I used to have a Windows 98 computer, but it recently crashed on me and stopped working for good. The person at my computer store said that everything was fried.
How do you reformat the drives on these old PCs? FDisk doesn't let me reformat. I have an old Compaq Presario 5140 with a copy of Windows ME that's filled with viruses and corrupted beyond hope. I tried to install Windows 2000, but now I have Windows ME and Windows 2000 and any time I try to run anything on either OS it starts making the loading noise permanently and slows way down, takes up 100% of the CPU even after things are loaded. Basically I want to wipe the drive clean.
@PompousPreacher FDISK does work. There are web sites where you can download a Windows 98 boot disk with FDISK and FORMAT on it. Make sure you answer "yes" when FDISK asks if you want to enable large drive (FAT32) support.
What manufacturer of HDD is in this guy? I could tell a 4GB, but who's the maker? We have a 1997 WDC Caviar still going in perfect condition with no bad sectors, only WDC that I've ever had work well lol.
@vwestlife Cool, I was going to guess that but I don't know too many 90s HDDs. I love Seagate. Certainly a good one at 10 years in this video. That comp still work today?
I have a Compaq Presario that I bought in 2002 and I just putted it away because it died on me last week (the thing just wouldn't start). Nice job keeping this elder alive, mate. 5*. I just love old HP Compaq, they are beast if use them right (dont watch porn and stuffs, lol) Best
nice computer i have the same one but i only have the case now i put a nice intel motherbord in it and i have 2 gbs of ram and windows xp and i have a geforce 9800 gtx graphics card it plays games good but it has a pentium 4 processor
You could make this thing more up to date by adding some RAM salvaged from other systems and upgrade it to Windows 2000. Then you can run newer browsers.
The power supply cooling fan on my Dad's old Pentium 75 made a sound very similar to the sound that PC is making, I think the bearings in the fan were failing in Dad's PC. It's amazing that this PC has been in use for so long, your father mustn't do demanding tasks on his computer if he still uses it after 10 years.
This could actually be upgraded to Windows XP for Legacy systems pretty easily and would run quite fast, especially after disabling about 20 unused domain level services, disk indexing, and setting all features of the desktop GUI to "performance".
I own a Dell Optiplex GX150 thats 7 years old has a 260 gig hard drive and 1 gig of memory and a Acer Aspire One Netbook i like them both but my Dell still runs strong nice computer you got to
@NASIMNASIM This "obsolete crap" has gotten over 8500 views here, so I think that's more than enough proof that people are interested in it. And if you want to pay me $500 to buy an iPad, then I'd gladly do a video about it!
@vwestlife First of all, I like your videos.. And I consider you a historian of electronics. The only reason I said that is because you said the 99 compaq in in "daily use" How are you able to upload these videos to youtube? Did not think its possible. Paying a few hundred dollars for a modern computer far outweighs the time it take to fiddle with an obsolete machine. Time is precious...Just a bit of philosophy for you.
@NASIMNASIM As I wrote in the description, this is my dad's computer, not mine. Since I made the video he got a new laptop, but he still uses this one a lot. I just made a video showing the computer I use most often, too. Next time don't jump to conclusions and insult me based on incorrect assumptions. And finally, no computer is ever "obsolete" if it still serves a useful purpose and gets the job done. I see computers even older than this one in use in businesses every day.
@vwestlife To add some support to what you said, I use a Compaq Presario 5000 series which was new at the end of 2000 (back when 'Mistake Edition' came out) as a general purpose Ubuntu server with 2 SCSI hard disks, SCSI controller (not in raid), fan cooler bay, floppy drive, and a SCSI DDS-3 tape drive Eventually I want to add a SCSI floppy and CD drive to fully convert the computer from using it's IDE drives. It serves me well- wish the PS/2 keyboard still worked though :(.
@NASIMNASIM "How are you able to upload these videos to youtube? Did not think its possible." shows what you know about computers. you could install Windows 2000 or XP, or even Vista or 7 with a RAM upgrade on that thing (although vista/7 would be slow) and it could do basically anything a modern system can do besides recent games.
some more CPU intensive things wouldn't be very fast, but you can do everything still.
Yeah, because an iPad is so much more powerful...what with its being able to run a whole single app at a time. Christ, even my calculator can multitask.
@NASIMNASIM hey, what's wrong with some obsolete computing? if it does what his dad needs, why the hell should they waste money on a brand new machine to do the same stuff? that's just dumb.
besides, people should keep the older machines alive imo. it's history and interesting. i've got a working IBM 5160 XT from 1981 and a Compaq Portable from 1983. Both are 8088 powered and still work with all original hardware INCLUDING the hard drives. Lets see a modern box even power on in 28 or 30 years!
If you want to have some fun you can try running KernelEx, which is an application interface overlay that allows running newer versions of software (e.g. Firefox) on Windows 98 computers. Never tried it on "First Edition", though. I'd be afraid to install (or uninstall) anything on that computer, however.
my dad has a NEC crt and it does the same. i have a ME PC that i use as a every day PC people think that old pc's suck but i find there more reliable than today's pieces of crap.
