I bought a new Compaq Presario SR2163WM today but it won't boot up - is my monitor incompatible?

Question

I bought the computer new today without a monitor. When I was setting it up, I connected my old used monitor (which was working fine on my 2003 Compaq Deskpro. However, the new Compaq Presario would not boot up, though all the power lights were on. The monitor is a few years old & it's a KDS Visual Sensations monitor.

When I called the Compaq "Help Line" (aka - "No Help Line") they first suggested the problem was that I didn't have enough RAM because the computer is loaded with the new Vista software (remember I bought the computer new in the box today). Why would someone sell a computer not capable of booting up because it wasn't equipped with enough RAM??@!

Then I was told that it was my monitor, and the "Help Line" attempted to sell me a new one over the phone.

So the question is - what is wrong with the new computer? Why won't it boot? Is it possible that the monitor is incompatible??

Thanks for your thoughtful answers....

Answer 1

give this a try before turning on the computer turn on the monitor then the computer so that way it will locate the correct driver for it, or contact www.microsoft.com at 1-800-microsoft they have a better "help line".

Answer 2

Hate to bust your bubble I google it real quick. They have a similar but not the same at walmart for like 350 or something like that. If you are in US, tell me what you paid. Reason take it back. I know I can find at least a dual core out there for that price. In San Antonio, they had some for that price. Return it if I were you. I used to be like you. lol Naive. I had bought this computer from this one girl, 4 years ago for 300. She supposedly knew about computers and said it was a good deal. Well I should have know when she said she did not know what the speed of the computer was. Anyway, I have read ALOT and now I know what to do. Anyway, personally you got screwed. You can get a dual core at least for that price. The catch is you have to pay like 150 more but you get it back in rebates. HP had a nice set up 17 inch flat screen, printer and a computer like yours, not dual core now. If you get dual core you are ready for the next 10 years. It will take about two to three years till dual core games come out then another 5 till yours is outmoded if not sooner. But if you plan to play high speed games two years from now your computer will not handle it. Granted no dual core games out now, but then that is like buying the DVD player out before DVDs were the only thing now. Now it is , what is a VCR player.

I checked the HP site. I think you could have done better though. But then if you got the computer for like $200 then it is good enough. Also there are two slots for 2 Gb of memory but it says it came with 512 Gb. Reason they do not put much in, cuz 1 Gb will cost you in the neighbor hood of $100 so they put the minimum you need to run the computer. Then like me if I wanted t o run DOOM 3, I had to upgrade memory and the video card. Like I said, if you can, let me know the price and return it if you can. But if not have fun.

Answer 3

to do away with ram and vista problems get carry of a linux stay cd including auditor. this runs from cd and ignores the complicated force, utilising in basic terms ram. do you get to work out the bios splash show- or pay attention the complicated force/ see lights fixtures. if no longer your computing gadget is lifeless