Compaq Presario F500 Won't Boot - Help Please! - Page 2

bosstone75 · 02-11-2009, 09:22 AM

Glad it worked out for you man! Once you get them to agree to a box, it's all gravy!

gjpjtj · 02-12-2009, 01:54 PM

Great thanks again. Just got my box today, and sending it out tommorow.

Thea88 · 05-26-2009, 03:51 PM

Hi Guys,
I'm new to this thread but am having exactly the same problems....
Did any of you guys manage to salvage your hard drives? I've not yet convinced HP to come and collect my Presario F500 but when I do, I don't want them to wipe my hard drive. Is there any way I can salvage it before I send it off?

Cheers
Thea

bosstone75 · 05-26-2009, 06:49 PM

They just had to replace the power unit. Nothing to do with the hard drive. I sent mine in and got it back working just the way it was before it broke. No need for reinstall or anything.

Of course, they tell you there's a chance you'll lose your info... just to cover their bases.

To be safe, I went to my friends house who has the same computer and exchanged hard drives and got off all my important data before hand. If that's not an option for you, get a cable that connects to your hard drive to Firewire or USB and you can just use it as an external drive to pull off all your stuff.

vilmer · 05-27-2009, 09:21 AM

@Thea88; the hdd used has standard SATA connections. In other words, you can connect it to the mainboard of most modern desktop computers to backup your files. Just note that after you removed the HDD from your notebook, you have to slide off the connection that is covering the SATA connections on the back. After that you will see the SATA connections.

Btw, HP did not want to repair my notebook under warranty, so I bought 2 mainboards off ebay for $ 90 each. I used one to replace mine, and sold the other one, having a free repair this way ;-).
This is my last HP/compaq buy EVER ofcourse..

bosstone75 · 05-27-2009, 09:28 AM

Thea88 - You jinxed me! Not 30 minutes after replying to your message, but my OS system went kaplunk! (I'm rather sure it had to do with the messing around I was doing in the registry). So now, I'm going to be needed to put my hard drive in an external enclosure to pull the data off!

gjpjtj · 05-27-2009, 02:55 PM

They wiped my hardrive, however they offered someone to come and back it up first. I declined, because I back up to my desktop frequently. It come back totally wiped clean, but fixed!

Nextwave · 06-23-2009, 06:58 AM

After finding this forum about the F500, I decided to give it a shot and see if my F500 was covered by this, and it was. So after visiting the link to hp's site about free repair, (THANK YOU!!) I called them and they asked me my name, email, phone number, part number, and eventually serial number. First the tech stated that the system was out of warranty (2 years and 5 months ago I bought this). But when i quoted HP's free repair page about the F500, he asked what was wrong with the laptop. Told him all power lights are on but no LCD or video from the VGA port. He asked me to reseat the RAM stick, and then try again with the battery out. Same thing happened. Right after that he began asking me for my address to send me my return box. The tech also stated that the HDD could be removed to ensure all my data is secured, as well as to leave the battery out as well. No cables or adapters were to be included.. just the notebook. Explained that the system will be returned to me in 10 - 14 days after it arrives at HP. He apologized for any inconvenience that this may have caused. Extremely polite and provided me wth a order number as well as a service ticket number. Offered me a 1 year warranty for $119.. reduced rate. Which seemed pretty decent for additional warranty for this older system. The offer is left on file so I can call in anytime to pay for the warranty. For the first time, HP was extremely helpful, and I suggest to anyone that owns the listed models on their site to have the free repair done, get it as soon as possible. They don't hassle you, they are polite and knowledgeable. Only thing I can suggest is to call after 11PM EST, seems like they have a better work ethic or something at that time

When my box arrives I will update you all on how long it took to get here, and how long it took to get back. Once again thanks to this forum my F500 will breathe life once more. Thank you!

Think free, be free. Use Linux.

"Freedom is nothing else but a chance to be better." - Albert Camus

Nextwave · 06-25-2009, 06:36 PM

UPDATE:
The return box arrived the next day at 2:30PM
The box contained everything that was needed to nicely secure the notebook in the box, including a waybill sticker to send the laptop back as well as 2 strips of packing tape to reseal the box.

After easily packing the notebook, the waybill was stuck on the outside of the box and a sheet of paper with instructions on how to pack the notebook stated to call a 800# to arrange a pickup for free. They came to the house 4 hours after they dropped off the box to pick it up. It arrived at HP the next morning, and was shipped out at 2PM the same day. Its currently in transit and once the notebook arrives, I'll post an update. Impressed so far.

02-11-2009, 09:22 AM	#21 (permalink)
bosstone75 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 31 OS: Win XP	Re: Compaq Presario F500 Won't Boot - Help Please! Glad it worked out for you man! Once you get them to agree to a box, it's all gravy!

02-12-2009, 01:54 PM	#22 (permalink)
gjpjtj Registered User Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 4 OS: Vista	Re: Compaq Presario F500 Won't Boot - Help Please! Great thanks again. Just got my box today, and sending it out tommorow.

