Trying to install IBM DOS 3.1 With IBM 5.25" floppy in drive, machine boots up and get DTK Corp DTK/ERSO/BIOS 2.42 (c) 1986 RAM TEST .. 640K SEAGATE ST11 Bios Rev 2.0.0 (c) Copyright 1988 Seagate Drive C ia a ST251 Accept current date and time and the A> prompt appears. By this time, the A> prompt is nearly at the bottom of the screen Type in dir and the curser just blinks in the bottom left hand corner of the screen under the letter A that was displayed on the previous line. It appears the screen will not scroll. Tried it with the scroll light on and off on the keyboard with no effect. Tried cls at the A> prompt with no effect. Tried many things next to the A> prompt and curser just jumps to the next line and blinks. No key has any effect. Booted off a IBM DOS 4.1 floppy where it does not ask for date or time and end up at A> prompt but a lot more screen real estate under the A> prompt Type in dir and some of the files/directories on the floppy are displayed till the screen is filled then it will not scroll, computer just locks up with the curser blinking under the last character,and on the same line in the bottom left hand corner. Is there any setting on these old machines to enable screen scrolling. The IBM DOS manual says to click on the right or left arrow screens to scroll but this has no effect. This machine is 8 bit ISA and the IBM manual said IBM DOS may or may not install. When I had plenty of screen real estate typing fdisk next to the A> prompt sends the floppy whirring for a few minutes and the curser moves to the bottom left hand corner of the screen and the computer locks up. The monitor is the original for the machine, I think a CGA type. The connection to the computer is a DB9 type. Should I transfer this to the Hardware Forum ?

Sounds like a problem with the motherboard or bios. Open the case and temporarily remove the HD controller card. Maybe the bios on it is somehow interfering with the DTK bios.

Hi DAVEINCAPS, I was thinking corrupt/mis-read floppies. But I like your idea better. If at first you don't succeed, you're about average. M2

I'd agree that this is probably either a hardware problem, or corrupt floppies. Frankly, and the age of ANY 5 1/4 floppy, I'm surprized ANY of them survive.

It turned out to be a very very dirty floppy drive. Thanks all.