I am setting up an old IBM PS/2 model 30 to run DOS 5 and Windows 1.04. Since there is no HDD, I am installing on floppy disks. DOS installed right, but the Windows isn't. This computer has two 720 kb 3 1/12" floppy drives. Every time I am installing Windows I get the error, "Formatting Disk - track failed - press any key to continue" and it stops and asks for another disk. It has happened with every disk I've tried. The drive works, but the format program in set up doesn't. The disks format in DOS without sector errors, but I can't bypasss the format in setup. Thanks for the help!

-Yapsterb

It may be necessary to tape or otherwise cover the 'other' hole (opposite the write-protect one) in order to successfully format a 1.44Mb as 720K.

That model does support a hard drive - no luck finding one of the correct vintage?

We have nothing against ideas. We're against people spreading them. - General Augusto Pinochet of Chile

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I do cover the hole to format the disk at 720 kb. I think the problem is that it was originally shipped in 360k 5.25" disks and it wants to format at 360k which isn't possible with 3.5". If it is any help it stops formatting at track 79 with all disks. There is no slot to put in a 5.25" drive. Could there be a way to bypass the formatting or modify the disk. I need something. Thanks.

-Yapsterb

Actually this IBM was an ISA Bus model with 1.44 3.5 floppy drive, therefore try a standard W9x boot disk to see if the drive can read it on boot!!!

http://members.chello.at/theodor.lauppert/computer/ps2/8530-286.htm

It may be Windows 1.xx does not recognise floppies greater than 360K??

You can format a standard 1.44 floppy without "tape covering hole" to 720k:

FORMAT A: /F:720

The computer on the above website is a 286 enhanced version of the model 30. My computer is the 8530-002.

http://www.can.ibm.com/helpware/8530.html

My computer will NOT read 1.44 Mb disks. Both of the drives are 720K there is also no Hard Drive! I have used Windows 1.04 on othe computers with 1.44 Mb disks and it should work. I just can't get it to install to the disks. I can only guess that since it originally came with 360K disks it would be trying to copy to 360K disks. I need a way to make any 3.5" disk work for the installation. Thanks.

-Yapsterb

Right Oh!

According to the specs this machine originally came with two 720K drives, therefore formatting as stated above on MSDOS5/6 & W9x will work. Alternatively an early Mac came with 800K floppies which can be formated under their O/S to 720K FAT12.

What version of DOS are you using?, I would presume no later than version 4 was around at the time of W1.x

Just trying to help, but DOS6 with WinDOS GUI is far better than Windows pre 95/NT.

Good luck and good night from the UK

I am using MS-DOS 5.0, because it is the highest version that was compatible with Windows 1.x. Thanks for the help.

-Yapsterb

If you don't mind my asking..why are you installing windows 1.04? Unless it's for a computer museum or plain curiosity..it's the most useless abysmal piece of c**p i can think of..There's GUIs that work entirely in real mode that are light years ahead of it, and some came out at the same time...
A simple one i used to really like was "Dos Master"..basically a file manager but a good one..
A much much better one that for all intents and purposes is a lot like windows 3.0 in functionality, but definitely more attractive, is GeoWorks 1.2...astomishingly, it omly needs 640K but will use the extended memory if there is any..
OK it might be a bit hard to find but you'd get waaay more functionality than you'll ever dream of getting with the very primitive windows 1.04..
Works well even on an 8088.....

Maybe he want`s to see what win101 was like, thats the main reason i d/l`ded it and 2.03 tho i havent tried them yet.

Curiosity may have killed the cat but at least the cat wasn`t bored

Woof

I want Windows 1.04 because I collect old PCs and old Versions of Windows.

-Yapsterb

Kinda like me, I just love not wasting stuff, even 086 286 and 3&486`s are still usefull systems to some ppl

Woof

Curiosity may have killed the cat but at least the cat wasn`t bored

Oh yeah - I have my own collection of moldering relics too - but I'd want a hard drive if I was going to use the machine.

Got the original IBM PC - forerunner of the XT (which did introduce the computer HDD) but I wouldn't exactly call it very 'functional' - although it does work.

We have nothing against ideas. We're against people spreading them. - General Augusto Pinochet of Chile

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What Happened? I still need Help here !!!

-Yapsterb

Yapsterb, you do not demand help, this is a voluntary contribution site, if you had paid then you have the right to moan! otherwise take advice on board and except it as learning a little.

I have already stated how to make 720K 3.5 floppies, if you have a set of MSDOS5 Install Disks on 720K floppies then you can make an Floppy Based MSDOS5 Operating System.

When you have done this you will be able to install W1.x on another floppy and run the software (btw W1.x is a GUI not O/S)

If you have MSDOS5 on 1.44 floppies then you need to use another PC to make a 720K install set.

I will not reply to this any more, I have Money to earn from being a Computer Consultant, if you can not work it out try searching the Internet for Help there are thousand's of pages out there.....

I think it's cool that the Windows 3.1 forum still gets many users. I use to be a regular. I tinkered with a lot of hardware. I have 2 wokring 8088 computer:
Packard Bell PB8810 with 640KB of RAM and 360KB 5-1/4 inch floppy drive and
DTK CC Computer (PC/XT Clone) with 512KB if RAM, also 360KB 5-1/4 inch floppy drive.
My personal favorite is my IBM EDUQuest Model 30CS. 8MB's of RAM, MS-DOS 5.0 in ROM, 127MB Hard-disk and 1.44MB 3-1/2 inch drive. It runs IBM's OS/2 v2.1.

I've for the most part abandoned using actual hardware and started using emulators for the most part. My two favorite emulators is Bochs x86 (Win32), and Virtual PC.