Notices
Computer/Internet Issues & Troubleshooting Anyone with questions about the terribly complex world of computers or the internet should try here. NOT FOR REPORTING ISSUES WITH PPRuNe FORUMS! Please use the subforum "PPRuNe Problems or Queries."

Back to DOS

Old 8th September 2008 | 14:33
  #1 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
Recidivist
 
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,240
Likes: 0
From: Essex, UK
Back to DOS

Having bodged an old PSU for my old machine (why do I bother?) I have now managed to get DOS 6.22 on C via A.

Still not out of the woods though because it can't see the CD drive or the other HD.

From my hazy memory of DOS, I put LASTDRIVE=Z into config.sys thinking that might wake it up to the other drives - it hasn't.

Have I forgotten something?
frostbite is offline  
Reply
Old 8th September 2008 | 14:49
  #2 (permalink)  
15 Anniversary
 
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 300
Likes: 0
From: London, England
This might help:

http://www.tek-tips.com/viewthread.c...1148865&page=1
MacBoero is offline  
Reply
Old 8th September 2008 | 16:19
  #3 (permalink)  
Psychophysiological entity
20 Anniversary
 
Joined: Jun 2001
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 3,383
Likes: 169
From: Walton on the Naze Essex.
I would have thought 6.22 would have seen both drives without prompting, providing the LASTDRIVE is not set to D

Have you tried it without the CD connected?

In the olduns, the drive could be connected totally reversed. Never seemed to hurt them. But check all is okay and the drive is spinning. etc etc
Loose rivets is offline  
Reply
Old 8th September 2008 | 17:50
  #4 (permalink)  
Administrator
 
Joined: Mar 2001
Aviation Qualifications: PPL
Posts: 8,121
Likes: 686
From: Twickenham, home of rugby
It is quite possible that the drive is larger than that recognised by fdisk in DOS.

It is also possible that it is not yet recognised in the BIOS.

It is possible that it is not partitioned in at most 2GB chunks, and that at least one primary partition is not set to active.

It is possible that it is not formatted with FAT 16 (although it should still be recognised).

SD
Saab Dastard is offline  
Reply
Old 8th September 2008 | 19:54
  #5 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
Recidivist
 
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,240
Likes: 0
From: Essex, UK
Thanks everyone.

I suspect one of those gotchas applies, SD, but why does it not see either of the CD drives? Both CDs & both HDs are acknowledged by BIOS on startup.
frostbite is offline  
Reply
Old 8th September 2008 | 22:04
  #6 (permalink)  
Administrator
 
Joined: Mar 2001
Aviation Qualifications: PPL
Posts: 8,121
Likes: 686
From: Twickenham, home of rugby
why does it not see either of the CD drives? Both CDs & both HDs are acknowledged by BIOS on startup.
For a CD-ROM drive to properly work in MS-DOS, it is required that the CD-ROM drivers be loaded in the Autoexec.bat / Config.sys.

Below are examples of the format of how the drivers should be loaded in the autoexec.bat and config.sys.

AUTOEXEC.BAT:

LOADHIGH=C: \Windows\COMMAND\MSCDEX.EXE /D:MSCD001

CONFIG.SYS:

DEVICEHIGH=C: \CD-ROM\NEC_IDE.SYS /D:MSCD001

Bear in mind that the location and name of the relevant device driver (nnnnn.sys) will vary dependent on your configuration - e.g. it may be on the floppy disk. Also you may not be using high memory, in which case just use Load and Device.

SD
Saab Dastard is offline  
Reply
Old 9th September 2008 | 08:09
  #7 (permalink)  
 
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,693
Likes: 0
From: fairly close to the colonial capitol
MSCDEX.EXE
I recall this bit, SD.
vapilot2004 is offline  
Reply
Old 9th September 2008 | 10:38
  #8 (permalink)  

Official PPRuNe Chaplain
 
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 3,498
Likes: 0
From: Witnesham, Suffolk
Goodness me, that takes me back! I had terrible problems with that stuff when I got my very first CDROM drive.

It was years before I realised my "new" machine could boot from the CDROM.
Keef is offline  
Reply
Old 9th September 2008 | 10:52
  #9 (permalink)  
Administrator
 
Joined: Mar 2001
Aviation Qualifications: PPL
Posts: 8,121
Likes: 686
From: Twickenham, home of rugby
Indeed, takes me back too!

But while 'twere undoubtedly simpler, 'twere in no ways better!

We have come a looooooong way in 15 years!

