Computing.Net - Windows 3.1 System or parts

Subject: Windows 3.1 System or parts

Original Message

Name: pjpw
Date: December 22, 2007 at 23:03:48 Pacific
Subject: Windows 3.1 System or parts
OS: Windows 3.1
CPU/Ram: DX 4-66
Model/Manufacturer: Generic

Comment:

I have an old Windows 3.1 computer which is refusing to start fully. When I turn it on it accesses the hard drive and I can hear the memory read procedure ticking then it starts to load from the hard drive however I have no display.
I have swapped out the hard drive and verified that it is booting in an earlier working 3.1 machine. I believe it is either the motherboard or the video card. I cannot test any component other than the hard drive and floppy drive in the older working machine as its motherborad will not take the memory or video card from the problem machine.
The problem machine has an upgraded motherboard with 32MB ram. It still has the original S3 Trio video card and DX 4-66 processor. The original ram when it was new in 1994 was 8MB. The ram in the older working machine is not compatible with that of the problem machine.
Does anyone know where I can get hold of a working 3.1 system with at least the specs of my problem machine or a working motherboard & ram?

Peter Wills

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Response Number 1

Name: WebsWonder
Date: December 23, 2007 at 01:13:15 Pacific
Subject: Windows 3.1 System or parts

Reply: (edit)

EBAY have lots of older hardware, though you could probably find a newer PC for little or no money. I live in the UK and donate any pre P4 PC's/Hardware thru FREECYCLE.ORG

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Response Number 2

Name: Lupin3rd
Date: December 28, 2007 at 17:55:10 Pacific
Subject: Windows 3.1 System or parts

Reply: (edit)

You could try removing everything form the board such as any external device that doesn't need to be in, any internal card that is not required for basic use.
Basically leave as little ram in as possible,
a floppy drive
a graphics adaptor
keyboard
Then try booting the system. From what you say it sounds as if the graphics card is either dead of faulty now. Yes you could just buy a newer comp and shove DOS on from ebay but it might be easier to fix the problem than to get another comp and start again.

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Response Number 3

Name: Blurredman
Date: January 29, 2008 at 11:44:04 Pacific
Subject: Windows 3.1 System or parts

Reply: (edit)

My windows 3.1 componants are: -
EPOX mobo, forgot make
ATI Mach 2mb 64 graphics card
Pentium 1 200mhz, 128mb ram
And that works fine, driver for g-card took me ages to find. But as the above posts state, you can find many componants on ebay. There are multiple processor dealers, many old mainboards and lots of cards and good soundblasters. One suggestion when you pick some are that you make sure and reasearch that the hardware has pleanty of driver support out there...
I like chocolate!

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