Does it by any chance have the Compaq Orginal Wallpaper it says Compaq at the top center and has stars in the background its a wallpaperdoes it have it?> cause I have been looking forever for it
@Kargaroc286 If you look up the actual manufacturer and model of the motherboard, you can use their BIOS update for it. However this only works on computers which Compaq used a generic aftermarket motherboard in, instead of one of their own custom-designed boards.
ive been looking for this computer FOREVER!!!!!!! ive played a few FPSs on one when i was 5 (my dad tried putting GTA 3 on there,lol)Here are the games i remember playing on it:
Duke nukem 3d
Doom (1 or 2 i dont remember :/)
Some vector-graphics demolition derby game
some game where i started as a black car in a car-park, but couldnt get the damn thing to move!!! >:O
@oxnardcollegegirl22 It would run XP very, very slowly. My father has since gotten a new Dell laptop, but he still uses this Compaq for word processing since the IBM keyboard is much nicer to type on.
@LuigiFan128 My dad got a new laptop, but he still uses this old Compaq for word processing because of the better keyboard and larger screen. So for as long as it still works, I'll just leave it alone.
@Jallge You only have to type in the password in Windows 95/98/ME if you want to use workgroup networking. So the password is not for security; it's just to authenticate your computer on the network.
@Jallge Use a better operating system. Windows 95/98/ME were only designed for home use. Microsoft offered Windows NT and 2000 for users who wanted a stronger, more secure operating system.
@Jallge Security was simply not a big concern for non-networked home computers back in the '90s. Apple's Mac OS didn't have much security back then either. It was only when computers started being connected to the Internet full-time and spyware and malware became prevalent that home users started taking things like virus protection, passwords, and encryption seriously.
@vwestlife oh yeah, dial-up internet interferes with phone lines so you couldn't have it connected all the time. still though if you dont want somebody to look at your computer, there wasn't much you could do.
@TheHplatop I think you mean "delete some of the desktop icons so the computer won't run so slowly"? Yes, but this is my father's computer and those are his personal documents, so I don't want to mess with that. As long as it still works, that's OK for him.
My God! I also had a Cyrix-366 based PC in 1999., though not a compaq.That thing could barely run Shockwave games (remember those?). I can't believe yours is still chugging along...and able to (barely) run Firefox, no less. Wow!
I've had that same green issue with my new laptop and an external display because they eliminated the screws used to secure the vga connector. Over time, the vga cable can work it's way loose and needs pushed back in.
Oh my Lord. I have an identical 5304 that I purchased in 1999 as well. Unfortunately, I snapped the IDE plug off the original hard drive. It still works, though. It's got a place of honor in my junk room. :D
@Ratezable Since it is still working so well after 10 years on the original installation, I prefer just to leave it alone. It's not my computer anyway, so I'm not sure exactly which programs my dad does or does not use.
WOW! memories.. wanna hear some boo crap? my sister and i saved every penny when we were in highschool and spent almost 3000 dollars on this piece of junk in sept of 99... it lasted 4 months before it went nutzo and broke on us.. thank goodness for warrentys...2 years later, we gave it away, FREE! lol
I still have the 2GB hard drive from a computer which which was made in the early days of Windows 95 or even earlier. I fired it up a few days ago on another computer, as the original will not work. After using a modern computer, it makes you appreciate just how fast technology advances.
pretty cool. I had a computer from 1998 for a short time about 5 years ago. It had a bad video card and a lot of missing essential software for it to work right.
The fastest CPU I could put in this Compaq's motherboard is an AMD K6-III+ 500, which is about as fast as a Pentium III of equal clock speed. The motherboard can actually be set to run as fast as 733 MHz (133 MHz x 5.5), but I don't know if the K6 would tolerate that amount of overclocking!
That's true. I think a full install of 98 uses 500MB of hard disk space. But still, that desktop looked really full, and the programs list as well. What resolution is that screen set at? 1280*1024 i guess?
What brand of motherboard was in that thing, a FIC by chance?
I flashed the BIOS on a Compaq board (K6/2-450) My friend Dan said I exorcised it.
That board is in the basement in a different case running 2k pro and functioning as a file server. I guess I could hook it to the stereo down there for MP3 playback, but I usually perfer FM.
My Presario 5457 has the same board and with that BIOS I was able to upgrade my K6-2 475MHz to a K6-2+ 550MHz so it feels a bit faster, especially when running WinXP Pro. Having 448 MB RAM helps also.
My Seanix starts up almost exactly the same as this.
I remember the old Compaq that my dad brought home from my aunt's, and it had Windows 98. I clearly remember that a floppy with a virus killed it around five years ago.
Wow, the original operating system is on the hard drive for over a decade. Does your dad just use this for surfing the web and creating documents? You sound like you have a cold.
Yes, I have a cold. My dad uses it for word processing (Word), spreadsheets (Excel), e-mail and light web browsing (Firefox), and he also has "Band In a Box" for MIDI music composition and a program to link it to his TI graphing calculator. He also used to use it for scanning and printing photos with an HP inkjet printer/scanner, but that printer broke and the new one he got no longer supports Windows 98, so that's why the old LaserJet is there now.
