Tom's Guide | Tom's Hardware | Tom's Games
 |
 |
 |
I need help finding a PCMCIA Boot Disk that will let me boot my FreeDOS install CD in my Panasonic KXL-740 External CD-Drive. Its an old Hitachi E133T so it doesn't have a cd-rom in it, and i can't find a boot disk that will load the right PCMCIA drivers or services in order to see the PCMCIA Card and the CD-Drive. Any Help?
It took me about 10 seconds to find this, typing the model no. into Google.
http://www.mec.co.nz/support/portcd.htm#D740
0 
and, not to mention, the horse's mouthhttp://www.panasonic.com/business/office/support/downl_drivers_cdr.asp
0
I dont need the drivers much, i just need to be able to boot on a EMPTY computer. No OS, i just need a BOOT DISK that will boot up, put the right drivers or whatever it needs into memory so it can boot the cd and i can start the INSTALL!
0
Well, yes you do need the driver. the drivers are what it is that makes this work. Take whatever "dos" based system you have, W95-98-etc, and make a formatted "system" disc. Do this from a dos machine, or a dos prompt in W98, by issuing "format a:/s" or "sys a:" if you already know the disc is formatted and emty. This will create a bootable disc. No download the drivers for the panasonic, and INSTALL the drivers using this floppy, to your bootdisc. You have to be just a little tricky to do this, and it's been a long time, but it can be done. These are special drivers and to my knowledge, no common bootdisks that you will find or download will have them. If you cannot think of any other way to accomlish this, then try this:
Fdisk and format the drive on the laptop you are working with, then "sys" the drive from a bootdisk so that now the hard drive is bootable. NOW take the downloaded driver disk you downloaded and INSTALL the drivers onto your hard drive. LAST, copy EVERYTHING that you just put on your hard drive, except the boot files, ONTO YOUR BOOT FLOPPY.
If you do this right, you will have a bootable floppy that will "read" the cd.
Also, I believe I tried to install Whenox9xx onto one of my old thinkpads this way and ran into trouble.
If you have a large enough hd on the laptop to copy the setup files off your cd, this would be the way to go. In this case, go ahead and "sys" the hd, INSTALL the cdrom drivers, and when you can read the cd, then copy the /w9x folder into the harddrive, and then run setup from there.
Incidently, I've read that evidently all of the newer pcmcia cd's available do NOT come with DOS driver, so HANG ON to that thing.
0
There is one little problem, all my systems are Win2k or WinXP and i have no clue where all my Pre Win2K OSes are.
Otherwise I would try this.
0
My Dad tells me that we once had a Boot Disk that came with the drive that boots it for you, but he has no clue where it is. The laptop currently has Slackware 7.1 running on it, but XFree86 is slow. Thats why i want to put FreeDOS on it and then SEAL.
0
Man, you ARE a pain in the neck, aren't you? Well, go to bootdisk. com and download a bootdisk file. When you get a floppy successfully created that actually will boot, then USE THAT DISK to make the hd bootable (sys c:) in your laptop, THEN install the Panasonic drivers.
Note that when you download a bootdisk, you do not just copy the file to a floppy. You RUN the file and it will GENERATE a floppy.
By the way, what kind of laptop is this, and have you been to the support pages for whoever they are?
Example, last I looked, IBM STILL had the support up for my old Thinkpads.
0
Sorry for being a pain. Its a Hitachi E133T Laptop. And I'll try that tomorrow, cause im tired and need some sleep.
0
I have just checked and KXL-D740.exe is in fact a Bootable Disk Image
So:
Download KXL-D740.exe from Download Page
Insert blank Floppy Disk into Drive A:\
Run KXL-D740.exe to extract files.
Read README File and run INSTALL.exe
Run FreeDOS Install to replace DOS on Harddrive.You may need MSCDEX.exe which you will find on my PowerLoad DOS Resource Page (Link Below)
You may need to do a few minor tweaks along the way!
PowerLoad Home Page
Please reply with a message to let us all know we are on the right track with you
0
Actually I've tried that, and it didnt work. My bios kept on saying "Remove any Media and Press Any Key to REstart"
0
Mick, you better take another look at that. Either your unzip program works different from mine, or else that disc you made was bootable before you started.
When I ran this very same file, it generated a disc that is NOT bootable, and in fact, has install.exe--which installs the drivers.
In ANY CASE, running this file to a bootable disc DOES NOT make a bootable disc that will read the cdrom. It merely makes a bootable disc that will INSTALL the drivers to yet another drive.
Here's what I did:
Downloaded the file,and saved it to my hd.
