Found old computer, need help getting it going!

[Pugilism]

So we moved out of our old house and I found a VERY old computer, probably our first one since ive been alive!

It started up, but for the past day and a half i havent been able to get it to boot up. I'm fairly certain our hdd with the old windows xp stuff on it is dead (return code 7). We bought a "new" 120gb hdd when we first got it but i cant boot from that, or connect it to any of my other computer to make it bootable since its pata and i have sata connectors. The dvd drive isnt letting me load any boot disk, iso or anything. It says "Strike F1 to retry boot, F2 for setup utility" ive retried many times. Our only other compatible cd drive isnt even being recognized by the pc. I have a windows 98 iso on my cd since i dont have any cd bigger than 700mb.

ive tried booting from partition utility but nothing happens.

The computer is a Dell OptiPlex gx260.

idk what else i can try lol

im sure i havent covered everyhing ive tried but shoot with whatever youve got cause im out of ideas.

 

Not possible to boot through USB with this bios

 

BIOS: A03

But i have no clue how to update it! Especially if i cant even boot into an OS

[corrado33]

What "boot disks" have you tried?

 

I'd try to load a linux live CD if I were you.

[Pugilism]

13 minutes ago, corrado33 said:

What "boot disks" have you tried?

 

I'd try to load a linux live CD if I were you.

I have tried Windows 7, it loaded but it was 64 bit. I have tried Windows 98, that wont even load up. Idk how I got Windows 7 to load up, pure luck maybe? But i have no CDs left to download anything onto lol

[Pugilism]

I have looked in the BIOS event log and found

"CMOS Battery Failure

CMOS Checksum Error

CMOS Time Not Set"

[corrado33]

5 minutes ago, Pugilism said:

I have tried Windows 7, it loaded but it was 64 bit. I have tried Windows 98, that wont even load up. Idk how I got Windows 7 to load up, pure luck maybe? But i have no CDs left to download anything onto lol

64 bit anything is definitely not going to work.

 

Windows 98 may require some compatibility settings enabled in the bios (OS install, Legacy USB support, CPU limit, Ram Limit etc.) Old installers were finicky about what was present when they were installed.

[corrado33]

1 minute ago, Pugilism said:

I have looked in the BIOS event log and found

"CMOS Battery Failure

CMOS Checksum Error

CMOS Time Not Set"

You board needs a new CR 2032 battery. 

[Pugilism]

2 minutes ago, corrado33 said:

You board needs a new CR 2032 battery. 

My BIOS is so old that i cant boot from a USB ;(

and could the battery be the reason it wint boot at all, even on the disk?

[corrado33]

1 minute ago, Pugilism said:

My BIOS is so old that i cant boot from a USB ;(

and could the battery be the reason it wint boot at all, even on the disk?

No, it'll just reset the bios every time you shut it off. It should still boot to a bootable disk, with the right settings enabled.

 

Find the manual for the computer, look at the bios settings, look for OS install settings, etc.

[WkdPaul]

3 minutes ago, corrado33 said:

You board needs a new CR 2032 battery. 

@Pugilism what he said.

[WkdPaul]

1 minute ago, corrado33 said:

No, it'll just reset the bios every time you shut it off. It should still boot to a bootable disk, with the right settings enabled.

 

Find the manual for the computer, look at the bios settings, look for OS install settings, etc.

nope, some computers won't boot if the battery needs to changed.

 

I have 2 Dell Optiplex that need a working battery or they start acting weird and sometime won't boot.

[corrado33]

5 minutes ago, wkdpaul said:

nope, some computers won't boot if the battery needs to changed.

 

I have 2 Dell Optiplex that need a working battery or they start acting weird and sometime won't boot.

Hm, good to know! Thanks! I could have sworn I booted mine with a dead battery once... Perhaps I'm making things up...

[WkdPaul]

1 minute ago, corrado33 said:

Hm, good to know! Thanks! I could have sworn I booted mine with a dead battery once... Perhaps I'm making things up...

Nah, most computers should be fine, but some don't like dead batteries somehow!

[Pugilism]

32 minutes ago, wkdpaul said:

Nah, most computers should be fine, but some don't like dead batteries somehow!

I planned on rebuilding it anyways and makin a home server, or just a computer to really mess with haha

I really wanted to see those old files we had 

thanks though

[Pugilism]

4 hours ago, wkdpaul said:

Nah, most computers should be fine, but some don't like dead batteries somehow!

Well, I put a brand new CR 2032 battery in and I'm getting the same exact errors?

if it helps the Event Type is "POST Error"