That's awesome! It's similar to my 1999 Presario 5365, but quite different as well. Where yours has a round dark-gray panel near the bottom, mine has 2 USB ports and a joystick port. Mine was a mid-range Presario, and it was $1400 brand-new with monitor, speakers, keyboard, and mouse.
Whoa whoa whoa.... you can change the freakin BIOS on these?!? That's AWESOME! What's the details on doing the switch? Is there any risk? Can you do it on any Presario? I hate the minimalistic Compaq BIOS!
Years ago I found a flash BIOS update for the Gigabyte GA-5SMM motherboard which it uses and installed it. It was the generic Award BIOS image so that removed the Compaq boot logo, but otherwise it works just the same, and unlocked more advanced settings in the setup, as you see.
Oh, this Compaq has a Gigabyte motherboard? That's surprising - I never knew Compaq used Gigabyte motherboards.
So would I be able to flash a generic Award BIOS onto my Compaq? It has a Mitac motherboard, and I don't know if different computers use different types or sizes of BIOS's or what. I would really love to have a more advanced BIOS on mine which I use every day, though.
You have to use a BIOS designed for your motherboard, or an equivalent -- sometimes the same board was made under several different manufacturer names and model numbers, but that takes some detective work to figure out. I just meant "generic" in that there is no manufacturer's logo on it anymore. I looked and Gigabyte still has the BIOS image for this model of board on their web site! The last update is from 11/27/2000.
Oh, I see. Unfortunately, I'm not entirely sure about the manufacturer/model of my board. All I know of is that is says "Mustang-S" on the board, and I was told that it *sounded like* a name Mitac would use. I've found scant info about my Presario or it's board on the internet, so that doesn't help, either.
My friend uses to have a computer like that!! It worked great for years till one day the BSOD (blue screen of death) appears... I think he still got it somewhere...
LOL, funny seeing that Mac Switcher ad hiccuping on that old computer. In my opinion, Macs are for three types of people: simpletons who never upgrade their computers and just buy a new one when it's obsolete, rich folks who can afford the $2,000 required to get the Mac Pro (all the others are all-in-ones with very limited upgradeablity), and professionals who use Macs in their jobs. I don't fall into any of those, so I'm a PC, and I'm loving it!
I worked on a few of those Compaqs from that era when they were just a couple of years old. From what I remember, it didn't have a lot of space. It was difficult to work on those machines because it is so cramped. They were pretty good for that time.
It supports up to 384 MB of RAM, but Windows VIsta/7/Server 2008 will install with that amount. Contrary to Microsoft saying that they won't install with less than 512 MB, they actually only check for 384 MB.
Gigabyte says the motherboard supports up to 768 MB RAM using 3 x 256 MB modules, but there is really no need or benefit to put so much memory into a computer like this.
I think that's the same model my mother-in-law had. The hard drive quit a few years later--made the most gawdawful sound, just like squeaky brakes...:-)
OMg l0l the sound of that monitor and comp starting up...
My childhood. i nostalgia'd
mikenike500 4 days ago
I used to have a Windows 98 computer, but it recently crashed on me and stopped working for good. The person at my computer store said that everything was fried.
SebiStudios2 2 weeks ago
How do you reformat the drives on these old PCs? FDisk doesn't let me reformat. I have an old Compaq Presario 5140 with a copy of Windows ME that's filled with viruses and corrupted beyond hope. I tried to install Windows 2000, but now I have Windows ME and Windows 2000 and any time I try to run anything on either OS it starts making the loading noise permanently and slows way down, takes up 100% of the CPU even after things are loaded. Basically I want to wipe the drive clean.
PompousPreacher 1 month ago
@PompousPreacher FDISK does work. There are web sites where you can download a Windows 98 boot disk with FDISK and FORMAT on it. Make sure you answer "yes" when FDISK asks if you want to enable large drive (FAT32) support.
vwestlife 1 month ago
and your point is.???????
1lenyo3 1 month ago
so what exactly is this computer used for?
downphoenix 1 month ago
Comment removed
downphoenix 1 month ago
very old
c0rzix 2 months ago
It would be better for a bit more modern OS on this, such as Windows 2000 or ME. Then you can take advantage of new software.
an65001 2 months ago
@an65001 Windows 2000 works on IQON LM7WM too
MrTweety2707 2 months ago
that is a lot of FUCKing icons and if you want to have the normal coler then buy a new cord
48aee 3 months ago
@48aee i think he knows that
Gatewayuser200 1 month ago
What manufacturer of HDD is in this guy? I could tell a 4GB, but who's the maker? We have a 1997 WDC Caviar still going in perfect condition with no bad sectors, only WDC that I've ever had work well lol.
KingMacintosh 3 months ago
@KingMacintosh The hard drive is a Seagate.
vwestlife 3 months ago
@vwestlife Cool, I was going to guess that but I don't know too many 90s HDDs. I love Seagate. Certainly a good one at 10 years in this video. That comp still work today?
