Toshiba laptop aggravation
in [Design]
|
From: Michael A. Terrell on 11 Mar 2010 12:43 Martin Brown wrote: > > D Yuniskis wrote: > > Hi John, > > > > John Larkin wrote: > >> On Thu, 11 Mar 2010 09:38:49 -0700, D Yuniskis > >> <not.going.to.be(a)seen.com> wrote: > >> > >>> John Larkin wrote: > >>> > >>> [win98 laptops] > >>> > >>>> I use them with real PS/2 mice. Those mousepads are awful. > >>> Most mousepads are sited in the wrong place. But, then > >>> again, with a laptop you haven't much choice... > >>> > >>>> It's weird to buy a computer for less than a scope probe. > >>> <frown> We discard laptops with anything less than a Piii. > >> > >> Right. Big companies unload, sometimes, thousands of working laptops. > >> Brokers buy them by the pallet, refurb, and resell them with a > >> warranty. They can be handy to have around sometimes. It doesn't take > >> a Core Duo to wiggle bits on a parallel port. > > > > I had a decent older laptop with *built-in* AC power supply > > (eliminates the problem of having to buy replacement batteries > > for something that is rarely used :< ). But, I opted to discard > > it in one of my periodic "purges". > > > > I've held onto a Compaq "Portable 386" (lunchbox, not the > > luggable). Big, yes. And had to hack the BIOS to get > > support for even a 300 *MB* disk. But, keeps two ISA slots > > available for me (something I don't have in any of the > > other machines, here). > > Wow. That goes back a long way. I used to have one of those it was like > carrying a car battery around with you. Powerful in its day. > > > > Unfortunately, I don't have another machine with a 5" floppy > > so I can't create the "SETUP floppy" to reinitialize the CMOS > > now that the battery died. (<frown> I was smart enough to save > > images of all the floppies -- but forgot to save a drive that > > could write them... other than the one in the Compaq!) > > You might be able to trick it into booting despite the CMOS being empty > by powering it up leaving for a few minutes and then switch off and > restart. With any luck enough power to put the CMOS into a default safe > state will stay around just long enough on capacitors. Try a few > variants of power on, reset reboot. You only have to get lucky once! There were no default setting for those computers. You had to run the CMOS setup program, or scrap the computer. I may still have a copy that is readable, in my collection of about 5,000 floppies. If he had another 286 or newer computer with an ISA slot he could move the controller board and drive to another computer if he only wanted some files. > If it will boot once then use RS232 or parallel port networking to move > the files across. -- Lead free solder is Belgium's version of 'Hold my beer and watch this!'
From: D Yuniskis on 11 Mar 2010 13:00 Hi Martin, Martin Brown wrote: > D Yuniskis wrote: >> Hi John, >> >> John Larkin wrote: >>> On Thu, 11 Mar 2010 09:38:49 -0700, D Yuniskis >>> <not.going.to.be(a)seen.com> wrote: >> >> I've held onto a Compaq "Portable 386" (lunchbox, not the >> luggable). Big, yes. And had to hack the BIOS to get >> support for even a 300 *MB* disk. But, keeps two ISA slots >> available for me (something I don't have in any of the >> other machines, here). > > Wow. That goes back a long way. I used to have one of those it was like > carrying a car battery around with you. Powerful in its day. Yup. :> The plasma screen brings back warm and fuzzy memories of playing Empire on Plato (though obviously the Compaq's display is much smaller!). It's nice in that I can disassemble it *repeatedly* for upgrades, repairs, etc. Try that with a laptop and you quickly end up with a bunch of broken plastic parts that you have to *tape* together. :< >> Unfortunately, I don't have another machine with a 5" floppy >> so I can't create the "SETUP floppy" to reinitialize the CMOS >> now that the battery died. (<frown> I was smart enough to save >> images of all the floppies -- but forgot to save a drive that >> could write