Let's get to work on some Compaq systems!
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- Опубликовано: 3 июл 2024
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You have my eternal gratitude!
Stuff I used in this video:
Anti-static brushes: amzn.to/3mb35Bw
CR-2032 batteries: amzn.to/45BElUZ
This certainly isn't all of the Compaq systems I have in this haul, but these are three of the systems that have really been piquing my curiosity! Let's see if we can resurrect them!
0:00 Intro
System 1:
0:28 System 1 Tour
1:55 S1 Disassembly and refresh
8:29 S1 Testing and verdict
System 2
15:28 System 2 Tour
16:36 S2 Disassembly and refresh
22:04 S2 Testing
26:56 S2 Cleanup and verdict
System 3
27:27 System 3 Tour
28:25 S3 Disassembly and refresh
34:58 S3 Testing, restore and cleanup
40:41 S3 verdict
41:00 Outro and special guests
I wish these videos were three times as long... it hits all the right nostalgia points for me lol.
Dreaming of the days when I have time to do that. These are really fun to make!
This is the best channel on RUclips right now. No question. Thanks, Mike!!
Agreed!
@@RetroPCnow durgga 1 needs to make a huge comeback
"We have Norton Antivirus on here.
I feel so safe!" 😆😆😆
The solenoid is the case lock that stops the user from opening the case, this is set in the bios
Yes, and it looks like the case was locked and someone needed to do some surgery to get it open.
Wow. This brought me back to when I was a kid (34 now)… my dad would take me to these computer shows at the local rec center. We would get some old Compaq systems so I could tinker around with them. I remember the Deskpro’s, Prolinea’s and more. I’m addicted to this channel.
15:30 I started a contract as a Linux sysadmin in KCMO and while I was out there I picked one of these Compaq's up... it wasn't a Deskpro but it had a similar form-factor with a Pentium 166Mhz in it and was such a workhorse one could easily mistake it as having a Pentium II. It truly was a sleeper system!
That little Compaq Deskpro was the first computer i learned how to disassemble and rebuild and also got me into liking to build and mess around with computers. When i was around 12 or 13 years old my dad's workplace was doing a cleanup in their building and they were throwing out computers and stuff. Some of them were smashed up but i found that Compaq and an HP Vectra VL400 that were still in good shape but were missing parts and needed maintenance because they were so dusty you couldn't even see the color of the motherboard anymore. Took them home,cleaned them up and put in new ram and hard drives from the smashed computers and they both worked. Spent a lot of time playing older games with them even though i already had a much better computer at home at the time
I had a HP Vectra VL400 back in the day , it had Win2000Pro on it, got it from a Refurb Store, lasted till about 2007, when the Motherboard roached itself , but it was a high hour computer, it just died like
@@tony--james When i got them was around 2010,mine also had 2000 with 733mhz Pentium 3 and added 512mb of sdram,40gb hdd and a geforce 4 mx 440 64mb that i had no use for. It also ran XP pretty good for what it was
That presario brought back some memories... I played hours of Lemmings and Howie's Funhouse on that thing. The design is actually quite timeless
I am always impressed how JBL speakers sound considering their size
Prebuilt towers from 1995 to early 2000's are my fave. I really dig the first one, but that hard drive isn't gonna fix itself---I'd clone it before it goes belly-up, which sounds like it could be any day now
I worked in Compaq service center in early 2000s, had so much fun with such Deskpro's, Presario's, Armada's and other fantastic machines. Miss the quality and serviceability of those. Thank you for all your videos about retro hardware, so many good memories they recover from the past of a service engineer. =) Cheers! And good luck in development of the channel.
Thanks!
Armada m700 owner here.
First laptop ever....was a fantastic piece of hardware with emotion.
Right, knowing "The Compaq Story" we have to thank that swanky Computer Company pretty much! 😍
The "PC Industry" wouldn't have become "open for the people" as we know it because of "Big Blue" (IBM).
I had been in contact with the early Desk Pro (386er 486er; MS DOS 3.x) during my IT Supporter / Customer Care job as a student.
In my collection there is the SP 750 Workstation and 2 Fiber Channel Storage Work RaidArrays RA4100.
Powerful and good Design Compaq stands for.
