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data extraction project: DTK XT machine

N

NathanAllan

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Joined
Jun 1, 2003
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Location
Bellevue, Colorado
While working with the Discovery Shop, they brought to me an old XT clone, DTK XT machine. It was owned by a retired local archaeologist (COOL!) and they want me to get whatever files I can out of it for the local archaelogical society.

When it boots up I get the errors Kebd error (I need the correct keyboard, I'll dig one up) and "bad or missing Command Interpreter." The machine looks all stock, so I'm thinking bootdisk. Or is there a key combo to let me get into the setup?? It's been awhile so I can't remember how to get into the bios of an XT.

It has a Seagate ST-225 hdd, some kind of 5.25" drive (I'm guessing 360k, I have a few disks to work with) and some empty 8-bit ISA slots.

I don't see any kind of battery for a clock. I think i remember discussing these and they didn't have clocks originally, right?

Any suggestions on how to get this to boot (after I get the right keyboard)? I might get someone here to make me a bootdisk.

Did I leave anything out?

Bios is DTK/ERSO/BIOS 2.2 (c)1986
640k ram total

Also, once the data extraction is done, I think they're wanting to trash the machine, so I'll put it up for grabs here. I'mnot allowed to have any more bulky machines :(

I have an AT, so I'm happy :) And I get to keep the mono Samsung monitor :) :)

Nathan
 
I do know it can't find the Command.com file, if you can somehow get into the hard drive and find this file and move it to the C:, or it may have been deleted and you need to undelete it (dos 2 or 3 didn't have an undelete file, so you need a program with one), then it might boot, but there also may be more missing files. I had an XT and it's been so long ago, I've forgotten if it had a battery, I don't think it did. If it did, it was one you had to solder in, not the battery type you could pop in and out. I had forgotten the hard drive didn't plug into the motherboard. Hope you get the files you want.
 
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If it is an XT, it doesn't have a setup. Any battery would be for a RTC.

You need an XT keyboard, availalbe still on ePay. And a boot disk of course. That's all you should need.
 
Boot using a DOS 3.3 floppy disk. If that doesn't work, DOS 5 will definitely work. You should use a real 360K diskette in that drive.

After you boot from the floppy you should be able to access the hard drive using C: and rescue any data from it. Don't alter anything, and don't waste time .. it's 20 years old already, and it might not have much life in it, assuming that it works at all.
 
Well, on the time thing, I had one of those MFM jobs. As it got older, I had to let it warm up before I wrote data to it. Otherwise, any "early writes" would not read after it warmed up. So, if you get CRC read errors or general failure or sector not found, try letting it just sit there and warm up for 20 minutes or so.
 
If you're going to put it up for grabs, I'll be glad to take it.

The others have already covered it all, you should be able to get everything off of it with a DOS bootdisk and an XT keyboard.
 
Not up for grabs just yet, heh heh. While figuring out how to proceed I opened the case and took a good look. Didn't take it apart just looked in. I think I counted a whole SPECK of dust in it. The cables look to be brand new, too. No rust on the power supply. These are both strange, cause here in the southwest EVERYTHING gets dusty or rusty. Desert or evaporative cooling are the culprits. I noticed that there are tool marks around the screwholes, probably for getting a good ground? My best guess. The whole frame is painted black. (boy do I need a new digital camera!)
 
EUREKA! I found it! I rmembered that I have a PS/1 that has a 5.25" drive onboard that works. I keep it in the non-working section cause it doesn't have an outer case so I basically tuned it out. Duh me. So when I get the chance I'll be making that bootdisk. I got a keyboard that has the DIN5 connector, not sure if it's going to work. I got a line on a source for old hardware here, I might be able to get a stock kb from them *maybe*.
 
It's been four keyboards and still no luck. I thought I had one stashed but apparently they're all AT. Also, the floppy drive has a problem. Its door arm on the b: drive won't stay down and when it boots the machine doesn't look for the it. ALSO, now I'm getting a disk error ("disk error!") at startup and it starts beeping intermittently. I am guessing this is not good.

On the bright side... I did get the PS/1 to work okay, the fdd on it decided to die on me and I dug more and found a Mitsumi that I had stashed for just such an occasion. I wa able to get command.com to it okay. So my caseless IBM is still a champ.

Off to ebay for a keyboard :(
 
No, they are common, you can find 'em in many companies and computer services.
Most older keyboards have switches.
 
I've only ever seen one (here in the UK). It was on eBay a week or so ago, brand new in the original box. Mine for £0.99 :D
 
DOH! I wish I could find one that cheap. I'll have to check more places. I hear the college has a room full of XT machines they use for demos. What they demo is beyond me. They're already like, six generations of computers since they used anything like an XT and they can now emulate pretty much any machine they want.
 
I have a PS/1 machine with win3.1 and plenty of free ISA slots. Would it be feasable to take the hdd and controller card OUT of the XT and power it up there? That way I can at least take the data and make floppies out of it to take to another machine. *IF* the drive has any life left in it. Would I need to install drivers for the controller card? Any other special things??
 
NathanAllan said:
I have a PS/1 machine with win3.1 and plenty of free ISA slots. Would it be feasable to take the hdd and controller card OUT of the XT and power it up there? That way I can at least take the data and make floppies out of it to take to another machine. *IF* the drive has any life left in it. Would I need to install drivers for the controller card? Any other special things??
Click to expand...

If I had a trip to El Paso (to visit my family, not any truck driving) soon I'd run one of the two full DTK XT systems & a keyboard down to you. I'm only a few hours' drive away. But I don't have that sort of free time anymore...
 
Me neither. I'd have gone to see Erik's museum by now if I had time. There're lots of places I'd like to go with time and opportunity. :( So for now it's mail order. Maybe Las Cruces this weekend.
 
NathanAllan said:
...Maybe Las Cruces this weekend.
Click to expand...

There is a surplus guy I really like in Las Cruces. Contact me for further details. He's a nice guy; Told me to be safe the last time I was deployed & he ended up getting hit by a truck crossing a parking lot.
 
You can't put an XT hard drive in an AT class machine without formatting it. I think you need an AT controller too, or at least a switchable one.
 
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