So today I went to my parents' place where my old PC from 2008 lives, used to be a beast back in the day. At this point I just needed a PC I could hook up the SCSI hard drive to, and well, I can confirm it's actually dead.

I also got an SD2IDE adapter and set it up with Compaq's recovery partition image which is available on archive.org, if anyone else needs it:
https://archive.org/details/compaq-deskpro-20 … ery-diagnostics

Whether it works or not - guess we'll find out tomorrow.

I also tested and confirmed my old PS/2 mouse might have succumbed to old age, the PC doesn't even detect it, and I tested it on 2 computers with PS/2 support. Guess I'll still keep it, for memories' sake, after all, it's the first mouse I owned.

The old XP computer... was quite a trip down the memory lane. From a more troubled, but also more optimistic time. I don't think I've used it since 2014.

So, a progress report on the restoration project.

Problems with SD2IDE card resolved. The culprit was a faulty IDE cable that came with the computer. Use a normal PATA cable instead - the motherboard supports two devices on one channel.
One of the 32Mb SDRAM DIMMs seems to be corrupted. Need to investigate further, but for now, I'm stuck with 32Mb.

I got Windows 95 OSR2 running - perhaps I'll move on to Windows 98SE in the final iteration.

Here's the complete list of necessary SOFTPAQs for this PC:
SP8437.EXE ROMPaq for Deskpro 2000 ROM 686M 686M_121098
SP15674.EXE Compaq Setup/VP and PC Diagnostics 1.76 Rev B
SP16085.EXE Compaq PC Diagnostics 1.40 Rev A
SP13331.EXE System Software Manager 1.40 Rev A
SP9569.EXE Matrox Video Driver 4.18.026 Rev G Win 95/98

Some of the SOFTPAQs may or may not be redundant, but I decided to be safe. Install them in this exact order.

You will also need the Intel(R) 440LX AGPset chipset drivers (3.20.1008.zip), which I found on Phil's Computer Lab:
https://www.philscomputerlab.com/intel-chipset-drivers.html

I know they are probably also available on Vogons drivers, but I didn't have much luck there.

I found an ESS AudioDrive ES1869F ISA sound card locally, picking it up today for about $4, and will probably be able to source new old stock 3.5in FDDs.

If everything goes to plan, my next steps are -
- Upgrade the Matrox memory (thanks to a buddy in Ukraine).
- Replace the front and PSU fans with less noisy 92mm Noctua fans, at this point it sounds like a truck.
- Add external CMOS battery.
- Add 3dfx Voodoo 2 and daisy-chain it with the onboard Matrox Mystique.

That and some cosmetic touches because the case is pretty scratched.

Guess I got myself a working retro gaming PC.

Will post pics later in the evening.

The BR2335 is not rechargeable. It kind of sucks that it's soldered on, but if you can solder, you can remove the battery and install a CR2032 battery holder.

This does look like a nice old computer. I've only seen the socket 7 version of the Deskpro 2000, but those were good.

lti wrote on 2023-07-06, 03:44:

The BR2335 is not rechargeable. It kind of sucks that it's soldered on, but if you can solder, you can remove the battery and install a CR2032 battery holder.

This does look like a nice old computer. I've only seen the socket 7 version of the Deskpro 2000, but those were good.

I'm thinking of making a 3xAA battery holder, and weirdly enough, the EXT Battery connector is compatible with CD Audio cables. I'll need to be careful not to mess up the polarity, of course.

I know I promised pics, but had to move home, and a lot of stuff came up.

I have a few questions.

I want to upgrade the CPU, and considering how hot the 266MHz PII CPU is getting, I'm thinking to get a 300MHz Deschutes (80523) CPU.

1. The onboard switches allow for CPU speed configurations up to 300MHz. Does that mean that I'm limited to 300MHz?
2. Klamath PII runs at 2.8v, Deschutes PII runs at 2v. Will the motherboard automatically adjust for the lower power draw, or am I better off with a 300MHz Klamath (additional active cooling will be required I guess).