Whe HP took over... this is another (sad) story.😢
A lot of old Compaq's had designs in the top layer of the PCBA for the motherboard. Happy Pride :)
Regarding the system with the solenoid - IIRC there were some models that had an internal case lock that was controlled by the bios.
I remember those systems from the time I did a internship at at PC refurbisher. The systems they sold the most were the Compaq EN / ENS systems (P3) at the time. Nice compact and sturdy systems and easy to work with for upgrading/replacing memory / HDD. At the end of my internship, it was slowly moving to the black/silver HP Compaq Evo systems (P4), both the SFF as the tower model. The funny thing about the tower systems, was that you could turn the external drive cage, so you could use the tower both standing as laying down.
I never noticed the bike on the silkscreen though. I think the only times we had to replace PSU's were when we got a batch of systems from the US one time, while this company was in Europe. Ee didn't knew this batch came from the US beforehand, so we didn't expect or noticed that the PSU switch was set to 120V instead of 230V. Only found out when connecting the power and turning the system on. Which resulted in a bang and a power outage xD
System 3 would make a pretty awesome late DOS rig imo. Very compatible S3 video chipset, 200MHz plenty of speed for the very later games, and pretty decently compatible audio chip.
All three of these were present in various proportions in my junior high school, but by the time I was in high school, the district had 'partnered' with Gateway.
My brother-in-law's first PC was very similar to the first computer in your video, the Compaq Preserio. It also had an AMD processor but it was a higher end model with an 8.4 GB hard drive, a DVD player, and 96 MB of memory - all premium features for 1998. When I helped him add a CD burner to the system, I discovered that the hard drive was gigantic in size, not just in capacity but in physical size, too big to be mounted in a standard bracket but on the side of the case in a weird sideways position. The CD burner was a beast to add for I had to pry off a thick metal tab to gain access to the second 5 1/2 inch bay for the burner, resulting in a nasty gash to myself and I bled like a stuck pig!
Evidently the bicycle on the system board would've had some relation to the system's internal (to Compaq) code name during development.
Oh man, that first system really hit me right in the nostalgia.
You absolutely need the restore cd for that first Compaq.
I wish Compaq existed today.
Memories.
The S2 was the standard at my employer. Some of them was installed with Windows NT Workstation in 1997 and wasn't powered off until we relocated in 2007 and migrated to some IBM Thinkvision desktops for the 24/7 operation team.
I had a Presario 2240 back in the day and I have one now. One thing I have learned since getting the new one. The serials on the stickers on the side are regionally coded. My machine was from Italy because I couldn't find one here locally. I love the 2240 as it's a great little machine. I played a lot of firsts on mine back in the day, The board has ram built into the motherboard, either 16 or 32, I cannot remember. If I remember correctly the 2200 and the 2240 vary in some ways, and so after putting in the serial on the restore, you should see 2240 and not 2200. Having the proper model will help with the audio issues you are seeing. And yeah, the speakers are pretty impressive for the day.
Yup, it has 16MB on-board RAM! The restore disc image I have doesn't like this machine's serial number, so I'm on the hunt for one that will. A vanilla Windows 95 install will be my last-resort option.
@MikeTech I went through the company that you can still buy Compaq restore discs from and they helped me make it work. I can give you the info they gave me if you like, but since it's a working key specifically for the 2240, I don't know if I should share it here.
@@helldog3105 Could you email the info to me? My address can be found in the channel about page under business inquiries. Thanks!!
@@miketech1024 I've sent you an email. Hopefully that will assist in making things work even better. I don't know why, but for whatever reason having drivers that aren't quite the same as what comes with the correct machine makes the sound go bonkers. And I have never figured out why. I wish my case was in better shape though. Mine has some serious gouges in the paint, so if you ever figure out the color value for going and getting replacement paint, please let me know. I would love to fix the scratches.
@@miketech1024 Did the info I send you help at all? I was wondering if all of the projects you have means you haven't gotten a chance to get to it.
I have the vaguest memory of a Compaq machine being our 1st home computer, around the earlier 90's. Gosh I'm getting old! 🤪. I was just playing with that hdmotion app last night, nice way to exercise / stress / listen to seeking noises 😊
this is one of the mike tech episodes ever released.
Confirmed.
