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I have a very old computer it has a DTK/Erso/bios/2.39 how do i get into this bios. the computer is a CMC PC XTplease help me out i need to install my hard disk and i must get into the bios. Thanks to all who try to help.
XT setup is usually controlled by DIP switches on the motherboard. You might find the settings inside the chassis, otherwise you'll need to look them up on the 'net or elsewhere. XT's used non-IDE hard drives - these drives had to have a specific hard drive controller in order to work (the drive's BIOS was contained on the controller).
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There was a program ran from a floppy with which you could change the setup parameters.
Alas, I don't know the name of it or where to get it.
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Nope, at least not for the original XT's - you needed to set the actual switches, and this would only have configured memory, # of floppies, math chip etc - nothing to do with HDD.
Plenty of XT clones came out later, and I remember various 'setup' programs needed to set the processor speed and other functions. Usually the switches are 'hidden' on the mobo, but I've seen a few that had them accessible from a front panel.Plenty of variations on the XT class since it came out in '82 or so... until they were replaced by 286's - and many of *those* required a setup program - CMOS was a new idea at the time.
The old twin cabled MFM and RLL hard drives had to have a 'smart' controller - nowadays the info is mainly in the drive (Integrated Drive Electronics).
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i don't have the Setup Disk that comes with IBM PC XT but where might i find the switches on the board i don't see any are they under the board
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my computer has all the drives hooked to cards there are 8 slots to put cards in 4 slots are used and their is a space between each one but at the very top there is a box
O N
________
| * ** *|
|* ** * |
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12345678
The stars are the switichesi think they control how stuff in the computer works but i don't know how to use them.
my cards go in this order
1 Space nothing in it
2 modem
3 space nothing in it
4 printer card with floppy hooked to it
5 space
6 card with hard drive hooked to it
7 space
8 computer screen
i think the switches work the cards can someone tell me how to work them.
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On
_________
|.*..**.*|
|*.**..* |
|________|
12345678
this is what the picture looks like it got messed up on the last post the dots just keep the stars in place so that they don't just move right next to each other when i post the message the stars are the switches
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harryda - check out this link - it explains the switch settings for the XT computer. Here's a photo here. These switches are often hard to get to, sometimes they are under the actual hard drive (at least on my old XT) - but that doesn't matter. Hard drives on XT class computers are *not* setup in the BIOS period.
To install a hard drive on an XT, you absolutely must have the correct hard drive controller card for that particular hard drive. If you have the right one, then it works - there is no 'setup' for hard drives on those early machines.
For the most part, it shouldn't matter what 8-bit slot your cards are plugged into.My advice? Forget about this BIOS stuff. I take it you are having problems with the HDD - do you have the correct controller card? Does the drive spin up (can you hear it) or does the HDD light come on when the machine powers up? Did it ever work before? Are the cables in good order? Have you tried a different power connector?
The XT was the very *first* computer to come with a hard drive, it's about 20 years old - not too surpisingly, it doesn't work the same way that modern machines do. It's neat that you're trying to get it going, but naturally the machine will be quite limited in what it can do.
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i have the right controller caed and the light turns on and it makes some noise i hear it spin. yes the computer worked before and i did put a new power connecter in it also i bought a new cable to connect hard drive to the card
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So, one day, you turned it on and there was no C: drive? If you are sure that you have the correct controller, the drive spins and the cables are ok - then it seems likely that the drive has gone bad - not too uncommon for drives of that era.
Sorry.
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