# Does anyone know how to fix.... **URL:** \ **Category:** PittSpeed Off Topic\ **Created:** [April 13, 2005, 10:02am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/does-anyone-know-how-to-fix/173638 "2005-04-13T10:02:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SonofaBish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ad7895/32.png) [@SonofaBish](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/SonofaBish)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 10:02am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/does-anyone-know-how-to-fix/173638/1 "2005-04-13T10:02:10Z")
1790 - Disk Controller Failure got a super old computer that a person on campus asked us to fix… its incredibly old… its so old, the hard drive/floppy/cdrom plug into a daughterboard that plugs into the motherboard… pretty fun looking… also, the BIOS can’t be accessed w/o a floppy disk… someone said something about them being located on the hard drive… problem is, in the BIOS, it recognizes the hard drive there, but when it goes to boot, it doenst find it… i used all the utilities available from Compaq… they are the only reason i got to the BIOS in the first place (they had to be reinstalled)… weird freakin thing… ready to just throw it out and tell them its useless… any last ideas? ---
**Author:** ![SonofaBish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ad7895/32.png) [@SonofaBish](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/SonofaBish)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 10:03am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/does-anyone-know-how-to-fix/173638/2 "2005-04-13T10:03:05Z")
the lady told me she believes it is 11 years old :eek2: ---
**Author:** ![ninjenn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c67d28/32.png) [@ninjenn](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ninjenn)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 10:13am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/does-anyone-know-how-to-fix/173638/3 "2005-04-13T10:13:40Z")
Throw it away, get new computer. ---
**Author:** ![SonofaBish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ad7895/32.png) [@SonofaBish](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/SonofaBish)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 10:14am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/does-anyone-know-how-to-fix/173638/4 "2005-04-13T10:14:44Z")
> [@huskysgrl](#): > > Throw it away, get new computer. thats’ my instant solution when i saw what she wanted me to fix… but, some ppl try to save money even MORE than me. ---
**Author:** ![ninjenn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c67d28/32.png) [@ninjenn](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ninjenn)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 10:16am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/does-anyone-know-how-to-fix/173638/5 "2005-04-13T10:16:07Z")
Tell her your fee for fixing it… (outrageous) and then tell her what a new comp. would cost. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![77rednecktruck](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/77rednecktruck/32/5966_2.png) [@77rednecktruck](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/77rednecktruck)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 10:16am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/does-anyone-know-how-to-fix/173638/6 "2005-04-13T10:16:32Z")
> [@SonofaBish](#): > > thats’ my instant solution when i saw what she wanted me to fix… but, some ppl try to save money even MORE than me. get her a celeron, I hear they kick ass and are better than p4’s. :D:D:D just kidding. it looks like either the disk went bad or the controller went bad, wither way, it would cost more to fix than the pc is worth. buy a new one ---
**Author:** ![ninjenn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c67d28/32.png) [@ninjenn](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ninjenn)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 10:16am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/does-anyone-know-how-to-fix/173638/7 "2005-04-13T10:16:36Z")
What good is an 11 year old computer anyways?! It can’t do anything I’d imagine!! ---
**Author:** ![S10Blazed\_Si](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/s10blazed_si/32/5983_2.png) [@S10Blazed\_Si](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/S10Blazed_Si)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 10:17am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/does-anyone-know-how-to-fix/173638/8 "2005-04-13T10:17:25Z")
New computer cost = $??? your repair cost should be = New computer cost + $1 tell her to save some money ---
**Author:** ![SonofaBish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ad7895/32.png) [@SonofaBish](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/SonofaBish)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 10:18am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/does-anyone-know-how-to-fix/173638/9 "2005-04-13T10:18:10Z")
> [@huskysgrl](#): > > Tell her your fee for fixing it… (outrageous) and then tell her what a new comp. would cost. 😃 problem is… she’s a really nice lady, so i couldnt charge her much at all… and i’m working for the university, so its hard to charge her for doing what i’m supposed to be doing (even tho it is sorta on the side since its her personal computer) ---
**Author:** ![SonofaBish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ad7895/32.png) [@SonofaBish](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/SonofaBish)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 10:19am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/does-anyone-know-how-to-fix/173638/10 "2005-04-13T10:19:19Z")
its definitely rough… pentium 100 MHz … like 48 megs ram… it does have one upside… 13 GB hard drive… dont know where that came from :dunno: but i think its trash too… just tryin to do the best i can to save it for her ---
