linemanduke
Veteran Member
actually it fits in the thingy with the speaker on it lol.
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IBM PS/2 w/ Monitor, Printer, Keyboard - 286
- Thread starter tidixon
- Start date
Terry Yager
Veteran Member
161 & 163 mean that the CMOS has lost power and the RTC has not been set, IOW, dead battery. It should always be able to boot from the floppy, although you'll need the ref disk to get past the errors before it'll boot to a DOS disk.
--T
--T
Terry Yager
Veteran Member
That's good, means it's ready to boot now, but your bootdisk apparently got corrupted somehow.
--T
--T
linemanduke
Veteran Member
well if he tried to look at the files on the disk to see if it copied it would remove the refstamp and it would refuse to boot . been through this myself many times lol.
The Procom drive did not sell on ebay. Does anyone want it? It fits into a USPS Priority Flat Rate Box, so that would probably be the cheapest way to go. $10 shipped if anyone wants it. Let me know soon, otherwise it goes on the next recycling drop.
As to the computer, I am going to try some more reference disks soon and then post the results and then part it out. I am assuming the parts will sell for more if I can test everything first.
IBM Quietwriter II has been posted.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110302342800
So have cartridges... I think these are for the printer, but they might be for a typewriter.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&item=110302327208
As to the computer, I am going to try some more reference disks soon and then post the results and then part it out. I am assuming the parts will sell for more if I can test everything first.
IBM Quietwriter II has been posted.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110302342800
So have cartridges... I think these are for the printer, but they might be for a typewriter.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&item=110302327208
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IBMMuseum
Veteran Member
- Joined
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Bad diskette drive
Bad diskette drive
It sounds like you might have the same problem as I did with the IBM PS/2 Model 50Z I acquired. It looks like you may have a bad diskette drive. Press F1 with the reference diskette in the diskette drive when you see those error codes and the IBM not OK go to manual symbol. If it throws you into IBM basic and you're sure there is nothing wrong with the reference diskette, then you have a bad diskette drive.
This was the problem I had; since I needed a working drive to setup the system after battery power loss, I just replaced the diskette drive, and luckily the hard disk was still working.
Bad diskette drive
It sounds like you might have the same problem as I did with the IBM PS/2 Model 50Z I acquired. It looks like you may have a bad diskette drive. Press F1 with the reference diskette in the diskette drive when you see those error codes and the IBM not OK go to manual symbol. If it throws you into IBM basic and you're sure there is nothing wrong with the reference diskette, then you have a bad diskette drive.
This was the problem I had; since I needed a working drive to setup the system after battery power loss, I just replaced the diskette drive, and luckily the hard disk was still working.
updates: 5.25" drive taken.
allen: that was my fear, too. but it appears as though I messed up the first ref disk. see below.
I rewrote the ref disk using an IBM utility rather than RawWrite (which I think uses dd) and was careful not to let look at the floppy afterwards or do anything to let the computer seek or read from it. I put it in and get no errors, just a blinking cursor. I presume that means it worked and that now I should put in my dos disk, whichever one that is (I really should have labeled it). Then... press enter or something and it will boot to that? Pictures forthcoming.
allen: that was my fear, too. but it appears as though I messed up the first ref disk. see below.
I rewrote the ref disk using an IBM utility rather than RawWrite (which I think uses dd) and was careful not to let look at the floppy afterwards or do anything to let the computer seek or read from it. I put it in and get no errors, just a blinking cursor. I presume that means it worked and that now I should put in my dos disk, whichever one that is (I really should have labeled it). Then... press enter or something and it will boot to that? Pictures forthcoming.
Oh snap! Apparently it was doing stuff this entire time when I was making my last post. I got a Blue Screen... not a blue screen of death, but a friendly one.
Update: I went through a bunch more screens and then finally it went to restart and I put in the dos disk and got a non-system disk error, so I am thinking that this disk might not have been written correctly either. I put the ref disk back in and it went back to the blue screen much faster this time.
I will make my way to the library tomorrow and make more dos disks (any recommendations on which img files to use? and on which write utilities to use on a public access computer?). Hopefully the hard drive is alive as well...
All this should be on ebay by tomorrow night. Links will be posted then. for the time being, here are more photos
Update: I went through a bunch more screens and then finally it went to restart and I put in the dos disk and got a non-system disk error, so I am thinking that this disk might not have been written correctly either. I put the ref disk back in and it went back to the blue screen much faster this time.
I will make my way to the library tomorrow and make more dos disks (any recommendations on which img files to use? and on which write utilities to use on a public access computer?). Hopefully the hard drive is alive as well...
All this should be on ebay by tomorrow night. Links will be posted then. for the time being, here are more photos
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EddieDX4
Veteran Member
Run automatic configuration
Run automatic configuration
I'm happy to hear that your PS/2's diskette drive is working after all. You need to run automatic configuration after the PS/2 reference diskette is loaded. Because of the loss of battery power, you need to let the system know there is a hard disk installed so the PS/2 can try to boot from the hard disk. Automatic configuration would be the easiest way to do this.
Based on your pictures, you need to get through those messages about the battery. Just press F8 to move forward until you get to the main menu, and from there just run automatic configuration (you may be prompted to run automatic configuration before you get to the main menu).