05-26-2009, 03:51 PM	#23 (permalink)
Thea88 Registered User Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 1 OS: Vista	Re: Compaq Presario F500 Won't Boot - Help Please! Hi Guys, I'm new to this thread but am having exactly the same problems.... Did any of you guys manage to salvage your hard drives? I've not yet convinced HP to come and collect my Presario F500 but when I do, I don't want them to wipe my hard drive. Is there any way I can salvage it before I send it off? Cheers Thea

05-26-2009, 06:49 PM	#24 (permalink)
bosstone75 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 31 OS: Win XP	Re: Compaq Presario F500 Won't Boot - Help Please! They just had to replace the power unit. Nothing to do with the hard drive. I sent mine in and got it back working just the way it was before it broke. No need for reinstall or anything. Of course, they tell you there's a chance you'll lose your info... just to cover their bases. To be safe, I went to my friends house who has the same computer and exchanged hard drives and got off all my important data before hand. If that's not an option for you, get a cable that connects to your hard drive to Firewire or USB and you can just use it as an external drive to pull off all your stuff.

05-27-2009, 09:21 AM	#25 (permalink)
vilmer Registered User Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 3 OS: XP	Re: Compaq Presario F500 Won't Boot - Help Please! @Thea88; the hdd used has standard SATA connections. In other words, you can connect it to the mainboard of most modern desktop computers to backup your files. Just note that after you removed the HDD from your notebook, you have to slide off the connection that is covering the SATA connections on the back. After that you will see the SATA connections. Btw, HP did not want to repair my notebook under warranty, so I bought 2 mainboards off ebay for $ 90 each. I used one to replace mine, and sold the other one, having a free repair this way ;-). This is my last HP/compaq buy EVER ofcourse..

05-27-2009, 09:28 AM	#26 (permalink)
bosstone75 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 31 OS: Win XP	Re: Compaq Presario F500 Won't Boot - Help Please! Thea88 - You jinxed me! Not 30 minutes after replying to your message, but my OS system went kaplunk! (I'm rather sure it had to do with the messing around I was doing in the registry). So now, I'm going to be needed to put my hard drive in an external enclosure to pull the data off!

05-27-2009, 02:55 PM	#27 (permalink)
gjpjtj Registered User Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 4 OS: Vista	Re: Compaq Presario F500 Won't Boot - Help Please! They wiped my hardrive, however they offered someone to come and back it up first. I declined, because I back up to my desktop frequently. It come back totally wiped clean, but fixed!

06-23-2009, 06:58 AM	#28 (permalink)
Nextwave Registered User Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 2 OS: Windows Vista / Mandriva Linux	F500 Return Box On Its Way After finding this forum about the F500, I decided to give it a shot and see if my F500 was covered by this, and it was. So after visiting the link to hp's site about free repair, (THANK YOU!!) I called them and they asked me my name, email, phone number, part number, and eventually serial number. First the tech stated that the system was out of warranty (2 years and 5 months ago I bought this). But when i quoted HP's free repair page about the F500, he asked what was wrong with the laptop. Told him all power lights are on but no LCD or video from the VGA port. He asked me to reseat the RAM stick, and then try again with the battery out. Same thing happened. Right after that he began asking me for my address to send me my return box. The tech also stated that the HDD could be removed to ensure all my data is secured, as well as to leave the battery out as well. No cables or adapters were to be included.. just the notebook. Explained that the system will be returned to me in 10 - 14 days after it arrives at HP. He apologized for any inconvenience that this may have caused. Extremely polite and provided me wth a order number as well as a service ticket number. Offered me a 1 year warranty for $119.. reduced rate. Which seemed pretty decent for additional warranty for this older system. The offer is left on file so I can call in anytime to pay for the warranty. For the first time, HP was extremely helpful, and I suggest to anyone that owns the listed models on their site to have the free repair done, get it as soon as possible. They don't hassle you, they are polite and knowledgeable. Only thing I can suggest is to call after 11PM EST, seems like they have a better work ethic or something at that time When my box arrives I will update you all on how long it took to get here, and how long it took to get back. Once again thanks to this forum my F500 will breathe life once more. Thank you! Think free, be free. Use Linux. "Freedom is nothing else but a chance to be better." - Albert Camus

06-25-2009, 06:36 PM	#29 (permalink)
Nextwave Registered User Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 2 OS: Windows Vista / Mandriva Linux	Re: Compaq Presario F500 Won't Boot - Help Please! UPDATE: The return box arrived the next day at 2:30PM The box contained everything that was needed to nicely secure the notebook in the box, including a waybill sticker to send the laptop back as well as 2 strips of packing tape to reseal the box. After easily packing the notebook, the waybill was stuck on the outside of the box and a sheet of paper with instructions on how to pack the notebook stated to call a 800# to arrange a pickup for free. They came to the house 4 hours after they dropped off the box to pick it up. It arrived at HP the next morning, and was shipped out at 2PM the same day. Its currently in transit and once the notebook arrives, I'll post an update. Impressed so far.