I also want to upgrade the RAM. And I came across Micron MT18LSDT1672AG 128MB 168 Pin PC100 Double-Banked ECC SDRAM DIMM Memory on Ebay, which should, in theory, be compatible with the system (18 chips on DIMM module means an 8x8x2+2 parity configuration, CL2 which is supported by the 440LX chipset).

- Will the PC100 be a problem, if my FSB is only 66MHz?

A few other notes:

I decided against using the Deskpro for DOS gaming, I think I'll be building a proper 486DX4 for that. So the ESS AudioDrive ES1869F will have to go. Don't get me wrong, it turned out to be an extremely good sound card, and the drivers are better than anything made by Creative, but I'm thinking an Aureal Vortex 2-based Diamond Monster Sound MX300 would work better in this context.

The fan replacement, although not Noctua yet at this point, brought down the noise levels considerably.

Last week I have restored the same PC and CR2032 battery holds the BIOS. PC100 SDRAM works just fine.

Im not 100% sure on this but I dont think that came built with that SCSI controller.
I have no doubt it is Compaq OEM but I worked on this when a local company used them for their office desktops and none of them had a SCSI sub system of any kind that wasnt added after purchase.
Thats Ultra2 Wide controller would have been a new release when the computer was released... both date to about 1997, and an U2Wide controller would have been over kill for an office desktop.
Of course it depends on what it was used for.

ElectroSoldier wrote on 2023-07-24, 09:03:

Im not 100% sure on this but I dont think that came built with that SCSI controller. I have no doubt it is Compaq OEM but I work […]
Show full quote

Im not 100% sure on this but I dont think that came built with that SCSI controller.
I have no doubt it is Compaq OEM but I worked on this when a local company used them for their office desktops and none of them had a SCSI sub system of any kind that wasnt added after purchase.
Thats Ultra2 Wide controller would have been a new release when the computer was released... both date to about 1997, and an U2Wide controller would have been over kill for an office desktop.
Of course it depends on what it was used for.

I'm pretty sure it came with the SCSI, because it only had a SCSI hard drive and a single-channel ATA cable that connected to a 20x CD-ROM, which I replaced with a Sony CD-RW I had laying around. SCSI isn't a thing where I'm from, so unless it comes with the system it's rarely added later. I don't think it was used as a server, because there was no LAN card. I checked the manual, SCSI was an option at purchase.

It's a pretty neat system overall, but I haven't restored the BIOS Setup partition yet. There's an image on archive.org, but while it gives you the proper OEM partition, the disk is not bootable at all. Atm it's running Win 98 SE with all the necessary drivers like a champ.

DundyTheCroc wrote on 2023-07-24, 07:31:

Last week I have restored the same PC and CR2032 battery holds the BIOS. PC100 SDRAM works just fine.

Thanks! That should make my life a lot easier.

ElectroSoldier wrote on 2023-07-24, 09:03:

Im not 100% sure on this but I dont think that came built with that SCSI controller. I have no doubt it is Compaq OEM but I work […]
Show full quote

Im not 100% sure on this but I dont think that came built with that SCSI controller.
I have no doubt it is Compaq OEM but I worked on this when a local company used them for their office desktops and none of them had a SCSI sub system of any kind that wasnt added after purchase.
Thats Ultra2 Wide controller would have been a new release when the computer was released... both date to about 1997, and an U2Wide controller would have been over kill for an office desktop.
Of course it depends on what it was used for.

The exact model of mine PC is DP6000 6266MMX 4300/CDS DOM and it is with built in SCSI controlled with 50 pin connector.

Thats interseting.
Did it have a SCSI CD ROM drive or a SCSI hard drive, and if so was the hard drive Ultra 2 Wide or >?

ElectroSoldier wrote on 2023-07-25, 07:24:

Thats interseting.
Did it have a SCSI CD ROM drive or a SCSI hard drive, and if so was the hard drive Ultra 2 Wide or >?

Only SCSI HDD, CD ROM is IDE.

Even more interesting.
They have an SCSI Ultra controller onboard and then put a SCSI Ultra2 Wide controller into one of the PCI slots... And that SCSI U2W controller also has SCSI Ultra capabilities...