KingMacintosh 3 months ago
@KingMacintosh Yes.
vwestlife 3 months ago
does this has enternet
TheMoodybaby 3 months ago
@TheMoodybaby Not originally, but I added it later.
vwestlife 3 months ago
@vwestlife well u spend money on this crap
TheMoodybaby 3 months ago
Xubuntu 9.10 would run fine in this. Did that to my just-as-old 1800XL laptop with 128 MB maxed memory.
RingSight91 4 months ago
firefox 2.0 and opera 10.62 works on windows 98 :)
MichaelYoshiFan 4 months ago
Does it play Crysis?
Grrymjo 4 months ago
Needs a fresh install of the operating system
gvi341984 4 months ago
I have a Compaq Presario that I bought in 2002 and I just putted it away because it died on me last week (the thing just wouldn't start). Nice job keeping this elder alive, mate. 5*. I just love old HP Compaq, they are beast if use them right (dont watch porn and stuffs, lol) Best
nttb6403 4 months ago
nice computer i have the same one but i only have the case now i put a nice intel motherbord in it and i have 2 gbs of ram and windows xp and i have a geforce 9800 gtx graphics card it plays games good but it has a pentium 4 processor
NoriesW 4 months ago
This is the video that made me subscribe to you.
Dell0304 5 months ago
I never knew that there were Cyrix processors still in OEM systems in 1999.
jdomenech1986 5 months ago
He is putting the computer to good use as well.
MrGhostface2001 5 months ago
I think i had that same exact computer but i had installed xp on it, the thing barley ran xp
money200476 6 months ago
cool stuff, vwestlife. btw, are you the same vwestlife who posts on the VCF?
kingcrimson234 7 months ago
nice old machine. appears to work great. I'd hang on to it.
mcfuson37 7 months ago
Wow I have an old Presario 5714 with a 5.25 inch Quantum Bigfoot 12GB hard drive. It is also slow and very loud. I might make a video of it.
PROnoob117 7 months ago
Thats my first Pc
lSnake87l 8 months ago
I love Windows 98!
You should really oil that CPU fan though, the bearings will burn out soon if you don't.
jmurray01 8 months ago
You could make this thing more up to date by adding some RAM salvaged from other systems and upgrade it to Windows 2000. Then you can run newer browsers.
spunker88 8 months ago
The best keyboard on the planet. IBM Model M Spacesaver. I use one all the time for my main box and retro boxes.
yushatak 9 months ago
The power supply cooling fan on my Dad's old Pentium 75 made a sound very similar to the sound that PC is making, I think the bearings in the fan were failing in Dad's PC. It's amazing that this PC has been in use for so long, your father mustn't do demanding tasks on his computer if he still uses it after 10 years.
Lachlant1984 9 months ago
This could actually be upgraded to Windows XP for Legacy systems pretty easily and would run quite fast, especially after disabling about 20 unused domain level services, disk indexing, and setting all features of the desktop GUI to "performance".
1HonestGamer 9 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
i have a compaq with windows 98 and its a 5834! you should check out my video on mine
thewindowsxp32 9 months ago
What happened with the Windows 98 boot screen???
Mr1p0d 10 months ago
@Mr1p0d I disabled it.
vwestlife 10 months ago
I own a Dell Optiplex GX150 thats 7 years old has a 260 gig hard drive and 1 gig of memory and a Acer Aspire One Netbook i like them both but my Dell still runs strong nice computer you got to
BrianFalconsFan29 10 months ago
why do u waste your time on this obsolete crap?
Get yourself a new Ipad or something.
NASIMNASIM 10 months ago
@NASIMNASIM This "obsolete crap" has gotten over 8500 views here, so I think that's more than enough proof that people are interested in it. And if you want to pay me $500 to buy an iPad, then I'd gladly do a video about it!
vwestlife 10 months ago
@vwestlife First of all, I like your videos.. And I consider you a historian of electronics. The only reason I said that is because you said the 99 compaq in in "daily use" How are you able to upload these videos to youtube? Did not think its possible. Paying a few hundred dollars for a modern computer far outweighs the time it take to fiddle with an obsolete machine. Time is precious...Just a bit of philosophy for you.
NASIMNASIM 10 months ago
@NASIMNASIM As I wrote in the description, this is my dad's computer, not mine. Since I made the video he got a new laptop, but he still uses this one a lot. I just made a video showing the computer I use most often, too. Next time don't jump to conclusions and insult me based on incorrect assumptions. And finally, no computer is ever "obsolete" if it still serves a useful purpose and gets the job done. I see computers even older than this one in use in businesses every day.
vwestlife 10 months ago
@vwestlife To add some support to what you said, I use a Compaq Presario 5000 series which was new at the end of 2000 (back when 'Mistake Edition' came out) as a general purpose Ubuntu server with 2 SCSI hard disks, SCSI controller (not in raid), fan cooler bay, floppy drive, and a SCSI DDS-3 tape drive Eventually I want to add a SCSI floppy and CD drive to fully convert the computer from using it's IDE drives. It serves me well- wish the PS/2 keyboard still worked though :(.
cr1901 8 months ago
@NASIMNASIM I was misinformed
NASIMNASIM 10 months ago
@NASIMNASIM LOL so what if he does alot of people use older pcs.
