compaq presario 900 series User Manual

2–14Maintenance and Service Guide
Troubleshooting
Flowchart 2.4 - No Power, Part 3
Continued from 
Flowchart 2.3,
No Power, Part 2.
Reseat AC adapter
in computer and
at power source.
Internal or
external AC
adapter? Done
Done
Done Done Power on?
Power on?Power on? Plug directly
into AC outlet.
Power LED
on?
Power outlet
active?Try different
outlet.Replace external
AC adapter.
Replace
power cord.
Y
N
Y
Y Y
Y N
NN
N
External
Internal
Go to
Flowchart 2.5,
No Power,
Part 4.
272638-001.book  Page 14...

Troubleshooting
Maintenance and Service Guide2–15
Flowchart 2.5 - No Power, Part 4
Y
N
Continued from 
Flowchart 2.4,
No Power, Part 3.
Reseat loose
components and
boards and 
replace
damaged items. Open
computer.
Loose or
damaged
parts?
Y
Close
computer and
retest.
Power on?
Done
N
Replace the following items (if applicable). 
Check computer operation after each 
replacement:
1. Internal DC-DC converter*
2. Internal AC adapter
3. Processor board*
4. System board*
*Replace these items as a set to prevent...

2–16Maintenance and Service Guide
Troubleshooting
Flowchart 2.6 - No Video, Part 1
A
N
Stand-alone
or docking
station? No video.
Replace the following one at a time. Test after each replacement.
1. Cable between notebook and computer display (if applicable)
2. Inverter board (if applicable)
3. Display
4. System board
Internal or
external
display*?Adjust
brightness.Video OK? Done Docking
station
Internal
Stand-alone
External
Adjust
brightness.
Video OK? Done
Y
Press lid
switch to ensure
operation.
Video...

Troubleshooting
Maintenance and Service Guide2–17
Flowchart 2.7 - No Video, Part 2
Y
N
Continued from
Flowchart 2.6,
No Video, Part 1.
Done Video OK?
Adjust external
monitor display.Adjust
display
brightness.
Video OK?Video OK?
Done Done
Check that notebook is properly 
seated in docking station, for bent 
pins on cable, and for monitor 
connection.Go to “A” in
Flowchart 2.6,
No Video, Part 1.Check brightness
of external 
monitor.
Try another
external
monitor.
Internal
and external
video OK?
Go to...

2–18Maintenance and Service Guide
Troubleshooting
Flowchart 2.8 - Nonfunctioning Docking Station
(if applicable)
Y
N
Reseat power 
cord in docking
station and
power outlet.
N
Replace the following docking station 
components one at a time. Check 
computer operation after each 
replacement.
1. Power supply
2. I/O board
3. Backplane board
4. Switch box
Check voltage 
setting on 
docking station.
Reset monitor 
cable connector at 
docking station.Reinstall 
notebook into 
docking station.
Docking
station...

Troubleshooting
Maintenance and Service Guide2–19
Flowchart 2.9 - No Operating System (OS) Loading
No OS loading
from hard drive,
go to Flowchart 2.10, 
No OS Loading from 
Hard Drive, Part 1.
Reseat power 
cord in docking
station and
power outlet.
No OS
loading.*
* Before beginning troubleshooting, always 
check cable connections, cable ends, and 
drives for bent or damaged pins.
No OS loading
from CD- or
DVD-ROM drive,
go to Flowchart 2.14,
No OS Loading
from CD- or
DVD-ROM Drive.
No OS loading
from...

2–20Maintenance and Service Guide
Troubleshooting
Flowchart 2.10 - No OS Loading from Hard Drive, Part 1
Go to
Flowchart 2.17,
Nonfunctioning
Device.
Y
Done
N
OS not
loading from
hard drive.
Nonsystem
disk message?Go to
Flowchart 2.11,
No OS Loading 
from Hard Drive, 
Part 2.
Reseat
external
hard drive.
OS loading?
Done
Boot from
CD?
Go to
Flowchart 2.13,
No OS
Loading from
Diskette Drive.
Boot from
hard drive?
Boot from
diskette?
Change boot
priority through
the setup utility
and reboot.
Boot from
hard...

Troubleshooting
Maintenance and Service Guide2–21
Flowchart 2.11 - No OS Loading from Hard Drive, Part 2
Continued from
Flowchart 2.10,
No OS Loading 
from Hard Drive, 
Part 1.
Reseat
hard drive.
Done CD or
diskette in
drive?1. Replace hard 
drive.
2. Replace 
system board.
Go to
Flowchart 2.13,
No OS Loading 
from Diskette 
Drive.
Load OS using 
Restore CD 
(if applicable). Format hard drive 
and bring to a 
bootable C: 
prompt.Create partition, 
then format hard 
drive to bootable 
C: prompt. Remove...

2–22Maintenance and Service Guide
Troubleshooting
Flowchart 2.12 - No OS Loading from Hard Drive, Part 3
Y
System
files on hard
drive? Continued from 
Flowchart 2.11,
No OS Loading 
from Hard Drive,
Part 2.
Clean virus.
Done
N
Install OS
and reboot.
Virus
on hard
drive?OS
loading from
hard drive?
Y
NY
N
Y
N
Diagnostics
on diskette?Replace
hard drive.
Run diagnostics
and follow
recommendations. Run SCANDISK 
and check for
bad sectors.
Can bad
sectors
be fixed?Replace
hard drive.
YN
YN
Fix bad
sectors.Boot...

Troubleshooting
Maintenance and Service Guide2–23
Flowchart 2.13 - No OS Loading from Diskette Drive
Done
Y
N
Reseat
diskette drive. OS not loading
from
diskette drive.
Done
Y
YY Y
Y
Y Y N
N
N NN
NN
OS
loading?
Nonsystem
disk message?Bootable
diskette
in drive?Install bootable
diskette and
reboot computer.
Check diskette
for system files.
Try different 
diskette.
1. Replace 
diskette drive.
2. Replace 
system board. Nonsystem
disk error?
OS
loading? Boot
from another
device?
Enable drive
and cold boot...