I need help with an Old 386 please!

[Missing the point]

I am having trouble getting my Old 386 to work.....


First of all, I got it from a flea market, for $20 and a extra PS.

It never did work, but I finally got it to boot, at least, sortof.

I still can't get ANY hard drive to work on it, they are all HD Controller error, and I even bought a new Controller card, to No avail.

All I need to know, is how do I make it so the 3 1/2 in. Floppy is A: drive? Right now, it is the 5 1/4 drive, but I don't have a boot disk in 5 1/4 in. size.

I have tried switching cable location, tried switching it in the BIOS, nothing works.....

Is there a trick to doing this?

Thanks

[Amarok]

Hi I hope this will be of help.

You will need to go into the bios to switch the boot sequence. Try setting it to boot from the floppy 1st.

What type of bios is it? I have the old 386 dx 40 with the amd chip in it.... award makes the bios if I remember right.

drop me a line and let me know I will check it out on my machine.

[Missing the point]

Do you have AIM or ICQ?

I will try what ya said, and tell ya what stuff I got in it

[Missing the point]

Ok, I tried it, and all it allows is boot from A:, C: It doesn't have the option to do B:, C: I need to know how to get the 3 1/2 in. Floppy the A: Drive

Also, will a Win95 Boot disk work for it?

Thats all I got http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/frown.gif

[This message has been edited by Missing the point (edited 07-31-2000).]

[jeana]

Hey mtp,

This may be obvious, but in your BIOS, are you able to toggle the type of drive for A: and B: (i.e. 3.5" vs 5.25")? (maybe by tapping +/-, the spacebar, or right/left arrows?)

Also, as Mntsnow once told me, with floppy cables, A=After the twist, B=before the twist. ("before" means closer to the motherboard)

Don't see why Win95 wouldn't work... the 386 was only slightly behind the times when Win95 came out.

Hope it works out for you.

[Missing the point]

OK, I got some help from Flash, now It goes, and it says

DISKETTE BOOT FAILURE
Insert BOOT diskette in A:
Press any key when ready


I tried it with a Win95 Boot Disk, doesn't work. It tries to read the 3 1/2 Floppy, so I guess it IS A: Drive now...

It says that error no matter what is in the drive...

[bigslammer]

ok I've hopefully got a solution for you. I've done this with an old 386 before so this should make it quicker for you. I had a old 170mb HD. Stuck it as the slave drive in my real system (bp6 dual cel@583) and copied "setup" and all the appropriate .cab files etc. Ran setup on my real computer etc and installation of win95 only took about 25 min or so. As soon as that was done I went to device manager and removed "plug and play bios" and drivers associated with that. Took the 170mb HD out set the jumper back to master and went into the bios of 386 and set boot option to C: first (no need to go through the floppy, also check if you've flipped the floppy cable backwards, happens all the time). Also in the bios set HD to auto detect unless you know all the parameter for cylinders etc. then restart and you should be set. win95 should find any needed basic hardware. Forgot how effiecient win95 is. None of that bloatware with win98. still got close to 100mb of free disk space too. runs like a charm. http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif

[Missing the point]

uhh, I didn't understand a word you said, except for make it the slave for the main system. Then what do I do?


Tip, Use Puncuation, paragraphs.....

[Axel]

http://support.micronpc.com/file_lib/boot.html

go here - download the dos6.22 boot diskette with additional support - try booting off of it.

I've seen old OEM ribbon cables with both the 5.25 and 3.5 connectors on them - so, in theory, if your BIOS can support a 3.5 drive - if it's the only drive attached, typically at the far end of the drive side of the ribbon cable - that should become the a: drive by default. Some systems that came with both an a: and a B: drive and the b was a 3.5 had to have their jumper re-soldered to make it the slave drive on the floppy ribbon cable - sort of like the master / slave jumpers on IDE hard drives. If your b: 3.5 floppy was jumper soldered that way, the board won't see it as the A: drive ever....unless you're willing to resolder it.

Anyway - try the DOS boot disk ( found it through www.bootdisk.com (http://www.bootdisk.com) ) and see if that does anything. Once you either add CD-ROM support, or get win95 on floppy ( what was it - 14 diskettes ) then you can load that OS. But I'd say keep it in DOS and play old DOS games on it - win95 isn't what you'd call a "performer" on the 386 platform.

