More for my post # 147233 I added some more ram to the compaq presario 5000 that would only boot to the compaq LOGO...now I booted and hit the escape key and I got this error message Bootlock Emergency Recovery Mode The System Flash Rom has been corrupted Please insert a ROMPaq diskette into drive A: and cycle the power on the system. A ROMPaq diskette may be obtained from http://www.compaq.com I found the file, put it on a floppy, started up the machine and it still hangs at the Compaq logo? Anyone have any ideas on what else I could do? Thanks Hopefully my advice will help you...Please post back with your results....thanks

Well on the compaq 5000 change the ram to another slot there are 3 slots on there so mix them up see if that cures the problem, or just do a system recovery. Jim R

I believe you misquoted your former post number. Installing ram that will fit and you think will work in your ram slots doesn't guarantee it will work - it must be compatible with your motherboard. Take a look at the memory count if it's visible before the logo screen and see if it actually adds up to what you have. If you can't see it, try one module at a time. If you know for sure which modules were in it that worked fine before your current trouble, put them in, leave the ones you added out. "Bootlock Emergency Recovery Mode The System Flash Rom has been corrupted" The contents of your bios are in 2 main parts - the bootblock, and the rest of it. When you flash your bios, it often doesn't flash the boot block by default. The bootblock is a bare bones safety feature that allows you to attempt to re-flash your bios if you used the wrong flash, or something went wrong during a flash, but it didn't flash the bootblock. However, if you did not just try to flash your bios you can get a message like that, and that isn't really what's wrong. If that's the case, you need to undo all the things you have done lately to get it to a a state where it works again If you did just try to flash the bios: The first thing to try is to clear the cmos part of the bios. Look in your mboard manual - if you don't have a manual, it is best to get one, but the cmos clear jumper is often near the mboard battery and you may be able to figure out which it is from labelling on the mboard - it is often a jumper on a two or three pin header on the mboard - you must move it to the clear position with your computer UNPLUGGED. Wait 5 minutes, Move it back. Plug in the computer and try booting again. While you're looking at the mboard, some mboards that must be in the right position in order to flash the bios - it is often near the bios chip - if it is in the wrong position when you try to flash your bios, the flash will fail!! If that doesn't work, your bios may actually be corrupted, but you should try one ram module at a time to make sure. If it still doesn't work............ In order for the Rompaq to be able to successfully flash the bios: - the floppy drive must be working, and a short time after you boot it must attempt to access the floppy - the led must come on, after the initial brief flash it always does while booting. If you cannot boot to that point, start again using a single different ram module. Try all of them one by one if you have to. If at least one was in the mboard when it worked before you should be able to boot far enough. If you can't boot far enough, or the led does not come after the usual first flash even when it does boot far enough (unless this mboard has never worked for you with the ram modules you have and you can try some other ones), the game is over - you either have to obtain a new flash chip already flashed with the latest update for your mboard, or go the more expensive route of getting a modern bios upgrade on a flash chip, from vendors on the web - or get another mboard. - READ the directions for how to use the Rompaq on the website page you got it from! - the floppy you use to put the Rompaq on must be error free. Use Format - Full (the default) in XP, or Format - Full (you have to select it) in Win ME or lower (in either case RIGHT click on the A drive icon to find Format)so that Windows can find and exclude from use any bad sectors on the floppy - there a lot of bad floppies these days that appear to be error free before they are formatted this way but they are not. In XP you have to look at the Properties of the floppy disk afterwards to see if it has bad bytes on it. In Win ME and lower a summary is displayed by default and you can see if there are any bad bytes there. If there any ANY bad bytes, start over with another floppy. - the Rompaq download must be extracted to the floppy (you can't just copy it to it) - either by running an *.exe file that is not compressed, or extracting it first from a self executing zip or other compressed file, or extracting it from a zip or other compressed file, and then running the *.exe file it makes. - boot with the floppy, and good luck.

Oops While you're looking at the mboard, some mboards HAVE A JUMPER that must be in the right position in order to flash the bios - it is often near the bios chip - if it is in the wrong position when you try to flash your bios, the flash will fail!! ........ The bad ram myth. It is extremely RARE for ram to go bad these days - almost always the real problem is the ram you try that hasn't been in the mboard before and working fine is incompatible with the mboard. If the incompatible ram works at all it will fail memory tests in that mboard. If you know which ram modules are the ones that worked before they are probably NOT bad, and it is almost impossible for them to all be bad at the same time in any case. It is something else that is cauising the problem close to 100% of the time!

Thanks for the replies. My post number wasn't wrong, I just forgot to say that it was #147233 in the XP forum. Sorry. Anyways, Beginner, sorry, It only boots up to the logo so I can't try a system recovery. Tubes, thanks for the great answer and I'll try what you are suggesting...I have nothing to lose, and all to gain at this point. As in my last post, I had re-done my clients pc cleaning it up and stuff and was working great, so I have NO idea what he did when he got it home. So now he tells me I can keep the PC as he was gonna buy a new one anyways...LOL...well hopefully I can get this one running and donate it to a good cause. We have quite a few Katrina survivors down here, so it's good to help when I can. Hopefully my advice will help you...Please post back with your results....thanks

Good response! I'm in Alberta, Canada myself. There were a lot of Canadians and Canadian organizations that went down there and helped out after Katrina.

Tubes, I'm from Calgary,Alberta myself (21 yrs there) and have lived in Fla for the past 5 yrs...what a coincidence! Hopefully my advice will help you...Please post back with your results....thanks