I'm copying this bit of info I found on my searches..
I guess this is totally relevant to my situation.
>>>>
Holding down the Fn key while powering up and tapping F11 will.
clear the BIOS to a default boot setting There may be drive
noises and flashing LEDS After this reboot, the F10 procedure
(see below), or the floppy CMOS setup utility from Compaq, or
normal floppy boot disk will need to be run.

The CMOS setup floppy also installs the CMOS utility on the hard
drive The drive will need to be clean as only the first
physical partiton (hidden) is used for that.

If the CMOS setup utility is still on the hidden partition on the
hard drive and the special boot sector to start it with F10 has
not been over ridden, then F!0 at boot when the flashing cursor
appears in the upper right hand corner will start that up.

Please note CMOS is not on the hard drive, only a Windows 31 user
interface for its settings is installed on the drive (and
floppy).. Apparently this was Compaq's method for system admims.
>>>>

So ..I'm thinking I really need the utility disks and a working floppy drive ...
http://webpages.charter.net/dperr/compaq.htm
Problem is ..where to get them...?
can anyone help ?

Some Compaq has ”bios” installed on a partition at the beginning of the drive, which is called by F11.

I tried once to get it installed but never got it working.

I'm currently 'RAW IMAGING' the 3250mb Hard drive ...which looks original isofaras the felt tab attached to the hard drive has never been removed..
Of course ..that doesn't mean it wasn't reformatted entirely ..thus destroying the hidden "bios" utils partition.
Once the imaging completes I'll take a look if there is a small partition at the start of the drive.
rgds
VS

You can still get all the SoftPaqs from HP.

This looks like yours :

https://support.hp.com/gb-en/drivers/selfserv … 219/model/96537

try the Setup Disk under 'Software - System Management'

There is a 100mb partition at the start of the HD ..this is the logical active partition ...the rest of the drive holds win98se in an extended partition..and this is what boots up.
The 100mb partition holds what looks to some user docs ..and possibly win95 ??
In other words ..this machine looks to have been upgraded from 95 to 98 at some point...
sadly no sign of the utils/bios partition ..which might well have been destroyed at upgrade..
Or maybe it never existed and this install was done on a network ?
So ..it does look like ..
unless I can get hold of the neccessary bootable utils floppies ..and get the floppy drive to be recognised ...then sadly this unit is an un-upgradeable brick.
oh dear..

PC Hoarder Patrol wrote:

You can still get all the SoftPaqs from HP. […]
Show full quote

You can still get all the SoftPaqs from HP.

This looks like yours :

https://support.hp.com/gb-en/drivers/selfserv … 219/model/96537

try the Setup Disk under 'Software - System Management'

Thanks for that ..
It may well be possible then ..
Ive downloaded the Rompack creator ..
and the instructions
>>>
1. Obtain a formatted 1.44-MB diskette.2. Download the SoftPaq to a directory on your hard drive and change to that directory. The file that is downloaded is an executable with a filename based on the SoftPaq Number above.3. From that drive and directory, execute the downloaded file and follow the on-screen instructions. You will be prompted to insert the formatted diskette in a drive to create the diskette.4. After the diskette has been created, you may delete the SoftPaq file downloaded in step 2.5. Power down the computer.6. Place the newly created Compaq Armada 1500 ROMpaq diskette in Drive A: and power up the computer. Follow the instructions on the screen to upgrade the System ROM. IMPORTANT: DO NOT TURN OFF POWER TO THE SYSTEM WHILE PERFORMING THIS PROCEDURE!
>>>
The problem now is if the floppy drive I obtained is functional or not..
Still ..I do thank you and I now have hope this lappy may live again.
rgds
VS

For the record, Fn+F11 clears CMOS. (Just tried on my own Compaq Armada 1573DM and it does work). You hold Fn while the laptop is off, turn the laptop on, then repeatedly press F11. It will reset and the RAM will run a complete check afterward. The CMOS is reset. If the floppy drive somehow comes back to life, I'll be amazed. Otherwise, it may be dead.

You may need the Diagnostics SoftPAQ as well; HP for some reason does not seem to link to it at all. Version is 10.40 Rev A.

Edit: This thread made me start compiling notes for the Armada 1500 series; didn't do so last year.

Made a Rompack Floppy on another machine..but sadly no sign of floppy activity at all at boot ..and this is with a blank hard drive installed..
As you say ..it is likely dead ..
I would attept to repair or fit another ..but no idea if the fault is with the Floppy drive ..or the main board ..
FD controller ..??
If you have the diagnosics softpack ..
I'd appreciate a copy..
Does this software diagnose all harware in the system ...and can it be run from windows ?
If so I could run it from win98 ..which is functional.
rgds
VS

Looks like I'm making progress..
As I strongly suspected ..the floppy drive functionality had been disabled in cmos ..somehow..
This is a very complex lappy..
Fn F11 was also disabled ???
so no chance of resetting cmos that way ..
Removed the battery ..and mains power.
So ..lifted the keyboard again ..located the Cmos battery ...and disconnected it ..
..and went to make a cuppa T ...
left it about 5 minutes ..
popped in the floppy disk I'd made on my dell (ROMpack) ...and it immediately spang into life after a very lengthy RAMcheck..
result is in the photo..
Now ..what ??
This one is all new to me..