And just to be able to say you did it and then stack this relic in a corner is a huge waste of time.....

Another thing - I wouldn't try to put anything over a 340MB drive on that box - the system probably won't see it.

Once you get the floppy going correctly - see if you can find a motherboard manual - flash utility - and BIOS file for it. Most BIOS back then could not be flashed, so it's probably not possible - but it never hurts to look..... You might be able to upgrade to a 1.2GB drive if you're lucky.



[This message has been edited by Axel (edited 07-31-2000).]

[Missing the point]

Using a Boot disk IS NOT going to work on this computer, I figured that out already.

I am doing what bigslammer said, but how do I access the slave drive? It recognizes it when I boot up, but the CDROM is still DL Drive...

I tried the DOS Boot disk anyway, it didn't work.....

[This message has been edited by Missing the point (edited 07-31-2000).]

[bigslammer]

just follow it one step at a time. I write for speed when I'm online since this is not a composition class. That is how I type online. I know it is far from ideal but if can't undrestand that then getting the 386 maybe very difficult for you. Good luck nonetheless. http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif

[This message has been edited by bigslammer (edited 07-31-2000).]

[Missing the point]

Can anyone tell me how to set the 255 meg up as D: drive? Right now, it is the slave drive, but it is not accessable http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/frown.gif

[bigslammer]

ok on your "real" system you have cdrom support etc. right. Go to the win95 cd copy all files too the HD that will used in the 386. Then disconnect your "real" drive leaving the win95 HD only. Change the jumper to master and try to install the win95 on your real system. You may need command.com etc. on a floppy in your main system. Boot up from the floppy and at the A: prompt just type c: to get to your c: drive. at that point type setup and it should start the install. After that just put the 386 HD back into the 386 and change cmos boot option to C: first so that you don't need the floppy. Hopefully my writing is "acceptable" this time.

[bigslammer]

have you used fdisk to partion and format? Use fdisk to create a fat16 partition and format it too. That should have you set.

[bigslammer]

also on your "real" system you need to set the cmos or bios setup to auto detect the slave drive. Does it detect the 255meg during boot? or is it inaccessible when you're in windows?

[Missing the point]

GRRRRRRRRRR

First, before I can do all this, how do I access the small HD?????????????????????????


It is NOT D: DRIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HOW DO I MAKE IT D: DRIVE?

And I am not gonna make it the Main drive, because I don't want to risk anything to my other drive, I wasn't the one who set it up.

I had a drive as the D: drive before, how do ya do it?


~edit~ oh yeah, and it DOES detect it during boot, I just can't see it in Windows

[This message has been edited by Missing the point (edited 07-31-2000).]

[bigslammer]

does it detect it during bootup? or is it present in windows but inaccessible? this question is important in determining what you need to do. good luck http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif

[Missing the point]

lol, I just edited it, including that http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif

[bigslammer]

no after you've copied all the info to the (e:255meg) drive just set the jumper on the 255meg to master and REMOVE the power supply and ide cable to your main HD. The 255meg will then be temporarily the only drive on your sys that the bios can "see" upon bootup. Get command.com etc. on a floppy and boot up to A:. type "c:" without quotes to get to the c:255meg drive and since setup is on it just type "setup". http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif good luck

[This message has been edited by bigslammer (edited 07-31-2000).]

[This message has been edited by bigslammer (edited 07-31-2000).]

[Missing the point]

grrrrrr

Jesus......


I CAN'T COPY ANYTHING TO D:!!!!!!

D: IS THE CDROM!!!!!

[bigslammer]

then you need to use fdisk to partition and format the drive for it to be accessible in windows. http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif

[bkehoe]

Run fdisk on it then and clear out all the junk & make a new partition.

Brendan

[bigslammer]

then the 255meg drive will be e: if you partition and format it correctly. just follow the steps accept with e: being the 255 meg.

[Missing the point]

ok, how do I format and partition it if I can't see it?

[Missing the point]

and how do I use Fdisk or whatever?

[Missing the point]

OK, I tried to remove the CDROM, to see if it makes the HD D:, but now, the CDROM is E: Drive, and there is no D:....