TheDataZoo 8 months ago
@NASIMNASIM "How are you able to upload these videos to youtube? Did not think its possible." shows what you know about computers. you could install Windows 2000 or XP, or even Vista or 7 with a RAM upgrade on that thing (although vista/7 would be slow) and it could do basically anything a modern system can do besides recent games.
some more CPU intensive things wouldn't be very fast, but you can do everything still.
kingcrimson234 7 months ago
@NASIMNASIM Ipad not that great..
HyperSTAND 4 months ago
@vwestlife
Yeah, because an iPad is so much more powerful...what with its being able to run a whole single app at a time. Christ, even my calculator can multitask.
mlw4428 7 months ago
@NASIMNASIM I'd rather take this Compaq PC than an iPad. An iPad is an oversized Mp3 player
talldude123 9 months ago
@NASIMNASIM It has a BUNCH of potential, It could run XP Very well indeed.
s8erboii30 8 months ago
@NASIMNASIM a ipad sucks and plus this old compaq has outlasted my grandparents custom built computer that was seldom used.
shadow444222 7 months ago
@NASIMNASIM hey, what's wrong with some obsolete computing? if it does what his dad needs, why the hell should they waste money on a brand new machine to do the same stuff? that's just dumb.
besides, people should keep the older machines alive imo. it's history and interesting. i've got a working IBM 5160 XT from 1981 and a Compaq Portable from 1983. Both are 8088 powered and still work with all original hardware INCLUDING the hard drives. Lets see a modern box even power on in 28 or 30 years!
kingcrimson234 7 months ago
@NASIMNASIM Do we really need an Intel Core i7 and 8GB of RAM to write a letter? xD
fredy385 5 months ago
@fredy385 Agreed
MrGhostface2001 5 months ago
@NASIMNASIM Why are you here?
HyperSTAND 4 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
is it better then windows xp and vista and windows 7
littlelarryj518 11 months ago
is it better then windows xp and vista windows 7
littlelarryj518 11 months ago
If you want to have some fun you can try running KernelEx, which is an application interface overlay that allows running newer versions of software (e.g. Firefox) on Windows 98 computers. Never tried it on "First Edition", though. I'd be afraid to install (or uninstall) anything on that computer, however.
Whelkman 11 months ago
Sounds like a Western Digital hard drive
MixerVM 11 months ago
@MixerVM It's a Seagate.
vwestlife 11 months ago
my dad has a NEC crt and it does the same. i have a ME PC that i use as a every day PC people think that old pc's suck but i find there more reliable than today's pieces of crap.
jrecoskie 11 months ago
Does it by any chance have the Compaq Orginal Wallpaper it says Compaq at the top center and has stars in the background its a wallpaperdoes it have it?> cause I have been looking forever for it
flushstuff 11 months ago
@flushstuff The Compaq Presario Internet PC wallpaper you see is the only Compaq-specific one that came with it.
vwestlife 11 months ago
@vwestlife oh okay thanks. I have a Compaq 5202 and it has a 390 mhz and its so SLOW. it seems like yours is going good. mine is a K-2
flushstuff 11 months ago
omg i remember that pc wen ihad it good times
joezaza349 11 months ago
I'm surprised its pretty fast.
CartickTV 1 year ago
WHAT HAPPEN TO THE ORIGINAL KEYBOARD?
TheNascarfan14 1 year ago
@TheNascarfan14 I THREW IT AWAY.
vwestlife 1 year ago
@vwestlife why?
TheNascarfan14 1 year ago
@vwestlife why did you throw it away? O^O
Dreambro1 11 months ago
REPLACE YOUR HARD DRIVE ITS LOUD!!!!!!!!!!
TheNascarfan14 1 year ago
@TheNascarfan14 It was like that even when brand new. Older hard drives are loud.
vwestlife 1 year ago
@vwestlife ah, yeah, a lot of the old machines sound like a small car is running next to you, fans are loud too!
Dreambro1 11 months ago
so...
What BIOS did you use to flash it? Is it completely compatible?
I'd kinda want to flash the BIOS on my 5BW120 compaq that I have
Kargaroc286 1 year ago
@Kargaroc286 If you look up the actual manufacturer and model of the motherboard, you can use their BIOS update for it. However this only works on computers which Compaq used a generic aftermarket motherboard in, instead of one of their own custom-designed boards.
vwestlife 1 year ago
@vwestlife You should install the K-Meleon web browser for that, it'll do a better job then the old copy of mozilla. I run it on a computer this old.
thedarkone2134 1 year ago
I'm actually jealous.
artelusify 1 year ago
epic computer bro :)
madhawarock 1 year ago
can you get roblox on this computer
littlelarryj518 1 year ago
Great computer :)
volken1991 1 year ago
ive been looking for this computer FOREVER!!!!!!! ive played a few FPSs on one when i was 5 (my dad tried putting GTA 3 on there,lol)Here are the games i remember playing on it:
Duke nukem 3d
Doom (1 or 2 i dont remember :/)
Some vector-graphics demolition derby game
some game where i started as a black car in a car-park, but couldnt get the damn thing to move!!! >:O
Robloxian182 1 year ago
Fast shutdown.
