Compaq 7400 lost DIAGS

[MaryRedmond]

Last posts I saw are about 2005 - files no longer available on HP site to download DIAGS creation file.

Laptop: Armada 7400-6266-T-4000-D-0-1 - secondhand- function keys didn't do anything when I bought it. 4 gb HDD (IBM TravelStar). 64mb RAM, swappable floppy and CD-ROM

OS - W2Kpro

Event- virus /spyware infection about 7 months ago - virus removed by computer repair tech guy .... then ....performance SLOW - so HDD formatted and OS re-installed.

The problem - running out of disk space and can't do a decent defrag. Asked tech guy to upgrade to 10 or 20 or 30 gb HDD. He cloned the original HDD to the new one - it would not boot. He has tried everything he can think of and has given up.

I had downloaded System ROMpaq - he did not find it bootable. I tried to create a boot disk - I could not seem to make a bootable disk - with the old DOS boot files, got a message about NTLDR not found ....

WIndows sees 2 gb, not 4. Administrator options in Control Panel shows primary partition is 2 gb, rest is "Unallocated" - no DIAGS partition.

I have read all of the posts I can find. Tried to find the DIAGS file on HP and got a no longer available message.

So .. the old HDD boots fine but without being able to install the BIOS on another HDD, can't upgrade AND then boot the laptop.

If I could make a boot diakette that worked, maybe we could find a way to install the DIAGS partition and BIOS on the HDD ... if the files are still available.

Any help would be most welcome ... baby steps, please ...

Mary

 

[lamo]

is this your link?
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsuppor...&swEnvOID=20&swLang=8&taskId=135&mode=4&idx=2

it creates bootable diskette with setup program. afaik, you'll need to reseat cmos battery before doing this(in case, when your laptop won't boot from floppy first).

 

[MaryRedmond]

Thanks -

The file is too big for a diskette so downloaded to a small USB drive - don't know if it will do the job but I appreciate your posting the link. I will let you know ...

Mary

 

[lamo]

wait a minute, you have direct instructions with this file, which can be read in link, i've provided. this laptop won't boot from usb drive(lack of USB legacy support).

 

[MaryRedmond]

You are right - totally missed that.

Mary

 

[MaryRedmond]

Thanks, lamo and update ...

Ok, so I have the setup diskette. When I select install setup, I get the "no diagnostics partition, run PC diagnostics" message. When I searched for restore diagnostics partition, the links suggested had expired. There are HP sites for Compaq diagnostics for Windows but the instructions - not so clear to me.

One post suggested I needed version 10.40 and I can't find it.

I do have a Win 95 boot floppy with the DOS utilities including fdisk and for that matter, I have old installation diskettes for 3.1 and DOS.

Any idea what might be my next best step ...?

Mary

Edit:

Update - posted 2 May 2009 at 5:31 Eastern Standard time

I was able to find sp12906 and dozens of earlier and later sps on a Compaq archive site - Too new - I can't post the link yet - I will let you know if it works.

Mary


May 3, 12:49

I am still stuck - used SP12906 to create a diagnostics diskette - it wouldnt boot - booted with Win 95 floppy - the diags disk gave me an error message when I tried to create diags partition - "not booted with diagnostics disk" and I couldn't proceed. I downloaded the SP to create the version 10.40 diskette. That one will boot and setup can see the 10 gb drive but when I ask the diagnostics disk to create the partition, it says that there is insufficient room on the hard drive. Fdisk shows no partitions - I tried formatting the presumably blank HDD - I still get the message that there is insufficient space ...

 

[lamo]

you need to erase hdd to install BIOS partition. search again carefully at HP web site. i can't believe, that they erased old support files for this laptop.
actually, i did these procedures long time ago, and i didn't save these files

 

[MaryRedmond]

Thanks, Iamo -

I think I may be making a little progress. The old files are available from ftp archive sites under HP and Compaq and the 10.40 version of the diags file seems to work - at least it boots the laptop.

The HDD I am trying to install is, I think, previously used and, I am guessing, from what I can see in searching all the terms I can think of, that it may have a hidden partition - IBM seems to have used that in, at least, some laptops. Hitachi has a download of Ftool available but I may try Hiren's boot CD tools first - will give it a try on the weekend. I am guessing that removing the hidden partition, if it exists, may resolve the problem. It would probably be occupying at least part of the first 2 gb space that the diags partition wants.

Mary


May 15, 2009 -

Problem solved ... removed the hidden partition with the partition magic tool on Hiren CD ..used the 10.39 version of the diags disk and the setup disk and .... I have the BIOS F10 ...! Yes! Thanks for the support, lamo!

Mary