Update

[ppo]

I've asked permission to go to the recycling center, but after trying all metods and even with an autorization signed by members of the school board, my entrance was denied.

http://www.vintage-computer.com/vcforum/showthread.php?t=17701 (link to the original post)

But my project has to continue, so I bought a bunch of computers and other parts for very little money.

Here are pictures of them, and by the way I would like someone to tell me what is wrong with this computer and if any of these computers is vintage.

 

[tezza]

Well, given the badge on the case at least one seems to be a 486-SX 25 which I would say is vintage. Hard to tell from just the cases though. Given the lack of 5.25 inch floppy drives most of them look like early pentiums.

Obviously a hard drive problem in one of them. Have you opened that one up? The hard drive might have been removed, CMOS might need re-configuring or it's simply gone bad.

Tez

 

[ppo]

I have already opened the computer and it really hasn't got a hard drive.
So, I've picked up a Hard Drive and tried to install it, but I don't know much about computers and I don't understand why my Hd doesn't have an entrance like the first image, but it has the second.

Edit: I've found another Hd which I was able to mount on the computer, but then I turned on the computer and the same message appeared...

 

[kvanderlaag]

The first image is an IDE hard drive. This connector is pretty standard, especially in newer-old hardware. (Pretty well anything made in the last twenty years, with a few exceptions.)

The second image is a newer SCSI drive - generally, these drives require an expansion card to connect to most motherboards, and the connector is the newer style SCSI interface anyhow.

This is likely why you couldn't figure out how to connect the second drive to the computer. However, from what I understand, you now have a hard drive like the one in the first picture connected to the computer?

If so, the error suggests to me that the hard drive you have installed does not have a boot partition on it. There needs to be something on the HDD for it to boot, right? If you have a DOS/Windows 95/Windows 98 boot disk, try inserting that in the floppy drive and see what it does then - the results will probably be very different.

To check the hard drive, though, you're going to have to post us a picture of the -top- of the screen where the error is displayed. This will show us a list of installed devices, specifically hard drives.

If it IS displaying that a hard drive is installed, you'll want to try installing an operating system. DOS, Windows - take your pick.

 

[ppo]

Well, given the badge on the case at least one seems to be a 486-SX 25 which I would say is vintage. Hard to tell from just the cases though. Given the lack of 5.25 inch floppy drives most of them look like early pentiums.

Obviously a hard drive problem in one of them. Have you opened that one up? The hard drive might have been removed, CMOS might need re-configuring or it's simply gone bad.

Tez

You were right, I opened the Olivetti up and it was a 486.
And yes I opened the other ones and they are Pentiums.

 

[ppo]

The first image is an IDE hard drive. This connector is pretty standard, especially in newer-old hardware. (Pretty well anything made in the last twenty years, with a few exceptions.)

The second image is a newer SCSI drive - generally, these drives require an expansion card to connect to most motherboards, and the connector is the newer style SCSI interface anyhow.

This is likely why you couldn't figure out how to connect the second drive to the computer. However, from what I understand, you now have a hard drive like the one in the first picture connected to the computer?

If so, the error suggests to me that the hard drive you have installed does not have a boot partition on it. There needs to be something on the HDD for it to boot, right? If you have a DOS/Windows 95/Windows 98 boot disk, try inserting that in the floppy drive and see what it does then - the results will probably be very different.

To check the hard drive, though, you're going to have to post us a picture of the -top- of the screen where the error is displayed. This will show us a list of installed devices, specifically hard drives.

If it IS displaying that a hard drive is installed, you'll want to try installing an operating system. DOS, Windows - take your pick.

I've tried to install Windows Nt 4.0 (the only system I have) and then after inserting 5 diskettes and a long time, there was some kind of error and the installation stopped and the computer rebooted.
I'm going to test it again and later post pictures and more details.

 

[ppo]

Just tested the computer and the only thing it says, is to insert the system disk.
And after that it says that it can't find the HD.
Maybe the Hard Disk is broken or something.

I've looked to the top of the screen and the HD isn't recognized by the computer.
I'm sure that everything is connected.
I don't know what more to do.

 

[Rick Ethridge]

Hardware Questions

Hardware Questions

It looks as though you have a bunch of "castaways". My recommendation is to get a Freedos bootdisk to see if they'll boot from a floppy. I'd also check each working computer's BIOS settings as connecting a hard drive without changing the settings won't get you far. Try "DEL", "F1", or try "CTRL-ALT-ESC" or variants when they first start.

 

[ppo]

Only one computer is fully operational, the others are all dismantled.
What do I have to do exactly to configure my HD?