Racecar564 1 year ago
or get KernelX and put FF 3 on it
kargaroc386 1 year ago
@oxnardcollegegirl22 It would run XP very, very slowly. My father has since gotten a new Dell laptop, but he still uses this Compaq for word processing since the IBM keyboard is much nicer to type on.
vwestlife 1 year ago
@vwestlife
Upgrade to 512MB+ and grab XP performance edition, it'll run just fine.
kohan69 1 year ago
@vwestlife The IBM keyboard should be able to hook up to even a new computer, provided it has PS2 ports
Kargaroc286 1 year ago
Upgrade firefox to 2.2.somthing
TheRocker894 1 year ago
I fired the board up from my old 5304 and it's toast :(
I'll have to find another Socket 7 motherboard someplace.
Jerkwad152 1 year ago
Why Does The Compaq Logo Won't Come Up At Startup????
TheNascarfan14 1 year ago
@TheNascarfan14 Listen again to what I said in the video at 1:02.
vwestlife 1 year ago
@TheNascarfan14 He flashed the rom, so the compaq sign wont come up
jackedup447 1 year ago
@vwestlive now Compaq is owned by HP and the logo is now the Q in Compaq so HP now owns Compaq
1soniccool 1 year ago
Was this computer involved in that Free PC debacle? Or was that later in time?
pancakejarsrfun 1 year ago
That was our first computer!!!!!!!!!
I played games on it all the time but it often froze up on us.
I later scraped the thing for parts but I still have the original receipt and books.
MechaNintendoMast 1 year ago
I would of reinstalled 98se on that system I hated first editon aslos firfox 2.0.0.20 will run on that system with flash 9 or 10 I think
LuigiFan128 1 year ago
@LuigiFan128 My dad got a new laptop, but he still uses this old Compaq for word processing because of the better keyboard and larger screen. So for as long as it still works, I'll just leave it alone.
vwestlife 1 year ago
@vwestlife Yea, I'd leave it alone then, but 2000 would be a bit more stable on it with the same word 97, its nice to have a biger scrren to read lol
LuigiFan128 1 year ago
THE ( HP)PC
nagisa01to 1 year ago
Can you tell me what brand and model th e hard drive is
TRENTSSPORTCYCLES 1 year ago
@TRENTSSPORTCYCLES It's a Seagate 6.4 GB hard drive. I'm not sure of the exact model number, but it's very noisy.
vwestlife 1 year ago
It is good computer =)
mies1888 1 year ago
that thing were you dont have to enter the password on windows 98 always confused me. whats the point of it?
Jallge 1 year ago
@Jallge You only have to type in the password in Windows 95/98/ME if you want to use workgroup networking. So the password is not for security; it's just to authenticate your computer on the network.
vwestlife 1 year ago
@vwestlife but what if you do want security?
Jallge 1 year ago
@Jallge Use a better operating system. Windows 95/98/ME were only designed for home use. Microsoft offered Windows NT and 2000 for users who wanted a stronger, more secure operating system.
vwestlife 1 year ago
@vwestlife i would if my computer came pre-installed with 98, it's just strange how microsoft's home os's were designed like that.
Jallge 1 year ago
@Jallge Security was simply not a big concern for non-networked home computers back in the '90s. Apple's Mac OS didn't have much security back then either. It was only when computers started being connected to the Internet full-time and spyware and malware became prevalent that home users started taking things like virus protection, passwords, and encryption seriously.
vwestlife 1 year ago
@vwestlife oh yeah, dial-up internet interferes with phone lines so you couldn't have it connected all the time. still though if you dont want somebody to look at your computer, there wasn't much you could do.
Jallge 1 year ago
@vwestlife people still do not take virus protection passwords and encryption seriously,
LuigiFan128 1 year ago
can't be win 98 cause it wold be very slow
thewindowsxp32 1 year ago
@thewindowsxp32 Huh?
vwestlife 1 year ago
@thewindowsxp32 that made no sense.
Draco04 1 year ago
hey bud does that keyboard plug into the PS2 keyboard port or the Ethernet port?
MixerVM 1 year ago
@MixerVM It is a PS/2 keyboard.
vwestlife 1 year ago
@vwestlife Thanks. I have one like that, but its huge, has extra keys, and plugs into the ethernet port
MixerVM 1 year ago
Mann Soll Was Löschen In Den Desktop Sonst Lauf Ihr Computer Langsam
TheHplatop 1 year ago
@TheHplatop I think you mean "delete some of the desktop icons so the computer won't run so slowly"? Yes, but this is my father's computer and those are his personal documents, so I don't want to mess with that. As long as it still works, that's OK for him.
vwestlife 1 year ago
My God! I also had a Cyrix-366 based PC in 1999., though not a compaq.That thing could barely run Shockwave games (remember those?). I can't believe yours is still chugging along...and able to (barely) run Firefox, no less. Wow!