Take floppy, make it bootable. (Right click A:--select format, and "copy system files only"
When this finishes, navigate to the file you downloaded "KXL-D740.EXE" and run the file. This will now copy the INSTALL files to the bootable floppy.
Now, navigate to C:\Windows\Command, and copy these files to the floppy: mscdex.exe, format.com, sys.com, attrib.exe, edit.com, edit.hlp, fdisk.exe.
Boot this in your laptop, get your hd fdisked and formatted to your liking, and either "format/s" the drive or "sys c:" to make the drive bootable.
Run install.exe on the floppy, and this will now make the hd (already bootable) configured to boot up and read the cdrom.
OR to make a bootable floppy that will read the cdrom, do this.
After making the hd bootable, make a temp directory, say, "pana." (md pana) Copy the files from the INSTALL floppy to this directory (A:\copy *.* c:\pana)
Now, take a SECOND floppy, blank, and from the disc icon, select format and "copy system files only."
Now, put this secon floppy into the laptop, and booted from the hd, command "cd c:\pana" (ENTER)
"install" (ENTER)
Select "Pc card supplied" if that fitsovertype "C:\cdrm" to "A:\cdrm"
Finally, either stay here in "dos" or put the floppy back into your whenox box and copy format.com, sys.com, attrib.exe, edit.com, edit.hlp, fdisk.exe, and any other utility files that you want.
When you get done with all this, you'll have a BOOTABLE floooooopy that will read the cdrom, have fdisk and format, and edit.
You may think I'm being smart, but I've waded through all this, and I STILL HAVE some of my old stuff.
If whenox98 is not what you want to boot with, you'll have to modify the above procedure to suit. The install CD you have for the op system you have may have a utility to generate a boot floppy.
Some of the Linux stuff I've played with also have the drivers for this cdrom
Here's what ended up on the floppy after the install to a "system" disc
A:\autoexec.bat, Command.com, Config.sys, Drvspace.bin, Io.sys, Msdos.sys, and in A:\Cdrm, Aspif365.sys, Kmecd.sys, Mscdex.exe, Readme.txt.
Autoexe.bat sys "A:\CDRM\MSCDEX.exe /d:PCMCIACD"
and Config.sys says "REM ******* KXLC002 *******
DEVICE=A:\CDRM\ASPIF365.SYS /port=300 /mem=CE00
DEVICE=A:\CDRM\KMECD.SYS /d:PCMCIACD"(Obviously before fdisk/format, etc, added.
0
Saying "Actually I've tried that, and it didnt work" does not tell us much! I have no problems creating bootdisks on my XP Pro PC
What machine did you try to create bootdisk from?
How did you go about it?
Does the laptop startup at all when you switch it on?
People here can only help if you (its your problem, not ours) give us all the details.
PowerLoad Home Page
Please reply with a message to let us all know we are on the right track with you
0
Yes <name> it was a mistake!!!
PowerLoad Home Page
Please reply with a message to let us all know we are on the right track with you
0
OK, to answer Mick C's questions:
I made the bootdisk with with the Bootdisk exe i found on bootdisk.com for Windows 95. But earlier i tried just formatting it and extracting the files onto A:\
And yes the laptop does boot, i have linux fully functional on it.
I'll post in like another half hour cause i screwed up on making the bootdisk Name's way so i gotta remake it.
0
Ok im getting everything up to the part of where i have to install it. IT WONT WORK, it says:
------------------
The Installation Failed!Please confirm whether your computer has PCMCIA card slot or Card Manager (Card Services / Socket Services) is effective.
------------------Im just having no luck with this, i might be missing something, i dunno. name, since you seem to have already made a working bootdisk, why dont you make a Image of it, that i can just onto the floppy with Rawrite?
0
If someone can step me through, I'd be glad to. Believe it or not, I've never done this. What I told you, however, was almost merely an example using Whendox98. Since I'm not familiar with the system you are trying to install, I don't know whether "my" bootdisk will do you any good, other than booting to a dos system, and testing the drive. (If you were installing Linux, for example, this bootdisk would do you little good.)
Are you trying to install this from a laptop that DOES HAVE the cardslot? This install will not work, for example, if run from my desktop, which has no PC slots. (gives that error you mention) Evidently the install program tries to detect either a scsi card or PCMCIA slot, depending on which you have.
0
I have 2 PCMCIA Slots. One has an Ethernet PCMCIA card the other has the Panasonic KXL-740 PCMCIA card. I found my MS-DOS Install Disks, Im not sure i have all of them though. But i can try. If no, imma get lots of Disks and install FreeDOS from Floppies. I also found my Original Win95 and Win98 Bootdisks, and I also found Windows 3.11 (oh ya!) so Imma do some work now and give you guys an update.
