I was recently sent an old 486 processor and was told it was functional; all I had to do was set the BIOS. After obtaining the serial number off of the hard drive, I located the make/model and specs of the hard drive: Connor CP-30084E 85MB. I entered the information into my BIOS and at start-up it continues to tell me "operating system missing". I then obtained a set of Windows 3.1 floppies. However, when I enter the first disk of the set, the "Non-system disk ..." message comes up. I have the drive set-up in my BIOS, i.e. 1.44 3 ½”. I can not get to the DOS prompt. Do you guys have any suggestions? I have run into a wall ... and it hurts!

[1] The OS not found could be caused by the HD having been set up with different geometry when it was partitioned.

[2] w3x is not an OS. Try DOS 5 or 6.22.

If at first you don't succeed, you're about average.

M2

Thanks for your response.
[1] How would I go about determining the geometry if it had been changed from the original manufacturer's settings?

[2] w3x is not an OS? I'm a little confused. I was told that it was and it also has "Microsoft Windows for Workgrroups Operating System" on the diskettes. So you are saying that this will not suffice? Also, would this old system support DOS 5 or 6.22?

Sorry if I have inadequate knowledge of these systems, but I have never been faced with these issues, thanks again.

Outstanding, inserted DOS 5.0 disk and I am at the DOS prompt. Is there a way to determine the hard drive geometry from the DOS prompt? Mechanix, I appreciate you help.

[1] On older BIOS many would not auto detect the drive type. Even if it did, different BIOS often detect different geometry.

Best bet is to set the correct goemetry, which you've done. Then boot on a DOS floppy, use fdisk to remove existing partition[s], create a primary DOS partition.

Then reboot and:

format c:/s

[2] Yes, a 486 will run DOS 5 or 6.22. Get a boot floppy maker from:

bootdisk

If at first you don't succeed, you're about average.

M2

I'd recommend installing DOS 6.22, the last and best standalone version of MS-DOS. Then install win3x over that. As M2 said, Windows 3.x, in any of its flavors, is not a true operating system; it needs DOS.

Would removing the partition and/or formatting my hard drive not erase it? It has some important, albeit old, software on it. Also, in order to do the above, I would have to install DOS onto the hard drive correct?

Yes, it would lose all the data.

If you need to save data, you MIGHT be able to Easter Egg your way through a HD setup.

Go into BIOS. Typically you will see a list of HD types like 1 thru 45. Choose one that has the same capacity [C*H*S] OR LESS than yours. Save, reboot and try again.

If no joy, choose the next smaller HD type. And so it goes.

As a last ditch effort, put the 80MB in another box as slave.

If at first you don't succeed, you're about average.

M2

OK, thanks so much for your help. Another quick question though. Scanning the directories of the c: drive, I found a "DS DOS" file. After scanning through its files I noticed that some of the files on the boot disk were not on the DS DOS directory. I copied the files over into that folder, yet didn't work. My question is, is my train of logic off to think that if the hard drive contained the same files as the boot disk(which would boot the cpu) that the hard drive itself could boot?

I would NOT attempt to "fdisk" (partition) OR format the hdd until you have done the following:

ACTUALLY (not virtually,nor just dream that you did), but ACTUALLY tear down the computer until you can and do READ the label on the hard drive.

Some old drives could be installed under several bios parameters. I don't know why this is, unless some bios setups just didn't support some settings. the point is, that different settings can render ungood results, the 'ol "da bios battery's bad"

Next, make SURE that you have a DOS boot disk and that you can access the hard drive.

See if you can find any DOS files on there, like, maybe, command com. Look ALSO for the \DOS directory.

If some of this stuff was removed by someone, either accidently or otherwise, may explain why the drive will not boot.

Winhoed3xx IS NOT AN OPERATING system. It is merely a "program" if you will, that operates on top of DOS. It is really just a glorified menu and file manager.

If you actually knew what was there for DOS version, you might be able to find the appropriate version DOS disk(s) and "sys" the drive. Note that "sys" IS a separate DOS command/file/program, and must be on whatever boot (floppy) you are using.

If you are "skeered" of losing your data, might be a good time to do one of the following:

Figure out how to slave the drive to another machine, like, say, a '98 box, and copy over the contents of the hard drive. You could (and I would) even burn them to a CD.

Get yoresalf a data transfer cable, known commonly as a "Laplink, PCanywhere, null modem, Direct Connection" cable. these come for either serial or parallel port, and I find them fairly regular like at the thrift stores. The clue for Laplink cables is either bright blue or bright yellow.