I think a lot of the Compaq 3-1/2" floppy drives are simply a standard drive with the faceplate removed and the model-specific plastic button clipped onto the mechanism. I damaged the drive in my Presario 633 desktop fooling around with it and boy did I get in trouble with my parents. I had to pay for the replacement drive and the Compaq part was well over $80, but a standard drive was closer to $20. I tried to convince my dad to let me take the faceplate off the new drive to compare it to the old one, but there was no way he was letting me mess up another floppy drive. Instead, he used his scroll saw to cut out a rectangular hole where the floppy drive slot used to be in the PC's front panel. It was a practical, if inelegant solution and I still have that PC 25 years later, about 30 years since my parents bought it.
WD-40 dissolves old paste and other glue well :)
I remeber made maintenance in friend computer back then. Those compaqs are a nightmare to dissamble, and hurts every skin in my arm.
I had a errand to run, but I think it can wait until after this video. 😎
my family's first new computer was one of those towers, back when i was about 15. got the whole package as a family christmas gift christmas of 99. a few years later i swapped a pentium 3 motherboard in it and painted the white parts of the case with black spraypaint. wish i still had it in original form (or at all frankly)
System #1 -
a) When you talk about "figuring out the color code", have you considered taking the panel in to an auto body shop? Some shops can analyze the color and make you a can of custom-matched paint. Being steel panels, automotive paint is also a better match for the material than what you'll find at a hardware or home improvement store.
b) You definitely weren't the first one inside the case. I could tell right away by the curl on the warranty seal. One of the annoying things about Compaq is that you didn't get replacement warranty seals even if you were a certified repair shop. Based on the missing screw(s) but it being an OEM drive, I'd hazard to guess that the original drive failed within warranty and was replaced. In the shop I worked at, we'd peel back the Compaq sticker as carefully as possible before disassembling, and try to stick it back on. That's where the curl comes from. (At least Packard Bell gave you a new warranty seal with a replacement part)
c) the form factor is not unique. It's a standard called SFX, and you can still pretty easily get them as they're not uncommon in modern Mini-ITX builds. I recently bought a Raijintek P/S in this form factor for a modern build in a retro eMachines case. HP, Compaq, and eMachines all used this style at some point or another in the late 90's to mid 00's.
System #3 - I hated that chassis back in the day, but I have a weird love for them now. Nostalgia is weird.
Thanks for the info! I'm looking into systems for analyzing color codes. I do have a bit of a background in automotive paint and operating an HVLP spray gun. It should make a cool video eventually!
Great video!
I like the first and last computers. The last one especially. The look of the last one appeals to me. I love the beeps and sounds of older computers and old windows systems. I love watching you dig into older computers.
I remember those laptops. It will be interesting watching you get into them. It will almost be like watching you take a shell of a laptop and transform it into a working computer. Your videos make my Fridays! Your enthusiasm and humor make your videos a pleasure to watch!
Great video
Great video.
Great Video Mike! Thank you!
That power supply swivel is sweet. Most K6's had some form of slide factor to them, and I honestly miss it, you didn't have to fight with a non-removable drive cage.
Another great video. Thank you!
Another most awesome video!
I really enjoy your videos 😊
Another excellent video featuring the cutest and most adorable vintage tech guy!
That 2240 cleaned up really nice! What a neat little machine.
I really like this video format. Quite enjoyable. Thanks and keep it up :)
These were common. I am trying to remember if the 486 slimline was a Compaq.
I remember when I installed a low profile card for the network card and I had to install a new IDE cable to install a CD ROM drive into the only expansion bay. The ISA expansion solt was on a low profile 90 degree board.
I kind of miss those low profile cases.
The worst one I saw had only a 3 1/2 drive and a space inside for the hard drive
It was only about 2 inches high , maybe a little less.
And about 12 inches by 14 inches
There was no fan except in the power supply, which was really small.
The heat destroyed everything inside.
I remember the company that bought them had very limited space
This was way before flat screens and mini keyboards and wireless keyboards.
They had the big bulky 5 inch monochrome screens and a big mini keyboard with standard size keys. It was a very strange style. The keyboards had an AT style din plug.
They were running DOS a DOS based customer software
Those were the days.
I was shocked to see how much the old DOS 386 and 486 laptops are selling for.
