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First post, by sangokushi

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Does anyone have Windows 95 Recovery Image for Panasonic ToughBook CF-M33?

I clean installed Windows 95 OSR2 on Panasonic CF-M33 but the PCMCIA/CardBus controller does not work properly.
The notebook freezes every time I inserted a CF card with PCMCIA adapter, and need to power off to reboot.

The issue is very similar to the one in this post: Can you help me get CardBus working in Win95 on Thinkpad 560X?

The notebook only has the following software:
Windows 95 OSR2
Video and Audio Driver from Panasonic ftp site
Intel Chipset Driver (3.20.1008.zip) from Phil - https://www.philscomputerlab.com/intel-chipset-drivers.html
TI PCI-1250 PCI-1251A Windows 95 Driver from Cnet - https://download.cnet.com/fx-1225-95-exe/3000 … 0_4-158053.html

At this point, I think it will be easier to solve the issue by using recovery image

FYI: I post a comment in this video and ask for a hard drive image but didn't get any response 😀
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVUVoh4Ul4s

Thanks!

Last edited by sangokushi on 2023-07-23, 05:51. Edited 1 time in total.

Reply 1 of 8, by Horun

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Usually the Cardbus/PCMCIA software is copyright by CardSoft or other company and is why difficult to get working under some OS, even with a restore CD it may not because that software was sometimes on separate disks with specific license agreement.
My old Toshiba Pentium Laptop was that way... If the Panasonic FTP does not have the PCMCIA software/drivers there is a reason ;p
added: Does the slot work in DOS ?

Hate posting a reply and then have to edit it because it made no sense 😁 First computer was an IBM 3270 workstation with CGA monitor. Stuff: https://archive.org/details/@horun

Reply 2 of 8, by Horun

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Well does it work in DOS ? win DOS ? Here is the DOS/Win3 Phoenix Card software that is in the CFM33 driver folder. Try it and see which driver it uses, then you can track down a Win9x one for the same driver....
http://web.archive.org/web/20151202042431/ftp … 33/33m1dsp1.exe

Hate posting a reply and then have to edit it because it made no sense 😁 First computer was an IBM 3270 workstation with CGA monitor. Stuff: https://archive.org/details/@horun

Reply 3 of 8, by sangokushi

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Horun wrote on 2023-07-23, 01:08:

Well does it work in DOS ? win DOS ? Here is the DOS/Win3 Phoenix Card software that is in the CFM33 driver folder. Try it and see which driver it uses, then you can track down a Win9x one for the same driver....
http://web.archive.org/web/20151202042431/ftp … 33/33m1dsp1.exe

Sorry, I forgot to mention the PCMCIA controller works if I install Windows 98SE, device manager shows TI PCI-1250 PCI-1251A Cardbus controller.
One of the application I used only works with Windows 95, that's why I want to restore Windows 95 on it.

Last edited by sangokushi on 2023-07-23, 05:59. Edited 1 time in total.

Reply 4 of 8, by Horun

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Ok Good to know. Will search out a TI 1250 Cardbus controller. After digging thru the Panasonic FTP it appears it actually came with DOS/Win3x and not Win95, only a few Win95 drivers but lots Win3x.
You do know that driver you linked is for TI 1225? Maybe they figured you upgrade to Win95 from the factory Win3x? just thinking how they did things back then.
Added: Are you trying to add Cardbus II or Cardbus III cards ? There is a difference from gen I, II and III. Am sure that is Cardbus I only...
Even if they fit, generally only type I work with a type I controller, cannot use type II even if it fits, same goes for a type II chipset with type III cardbus..
(went thru that on the Dell and a Cardbus II ethercard, it fit but did not work). just another thought.....
added2: "Who are the common Card & Socket Service (C&SS) vendors? Does TI develop their own C&SS drivers?
TI does not develop C&SS drivers for the TI PC Card Controllers. These drivers are supported currently by Microsoft in Windows '95 OSR2. In addition, third-party vendors have developed a significant amount of C&SS driver support for TI controllers. See PCIbus Market Information and Industry Links for a list of software vendors. " https://www.ti.com/sc/docs/products/msp/intrf … ce/pci/tech.htm
So which BIOS does this have ? Is it a Pheonix or Award ? And the other is SystemSoft and its cardworks/cardwizard...