them... other than the one in the Compaq!) > > You might be able to trick it into booting despite the CMOS being empty > by powering it up leaving for a few minutes and then switch off and > restart. With any luck enough power to put the CMOS into a default safe > state will stay around just long enough on capacitors. Try a few > variants of power on, reset reboot. You only have to get lucky once! I've replaced the battery. Problem is it sees the CMOS as "corrupt". So, the hard drive is unrecognizable (since the "type" information is no longer valid in the CMOS!). That means booting off the 5" floppy. :> If I had a bootable floppy, chances are it would have been the SETUP floppy! :-/ > If it will boot once then use RS232 or parallel port networking to move > the files across. If I can get it to boot, I have a parallel port NIC that gives me about 70KB/s -- which is what I use normally (since sneakernet is not an option when you have no other 5" drives!). Problem is just getting the SETUP image onto 5" media. I recently rescued a Portable 3 (286 but w/ same 5" floppy). I will try to get *it* to write an image for me which I can then carry over to the '386. And, then remember to keep bootable copies of this media available (instead of just "blanks"!) :-(
From: Joerg on 11 Mar 2010 12:48 John Larkin wrote: > On Thu, 11 Mar 2010 09:09:23 -0800, Joerg <invalid(a)invalid.invalid> > wrote: > >> D Yuniskis wrote: >>> Hi John, >>> >>> John Larkin wrote: >>>> On Thu, 11 Mar 2010 09:38:49 -0700, D Yuniskis >>>> <not.going.to.be(a)seen.com> wrote: >>>> >>>>> John Larkin wrote: >>>>> >>>>> [win98 laptops] >>>>> >>>>>> I use them with real PS/2 mice. Those mousepads are awful. >>>>> Most mousepads are sited in the wrong place. But, then >>>>> again, with a laptop you haven't much choice... >>>>> >>>>>> It's weird to buy a computer for less than a scope probe. >>>>> <frown> We discard laptops with anything less than a Piii. >>>> Right. Big companies unload, sometimes, thousands of working laptops. >>>> Brokers buy them by the pallet, refurb, and resell them with a >>>> warranty. They can be handy to have around sometimes. It doesn't take >>>> a Core Duo to wiggle bits on a parallel port. >>> I had a decent older laptop with *built-in* AC power supply >>> (eliminates the problem of having to buy replacement batteries >>> for something that is rarely used :< ). But, I opted to discard >>> it in one of my periodic "purges". >>> >>> I've held onto a Compaq "Portable 386" (lunchbox, not the >>> luggable). Big, yes. And had to hack the BIOS to get >>> support for even a 300 *MB* disk. But, keeps two ISA slots >>> available for me (something I don't have in any of the >>> other machines, here). >>> >> You can still buy PCs with ISA slots. And you will be able to for a >> loooong time. ISA is here to stay because of many industrial uses. > > Got any links? We've had a hard time getting mobos with ISA slots, as > spares for older systems. We just refurbed a 10-year-old magnetic > field mapper system and had a hard time getting parts. Our customer > was breathing down our neck, as the mapper is in the critical path of > a billion-dollar annual revenue stream. > The first few search links: http://www.adek.com/ATX-motherboards.html http://www.pcplanetsystems.com/abc/product_details.php?category_id=242&item_id=2734 http://www.aaeon.com/PD_Products_Detail_E062ABE0294D40E1B2_5D5996FE2BD1472997_5D0D48AA39F6434B83_TW_UTF-8.html http://www.ibus.com/Enclosures_index_EN.html I found a European source for someone a while ago where they offered new ISA-motherboards with rather extreme numbers of ISA slots, similar to this one: http://www.interloper.com/products/product-details.php?productid=55290005&cat=55 The good thing is that most of the "ready-to-go" ISA computers come as a heavy duty industrial version, with some serious fans and all that. -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ "gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam. Use another domain or send PM.
