I am repairing a friends computer that they got for free, which you will see why in a second.

The system is a HP Vectra ve 5/series 3 computer. It is a Pentium 100 with 32MB RAM, 1 GB harddrive, and a floppy drive came with the system originally. The system had WIN95 installed on it originally and it was set to be used on a corporate network, so it was locked down.

They asked that the system be formated and that the compoents which they installed into it work. They installed a modem, and a soundcard that acts as a CD-ROM controller along with the CD-ROM. I think it is a Packard Bell component http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/frown.gif The sound card does have packard bell stickers on it.

The computer when booting up powers up (you can here that) but gives you nothing on the screen. In fact, if you have a monitor that goes in power safe mode if the computer is powered down.. stays there when this computer is booting up.

After I unplugged the CD-ROM from the sound card, the system booted fine. I also tried the using the second IDE channel for the CD-ROM but that gave me the same problem nothing at boot up but unplugging it let it boot up fine.

I tried my CD-ROM (so I could install the OS) and it worked fine on the Second IDE channel.

Since it is an old computer and an old device I am not sure they are going to want to put out the money. So I was wondering if anyone had any experiance with this too.

The CD drive has instead of Master Slave, etc. It has ID and under it 0 1 2 3 Which reminds me of a SCSI drive but this isn't SCSI. It only has 40 PINS. Would anyone know the setting or how I could get around this and still use the device? Or have some better advice?

Thanks for helping and for that matter reading the post http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif

Hi;

from your description, it seems that you have original components that worked, except for the cd rom and sound card. The cd rom reminds me of an old sound blaster, which required their own OEM special ide cable that works with the sound blaster cd rom only, connected to their own card (Multimedia bundle). The older sound blaster models had this type of marking at the ide connector on the cd rom. I would guess that the root of the problem may lie here, especially since your cd rom worked on the secondary IDE. Do you know what model/type of cd rom it is?

Was there a cd rom in the machine before?

Did you use the same ribbon cable with your cd rom, which worked?

Actually, I'll back up what danleff is saying because that wa my case with a very old laptop i had.

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RUN AWAY FROM COMPAQS!!!

Well I got this system up and running again. With the sound card, modem and CD-ROM that the people took out of a Packard Bell.

Come to find out it was because the CD-ROM was on the wrong connection on the sound card. It sure would be nice if the would label things so you didn't have to guess. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif

All fixed now!

Thanks for the advice and assistance!

PS... I would never have now nor before bought a Packard Bell or Compaq. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif This just reaffirms my beliefs http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif