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Reformating this old 486 PS/1.
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Original Message
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Name: Tom
Date: May 25, 2001 at 19:08:02 Pacific
Subject: Reformating this old 486 PS/1. |
Comment: Hi, I have an old 486 IBM PS/1 that I got at a garage sale for $6 (I shop around). It came with all the software and everthing, and it was great, but then I went and botched it up when I tried to install a CD drive (which I still didn't end up getting to work). Now I'm trying to reformat the hard drive, and I dont have any of the system disks, but I do have a copy of Windows 3.1 that I want to install on it. Please help me out, because I dont know how to reformat it.
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Response Number 3
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Name: jboy
Date: May 26, 2001 at 01:30:37 Pacific
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Reply: (edit)
Tom, I can't imagine why you need to reformat your hard drive - but if you do you will need the DOS system disk (boot disk).
Win3.1 is a DOS application (albeit a special one), and cannot run without DOS5 - DOS6.xx installed. What version of DOS is on the machine now (type 'ver' - no quotes tho')?
Most problems can be corrected by editing or redoing the config.sys and autoexec.bat (startup) text files.
If you do somehow manage to format the HDD without a DOS boot disk, you will not be able to use your computer.
To make a boot disk, put a blank, formatted floppy in a: and, from c:, type sys a:
Then copy to a: from the DOS directory:
format.com
fdisk.exe
sys.com
at the very least.
You will also need to back up anything else on the HDD that you may need - such as the rest of DOS.
While it's good to have a boot disk and backups, I wouldn't reformat unless absolutely necessary.
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Response Number 4
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Name: Tom
Date: May 26, 2001 at 20:53:48 Pacific
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Reply: (edit)Hi, its me again. I tried using the "format C:" command, and it worked and gave me a warning and then it went on a long percentage countdown, and then it finished and then my "vsafe" thing alerted me that it was not working. I told it to boot, and I rebooted and it turned out that everything was still there. So, how should I go about really reformating this old beast?
Another question I have is this. Tell me how I should set up my computer from schratch. I'm talking with NOTHING on the hard drive. I have windows 3.1 and all the files I wanna install on it, but I need to know how to get dos on it in the first place. Thanks for the advice before, and it almost worked. And please, when you are giving me advice, make it simpler. Some people are really dumb about computers and really dont know what you are talking about. So, act like you are talking to a total idiot, because you are.
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Response Number 6
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Name: marcus
Date: October 5, 2001 at 16:08:24 Pacific
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Reply: (edit)hey tom try this go into your bios setup screen and take a look at (advaned bios )tab check to see if your (a) or (c) boot drive is set to (a) if it is then put your first dos disk in the drive an turn it on when it finishes booting at the a> prompt type format c: , when it's done just install your dos program and the windows 3.1-95 or 98 providing you have a big enough hard drive for 95,98 and that should do bud.
p.s. drop me an e-mail at SWEETPEAS.PAPPA@VERIZON.NET if you still have troubles
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Response Number 7
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Name: Jed Retchko
Date: October 12, 2001 at 07:19:25 Pacific
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Reply: (edit)hey guy i have a k6 500 cpu and windows 2000
and i keep getting visual memory dumps and i need to reformat my computer and i have no idea how............can any one help me?
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