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I have been trying to get this computer to work over the last couple days.

I had the "no video signal" problem and tried several things. I opened the unit and cleaned the dust out with compressed air, removed the RAM and cleaned it before putting it back in, removed and cleaned the 3V battery before putting it back in, and finally reset the CMOS with the interior CMOS button.

After all that I started it up, and I believe I got more than 2 beeps but I don't remember how many, unfortunately. Then after shutting it down and starting again I just got 2 short beeps, which frustratingly is said to indicate a "general error."

The only other solutions I can think of trying are cleaning the RAM again and trying a different slot or replacing the 3V battery entirely. I am generally not very knowledgeable or experienced with working on computers though and have just found stuff through videos and searching.

System is from 2000 and is running Win 98 SE. The PC was last used in 2016 and booted normally.

Update: After replacing the BIOS battery, it gave 2 long beeps and 2 short beeps on start, then paused before giving 2 long beeps, then paused again before 2 more long beeps. Still no video signal.

Giacomo1968
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doindirtywork98
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1 Answers1

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You're to be commended for your interest in retrocomputing -- I still have a Timex-Sinclair ZX81 put together from kit.

Fixing the Compaq

There are videos on the teardown and repair of Compaq computers, such as thison iFixIt. Some parts deteriorate with age, such as electrolytic capacitors, CMOS batteries, and hard disk drives, particularly if the drives have sat unused for many years. You state you do not have much knowledge of electronics, so you'll need help from someone experienced in electronic repairs to fix it. Electrolytic caps and CMOS batteries are inexpensive, but knowledge and equipment is needed to replace them, and to find and repair other issues.

Recovering data and applications

You might or might not be able to recover data from that drive without repairing the Compaq. The original was likely a 10 GB PATA HDD, with FAT32 file system, which is still in common use, and there are enclosures, from ~$US10, for such drives to allow mounting on another PC via USB -- determine the type of drive before ordering an enclosure. If the drive has not deteriorated significantly, you might be able to mount it.

If the drive can be mounted, you can read data from it. Documents of obsolete type, such as Microsoft Office '97 DOC format, can be loaded in free LibreOffice Writer, and saved in various other formats.

Choosing an operating system

Windows 98 applications, however, would not run directly in a current operating system (OS), e.g. 64-bit Windows 10. You could try using them in free VirtualBox running 32-bit Windows 7 OS, easy to install, or try to install Win98 on VMWare ESX server.

As for the Compaq OS, for historical purposes, you could keep Windows 98. However, that is a rather idealistic cooperative multitasking OS; i.e., each application must politely take but a short slice of time, and then hand the reins over to the next app. If one app stops, or does relinquish control, the system freezes. This was true for Windows 95, 98 and ME.

Windows NT, then Windows XP and later versions, use preemptive multitasking, as does Linux. If you can get the Compaq working at all, consider installing 32-bit Windows XP or 7, both past end-of-life, or 32-bit Linux. You might find a retrocomputing group or blog to help with that.

DrMoishe Pippik
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