SD
Saab Dastard is offline  
Reply
Old 12th September 2008 | 09:08
  #10 (permalink)  
Community Builder
20 Countries Visited
20 Anniversary
 
Joined: Mar 2002
Aviation Qualifications: CPL
Posts: 3,392
Likes: 325
From: near an aeroplane
Saab D. provided the trick to get the CD working, one thing though is that you might need a correct .SYS driver for you CD drive. Check the link in MacBoero's post as that leads to a set of drivers complete with Autoexec and Config files that might work.

Good luck in getting this to work! (Takes me back a bit too I must admit...)
Jhieminga is offline  
Reply
Old 15th October 2008 | 14:27
  #11 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
Recidivist
 
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,240
Likes: 0
From: Essex, UK
Thinking about revisiting the beast in the cupboard.

What's the best (cheapest) way to attach the HDs out of the old girl to my current machine, externally?

That way I can take any useful stuff off and then, hopefully, put something useful on.
frostbite is offline  
Reply
Old 15th October 2008 | 14:44
  #12 (permalink)  
Administrator
 
Joined: Mar 2001
Aviation Qualifications: PPL
Posts: 8,121
Likes: 686
From: Twickenham, home of rugby
Assuming you are talking about standard 3.5" IDE / ATA disks, you could buy an external USB enclosure. Make sure you get one designed to fit your own disk into! You can always buy a big disk to fit into it when you've finished transferring data.

Careful of SATA / PATA interface, obviously.

SD
Saab Dastard is offline  
Reply
Old 15th October 2008 | 16:50
  #13 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
Recidivist
 
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,240
Likes: 0
From: Essex, UK
Thanks for that, SD.

Yes, confirm IDE 3.5". So, would this enclosure (which sounds ideal) come with a psu or does the power come from the USB?

Had a quick look on Maplins website but their search doesn't seem to understand the question.
frostbite is offline  
Reply
Old 15th October 2008 | 17:20
  #14 (permalink)  
Administrator
 
Joined: Mar 2001
Aviation Qualifications: PPL
Posts: 8,121
Likes: 686
From: Twickenham, home of rugby
I suggest a google search for "hard disk usb caddy".

Take it from there! Lots of places sell them, ebay, amazon, ebuyer etc. Maplin look to be pretty expensive.

These units should come with external power supplies. Don't buy one that doesn't.

SD
Saab Dastard is offline  
Reply
Old 15th October 2008 | 17:24
  #15 (permalink)  
 
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 565
Likes: 21
From: Passed away on Sept 6th
External Hard drive enclosure

Agree with SD. Maplin not only expensive, but seem only to offer SATA enclosures these days. I haven't ever seen one offered without mains power supply, btw. These use a fair bit of juice to spin the hard disk - would prob. overload the USB.
Jim
jimtherev is offline  
Reply
Old 16th October 2008 | 13:47
  #16 (permalink)  
Community Builder
20 Countries Visited
20 Anniversary
 
Joined: Mar 2002
Aviation Qualifications: CPL
Posts: 3,392
Likes: 325
From: near an aeroplane
3,5" external caddys need an extra power supply, many 2,5" caddys don't.
Jhieminga is offline  
Reply
Old 16th October 2008 | 15:05
  #17 (permalink)  
Administrator
 
Joined: Mar 2001
Aviation Qualifications: PPL
Posts: 8,121
Likes: 686
From: Twickenham, home of rugby
3,5" external caddys need an extra power supply, many 2,5" caddys don't*.
True, but we were talking explicitly about 3.5" disks.

*And some 3.5" drives have 2 x USB connectors to get sufficient power, or for early 2.5" drives, a mouse port pass-thru connector.

SD
Saab Dastard is offline  
Reply
Old 17th October 2008 | 11:53
  #18 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
Recidivist
 
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,240
Likes: 0
From: Essex, UK
Just bought a 3.5" caddy, complete with psu and all leads for £12.99
Amazon.co.uk: 3.5" HDD USB 2.0 EXTERNAL HARD DISK CASE ENCLOSURE: Electronics & Photo

Ordered Weds night, delivered this morning! Not tried it yet.
frostbite is offline  
Reply
Old 17th October 2008 | 13:21
  #19 (permalink)  
Administrator
 
Joined: Mar 2001
Aviation Qualifications: PPL
Posts: 8,121
Likes: 686
From: Twickenham, home of rugby
Just curious as to why not the TeckNet one for £5 less?

SD
Saab Dastard is offline  
Reply
Old 17th October 2008 | 14:27
  #20 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
Recidivist
 
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,240
Likes: 0
From: Essex, UK
It's 51p less acksherly, and delivery 4-5 days quoted.

Other than that, it looks like the same item.
frostbite is offline  
Reply

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service

Copyright © 2026 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.