Dinasaur needs CPR

[devjoy]

Please don't laugh. This is a serious request for help. My husband is an amature radio operator that has a WYSE 286 integrated into his ham station for certain ham programs. The battery died on the motherboard and it has lost it's BIOS information.. When the machine is turned on, it comes alive with the BIOS version Phoenix 1.64 and the message "Boot error insert boot disk". It boots nicely with a DOS 5.0 boot disk (5.25 disk), but will not change drives to the C drive. We have replaced the battery, but I am unable to access the BIOS setup by any of the usual keystrokes. I believe that the BIOS setup on this old machine was a software program. If I could find the software or the secret access for reprograming the BIOS, it would make my husband very happy. We have later machines, 3 to be exact, up to a m2 233 mx, but he likes this old machine. The frequency that it runs at does not interfer with his ham radio. If anyone could direct me to the solution for this machine, I would be greatly appreciatve. I would gladly pull the old BIOS chip and replace it if that is what it takes, but would need one that would be compatable with it. Thanks for any help you can give me.

[Symes]

I think I've still got a bios setting program (on 5.25 floppy!) for my old IBM AT.
It's in the loft at present so I'll have to dig it out, once I have I'll put a copy up so you can get hold of it.

[Eli]

Are you saying that old computers need a seperate program to play with the BIOS? Might explain why I can't get the hard drive (20 meg lol) to work in my old IBM 286... **** MCA architecure... can't do a damned thing with it... lol Concidentally, it doesn't even have a battery on the MB. There's a huge holder for one, but it's been empty since it was given to us. Sorry, I'm no help... but I've been there... http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

[devjoy]

Symes, thanks for your reply. I received a file by email from WYSE, the maker of my 286. It is supposed to allow my to get into the BIOS. Hold off going into the loft and I will let you know if this file works. Again thanks.

[devjoy]

Eli, I sent you an email. I will be happy to share the file, if it works with anyone who needs it. Thanks for the reply.