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First post, by jammaster

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Hello!
I have changed my NVRAM with new one.
Just i want to know the default floppy configuration with this machine.
the machine have a 1.44M 3.5" stock floppy drive and a 540MB hard drive.
The computer don't boot on a regular 3,5" 720 or 1.44 floppy (with bootable dos or compaq configuration utility).
Do i need to plug a 5,25" drive? 320K? 1.2M?
thk a lot

Last edited by jammaster on 2018-09-01, 23:33. Edited 1 time in total.

Reply 1 of 4, by Jo22

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Hi! I found this information :

"5,25" FDD mit 1,2MB, 20MB HD (max. 130MB HD)"

Source: http://www.computermuseum-muenchen.de/compute … mpaq/dp286.html

You could try re-formatting a 720KB boot disk to 1.2MB by using WinImage, maybe it works.

Good luck! 😀

"Time, it seems, doesn't flow. For some it's fast, for some it's slow.
In what to one race is no time at all, another race can rise and fall..." - The Minstrel

//My video channel//

Reply 2 of 4, by jammaster

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thk a lot man!

Reply 3 of 4, by jammaster

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I have modified the subject.
My machine is a deskpro 386/20.
I can access the setup via F10.
I have modified all the parameters but the error 162 is still here!
Te date ane hour is stored correctly but always this dawn error !.
My NVRAM is new!
I have loaded the defaut config.

My HDD is a caviar with 1048 Cylinders, 16 Heads, 63sec.
the only type coresponding is the 42 with "only" 1024 cylinders.
All is working (My hdd too) but alway this error 162. (HDD not savec in setup !!!)
Do i need to put an HDD with a correct type ?

Reply 4 of 4, by Jo22

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Hi, sorry to hear that it still has issues.. 🙁

You may like to have a look a this page : web.inter.nl.net/hcc/J.Steunebrink/bioslim.htm

It shows the max. values for old BIOSes.

(Note that some BIOSes did count different: 1024 total cylinders = 0 to 1023; 16 total heads = 0 to 15, etc)

I've also showed a chart in this older thread: M321 BIOS HD limitation question

Alternatively, you can also try Disk Drive Overlays (DDOs) like OnTrak or EZDrive.
Or XTIDE Universal BIOS. It can be installed on EPROMs/FlashROMs that sit on ISA networkcards.
With both of them, you can have large HDDs (with 2GB partitions each) in your old Compaq.

Edit: Please also check the manual or datasheet of your HDD (available online ?)
Some older IDE drives over 60MB did use sector translation.
See http://redhill.net.au/o/glos2.html#sectrans

"Time, it seems, doesn't flow. For some it's fast, for some it's slow.
In what to one race is no time at all, another race can rise and fall..." - The Minstrel

//My video channel//