0
Well I got it working in a way. Not the way I wanted but oh well.
First I installed MS-DOS 6.22. Then I installed CardSoft into C:\CARDSOFT.
I edited my CONFIG.SYS and added the following:
--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
REM CardSoft 3.1 PCMCIA Services and Drivers
DEVICEHIGH=C:\CARDSOFT\SSCIRRUS.exe
DEVICEHIGH=C:\CARDSOFT\CS.exe
DEVICEHIGH=C:\CARDSOFT\CSALLOC.exe
DEVICEHIGH=C:\CARDSOFT\CARDID.exeREM aspi and CD Drivers
DEVICE C:\SCSI\ASPIFMGR.SYS /port=300
DEVICE C:\SCSI\KMECD.SYS /d:PCMCIACD
--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-I made a copy of MSCDEX.exe to the SCSI Folder for ease.
Then I added this to my AUTOEXEC.BAT:
--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
C:\SCSI\MSCDEX.exe /D:PCMCIACD /M:12 /L:D
--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-Then I reboot and it worked. I was able to use the CD. But now i gotta figure out how to make a floppy that will Boot, install the Drivers, activate the CD, and BOOT it as if it was booting from the BIOS Screen. Because FreeDOS install is screwy and won't work right otherwise. I'll figure it out. I also installed Windows 3.11 ontop of that. If I can find my Win95 CD I'll install that instead of FreeDOS. But I can't find my CD!
Well thats the update that I told you I would give.
0
Note when I installed CARDSOFT, I told it not to modify the AUTOEXEC and CONFIG.SYS files. Same with the Panasonic Driver Install.
0
Well, if you know how to copy and edit, and so on, you can build the same floppy I showed you above. Also if you can tell me how to make an image, I'll send you one.
Make a bootable floppy (sys a: or format a:/s) and copy the additional files as shown above. use notepad or "edit" and build a config.sys and autoexec.bat as shown
Files in A:
autoexec.bat, Command.com, Config.sys, Drvspace.bin, Io.sys, Msdos.sys,
AND IN A:\Cdrm is
Aspif365.sys, Kmecd.sys, Mscdex.exe,
Autoexec.bat has just one line:A:\CDRM\MSCDEX.exe /d:PCMCIACD
Config sys says:
REM ******* KXLC002 *******
DEVICE=A:\CDRM\ASPIF365.SYS /port=300 /mem=CE00
DEVICE=A:\CDRM\KMECD.SYS /d:PCMCIACD
and that is all You dont need any of the cardsoft stuff to boot the thing and read the cd.
(mem=CE00 is on one line)
Glad to hear you're making progress.
0
<Name> If you visit my Bootdisk Project Page at PowerLoad you will find a DOS Disk Image Program as well as a link for WinImage for 3.1 & 95+
PowerLoad Home Page
Please reply with a message to let us all know we are on the right track with you
0
Thanks, Mick, by the way thanks for your talents, I don't have it in me.
I did sucessfully creat a floppy image (win98) so if you want one post your email address and I'll send it. It was made with "winimage" on the above Powerloads pages.
0
AAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNNNDDDDDDDDDD, and update. I actually got excited, here's what I did.Went to the Freedos website, downloaded the latest ISO and made a CD (bootable)
Booted the Cd, managed to get to a command line, and issued "sys B" (The A drive gets bumped to B by the CD boot process.
THEN I took the now bootable Freedos floppy and copied my autoexec.bat and config.sys, as well as the \cdrm directory (posed above) and NOW I have a bootable freedos floppy that will load and run the pcmcia CD.
0
If you send that to me, I would be so grateful. Cause Windows 3.11 pisses me off.
yulko@netzero.net
0
I think im having arix's original problem, i have a sony laptop and a cheap unbranded (torisan) pcmcia cd rom drive, iv made my own boot floppy and have got the all drivers working to access the cdrom from dos which is ok for installing windows... BUT i want to be able to use the floppy to boot from the CD to use the original setup CD or install linux/BSD etc etc.
0
If you want to install Linux, i recommend Slackware. Cause they have a Bootdisk for PCMCIA that works.
0
You need to start a new thread for this. I've done this, but forgotten which flavor of Linux--some time ago I bought a "whole pile" of Linux distros, and at least two had bootdisks that would recognize the previous drive spoken of here, the Panasonic KXL-D740
0
I can confirm that Slackware works. Thats what I used to have on my laptop. Very easy to install.
0  |
 DOS command line help nee...
|
Help to uninstall PTS-DOS...
|
This post is quite old and has been locked from receiving new replies. Please create a new posting instead.
| Ads by Google |
