Issues with Booting Compaq Laptop

[Stylin80]

Hello there, recently I just got a computer from a friend of mine to be fixed. However, among the many laptops and desktops I've fixed, this is proving to be a rather strange one.

It is a Compaq Presario CQ42-304AU, full specification and details of it can be found here : https/support.hp.com/my-en/document/c02520867

Prior to receiving the laptop, my friend had told me it has issues where it cannot boot up, including the bios. When I got my hands on it, the error code based on the blinking lights of the Caps Lock key told me that it was CPU error. Opened it up, re-seated the CPU, applied fresh thermal paste while I'm at it and it still didn't work. I tried re-seating the CPU about 5 times but to no avail.

However, while I was re-seating the CPU again and again, one of the times it actually booted into the bios. Told me no boot device as I have removed the HDD. Turned it off, placed the hard drive in and nope. Didn't boot anymore ever since.

So my question is this. Is it truly the CPU issue as the computer says so? I have many experiences where when it cannot boot into the bios at all, the main causes are typically the motherboard; not the CPU. Therefore I was wondering, could it be the motherboard socket issue; ie, bad connection? An advice to whether should I replace the CPU or Motherboard would be nice.


Things that I have done:
-Re-seating and cleaning RAM
-Re-seating the CPU about 5 times
-Removed the battery and direct from power

 

[cin19]

Remove the battery, remove the HDD and the RAM too, then put back the battery to boot the laptop. If the laptop will not boot, it is time to buy the new MB or whole new laptop, or forget about it.

 

[Stylin80]

Remove the battery, remove the HDD and the RAM too, then put back the battery to boot the laptop. If the laptop will not boot, it is time to buy the new MB or whole new laptop, or forget about it.

How are you so sure that is the the MB issue? From what the computer is telling me, it is saying that it is a CPU issue, and not the MB. And as for your suggestion to remove HDD and RAM and using battery to boot, tried it before too, still same result.

 

[cin19]

Because you try that way, booting the computer without HDD and RAM, that means either the MB or CPU had problem, and usually like that the problem is from the MB, that is why I said that.

 

[Stylin80]

Because you try that way, booting the computer without HDD and RAM, that means either the MB or CPU had problem, and usually like that the problem is from the MB, that is why I said that.

Okay thanks for the advice. I guess it's as good as what I can do now and hope that it truly is the motherboard issue. Either way, thanks alot.