Hate posting a reply and then have to edit it because it made no sense 😁 First computer was an IBM 3270 workstation with CGA monitor. Stuff: https://archive.org/details/@horun

Reply 5 of 8, by Horun

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Ohh try this: https://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=127552
The 380XD uses a Texas Instruments PCI-1250A cardbus controller, and the PCI ID for it is 104C:AC16. If I am not wrong, you could also use the driver meant for a Texas Instruments PCI-1250, since they both share the same PCI ID.

https://thinkpads.com/support/Thinkpad-Driver … pccbbs/mobiles/
files: w95sfdv.exe 2021-01-25 19:12 921K and w95sfdv.txt 2021-01-25 19:12 11K

Hate posting a reply and then have to edit it because it made no sense 😁 First computer was an IBM 3270 workstation with CGA monitor. Stuff: https://archive.org/details/@horun

Reply 6 of 8, by sangokushi

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Horun wrote on 2023-07-23, 02:26:
Ohh try this: https://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=127552 The 380XD uses a Texas Instruments PCI-1250A cardbus controller […]
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Ohh try this: https://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=127552
The 380XD uses a Texas Instruments PCI-1250A cardbus controller, and the PCI ID for it is 104C:AC16. If I am not wrong, you could also use the driver meant for a Texas Instruments PCI-1250, since they both share the same PCI ID.

https://thinkpads.com/support/Thinkpad-Driver … pccbbs/mobiles/
files: w95sfdv.exe 2021-01-25 19:12 921K and w95sfdv.txt 2021-01-25 19:12 11K

Just took my Panasonic CF-M33 out and try the IBM driver, it installed without issue but the notebook locked up after inserted a CF card.

Couple Notes:
1. The CardBus controller is Texas Instruments PCI-1251A (just updated my original post)
2. Both Cnet and IBM driver supports PCI-1251A
3. The CF card is a 2GB Kingston with PCMCIA adapter (non CardBus)
4. Not sure the BIOS vendor (attached a sample screenshot)

Thanks for your help!

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Reply 7 of 8, by sangokushi

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@Horun I want to report back the PCMCIA issue is resolved.

Yesterday I was searching for CF-M33 drivers and Google search result shows this page: https://download.milesburton.com/Libretto/www … /tips/cfm32.htm
Scroll all the way down, it says "(04/08/01) A new tip added for CF-M32 regarding its IRQ problem and fix."

It seems the PCMCIA controller is conflicting with USB port (in Windows 95).
After I disabled USB port in device manager, I can use the CF card without issue.

Thanks again!

Reply 8 of 8, by Horun

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sangokushi wrote on 2023-07-23, 22:03:
@Horun I want to report back the PCMCIA issue is resolved. […]
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@Horun I want to report back the PCMCIA issue is resolved.

Yesterday I was searching for CF-M33 drivers and Google search result shows this page: https://download.milesburton.com/Libretto/www … /tips/cfm32.htm
Scroll all the way down, it says "(04/08/01) A new tip added for CF-M32 regarding its IRQ problem and fix."

It seems the PCMCIA controller is conflicting with USB port (in Windows 95).
After I disabled USB port in device manager, I can use the CF card without issue.

Thanks again!

Wow Great ! Good find !
So the Win95 drivers + controller do not allow IRQ sharing for PCMCIA cards but do for Cardbus. Interesting ! I wonder if disabling the com or printer ports would help, but they are low IRQ's and probably not.

Hate posting a reply and then have to edit it because it made no sense 😁 First computer was an IBM 3270 workstation with CGA monitor. Stuff: https://archive.org/details/@horun