Then search the web, and download laplink3. This is a one-file transfer program (ll3.exe) which will run just fine from a "boot" floppy. Look for the "Powerloads" page, which has tons of DOS stuff. I don't use, but I've been told that "File Maven" is also good.

One of the above programs will allow you to transfer files from the old computer to a second one for storage.

This method works, too, for example, for transferring install files. Let's say the OLD target machine has no CDROM, and you have something on CDROM you want to install. You can use laplink to transfer the install files from the CD in your "better" machine, over to the OLD machine.

This is an EXCELLANT opportunity to learn something here, and besides, the OLD computer probably needs to have the dust blown out of it anyway.

name,
I did ACTUALLY, not VIRTUALLY or dream that I did, pull the HD and read the label.
Also, as a correction, it is "DRDOS" on my system not "DSDOS". I searched through this directory and after I copied a few files from the boot disk, DRDOS seemed to have all files needed plus plenty more.

Since you can access the HD, this is NOT the time to fdisk or format, as name says.

The files you copied to DRDOS directory will not helpl but we'll get back to that.

The challenge now is to find a boot disk of the same version which the HD was using.

Do this:

dir c:\
[enter]

and post result.

If at first you don't succeed, you're about average.

M2

I would suspect that DRDOS is what your floppy is booted from, not what is on the hard drive.

Other "experts" will have to tell you how to tell what version of DOS you actually "had" on the hard drive, I'm not sure. "ver" only tells you what you're booted to--in other words, if you booted with a floppy that had DOS3.3, that is what the "ver" would show, not what is on the hard drive.

At the a: prompt:

ver
[enter]

If at first you don't succeed, you're about average.

M2

>>>My question is, is my train of logic off to think that if the hard drive contained the same files as the boot disk(which would boot the cpu) that the hard drive itself could boot?<<<

Yes and no...

The hard drive will need to have system files (msdos.sys, io.sys if booting from MS-DOS) written to it before it can boot, those files are hidden on your DOS5 disks.

But that's just confusing matters even worse...

According to this link to Seagate (which bought Conner years ago),

http://www.seagate.com/support/disc/ata/cp30084e.html

the geometry of the drive is :

Cylinders: 903
Heads: 4
Sectors/track: 46

As stated before you'll need to enter this data into your machines' BIOS before the drive could be used. There should be an option for a custom/user setting (likely type 46/47) if it's not supported directly in one of the other types.

From there, you should be able to insert the DOS5 disks (they should be bootable) and see if you can't just install DOS5 to the drive (it should be an upgrade to DRDOS). You'll have to have some version of DOS running before you can install Win3.1, since it isn't a true OS (it rides on top of DOS), in spite of what M$ puts on their disks...

Also, (should have mentioned this first), don't write anything back to the original DOS5 disks (assuming that's what you have). You potentially could corrupt them with a different/older version of files...

c:\dir:

"Volume in drive C is Y
Volume Serial Number is 1A4C-2490
Directory of C:\

DRDOS
TEMP
command com
sstordrv sys
devswap com
config sys
autoexec bat
DSDOS
Himem sys
Sys.com"

The DSDOS, Himem, and Sys files were added by me.

The A:\ ver

"MS-DOS Version 5.00"

T-R-A:
You are correct, I obtained the same results from that site, also had the LZONE-903 and WP-0. I set them as user defined inputs.

Again, "ver" tells you nothing but what it is that you are booted to--the floppy.

I don't know why you did not get files sizes and dates, like this:

23-02-2006 11:46 1,068 some.big
23-02-2006 11:46 1,069 big.sor
23-02-2006 11:46 128 BH.BAT
23-02-2006 11:46 1,041 hosts.new
27-02-2006 21:56 69 newURL
23-02-2006 11:51 128 BIGHOSTS.BAT

If at first you don't succeed, you're about average.

M2

Sorry I haven't responded in a while, been out of town. Just wanted to say thanks for all of you guys' help.
I spent hours trying to learn more and better understand the system when I discovered the original OP was DR-DOS 6.0. I found a boot disk of the same version. It would boot, however, wouldn't let me sys c: the OP files, saying that it could write new boot sector. After struggling with different ideas and becoming an alcoholic :), I did as M2 suggested and re-partitioned the hard drive. It is currently running smoothly and I can be taken off my meds.
Thank all of you for your help; this was a rewarding, yet painstakingly excruciating, process.

Thanks for letting us know.

If at first you don't succeed, you're about average.

M2