There are diskette images available online.
Do a search for Compaq system restore.
The problem is that the Compaq machines use a hidden partition on the hard drive to store the ROM/BIOS details.
You can also look into these excellent freeware items:
- Test disk (recovery) at:
http://www.cgsecurity.org/wiki/TestDisk
- g4u (backup utility) at:
http://www.feyrer.de/g4u/
(this can be used before your recovery, backup what is NOW on your partitions)
Be patient and go and ask questions at different forums.
Some good forums are associated with different Linux distributions (Debian, Slackware, Ubuntu, . . .). You might even find that you would benefit from switching to Linux.
Good luck (and contact me if you think I might be able to help with more info)