I needed one to program old Motorola and Kenwood 80s 2-way radios
I spent 100 dollars for a 486 laptop with no hard drive, no CD drive and no power supply. I had to buy a hard drive, a CD drive and a power adapter. 150 dollars for a 486 laptop.
Just to get a serial 9 pin port.
I do not understand why and no one who programs Motorola or Kenwood radios can figure out why it is that DOSBOX does not work, and the USB to 9-pin serial adapter does not work with the Motorola or Kenwood radios using DOS software.
You would think that you could make the settings be whatever they needed to be in order to get the timing and the protocol correct to read and write a simple serial connection on a two-way radio, but whatever the problem is no one has figured out how to make it work
I would love to see what it is that that old built-in 9-pin serial uart ship is sending that the USB to 9-pin serial adapter doesn't send or what the timing difference is
But I've tried everything including a pcmcia uart adapter, and nothing works except for a true 9-pin serial hardware Port on the board in the bios along with actual booted DOS
It is CRAZY
I'm in the process of selling my old two-way radios so I have four more to go and that will be the end of my needing a DOS laptop ever again, hopefully.
But I resurrected and IBM Thinkpad r51 and I had to get the docking port which I had to get from Europe because for whatever reason they don't have them here
And IBM was really awesome in that they had all of these different connectors built into the board and in the bios but you needed the docking station because the 150 or 160 pin connector on the bottom has all of the physical connections and the docking port has the connectors to connect to the devices like the cereal and parallel and everything else
But I managed to get the 32 bit Windows 7 installed and the ThinkPad is only a 32-bit machine
And the 44 pin IDE two and a half inch Drive, I actually found refurbished drives and I had not seen those in a long time but in between finding those I found a CF adapter and I found an M2 adapter and I actually got an M.2 stick with a forty-four pin end and that works really well and I am shocked how fast the machine is for being so old.
I am debating selling because I don't know if I will ever need one again but it is heavy and bulky with that docking station and it is a great machine to have if you need something like what I'm using it for but otherwise I can't imagine what someone would use it for and I don't know why especially the 386 machines are selling for such a high amount of money
When it comes to needing a 9-pin serial Port there are Pentium machines and I even think there are dual Pentium machines that have a 9-pin Serial Port that you can boot from USB and get a true DOS Environment.
So, why the 386 and 486 are so expensive, I don't understand
You can buy a new laptop for what you have to spend on an old 386 to get it up and running.
And that is if you can get the parts.
Love your videos Mike❤
Been ages since I messed with something like this. Spent many hours on these old things.
thank you once again for a intresting video i do love seeing these old coputers working again
Congrats on the 6.66k subs!
I have a twenty pin adapter for that small Compaq power supply. Compaq was the only puters I ran onto that used it.
I've always liked Compaq systems, glad to some this week! Keep up the amazing work man!
Been looking all your videos. Something oddly satisfying enjoying these older systems coming to life. Keep it going dude. I’m a fan. :)
Really glad RUclips recommended your channel the other day. Really enjoying your videos!
Thanks!
I used to collect Compaq computers, wish I still had the full collection. Had everything from a Compaq Deskpro XE 560 (P60), Prolinea Net/1, Prosignia 500, LTE5120, a load of Deskpro's 2000/EN/EP, Evos etc. I had several Presario's mostly Pentium 4 but my last was an Athlon 64. I have kept my Presario R3116 laptop and its still working to this day. I suspect that Compaq Deskpro SFF has had the lid swapped, interestingly in the UK I found most businesses went for the PIII option. I was also interested to see that the 2240 has an Intel i430VX chipset and the 5460 has an SiS, I remember SiS being the poorer option back then - I remember the medium - higher end AMD systems using VIA or ALI chipsets. Excellent videos Mike.
oh wow! I'm only 2 minutes in, this is gonna be awesome!! Fridays are the best now!
Sitting in a parking lot for 2hrs now waiting for a seller to show up. Good thing someone is here to keep me company
EDIT: 4hrs still no show...
EDIT nr 2: Finally got a hold of the seller after 6hrs of waiting and 10hrs of driving I got myself a NoS complete IBM Aptiva 2140 system. For $250..