[bigslammer]

you have to use fdisk to make the 255meg accessible. use the search function for fdisk. that should answer any questions.

[Missing the point]

ok, i did that, now I am gonna try it, wish me luck!!!

[Missing the point]

Ok, I got the HD working, sortof.

Now, when I try to boot it up, it goes to this:

NO ROM BASIC
SYSTEM HALTED

-edit-

Oh yeah, and those are in HUGE Big block style letters

[This message has been edited by Missing the point (edited 07-31-2000).]

[bigslammer]

you fdisked the 255meg and not your main HD right?

[Missing the point]

yeah

I fdisked it, formatted it, all ready to go, and I transferred Win95 files and the setup to it, and took it out. Put it back in the other computer, and booted it up, and it said that

[This message has been edited by Missing the point (edited 07-31-2000).]

[Missing the point]

Anyone know what that could be?

[bigslammer]

ok since you've got all the files on the 255meg. go to win 98 and format a floppy. also check the "copy system files". This will give you a bootable floppy. remove your main HD for precautions and hook up the 255meg HD. also put the floppy in the 3.5. go to the bios and boot from the 3.5. at the a: prompt types c: to get to your c: drive. once their just type setup to install it your main comp. then now there is OS on this drive just put in the old 386. you might have to remove plug and play bios from the device manager before you put in the old 386. but win95 is pretty good with hardware detection so you might not need to. no need for a 3.5 or cdrom on the 386 now. http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif

[Missing the point]

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


After 3 months of struggling, with you guy's help, I finally got it working!!!!!!!!!!!


It actually boots into Win95!!!!!!


~edit~

LOL, it sure takes FOREVER to load into windows tho :p
THANKS GUYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[This message has been edited by Missing the point (edited 07-31-2000).]

[Missing the point]

One small problem:


How do I get a mouse on it?

It has no PS/2 port on it... When I try to go to the Mouse properties in Control Panel, and I hit enter when Change is highlighted, nothing happens.....

Any idea's?

[Dave_H]

Assuming you have a mouse plugged into a serial port, try the "add new hardware" in the controll panel. It should detect it, if not, you can specify the device and comm port for it to use manually.

Congrats on getting everything else working.
Dave

[Missing the point]

Ok, Thanks, I will try that.

Also, will this computer be able to use the free internet?

It has either 16 or 32MB of ram, so thats not a problem. I would like to be able to keep some tho.....

Thanks!

[Missing the point]

Ok, I tried everything, trying to get my Mouse to work, nothing works.

Anything that can help here?

[bigslammer]

need to go with a serial mouse unless you buy an isa adapter with a ps/2 port. also you could just get a ps/2 to serial adapter for your mouse although these adapters a picky about the kinds of mouse that work on them. Looks like my composition skills aren't incomprehensible huh http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif

[bigslammer]

you can hack the banners on a lot of these free isp's but that is strongly frowned upon so I will leave the rest to you. go through DUN to save resources and not any of that netzero stuff with their javascript.

[Missing the point]

I was using Serial Mouse.

I fiddled for 2 hours, and I finally noticed that the cable for the add on serial port was on backwards :p

Thanks anyway guys!

Oh, and I would NOT be hacking the banner, because this is for my Aunt, she wouldn't mind the banner there

[Missing the point]

Bigslammer, you have gotten better http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif

Although, you should learn to break up the sentences, in different paragraphs, not one huge one, makes it easier to read http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif

Thanks http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif

(no offence is intended on this, this is constructive critisizm)

[Missing the point]

Ok, I just tried to install RC5 on it, but I noticed that there is no floppy drive!

I have tried 2 drives, neither of em work, althoughthe seconde one tries to search the disk. I have also tried multiple disks...

[bigslammer]

it's the cable try flipping it over. or you may have to adjust it via the bios http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif

[Missing the point]

I have checked and rechecked and checked again for the cable, so I am thinking maybe it is a bad cable.....

[Missing the point]

I am still working on the floppy drive....


LOL, I put 32 megs of ram in it, now it only takes about 30 seconds to get into Win95!

on a 386!

[Missing the point]

YAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYY

It works!!!!

I installed RC5 on it, and it get an amazing 9kkeys/sec!!!!


ROFL!!!