Re: CD-ROM failing to work, what to do?

Posted on 2019-07-22, 19:21

by

by retardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

kikendo wrote: Is this a lens issue? I never really diagnosed/fixed a CD-ROM unit so any pointers appreciated. It is so easy. Open it, undust it, clean the lens, reassemble it and be amazed!

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Re: Do I have a corrupted BIOS?

Posted on 2019-07-22, 12:28

by

by retardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Did you rule out a bad power supply already? When the CPU enters virtual mode there is probably a power surge, and if the voltage sags sufficiently, that may hang stuff.

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Re: Need CDROM install diskette

Posted on 2019-07-20, 03:53

by

by retardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

BushLin wrote: Did you notice the local copy, provided in the predicted event that the link to the manufacturer would eventually die? Ooops, no! Great driver, nice options, and only 7536 bytes resident! 😀 Thank you, 27.5kB saved!

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Re: Need CDROM install diskette

Posted on 2019-07-20, 02:29

by

by retardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

The Toshiba CDROMDRV.SYS is light on RAM usage with decent compatibility. Sadly I do not see the Toshiba driver in your link. So I use my old Mitsumi driver, which never caused any problem for me, is multilingual, very configurable and lightweight (at least compared to Oakcdrom.sys) with only 11k …

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Re: Moving data between an old computer and a new one

Posted on 2019-07-19, 21:21

by

by retardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Srandista wrote: Try to start setup with /NM switch. That should bypass CPU detection to allow Windows install on systems that do not meet Microsoft's minimum requirements. Excellent, this works! Thank you very much! 😀

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Re: Moving data between an old computer and a new one

Posted on 2019-07-19, 18:17

by

by retardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Now I got booted my 486 (AMD DX2/66) using the Windows 98SE start diskette. However, Windows refuses to install, stating that it needs a processor with at least 66 MHz. Doh. No easy network stuff :( So I am now transferring configured DOS and a number of utilities from my P3 retro thingy to it, with …

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Re: Turbo XT mainboard - no POST, -12v missing

Posted on 2019-07-19, 17:35

by

by retardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

I also tried without any expansions cards and with a Hercules clone (should work as MDA in Supersoft), but neither the PC speaker, nor the keyboard show any signs of life. :( [...] Btw, does the XT platform also support POST codes vis Parallel Port ? Some PC/AT style computers, such as laptops, did …

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Re: Need CDROM install diskette

Posted on 2019-07-19, 17:16

by

by retardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Isn't such included on the standard Windows installation boot diskette?

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Re: Good not-expensive headphones?

Posted on 2019-07-19, 13:04

by

by retardware

in Milliways

in Milliways

I had the hd280's for like a DECADE before and I loved every second I used them. https://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD280PRO-Headphone-new-model/dp/B00IT0IHOY/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=hd280&qid=1563519983&s=electronics&sr=1-1 I am not sure whether the HD280 uses the same speaker capsules like the HDA280, …

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Re: ps/2 header

Posted on 2019-07-19, 12:46

by

by retardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

The 5-pin header I recently brought in use has yet another pinout. Again, there is no standard! Even posts that look identical can be completely different pinout. Find the GND and +5V posts (measure conductivity to the power supply connectors' 5V and GND pins). Find the not-connected pin (it should …

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Re: Sound Blaster CT4750 sounds like garbage in DOS games...

Posted on 2019-07-19, 02:29

by

by retardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

biessea wrote: None of you implemented the gameport port on this fabulous motherboard and can give me advice on how to do it, or did you simply try it yourself with no chance of getting it to work and tell me to drop it? Didn't you just deactivate it in BIOS?

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Re: Barrel battery alternative ?

Posted on 2019-07-18, 23:07

by

by retardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

What is the simplest way to understand whether your BAT_EXT header tries to charge your batteries or not? Run the computer without batteries and check them with a voltmeter? I think so, too. But I won't care to put rechargeables into a computer that only runs little of the time. Alkaline+diode=best …

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Re: Barrel battery alternative ?

Posted on 2019-07-18, 19:11

by

by retardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

SirNickity wrote: They are wholly unacceptable... I agree. Just do this equation: 3 alkaline cells in series minus diode drop = ideal CMOS chip voltage (like with fully charged NiCd cells) It is cheap, safe and lasts about a decade or more. After that, easy refill.

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Re: 386 SX-40 - Is this CPU actually good for anything?

Posted on 2019-07-18, 18:43

by

by retardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Back then many ads offered "386, 40MHz, Cache" and these buzzwords actually resulted in big sales. And this mobo is nothing more than the minimum implementation of that 😀 So many computers with mobos like this were sold just because they were, say, 10 bucks less than good DX systems 😀

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Re: ps/2 header

Posted on 2019-07-18, 17:48

by

by retardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

There is no standard for PS/2 header pinout. Just take some adapter from one of the well known auction sites, take your multimeter or consult mobo manual to find out header pinout, and correct wiring of your particular adapter if it does not match.

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Re: What retro activity did you get up to today?

Posted on 2019-07-18, 14:04

by

by retardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

imi wrote: it's as if they used a universal switch size for PCs or something 🤣 direct screw-in replacement. Yes, these red IBM style switches were commonly the same on the original and (almost) all clones and are interchangeable.

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Re: Help System stop on Building DMI Pool...

Posted on 2019-07-18, 13:58

by

by retardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

With some BIOSes you explicitly to enable "Update ESCD Data" after hardware changes, or it won't update (and not run in consequence). And yes, ESD is a killer. I am often amazed how little many people care until the expensive damage they caused made them change their behavior with microelectronics. …

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Re: anybody have a idea what this hw modification is supposed to do?

Posted on 2019-07-18, 01:05

by

by retardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

yes, Headland "Shasta" chipset. As they already are labelled LSI, that mobo is made after Headland got bought by LSI.

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Re: anybody have a idea what this hw modification is supposed to do?

Posted on 2019-07-18, 00:34

by

by retardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

Mhh, sounds like Headland chipset. I am searching for one such, so, in case you want to sell it, let me know.

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Re: anybody have a idea what this hw modification is supposed to do?

Posted on 2019-07-18, 00:07

by

by retardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

in Marvin \ General Old Hardware

I guess just some factory fix for the first series PCB. I guess there happens nothing special. Just some pull-up of one gate input pin. What chipset, if I may ask?

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