Laptop Issues...

mothatrucka · Post by **mothatrucka** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 2:56 pm

I have a Compaq Presario 2200. It was free, and works great for what I use it for. Windows got corrupted on it, (has a bad history of viruses) so I went to reinstall it. Now, whenever I turn it on, I get an error message that the PCI is missing. Everything is still in it, I haven't removed anything. I've removed the harddrive, the RAM, the DVD drive, the battery, and reinstalled them all, and nothing happens. Any pointers on what to do? Thanks.

mothatrucka · Post by **mothatrucka** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 8:25 pm

Anybody have any ideas?

vskid · Post by **vskid** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 9:21 pm

I had a laptop that gave a similar error. I think it was caused by a daughter board that wasn't plugged in all the way (it had a card reader, USB port, and power lights on the board). I unplugged it and put it back in and it worked, so I assumed thats what the problem was.

mothatrucka · Post by **mothatrucka** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 11:32 am

Okay. Thanks. It tells me that the Ethernet Adapter is not found. I took the wireless card out and reinserted it firmly, but no dice. I can't get the thing apart to check inside. I'll have to look for some instructions for that.

timmeh87 · Post by **timmeh87** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 12:19 am

Ethernet is wired, not wireless. Unless you mean you did that to the wireless one.

mothatrucka · Post by **mothatrucka** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 9:37 pm

I confess, I know very little about computers. I took the thing that said "Broadcom Radio" out and put it back in. Reading your comment, this is NOT the Ethernet? Would that be the part where the Cat 5 cables plug into?

WhatULive4 · Post by **WhatULive4** » Sat Jul 19, 2008 1:12 am

I don't know if this is a stupid question, but did you download and reinstall all the drivers? Windows only comes with standard generic drivers and not the specialized drivers needed for the countless laptop configurations.

For example, on my laptop once I format the hdd and reinstall windows the only thing that works is my wireless. So I go to the support site for my laptop and download the drivers to get my ethernet/sound/video drivers. Otherwise they just show up as unknown devices.

mothatrucka · Post by **mothatrucka** » Sat Jul 19, 2008 11:10 am

I can't even get into Windows to connect to the internet. I'm getting this error message before I ever see a Windows logo, then the computer just keeps restarting itself.

Is there a way to change things in the BIOS so that I don't need whatever part it can't find to start Windows? As long as I've got a functioning USB slot, I can connect to the internet and try to download the drivers again.

vskid · Post by **vskid** » Sat Jul 19, 2008 11:31 am

I think your best bet is to take the bottom half of the laptop apart and then put it back together. Something must not be connected right.

timmeh87 · Post by **timmeh87** » Sat Jul 19, 2008 12:24 pm

Yeah, ethernet is wired.

mothatrucka · Post by **mothatrucka** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 3:00 pm

Yes, I'm bumping an old thread of mine, but it's not that old. I've taken the laptop apart and put it back together two or three times, and I still have the same problem. It says PCI ethernet adapter is missing.

I decided to use the CDs to wipe it and reinstall windows. As soon as I get to the boot screen for the start-up disc, it tells me that there is no hard drive connected, and it can't install. Reseating the hard drive, the RAM, and any other part I can remove doesn't solve the problem.

Oddly enough, my other laptop, an Inspiron 2500 is now doing the same thing and telling me there's no hard drive. Just like the Compaq, reseating everything doesn't solve the problem.

Any advice or tricks to get one or both of these up and running again? I'd greatly appreciate it.

Bibin · Post by **Bibin** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 3:22 pm

Your motherboard probably has an integrated but PCI-based ethernet card - that may be at fault. Check your BIOS settings (hit F2 or DEL while it boots to get there) and make sure it's enabled. If it *is* enabled, disable it and see if you have different results.

As for the hard drives, make sure your computers are staying away from magnetic fields. This includes cell phones! The loudspeakers in them for speakerphone calls are strong enough to hurt hard drives, despite common belief.

timmeh87 · Post by **timmeh87** » Tue Sep 02, 2008 7:05 pm

If the hard drives are old they could very well be dead or dying.

mothatrucka · Post by **mothatrucka** » Wed Sep 03, 2008 3:54 pm

timmeh87 wrote:If the hard drives are old they could very well be dead or dying.

If I hook the hard drive up to a USB/IDE adapter, and I hear what sounds like the head clicking against something, is it safe to assume the drive is dead?

Aguiluz · Post by **Aguiluz** » Wed Sep 03, 2008 5:19 pm

mothatrucka wrote:
timmeh87 wrote:If the hard drives are old they could very well be dead or dying.
If I hook the hard drive up to a USB/IDE adapter, and I hear what sounds like the head clicking against something, is it safe to assume the drive is dead?

*glances at a dead 10GB laptop hard drive that makes clicking noises when hooked up to a USB/IDE adaptor*

Um, yeah. Dead as mine.