Viva pre-911, pre-Y2K low-end computing!
drshagstein 1 year ago
I've had that same green issue with my new laptop and an external display because they eliminated the screws used to secure the vga connector. Over time, the vga cable can work it's way loose and needs pushed back in.
thelostsoul83 1 year ago
Oh my Lord. I have an identical 5304 that I purchased in 1999 as well. Unfortunately, I snapped the IDE plug off the original hard drive. It still works, though. It's got a place of honor in my junk room. :D
Jerkwad152 1 year ago
You know Opera 10 runs really well on Windows 98!
classicmacintosh 1 year ago
You should install Linux in there. :P
thenerdal 1 year ago
is that thing got internet access
wank0r 1 year ago
Watch the whole video. I show it using Firefox and playing YouTube (sort of).
vwestlife 1 year ago
I would suggest putting windows 2000 on there.
an65001 1 year ago
I recommend getting rid of some of those junk programs you don't use (ie. Photo Plus 5), to speed things up.
Ratezable 1 year ago
@Ratezable Since it is still working so well after 10 years on the original installation, I prefer just to leave it alone. It's not my computer anyway, so I'm not sure exactly which programs my dad does or does not use.
vwestlife 1 year ago
at least this crap can use firefox............
KRmeansKamenRider 1 year ago
WOW! memories.. wanna hear some boo crap? my sister and i saved every penny when we were in highschool and spent almost 3000 dollars on this piece of junk in sept of 99... it lasted 4 months before it went nutzo and broke on us.. thank goodness for warrentys...2 years later, we gave it away, FREE! lol
carrieabay 1 year ago
Your lucky a virus has not got in an done damage as that anti-virus is so old!
HBeagley 2 years ago
No doubt that Dell and Compaq are the best laptop makers.
Aithershine99 2 years ago
I still have the 2GB hard drive from a computer which which was made in the early days of Windows 95 or even earlier. I fired it up a few days ago on another computer, as the original will not work. After using a modern computer, it makes you appreciate just how fast technology advances.
Videomanisclever 2 years ago
if your monitor comes up yellow, what you need to do is to tighten the vga connector in and screw it into place. (writing from experience)
elhaya 2 years ago
Oh my god! So nostalgic!
Kin632 2 years ago
CRT monitors look funny without stands :-) I used Windows XP on one of these with only 56MB ram, but it was literally given to the owner!
ThisIs2009 2 years ago
The piece of wood is the stand. :-) The shelf was originally built for a laptop, with a cutout where the display would flip up.
vwestlife 2 years ago
oh i see! lol
ThisIs2009 2 years ago
pretty cool. I had a computer from 1998 for a short time about 5 years ago. It had a bad video card and a lot of missing essential software for it to work right.
Trance88 2 years ago
In 1999 I was running a Pentium III 500 megahertz with 128 megabytes of random access memory.
SlimeTron5000 2 years ago
The fastest CPU I could put in this Compaq's motherboard is an AMD K6-III+ 500, which is about as fast as a Pentium III of equal clock speed. The motherboard can actually be set to run as fast as 733 MHz (133 MHz x 5.5), but I don't know if the K6 would tolerate that amount of overclocking!
vwestlife 2 years ago
the reason why it jumps around like that is because you do not have memory. this same problem happened with my dell dimension xps r400 from late 98
Jmster1 2 years ago
Oh, and 4.3GB Hard disk? Wow...I'm suprised you can use those old hard disks! Must be really full!
talldude123 2 years ago
It's only about half full. Windows 95/98 software doesn't take up much space, compared to XP and especially Vista software.
vwestlife 2 years ago
That's true. I think a full install of 98 uses 500MB of hard disk space. But still, that desktop looked really full, and the programs list as well. What resolution is that screen set at? 1280*1024 i guess?
talldude123 2 years ago
Half of the icons are for documents. It is set to 800x600 resolution.
vwestlife 2 years ago
@talldude123 If you choose "compact install" during setup you will only need 300mb of hyd space ;D
MixerVM 1 year ago
I like that keyboard! The numpad is pretty much useless anyways!
talldude123 2 years ago
To this day I still use Office 97. I still have the cd too
Misstersack 2 years ago
Comment removed
MixerVM 1 year ago
@Misstersack ditto
MixerVM 1 year ago
What brand of motherboard was in that thing, a FIC by chance?
I flashed the BIOS on a Compaq board (K6/2-450) My friend Dan said I exorcised it.
That board is in the basement in a different case running 2k pro and functioning as a file server. I guess I could hook it to the stereo down there for MP3 playback, but I usually perfer FM.
weasel2htm 2 years ago
The motherboard is a Gigabyte GA-5SMM.
vwestlife 2 years ago
My Presario 5457 has the same board and with that BIOS I was able to upgrade my K6-2 475MHz to a K6-2+ 550MHz so it feels a bit faster, especially when running WinXP Pro. Having 448 MB RAM helps also.