It can be like that, with a drug buy. I suggest you go home. :-)
This is good example of proprietary vs standard AT (Cases) at the time. Ibm changed to Micro channel and did the same thing. Sure you get the standard floppy, hard drive, memory, processor, zip drive, etc. But the case, motherboard, powers supply, sometimes front case connector to motherboard is all special. Talk about vendor lock in. What you did get though is big box stores and a cheaper price (sometimes.). I do admit going to a local computer shop that was not a nationwide change was a crap shoot. But, that is a story for a different time.
I have the same type of Deskpro EN. One thing I like about it is the very capable built-in speaker that automatically switches on or off, depending if you have anything plugged into the audio jack. It did not work at first, but started right up once I scoured archived decades-old Compaq/HP forums for BIOS files and had those updated on my machine. After a (luckily) successful BIOS update from a floppy disk all was well.
As for the lack of an AGP port, my solution was getting the best possible PCI GPU and slapping that in there. Ended up getting a used GeForce 8400 GS for 5 euros which is a complete overkill for the 933MHz Pentium III EB in there, but has thus turned it into a quite capable machine to mess around with.
I used an old Deskpro for a few years around 2008 as a home PBX; It was very reliable running Asterisk from a compact flash card.
Oh man I love this channel! That 2240 is the very very close relative of my first PC in 1997 - a 4526 tower. I remember that CPU heatsink looking unbelievably huge to me back then, how things have changed! Original hard drive probably would have been a ridiculous 5.25" Quantum Bigfoot since Compaq were weirdly into those in that era.
Hey, you have Adrian Black as a Patron! That's proper bragging rights for a channel half a year old. You're positively doing a great job.
Thanks! I was completely overwhelmed with excitement when Adrian discovered this channel. It is an absolute honor! His channel provided the inspiration that motivated me to start mine!
That Power Supplies Form Factor looks like a standard SFX type.
You can get them relatively easy, though they are a bit more than standard ATX.
The chime after a window is closed was set by the user. Its somewhere in windows sounds settings. Same area where you can change the startup and shutdown sounds.
0:49 this was my first windows computer. bought it from circuit city for $600. it made all kinds of noises.
Great videos Mike, I used to do the exact same thing back in the late 90's and early 2000's!! You've got a new subscriber in me. I was always very meticulous about cleaning out these older PC's, even before the first boot attempt!
Great video I had the Compaq desktop computer, they were a handy machine to be honest.
22:43 Ah Dutch, such a beautiful language.
I had a dell dimension of some type from around 2002, the first computer my family got that me and my father didn't piece together from scraps... It had a switch that wouldn't allow it to boot if the side panel was off as well.
Yeah! Old good Compaqs! The Deskpro EN is one of my favourtes!
I prefered LS 120 drives over Zip drives. The LS 120's could also read floppy disks ( at 2 times the speed of a floppy drive, so fasten your seatbelts ). So no more need for a floppy drive. They came in IDE and SCSI versions. Remember finding a lot of those Compaqs on the streets. In those times people just put them next to their garbagebags ( no underground garbage then ) so others could reuse them. With a lot of those I started practicing my modding skills.
Great video. Would love to see a packard bell one with 3 or 4 systems
Always happy when a new video comed out!
Edit: Any updates with the TRS-80s?
Compaq presario was the first PC my family got back in 2001. Ran windows XP, had 512 mbs of ram, Pentium III, 40 gb hdd. Used msn messenger a ton, downloaded tons of viruses on limewire
Another great video thank u cutie keep it up
I had a Compaq 5410 nearly identical in appearance to the 5460 in the video, from PeoplePC in 2000. Wish I still had it.
The second one could’ve been a front desk computer at a private practice and the solenoid was there for scanning cards or a signing tablet.
I had that exact compaq with the speakers. I remember as a last ditch effort to get more life out of it I threw a k6/2 500 in it. I could only get the jumpers to configure to 300 mhz but it was rock solid
... it choked on something... i was drinking and my brain went there
When I think of Compaq, I always think about their early "suitcase" computers. Basically like an old-timey suitcase, you'd lay it on its side with the handle away from you, and the bottom would come off and had a keyboard inside it. Inside the case there was a little 5" monochrome monitor, with one or two floppy drives beside it. I always assumed this was the "Compact" computer, and the basis for their name.
My very first computer was the Compaq 386S back in 1997 / 1998. DOS 6.2 with Windows 3.1, all installed via 3.5 floppy disk!
cool stuff someone should get you protective gloves for this 🤣 also the notch on the back of the last Compaq wasn't just for locking it shut but also to lock it down to a desk.
