So I've been working on getting a Compaq Portable II that I found working. I was planning on removing the 5.25" floppy drive since I don't really have a use for it -- but god what a mistake that was. I replaced the battery backup, used my 486 to write the compaq setup program to a 720k 3.5" disk, and booted from the 5.25" dos disk that I found with the computer (the diagnostic/setup disk was missing). I then launched the setup program from the 3.5" drive, and configured the computer for one floppy -- A: as 1.44mb 3.5" and rebooted. I then shut it down and pulled the 5.25" drive out, moving the 3.5" drive that came with the PC to the other side of the twist.

AND BAM! 601 error. At this point I removed the battery thinking I could just put it back the way it was (the battery was dead when I found it after all, so it must default to the 5.25" drive in A: and the 1.44mb 3.5" drive in B:). But even without the battery, and with the drives put back how I found them, still with this 601 error.

Why didn't it reset when I pulled the battery? I can't boot back into setup so the computer is completely bricked now. It just halts at 601 error and that's it.

Anyone have any ideas?