From: mpm on 11 Mar 2010 13:16 On Mar 11, 12:10 pm, D Yuniskis <not.going.to...(a)seen.com> wrote: > Hi John, > > > > > > John Larkin wrote: > > On Thu, 11 Mar 2010 09:38:49 -0700, D Yuniskis > > <not.going.to...(a)seen.com> wrote: > > >> John Larkin wrote: > > >> [win98 laptops] > > >>> I use them with real PS/2 mice. Those mousepads are awful. > >> Most mousepads are sited in the wrong place. But, then > >> again, with a laptop you haven't much choice... > > >>> It's weird to buy a computer for less than a scope probe. > >> <frown> We discard laptops with anything less than a Piii. > > > Right. Big companies unload, sometimes, thousands of working laptops. > > Brokers buy them by the pallet, refurb, and resell them with a > > warranty. They can be handy to have around sometimes. It doesn't take > > a Core Duo to wiggle bits on a parallel port. > > I had a decent older laptop with *built-in* AC power supply > (eliminates the problem of having to buy replacement batteries > for something that is rarely used :< ). But, I opted to discard > it in one of my periodic "purges". > > I've held onto a Compaq "Portable 386" (lunchbox, not the > luggable). Big, yes. And had to hack the BIOS to get > support for even a 300 *MB* disk. But, keeps two ISA slots > available for me (something I don't have in any of the > other machines, here). > > Unfortunately, I don't have another machine with a 5" floppy > so I can't create the "SETUP floppy" to reinitialize the CMOS > now that the battery died. (<frown> I was smart enough to save > images of all the floppies -- but forgot to save a drive that > could write them... other than the one in the Compaq!) > > I am hoping, someday, to have time to see if I can hack a > USB 3" floppy drive to accept a 5" drive, instead (no idea > how closely the controllers in those floppies are wed to > the actual 3" drive! I don't expect much joy...) > > > > > You can get a clean working '98 laptop on ebay for around $50. A > > refurb IBM from a broker, with 6 month warranty and a good battery, > > goes for about $250.- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - What are your images on? Just files on your hard drive? Why not just email them to a machine that has a 5-1/4, or am I missing something here? I converted all the 5" I wanted to keep to 3", and now to CD. I actually had one 8" floppy (remember those?) I wanted to keep - an old 8048 Avocet cross-compiler. Now I'm wondering if I shouldn't take those files and convert them yet again - to SD Memory Cards! Ha!!! As time marches on, the list of stuff I want to keep (in general, not just specific to computers!) drops significantly!! -mpm
From: mpm on 11 Mar 2010 13:19
On Mar 11, 12:37 pm, Martin Brown <|||newspam...(a)nezumi.demon.co.uk> wrote: > D Yuniskis wrote: > > Hi John, > > > John Larkin wrote: > >> On Thu, 11 Mar 2010 09:38:49 -0700, D Yuniskis > >> <not.going.to...(a)seen.com> wrote: > > >>> John Larkin wrote: > > >>> [win98 laptops] > > >>>> I use them with real PS/2 mice. Those mousepads are awful. > >>> Most mousepads are sited in the wrong place. But, then > >>> again, with a laptop you haven't much choice... > > >>>> It's weird to buy a computer for less than a scope probe. > >>> <frown> We discard laptops with anything less than a Piii. > > >> Right. Big companies unload, sometimes, thousands of working laptops. > >> Brokers buy them by the pallet, refurb, and resell them with a > >> warranty. They can be handy to have around sometimes. It doesn't take > >> a Core Duo to wiggle bits on a parallel port. > > > I had a decent older laptop with *built-in* AC power supply > > (eliminates the problem of having to buy replacement batteries > > for something that is rarely used :< ). But, I opted to discard > > it in one of my periodic "purges". > > > I've held onto a Compaq "Portable 386" (lunchbox, not the > > luggable). Big, yes. And had to hack the BIOS to get > > support for even a 300 *MB* disk. But, keeps two ISA slots > > available for me (something I don't have in any of the > > other machines, here). > > Wow. That goes back a long way. I used to have one of those it was like > carrying a car battery around with you. Powerful in its day. > > > > > Unfortunately, I don't have another machine with a 5" floppy > > so I can't create the "SETUP floppy" to reinitialize the CMOS > > now that the battery died. (<frown> I was smart enough to save > > images of all the floppies -- but forgot to save a drive that > > could write them... other than the one in the Compaq!) > > You might be able to trick it into booting despite the CMOS being empty > by powering it up leaving for a few minutes and then switch off and > restart. With any luck enough power to put the CMOS into a default safe > state will stay around just long enough on capacitors. Try a few > variants of power on, reset reboot. You only have to get lucky once! > > If it will boot once then use RS232 or parallel port networking to move > the files across. > > Regards, > Martin Brown- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - Better yet - swap out the CMOS backup battery first. Probably either a coin cell, or more likley (depending on age), either one of those plug-in power paks, or a few cell stacked in series and soldered to the board. If the latter, just clip and connect new. |