What was the hard drive that it came with, was it U2W? (68pin) or did it use the 50pin connector?

50 pin 4.1GB, but it did not work.

DundyTheCroc wrote on 2023-07-25, 09:30:

50 pin 4.1GB, but it did not work.

But was that the original drive as supplied by Compaq?
And if so what connector was it plugged into on the computer?
If it was on the motherboard why supply the PCI card, and if it was on the PCI card why would you use a systemboard with a SCSI Ultra controller on it?

50 pin SCSI connector, no PCI SCIS card. My mistake, HDD is 4.3GB. Here is a link to specs:
https://manualzz.com/doc/1874086/compaq-deskp … -specifications

Which leads us back to where I started when I said I dont think it came with that SCSI controller. Even though it is Compaq OEM.

It does make me wonder why it was added, it wasnt a cheap purchase, and therefor one would argue a necessary one. But you dont add an U2W controller without reason... That external connector is LVD U2W capable. It must have been almost as interesting as the computer it was plugged into... streamer maybe... or...

In case of this computer, it reached me with a SCSI HDD and a SCSI PCI card. It's COMPAQ OEM, but made by Adaptec. I think it's an Adaptec AHA-2940U2W, I moved it to one of my XP machines so would have to check.

There has never been a COMPAQ dealership in my country and most brand name computers (also known as "white builds", to contrast with "red builds" from Russia and "black builds" which were built from off the shelf parts) were imported by foreign organizations for their needs, like the Red Cross. After those devices were decommissioned, they entered the local market. Which is why I assume it came with the card. The manual says the SCSI card is an option at purchase. It had an IDE CD-ROM, and a single-channel IDE cable, although the motherboard supports dual-channel. The cable was defective and I replaced it.

The SCSI cable for the HDD was dual-channel and it was "managed" in a way you'd assume was done in factory, they used some kind of glue or double sided tape to fix it on the PSU so that it doesn't interfere with the air flow.

Yeah the systems SCSI hard disk and its associated cable isnt what Im talking about. They were standard fit items, and Compaq build quality was second to none at the time so things like cable management were expected.
The single drive IDE cable was also a common thing on OEM systems like this. IDE channels are always dual channel, but the system was bought with one IDE device so you get only what you paid for, the extra cable and connector are just that, extras that you didnt pay for so you dont get them.

Yes the card is an Adaptec one, AHA-2940U2W they usually had a custom ROM, but not always, some of them simply put a Compaq OEM sticker onto the card, be it a white label or a PCB green coloured sticker with the Compaq logo on it.
Its an unremarkable card in its own right, theres nothing special about it per say, its just back then it was a top performing HBA, and an expensive one too, so I wonder what it was controlling...
Something external certainly, but most tape streamers at the time didnt use a SCSI Wide bus.

I would just be interested to know what it was thats all.

ElectroSoldier wrote on 2023-07-27, 00:51:

Yeah the systems SCSI hard disk and its associated cable isnt what Im talking about. They were standard fit items, and Compaq bu […]
Show full quote

Yeah the systems SCSI hard disk and its associated cable isnt what Im talking about. They were standard fit items, and Compaq build quality was second to none at the time so things like cable management were expected.
The single drive IDE cable was also a common thing on OEM systems like this. IDE channels are always dual channel, but the system was bought with one IDE device so you get only what you paid for, the extra cable and connector are just that, extras that you didnt pay for so you dont get them.

Yes the card is an Adaptec one, AHA-2940U2W they usually had a custom ROM, but not always, some of them simply put a Compaq OEM sticker onto the card, be it a white label or a PCB green coloured sticker with the Compaq logo on it.
Its an unremarkable card in its own right, theres nothing special about it per say, its just back then it was a top performing HBA, and an expensive one too, so I wonder what it was controlling...
Something external certainly, but most tape streamers at the time didnt use a SCSI Wide bus.

I would just be interested to know what it was thats all.

Knowing it was used as an office PC, might have been a scanner. If the HDD wasn't most definitely dead I could have said more. But you are right, there is wear on the external connector.