The Diagnostics SoftPaq I mentioned earlier actually requires a floppy disk to install and ties to Computer Setup for Portables. There is Compaq Diagnostics for Windows on HP's site that PC Hoarder Patrol linked to that does the same thing, but for Windows, of course; located in Software-System Management.

I'll still attach it, though.

Edit: Image is blurry, but is that the Firmware Upgrade Utility?

AmiSapphire wrote:

The Diagnostics SoftPaq I mentioned earlier actually requires a floppy disk to install and ties to Computer Setup for Portables. There is Compaq Diagnostics for Windows on HP's site that PC Hoarder Patrol linked to that does the same thing, but for Windows, of course; located in Software-System Management.

I'll still attach it, though.

Edit: Image is blurry, but is that the Firmware Upgrade Utility?

Thanks for the uploads ..
Yes that is the firmware update utility I think ..
and I cannot use it on a blank hard drive to start over..on account there are no suitable rom images on the diskette ..
I therefore put the original HD back in ..and windows 98se boots ..but now I have floppy drive access ..

So ..it is possible to disable the floppy drive in the bios ..and the drive itself - not guilty

rgds
VS
So ..what would I need to start over with a larger blank Hard Drive ? ie ...how do I create this utility hidden partition ?

I'll have to redo this process to be sure, because there actually is an order is which to install the software (I only remember the Diagnostics disk being first), and of course, didn't take notes.

Then, like an idiot, I apparently destroyed my Diagnostics/Setup partition on my Compaq which has Win98SE installed 🤣 So, I'll have to re-image the Win98SE partition (been a long time doing, anyway), remove that, and I'll edit this post for the definitive steps.

-

Edit: Finally, here are the steps.

Needed:
Computer Setup for Portables [Version 2.01 Rev H] - on HP's site
Compaq Personal Computer Diagnostics [Version 10.40 Rev A] - already attached here

Steps:
Insert the Diagnostics Disk in the drive first.
If this is a new drive, it will automatically recognize that fact. But if not, select Manage Diagnostics Partition. Once there, you select Create Diagnostics Partition (do NOT do this on an existing drive with the installed DIAG partition, as it will corrupt it). From there, you normally follow the prompts.
Insert the Setup Diskette.
Insert the Diagnostics Diskette. It will go through the installation process.
Insert the Setup Diskette. It will normally go through the installation process, but may error out trying to copy a configuration file. If it does, continue anyway, then reboot while leaving the Setup diskette in the drive.
From there, select 'Install the Computer Setup Utility'. It will install normally. From there, reboot. The partition installation is complete.

@Vipersan, glad to see you're finally making some progress.

I did also run across this doc, which was produced in response to someone having a very similar problem with an Armada 7800, so I've linked it for reference:

http://h30434.www3.hp.com/psg/attachments/psg … Setup_Diags.pdf

though the links within it are dead,

Vipersan wrote:

So ..what would I need to start over with a larger blank Hard Drive ? ie ...how do I create this utility hidden partition ?

The Diagnostics Disk usually contains a utility to create the service partition on the blank HDD. It will ask for the Setup disk(s) to copy their content to the HDD during the process. Make sure the HDD does not conttain any partitions, before you start.
Went through the process with my recently aquired Compaq professional Workstation AP500 just weeks ago.

My grateful thanks to all of you guys ..
Probably giving this process a go on Sunday ..when I can give it my undivided attention.
rgds

Looks like I've hit my first obstacle ..
I have made a setup floppy which does boot ..but this is what I get ..
My computers setup is password protected ?
I've removed the original hard drive and fitted a 10.6gb hitachi with no partitions ..
What now ?

I accessed the security feature of setup ...and of course it reported no setup partition on the hard drive which obviously there isn't ..
To create this partition insert the diagnostics disk and reset with ctrl alt delete ..but the diagnosics disk isn't bootable ??
This I assume would be made by sp16085.exe kindly uploaded by AmiSapphire
But running sp16085.exe didn't produce a bootable floppy ..
it simply unpacked iteslf to the desktop ?
I'm still very confused ?
rgds
VS

Ahhh That would be it then ..
sp16085.exe doesn't directly produce the diagnostics floppy ..but running QRST5.exex in the Temp folder on the desktop created by running sp16085.exe ...does ..
🤣