How old is this box? Is it 286? 386? Is there an option to press a key to enter CMOS? M2 If at first you don't succeed, you're about average.

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Older Compaq PC did not have a standard BIOS they used a bootable system configuration diskette to set the correct parameters. Compaq still list them for download, but it will take a little work on your part. GOOGLE the model number should eventually lead you to links. Once the parameters are correct it should be feasible to install a later version of DOS, I myself run MS-DOS 6.22 on a 8088 PC.

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It is sometimes helpful to ask the right questions rather than repeating a demand that quickly attracts the attention of the moderators. What you are after is not a dos disk. It is the system disk which interfaces with the bios. The errors 162 and 163 indicate that the cmos battery needs replacing. On older computers these were soldered to the board. If you manage to find the correct system disk for your model computer, you will need to use it each time you restart the computer until the battery has been successfully replaced (finding a good battery is another challenge). It is only then that you will be able to load any version of dos. There is no requirement for version 3.2.

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I was wondering if there was a way to manuley configure the bios on the hard drive? hi

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Rimfire: Thankyou for rewritting my response.... Joe: You have been given all the information you need, if yu will not take advice then you will not get anywhere..

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Oh, I thought that I was expanding on it! You can manually configure the cmos settings once you get into there. To do that, you will need the system disk. The cmos settings are stored in a chip on the motherboard, not on the hard drive. As yet, there is no evidence that you even have a hard drive.

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I'm sorry I dident explane that I dont have the system disk and I couldent find it on bootdisk.com and I was hoping that some one who reads this would have one that I would pay shiping and $5.00 extra dollers to thwe person. hi

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JK: Instead of demanding, after all this is a voluntary forum, why not actually look yourself to at least supply the model number. COMPAQ have made millions of PC's, I have given you as have other responders enough information which you obviously have not bothered to read, or act upon, try: http://www.google.com/

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A system disk is a boot disk - a SETUP disk is something else again, and contains the setup program for the computer, generally for machines that predate the (now standard) CMOS It's witless posts like this that make me wonder if there's any point to even having a DOS forum - look, your question, as stated (& restated) is just wrong and makes little sense. Apparently you find the answers equally confusing. DOS may not be for you Computers in the future may have only 1,000 vacuum tubes and perhaps only weigh 1 1/2 tons. - Popular Mechanics, 1949

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If you're still there, you're going to need a second computer with both a 5.25 and 3.5 drive in order to make a 5.25 bootdisk. Create the 3.5 bootdisk from a bootdisk.com file. Then boot the second computer with it and run the sys command on the 5.25 disk to make it bootable. Then, as mentioned above, copy the files from the 3.5 to the 5.25 disk. 5.25 drives had either a 360K or 1.2 meg capacity--unless it's a really old 180K. It'd be advisable for the 5.25 drive on the second computer to be the same type as is on the compaq. Most 1.2 drives could format a disk at 360K but not all 360K drives could read such a disk as the tracks laid down by the 1.2 were much narrower than typically found on a 360K. Since your battery appears to be dead it's possible the 'non system disk' error is due to the hard drive not being seen properly by the bios.

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Hi DAVEINCAPS, Right on, as usual. When I read this: "dos 3.2 on a 3.25 disk that has the captivity of 720K" I could almost hear Rod Serling, "signpost up ahead..." I think I'll do myself a favor and not read any thread having to do with a compaq. M2 If at first you don't succeed, you're about average.

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Yeah, I wasn't sure either about the floppy disk type he was referring to. Then when he later specifically mentioned a 5.25 I figured that was probably it. Another thing I didn't think of at the time--if it is a 360K drive he won't be able to get all the files from a 1.44 onto it. He'll probably only be able to get the basic files that you suggested in #3.

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I have been looking for this thing for 5 weeks now and I'm still not frustrated with it and I look every time I log on to the internet and the point of this was to see if somebody reading this would have one and I havent been responding to this in a while is because I have been programing a web page to post on Augest25,2005 in the hopes that somebody that has one will find my web sight. the URL is:www.helpmewiththiscompaqdeskpro.co.nr if you want a free domain name goto this web sight:www.freedomain.co.nr

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I'm sure you can get 3.2 somewhere. But do you just need a bootdisk or do you need the complete setup? If it's the complete set then try ebay. If you just need a bootdisk then you can put one together as I mentioned in #16. The lowest version of dos I might have would be 3.3 and it was on low density 5.25's. And I don't have a pc setup now with 5.25 drives. Otherwise I would just send you the disks. Also, assuming it's a 5.25 drive, is it a 360K or a 1.2 meg? That will determine the disks you need. The error messages you're getting indicate you have at least a 286. The bios on those could accomodate the higher density drives so you could have either one. Anyway, those are things you haven't been specific about so it's hard to give a specific answer.

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Hi Joe I have a boot disk on 3&1/2" 720k disk for MsDos 3.21. or I can put it on a 5&1/4" disk for you. Which is the format you want.

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The following we site say that they have a setup disk for a Compaq Portable II system: http://www.z80.de/alex/compaq/index.htm The portable is more like a suitcase. They also list MS-DOS 3.1

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