I'm not sure if this is the right category for this, but there is no general hardware category.
If there is a better category feel free to move this mods.
I have an old system from circa 2001 system that has been sitting around.
I want to re-purpose it into a utm/router, xbmc, or mythbuntu pc.
it is a compaq 5320us specs are:
Pentium 4 1.6ghz single
OEM compaq motherboard (I can get a product number if that would help)
640mb SDRAM (1x128mb, 2x 256mb)
40gb IDE Maxtor drive
nVidia TNT2 vanta gpu
I want to boot a live linux of any distribution to format the hard drive and then install whichever distro I want. But nothing will boot. I have tried knoppix, ubuntu 12.10, live windows xp, you name it, but none will boot. All live usb disks are also confirmed on a socket 775 oem system and my am3 system.
I also tried one live ubuntu 12.10 disk, but that did not work either (I really prefer usb though).
If I unplug the cd drives and the hard disk so there is only the usb, it gives me an error that the system diskette is not bootable and to replace it.
I figured the problem might have been fixed in a BIOS update (it still has factory original), so I downloaded the newest bios from hp, and it has a windows and a dos utility. I assumed that a dos disk would not work either so I opted for windows.
Right now it has XP on the internal hard disk.
2 days ago I was attempting a software undervolt. However the junk oem motherboard does not support it, so I simply shut the PC down. When I came back to it today. it asked me to start in safe mode, safe mode with networking or CMD, last good config, or normally.
I tried safe mode networking, last good config, and normally. However all of them do the same thing.
When I select an option. The white dashed loading bars pop up across the bottom of the screen. And then slowly fill it to a white bar as it loads the operating system. However, it never moves past the solid white bar.
Safe mode loads drivers, but after it is done it just sits there also.
I am out of ideas, and any help is appreciated.
I also googled the problem and other people have had difficulty with this same PC model. and no forum thread gave a concise answer to the problem.
Also thank you in advance!
If there is a better category feel free to move this mods.
I have an old system from circa 2001 system that has been sitting around.
I want to re-purpose it into a utm/router, xbmc, or mythbuntu pc.
it is a compaq 5320us specs are:
Pentium 4 1.6ghz single
OEM compaq motherboard (I can get a product number if that would help)
640mb SDRAM (1x128mb, 2x 256mb)
40gb IDE Maxtor drive
nVidia TNT2 vanta gpu
I want to boot a live linux of any distribution to format the hard drive and then install whichever distro I want. But nothing will boot. I have tried knoppix, ubuntu 12.10, live windows xp, you name it, but none will boot. All live usb disks are also confirmed on a socket 775 oem system and my am3 system.
I also tried one live ubuntu 12.10 disk, but that did not work either (I really prefer usb though).
If I unplug the cd drives and the hard disk so there is only the usb, it gives me an error that the system diskette is not bootable and to replace it.
I figured the problem might have been fixed in a BIOS update (it still has factory original), so I downloaded the newest bios from hp, and it has a windows and a dos utility. I assumed that a dos disk would not work either so I opted for windows.
Right now it has XP on the internal hard disk.
2 days ago I was attempting a software undervolt. However the junk oem motherboard does not support it, so I simply shut the PC down. When I came back to it today. it asked me to start in safe mode, safe mode with networking or CMD, last good config, or normally.
I tried safe mode networking, last good config, and normally. However all of them do the same thing.
When I select an option. The white dashed loading bars pop up across the bottom of the screen. And then slowly fill it to a white bar as it loads the operating system. However, it never moves past the solid white bar.
Safe mode loads drivers, but after it is done it just sits there also.
I am out of ideas, and any help is appreciated.
I also googled the problem and other people have had difficulty with this same PC model. and no forum thread gave a concise answer to the problem.
Also thank you in advance!