**Author:** ![77rednecktruck](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/77rednecktruck/32/5966_2.png) [@77rednecktruck](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/77rednecktruck)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 10:20am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/does-anyone-know-how-to-fix/173638/11 "2005-04-13T10:20:38Z")
> [@SonofaBish](#): > > problem is… she’s a really nice lady, so i couldnt charge her much at all… > and i’m working for the university, so its hard to charge her for doing what i’m supposed to be doing (even tho it is sorta on the side since its her personal computer) I stay away from that shit. tell het to take it somewhere else to get fixed, it will blow up in your face if something goes wrong. keep work and side jobs separate ---
**Author:** ![ninjenn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c67d28/32.png) [@ninjenn](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ninjenn)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 10:20am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/does-anyone-know-how-to-fix/173638/12 "2005-04-13T10:20:47Z")
obviously, if it’s her personal PC that she hasn’t used in \_\_\_\_ amount time, she doesn’t need it that badly! Besides 13 GB isn’t that much. New comps come with 30GB at LEAST. ---
**Author:** ![77rednecktruck](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/77rednecktruck/32/5966_2.png) [@77rednecktruck](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/77rednecktruck)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 10:22am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/does-anyone-know-how-to-fix/173638/13 "2005-04-13T10:22:24Z")
> [@huskysgrl](#): > > obviously, if it’s her personal PC that she hasn’t used in \_\_\_\_ amount time, she doesn’t need it that badly! Besides 13 GB isn’t that much. New comps come with 30GB at LEAST. new pc’s come with whatever you order. our work pc’s come with 20gb hard drives. ---
**Author:** ![ninjenn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c67d28/32.png) [@ninjenn](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ninjenn)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 10:23am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/does-anyone-know-how-to-fix/173638/14 "2005-04-13T10:23:05Z")
I haven’t seen a dell under 30 GB in a year. :dunno: The computer I had growing up had 1.6 GB. 🤣 ---
**Author:** ![SonofaBish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ad7895/32.png) [@SonofaBish](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/SonofaBish)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 10:24am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/does-anyone-know-how-to-fix/173638/15 "2005-04-13T10:24:08Z")
well its not exactly a side job for just me… she just brought it into work one day… but… i already told her we may not be able to do anythign with it, and she didnt seem to midn to much… she was just wating to get on the internet and send emails to ppl i told her to either go to dell, or i will be gettin a p3 1 GHz from my brother soon. just needs the O/S and everything… but she doesnt seem like she really wants to spend any money… i’m willing to part w/ it for a good price anybody want? ---
**Author:** ![fshowcars](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/fshowcars/32/5937_2.png) [@fshowcars](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/fshowcars)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 10:45am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/does-anyone-know-how-to-fix/173638/16 "2005-04-13T10:45:46Z")
bootable bios diskette… secondary diskette for harddrive controller / drive drivers, whether product based, or old school universals. flash bios with updated version, install harddrive manually or use driver disk ---
**Author:** ![SonofaBish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ad7895/32.png) [@SonofaBish](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/SonofaBish)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 11:08am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/does-anyone-know-how-to-fix/173638/17 "2005-04-13T11:08:10Z")
> [@fshowcars](#): > > bootable bios diskette… secondary diskette for harddrive controller / drive drivers, whether product based, or old school universals. > > flash bios with updated version, install harddrive manually or use driver disk i think thats’ what i said i had (not sure)… to get into the bios and install them i had to use a bootable disk when i originally got the computer, it seemed like it had the bios on the hard drive?? i dunno… i dont think its worth the time or effort… she tells me now that she has a laptop that can’t recognize the modem or something… havent looked at it… hopefully it’ll be a lil easier ---
**Author:** ![fshowcars](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/fshowcars/32/5937_2.png) [@fshowcars](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/fshowcars)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 12:36pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/does-anyone-know-how-to-fix/173638/18 "2005-04-13T12:36:44Z")
it’s like the old cisco pix… you need to boot the bios off a disk… then resetup your drive. ---
**Author:** ![SonofaBish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ad7895/32.png) [@SonofaBish](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/SonofaBish)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 12:45pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/does-anyone-know-how-to-fix/173638/19 "2005-04-13T12:45:04Z")
thats what i tried… i think… but no go… and i still get that drive controller failure… so i give up i think… dont imagine its worth the time ---
**Author:** ![fshowcars](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/fshowcars/32/5937_2.png) [@fshowcars](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/fshowcars)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 12:45pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/does-anyone-know-how-to-fix/173638/20 "2005-04-13T12:45:23Z")
oh it’s not worth the time… that’s for sure.