No beeps, lights no lights?

I'm having a similar problem where I get nothing but a cpu fan when a riser card is installed.

IT-Escapee wrote:

I gotta I ask, what were the original symptoms when it wouldn't boot? Did you get beeps? No beeps, lights no lights?

I'm having a similar problem where I get nothing but a cpu fan when a riser card is installed.

Seems same,with empty riser card i got no boot symptoms except working fan.