Compaq Deskpro EN won't boot off replacement hard drive. \ VOGONS

Compaq Deskpro EN won't boot off replacement hard drive.

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First post, by grahamkeen

Posted on 2024-11-17, 15:31

grahamkeen Offline

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Joined: 2024-11-17, 14:36

Hi,
I am trying to get my Compaq Deskpro EN series SFF to boot off a replacement disk, which is 10GB, the same as the original.
I created it as an attached USB drive and have installed Windows XP onto it. It is format NTFS with an MBR boot system; it is also set as active.
Fitting in into the Deskpro, I boot the system but it hangs with an underscore in the top left of the screen.
I have checked the Bios and it is seen as a 10GB drive but doesn't show any data regarding cylinders etc.
I have also booted off an DOS floppy; If I type "C:" it says no disk.
However if I run Fdisk from the floppy, it sees the disk and says it is already set as the active partition and correctly identifies the size etc.
I'm going round in circles.
Any suggestions very gratefully received.
Thanks, Graham.

Reply 1 of 4, by Horun

Posted on 2024-11-17, 19:14

Horun Offline

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DOS will not be able to see the C drive if it is NTFS. Sounds like XP does not have the proper HD controller driver installed.
Did you install XP from the Compaq EN SFF ?

Hate posting a reply and then have to edit it because it made no sense 😁 First computer was an IBM 3270 workstation with CGA monitor. Stuff: https://archive.org/details/@horun

Reply 2 of 4, by grahamkeen

Posted on 2024-11-18, 17:11

grahamkeen Offline

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Thank you. I appreciate that DOS won't see the NTFS drive, but couldn't work out why the system was hanging on boot.

Reply 3 of 4, by BitWrangler

Posted on 2024-11-18, 17:22

BitWrangler Offline

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It's a Compaq, it's probably looking for it's system partition. What you're gonna have to do is get the softpaq that makes you the right setup floppies, boot off those and let it set up the disk, and lose about 5Mb with it's shenanigans.

Unicorn herding operations are proceeding, but all the totes of hens teeth and barrels of rocking horse poop give them plenty of hiding spots.

Reply 4 of 4, by DaveDDS

Posted on 2024-11-18, 18:00

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If it's a new freshly installed HD, I'm assuming you don't mind "trashing" its
content.

What I might do:

> Boot DOS floppy, use FDISK to delete partiton, create a small DOS one.
> FORMAT/S new partition
> Confirm that system boots to DOS from HD

I'm also assuming you have XP install media (CD/DVD?)
It's been many years since I've looked into this, but IIRC there
is a DOS runnable installer on the WinXP media)

So it becomes a matter of making the install media accessible under DOS.

If you have a optical drive you can make visible under DOS (built in or
USB with the right drives), you should be able to install from that.

If no, make a USB stick with the install files, find DOS drivers to access
it (I know I've done this some years go).

Failing that, perhaps interlnk/intersvr over a parallel connection?

As I recall, XP really likes to be installed on the system where it will run.
Otherwise practically nothing in the bootable system will be properly
configures for that hardware.

Dave ::: https://dunfield.themindfactory.com ::: "Daves Old Computers"->Personal

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