As for a diskette image writer, the IBM savedskf.exe and loaddskf.exe (sounds like the ones you're using) are fine for what you're doing. I've had no problems using FreeDOS diskcopy <http://www.freedos.org/cgi-bin/lsm.cgi?mode=lsm&lsm=base/diskcopy.lsm> in handling PS/2 Model 50 reference diskettes. Contact me by private message if you need any diskette images. If any of your DOS boot diskettes don't work, I can send you an image of an older DOS boot disk.
Run automatic configuration
I'm happy to hear that your PS/2's diskette drive is working after all. You need to run automatic configuration after the PS/2 reference diskette is loaded. Because of the loss of battery power, you need to let the system know there is a hard disk installed so the PS/2 can try to boot from the hard disk. Automatic configuration would be the easiest way to do this.
Based on your pictures, you need to get through those messages about the battery. Just press F8 to move forward until you get to the main menu, and from there just run automatic configuration (you may be prompted to run automatic configuration before you get to the main menu).
As for a diskette image writer, the IBM savedskf.exe and loaddskf.exe (sounds like the ones you're using) are fine for what you're doing. I've had no problems using FreeDOS diskcopy <http://www.freedos.org/cgi-bin/lsm.cgi?mode=lsm&lsm=base/diskcopy.lsm> in handling PS/2 Model 50 reference diskettes. Contact me by private message if you need any diskette images. If any of your DOS boot diskettes don't work, I can send you an image of an older DOS boot disk.
Ah, I see. I assumed I had to take the Ref disk out when it said it was going to restart when this was not the case. I ran the system tests and have some bad news:
1) Floppy disk write test failed
2) Hard drive failed with some error code, although it did seem to seek alright.
FDD
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110302734728
HDD
I am guessing I should chuck this?
Rest of the system to be posted tonight.
UPDATE:
I put in a FreeDos (nikita) disk and it gave the IBM!OK error. Pressed F1, it booted to the floppy. I went through a bunch of stuff and was able to view the partition table on the HDD. It was split into two partitions. I decided to just keep the partition table and now it is formating the c partition... so I am not sure what the error that the Ref disk reported was. Anyway, I need to run out so that should be done when I get back.
1) Floppy disk write test failed
2) Hard drive failed with some error code, although it did seem to seek alright.
FDD
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110302734728
HDD
I am guessing I should chuck this?
Rest of the system to be posted tonight.
UPDATE:
I put in a FreeDos (nikita) disk and it gave the IBM!OK error. Pressed F1, it booted to the floppy. I went through a bunch of stuff and was able to view the partition table on the HDD. It was split into two partitions. I decided to just keep the partition table and now it is formating the c partition... so I am not sure what the error that the Ref disk reported was. Anyway, I need to run out so that should be done when I get back.
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Before you chuck them
Before you chuck them
Before you chuck them, check that there isn't anything loose inside the diskette drive (open the top cover). I had the same problem with an Alps diskette drive--read no problem, write problem. It turned out that the rubber piece on top of the read/write head (I think that's what it is) came loose. I just glued it back. As for the hard disk, press Ctrl+A in the main menu of the reference disk; choose "format fixed disk" to do a low level format. This might fix your problem. In addition, the "system checkout" allows you to test each component one by one (so you don't have to test the whole system).
Before you chuck them
Before you chuck them, check that there isn't anything loose inside the diskette drive (open the top cover). I had the same problem with an Alps diskette drive--read no problem, write problem. It turned out that the rubber piece on top of the read/write head (I think that's what it is) came loose. I just glued it back. As for the hard disk, press Ctrl+A in the main menu of the reference disk; choose "format fixed disk" to do a low level format. This might fix your problem. In addition, the "system checkout" allows you to test each component one by one (so you don't have to test the whole system).
Thanks Allen!
The low level format did the trick. Error free, actually (no bad sectors).
I see the write-protect mechanism on the floppy and it seems to move up and down alright. I realized that I had not carefully read the on screen instructions and had been putting the Ref disk in when it told me to take out the scratch disk and put it back in. Doh. So, I followed the instructions this time (thinking it would work for sure now), but no, unfortunately it had the same error. Oh well.
The FreeDos installation confuses me and I am going to read a little more about it and try again (it doesn't help that I keep throwing bash commands at it). I formatted the full disk (60MB) and I tried to install but when I checked to see what was there all I had on the C drive was "install.log". It also made references to disks during the installation that I did not have... so my guess is that I will need to take another trip to the library with my stack of floppies. It would be cool to see this working again before shipping it out.
The low level format did the trick. Error free, actually (no bad sectors).
I see the write-protect mechanism on the floppy and it seems to move up and down alright. I realized that I had not carefully read the on screen instructions and had been putting the Ref disk in when it told me to take out the scratch disk and put it back in. Doh. So, I followed the instructions this time (thinking it would work for sure now), but no, unfortunately it had the same error. Oh well.
The FreeDos installation confuses me and I am going to read a little more about it and try again (it doesn't help that I keep throwing bash commands at it). I formatted the full disk (60MB) and I tried to install but when I checked to see what was there all I had on the C drive was "install.log". It also made references to disks during the installation that I did not have... so my guess is that I will need to take another trip to the library with my stack of floppies. It would be cool to see this working again before shipping it out.