Retromania wrote:

BTW you guys where can i find overlay software to overcome hd size limits?
which ones do you recommend? how do they work?

I tend to look upon drive overlay software with disdain. With that in mind, what in particular were you wanting to do which would require overlay software. My admittedly brief look indicates the CDS 524 is suffers from the int 13 limit (8.4gb). Are you wanting to expand your storage again?

Retromania wrote:

BTW you guys where can i find overlay software to overcome hd size limits?
which ones do you recommend? how do they work?

http://www.vogonsdrivers.com/index.php?catid= … menustate=53,51

I've used OnTrack Disk Manager before and it works pretty well. You need to boot from the created floppy first and install the software to the hard disk before installing DOS. Then, reboot, and wait for the Quantum popup before booting from the floppy. This is crucial, since the overlay software needs to be loaded before loading setup for DOS to see the whole disk.

If you keep that in mind, it works pretty well.

@gdjacobs
Ive tried to put an 8,4g HD but no good, afterwards ive tried to install a 4,3g and that one worked like a charm...
but in this case has you mencioned, this era system has a size limit of 8,4g, so even with a overlay software its not possible to install a hd bigger than that?

@oerk
Thanks for all the info and the download link, ill give it a try 😉

Retromania wrote:

@gdjacobs
Ive tried to put an 8,4g HD but no good, afterwards ive tried to install a 4,3g and that one worked like a charm...
but in this case has you mencioned, this era system has a size limit of 8,4g, so even with a overlay software its not possible to install a hd bigger than that?

Does your 8.4gb drive have the CHS info on the label? Double check that and you'll know. Over 1024/255/63 and your bios won't be happy.

going to double check on that, thanks a lot for the info 😉

Another option is a network card with eprom in the boot rom socket running xt-ide bios extension.

After you removed the Compaq MS-DOS what applications do you use now to set the mainboards features such as Turbo / Cache now?

That was never a show stopper with my system. There're tsrs to slow a system down http://www.sierrahelp.com/Utilities/SlowdownUtilities.html

I see you have the Compaq MS Dos utils. on your ftp, good stuff 😀 Just copied them to a directory on my system called doscpq and placed it in the PATH= statement in the autoexec.bat file.

I found that Danish magazine, though it is online on the internet archives and not my pc.
And it is sadly not the 524. It is the 520 model. Just download and go to page 18.
Numbers are generic, so you won't have a problem reading the spec's.
I for some reason believe the only differences are the CPU and perhaps the HDD.

https://archive.org/details/COMputerPrivat199 … Januar22Februar

I got my CDS524 with the original 400-something MB harddrive. There's a lot of Compaq stuff on it including Compaq branded Windows 3.1 DE and some tools. Unfortunately they're already installed but with some effort it would be possible to create a nice archive which could then be used on a brand new harddrive. I also created two floppies in BIOS so that it's possible to create the BIOS partition on any harddrive. Let me know if anyone's interested.

I have a CDS 524 since 95, unfortunately it no longer works (it works, but there is no display, the monitor stays all green), I think at some point I had near 32MB of memory, maxing the slots + onboard memory, the original HD died in 2008 so I used a 2GB quantum hard drive (but I only made a 1GB partition, I can't remember why)

one thing that would be cool is finding one of the original TV cards they had... other than that I think you are limited, correct me if I'm wrong but I think the CPU is soldered, and using a different video card means you cannot use the internal integrated display, also the display I think only works well (256 colors) at 640x480, something else I always had was a network card on it (isa slot)

You should definitely check the monitor cable in the backplane, if you're getting a green screen it may be fixable - at least it's showing something.
The CPU may or may not be soldered to the mainboard, but there's another socket next to the CPU and if you happen to have something that fits into it, Bob's your uncle. I have installed a 75MHz DX4 Overdrive in my box and it's running fine.

Runicen wrote:

I've never dealt with a machine that lacked BIOS, but I can't imagine that headache that would present.

No need to imagine. I can tell you from personal experience 😀 One thing to remember is that it has a BIOS, it just doesn't have a CMOS setup utility in ROM, but has it stored in a partition in the HDD.

I had one of these Compaqs (CDS 520 model), and after about a month of having it bought brand new in late 1994, being the tinkering type that I always was, I found the neat BIOS setup screen and started trying things out. One of the things I found was that I could change the HDD size just changing a few parameters!!! Awesome!!! 😎 Except that the PC wouldn't boot after I did that and I couldn't access the Setup screen anymore since it was in the (now inaccessible) HDD... 😢

After about 2 weeks in the shop to fix the blunder I learned my lesson.

/\ For those machines having the setup floppies handy (at least their images) is a good idea. That way you can access the setup utility whether the setup partition is accessible or not.

alexanrs wrote:

/\ For those machines having the setup floppies handy (at least their images) is a good idea. That way you can access the setup utility whether the setup partition is accessible or not.

Exactly! But when I bought it it didn't come with those floppies, which is a terrible oversight. It also didn't come with the original installation media for all the software that was in there, only a crap load of manuals and 2 CD-ROMs: Encarta'95 and Inca II Wiracocha.

Guys,

I liked the way the onboard sound is compatible with SBPro for pure DOS gaming of 486 era.
Is the Joystick connector on the on board sound card compatible with MIDI?

Great job upgrading this one, Im about to upgrade mine too.

See ya

Holy guacamole-y, I have a new object of desire now. 😀

Thanks to these posts I've managed to recover a CDS524 myself. I'm waiting for a CMOS battery from eBay. Still using Compaq diagnosis every time I start up.

I've install a AWE64 Gold, and still looking around for a Roland MT-32. It has 24MB RAM and a 850MB HD. Tried putting in a 48x CD ROM, loaded it in config.sys and autoexec.bat with respond, but no respond when I'm trying to read from disk tough.

Anyways, thanks for all info in this thread.

I have disk images of the BIOS setup/diags disks should anyone need them.