The bike on the motherboard is a Cannondale Jekyll. It was well known for that front fork with a single leg.
I got 2 of the last system in 2003 new old stock, both were actually shipped with Pentium 233MHz MMX, Not AMD Plus 32 Mb RAM. I still have one of them somewhere around. I think my original Restore disk was Win98/SE.
I did a few upgrades back then, like, BIOS, 64 Mb RAM, 20 gig Hdd, Lite-on DVD/CD burner, 8Mb PCI Video card, and TV Card. And yes, the speakers sounded really good back the as I can remember.
I had a compact desk pro and a gateway essential
S1, I had hard drives that sounded like that back in the 90s
21:54 PROPER paste job!
That 2240 was the first pc I ever owned on my own. Can confirm those built-in speakers were incredible for the time. Mine had a "pentium with MMX technology." It played lots of games really well. FF7 pc. Quake 2 and doom. Tomb raider. Diablo 2 😊
I used to lust after the MMX Pentiums so much back then!
I keep forgetting to comment! I love the 2240 with it’s weird built in speakers, I love compaq for its different ideas. You should do a mini 3dfx build for system 2, and that thing (I think) on the back of it is most likely for a medical device, like a ultrasound machine. I want a Creative Modemblaster! Love your videos!
I see you've got a Klingon language pack on that second Compaq. 🤣
You could have a resource conflict with the sound on the second Presario. I had a Prolinea with an ESS sound card (disclaimer: it was an addon card) that had the same exact sound issue. Changing the IRQ and I/O port address around got that machine to play sound as normal.
I would assume the repeating first part of any wave sound is an IRQ issue... I loved Compaq back in the day, have a few deskpro and LTE 386 and a 286 and wish I kept more from back then!
I love old Compaq's and I have a bunch of them, but that Presario 2200 series never crossed my hands... I need One! Best regards from Portugal
I have the earlier Compaq Deskpro upgraded to Pentium 233MMX, and with a Voodoo2 3D gfx card!(i do have another Voodoo2 if i wanted to fit to run in SLI!!)
Plus i have a Compaq Prolinea 4/33S upgraded to a 486DX2/66!!
I'd still track down some IDE flash modules to run on those in the future for the sake of long-term reliability.
YES! Compaq’s are my jam. I’ve given up trying to figure out why. I is what I is
I have quite an affinity for them also. My first laptop was a Compaq LTE Elite 4/75CX. Absolutely adored that machine.
U must enjoy the printer scene in Officespace
This JBL Pros were pretty awesome, whatever when paired with a sound card.
Windows 95, If I remember correctly the first three digits were either 950, or 295, and then OEM and then all ones
97 and 98 I think you could use 12345678
2000 and Me you had to have the special keys with numbers and letters
But 95 the a version was what it came with but the b version with SR2, which you needed if you were in a networking environment in order for it to work cost me another hundred dollars and they sent me the install cd&a bypass key that allowed me to install the entire operating system from that disk
The Creative Modem Blaster was my first really good modem. It was only a 14.4 but my gosh did it work well. Maybe being good at sound processing was also useful for modem sound.
I am interested how it compares to run-of-the-mill modems of the same time period. Perhaps it was harder to kick offline when someone picked up the phone? Might be a cool experiment!
I remember looking at one of those Compaq 2240 styled PC. It was rough shape compared to that. One thing that irked me with Compaq. The model number changed if it had a faster CPU or extra memory. I've restored some with another model numbers restore disc. As long as the chipset is the same. All the drivers should match up. Funny you mentioned the Lucent modem. I worked for them for a short time around 1999-2001 time frame.
Had the first one back in the day, dunno the model number tho as there were different models that had the same chassis. Played a lot of Edutainment games on that thing back in the day such as some Disney, Dr. Seuss, Living Books, Freddi Fish, etc. And no joke, we had the EXACT SAME wallpaper LOL! I miss it tbh!
I remember those Compaq towers with the pointy rocket fin "feet" being in seemingly every office supply big box store in the late '90s.
I would practically drool over the Presario 1610 laptops on-display at OfficeMax! They were well beyond my family's budget at the time, but a boy did dream...