LoneWanderer83 2 years ago
My Seanix starts up almost exactly the same as this.
I remember the old Compaq that my dad brought home from my aunt's, and it had Windows 98. I clearly remember that a floppy with a virus killed it around five years ago.
ForgetfulCollector 2 years ago
Wow, the original operating system is on the hard drive for over a decade. Does your dad just use this for surfing the web and creating documents? You sound like you have a cold.
Mrtechguy94 2 years ago
Yes, I have a cold. My dad uses it for word processing (Word), spreadsheets (Excel), e-mail and light web browsing (Firefox), and he also has "Band In a Box" for MIDI music composition and a program to link it to his TI graphing calculator. He also used to use it for scanning and printing photos with an HP inkjet printer/scanner, but that printer broke and the new one he got no longer supports Windows 98, so that's why the old LaserJet is there now.
vwestlife 2 years ago
That's awesome! It's similar to my 1999 Presario 5365, but quite different as well. Where yours has a round dark-gray panel near the bottom, mine has 2 USB ports and a joystick port. Mine was a mid-range Presario, and it was $1400 brand-new with monitor, speakers, keyboard, and mouse.
Whoa whoa whoa.... you can change the freakin BIOS on these?!? That's AWESOME! What's the details on doing the switch? Is there any risk? Can you do it on any Presario? I hate the minimalistic Compaq BIOS!
themaritimeman 2 years ago
Years ago I found a flash BIOS update for the Gigabyte GA-5SMM motherboard which it uses and installed it. It was the generic Award BIOS image so that removed the Compaq boot logo, but otherwise it works just the same, and unlocked more advanced settings in the setup, as you see.
vwestlife 2 years ago
Oh, this Compaq has a Gigabyte motherboard? That's surprising - I never knew Compaq used Gigabyte motherboards.
So would I be able to flash a generic Award BIOS onto my Compaq? It has a Mitac motherboard, and I don't know if different computers use different types or sizes of BIOS's or what. I would really love to have a more advanced BIOS on mine which I use every day, though.
themaritimeman 2 years ago
You have to use a BIOS designed for your motherboard, or an equivalent -- sometimes the same board was made under several different manufacturer names and model numbers, but that takes some detective work to figure out. I just meant "generic" in that there is no manufacturer's logo on it anymore. I looked and Gigabyte still has the BIOS image for this model of board on their web site! The last update is from 11/27/2000.
vwestlife 2 years ago
Oh, I see. Unfortunately, I'm not entirely sure about the manufacturer/model of my board. All I know of is that is says "Mustang-S" on the board, and I was told that it *sounded like* a name Mitac would use. I've found scant info about my Presario or it's board on the internet, so that doesn't help, either.
themaritimeman 2 years ago
@themaritimeman My 7594 has 2 usbs in the front no joystick
MixerVM 1 year ago
not bad for a late 90s computer. I didnt think it would play youtube either but it does, that jumping would get annoying after awhile.
coondogtheman1234 2 years ago
That computer isn't that bad at all, I thought it wouldn't play youtube at all and it loads up a lot faster than I would have expected.
Fred924 2 years ago
My friend uses to have a computer like that!! It worked great for years till one day the BSOD (blue screen of death) appears... I think he still got it somewhere...
teletronikoforever 2 years ago
LOL, funny seeing that Mac Switcher ad hiccuping on that old computer. In my opinion, Macs are for three types of people: simpletons who never upgrade their computers and just buy a new one when it's obsolete, rich folks who can afford the $2,000 required to get the Mac Pro (all the others are all-in-ones with very limited upgradeablity), and professionals who use Macs in their jobs. I don't fall into any of those, so I'm a PC, and I'm loving it!
kevin12567 2 years ago
I worked on a few of those Compaqs from that era when they were just a couple of years old. From what I remember, it didn't have a lot of space. It was difficult to work on those machines because it is so cramped. They were pretty good for that time.
pcwalker 2 years ago
Yes, the "mid-tower" case is very cramped. You need the remove the power supply to get to the motherboard at all.
themaritimeman 2 years ago
@themaritimeman yes
MixerVM 1 year ago
model M keyboards pwn. hands down.
neat that you still have this system, if it'll support 512MB RAM and ACPI 2.0 it may run windows 7 :P
linuxlove4004 2 years ago
It supports up to 384 MB of RAM, but Windows VIsta/7/Server 2008 will install with that amount. Contrary to Microsoft saying that they won't install with less than 512 MB, they actually only check for 384 MB.
themaritimeman 2 years ago
Gigabyte says the motherboard supports up to 768 MB RAM using 3 x 256 MB modules, but there is really no need or benefit to put so much memory into a computer like this.
vwestlife 2 years ago
why didnt the Windows 98 splash screen appear ?
jmurray01 2 years ago
Because I disabled it in MSDOS . SYS with "Logo=0".
vwestlife 2 years ago
oh. why ? lol
jmurray01 2 years ago
I think that's the same model my mother-in-law had. The hard drive quit a few years later--made the most gawdawful sound, just like squeaky brakes...:-)
batterymaker 2 years ago