• Please review our updated Terms and Rules here

Assistance Transferring/Receiving Files - DOS 3.3

A

ASM

Experienced Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2012
Messages
54
I have received DOS 3.3, it works fine and I am currently learning how to utilize it with the manuals,
One problem I have is that I do not own software to run on it (apart from GEM desktop and a word processor),
I really wanted to learn ASM but I have no assembler,
It would have been smarter for me to get a version with interlink like some other people suggested,
I am now wondering if there is any way I can retrieve files without buying a new version of DOS so maybe I could write the v6.x or get an assembler,
The Compaq Portable I own came with an internal modem, it has RJ11 connectors and some jacks, the model number is WS-14141V7C but that is about all I know.
I am not sure if I am able to connect to the internet through DOS because of the lack of drivers and software,

I would appreciate it if someone could assist me in possibly connecting to the internet using this machine or getting files another way (Serial & Parallel ports?) just so I have something to work with.

Thank you!
 
I do not have a Pentium machine unfortunately,
I heard they were the last with the correct BUS to install a 5.25" drive,

Would there be a way using an Ethernet to RJ11 somehow (still would assume it would not work because of drivers)?
And regarding the Ports is there no way to get information from them using my current software?

Anyway I just have a standard Win7 machine (i7 2600k, 64bit)
I have a few 32bit laptops if they have the correct architecture

And;
amiga 500 (x2),
atari st 1040,
dragon 32,
vic 20,
commodore plus 4,
aquarius (x2),
atari 400,
atari 600xl,
atari 800,
radioshack trs-80,

Thanks for the reply anyway.
 
It's not just the jack size, a modem jack and ethernet jack are electrically completely different.
It's not the processor, rather, the motherboard and bios that drive floppy support; there's plenty of post-Pentium boards that support 5.25
What I was after was if you have another, more modern machine with a parallel or serial port.
Do any of the laptops have a 3.5" floppy and a parallel or serial port ?
patscc
 
If you can track down one of those Microsolutions 1.44MB external parallel port drive, that makes an easy cheap way to transfer files.

Many products similar to Interlnk existed. Laplink was the best known.

Finding ports: Newer DOS has MSD. Norton Utilities has System Information. I know there were a couple of free downloadable equivalents but I have no idea of where to download them from.
 
If you can't have another system that supports a double density 5.25 inch diskette get a Microsolutions Backpack floppy drive or a parallel port Iomega Zip drive with the PalmZip driver. Both attach through the parallel port. The Backpack lets you use 1.44MB floppies, while the Zip can be used as a stand-in for a real hard drive.
 
patscc said:
It's not just the jack size, a modem jack and ethernet jack are electrically completely different.
It's not the processor, rather, the motherboard and bios that drive floppy support; there's plenty of post-Pentium boards that support 5.25
What I was after was if you have another, more modern machine with a parallel or serial port.
Do any of the laptops have a 3.5" floppy and a parallel or serial port ?
patscc
Click to expand...

Unfortunately I do not,
Don’t suppose it is the same situation with Parallel and Serial Converters?
 
If you have time, can you list the laptop models you have ?
I've never tried running interlnk (or similar) over a USB-Serial converter, I imagine the chief issue would be if there is a DOS-loadable driver for the USB-Serial converter, since I don't think the BIOS will set this up for you.
The nice thing about zip drives, as frustrating as they can be, is that there are internal IDE models available that you can use on any machine that still has a PATA port.
patscc
 
patscc said:
If you have time, can you list the laptop models you have ?
I've never tried running interlnk (or similar) over a USB-Serial converter, I imagine the chief issue would be if there is a DOS-loadable driver for the USB-Serial converter, since I don't think the BIOS will set this up for you.
The nice thing about zip drives, as frustrating as they can be, is that there are internal IDE models available that you can use on any machine that still has a PATA port.
patscc
Click to expand...

Would it be worth buying this;
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Iomega-ZI...uting_FloppyDiskDrives_SM&hash=item19d4b33c79
25 minutes left, I guess I could get a Femail to USB if I want to use it on my PC?

Edit;
This one comes with Disks, better choice;
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-Iomeg...uting_FloppyDiskDrives_SM&hash=item2a22265413
(just realised it is USB, maybe not then)
 
You'd need two, the USB one, and one for the parallel port, which do show up from time to time on eBay. The disks are interchangable.
List your laptop models so we can figure out what can be done with what you have.
patscc
 
patscc said:
You'd need two, the USB one, and one for the parallel port, which do show up from time to time on eBay. The disks are interchangable.
List your laptop models so we can figure out what can be done with what you have.
patscc
Click to expand...

I will have to check a little bit later for some older ones I have but the ones I can remember are;

Dell Studio PPLL3
Samsung NP-NC10

Just in case it is somehow compatible my MoBo is a MSI P67A-GD65
My friend said he has a parallel to USB & Serial to USB which I can have in case it is of any use.
 
ASM said:
And regarding the Ports is there no way to get information from them using my current software?
Click to expand...

I'm not familiar with DOS 3, but it is worth checking your manuals for methods to do file transfer using serial ports (not RJ11 or parallel) using the DOS commands for COPY or PRINT. I have used these for transferring files even to a CP/M machine. It involves instructing the receiving machine to listen to the serial port, and then instructing the sending machine to output to its serial port. The trick is to have a null-modem cable connection between the ports, to set XON/XOFF protocol if available on both machines, and to experiment with baud rate settings, starting low. This should all be doable within DOS. Once you can do that, you can start loading better programs such as terminal programs with flow control.

If you have RJ11 ports it is likely that you have built-in dial-up modems that you can use once your DOS 3 machine has a terminal program loaded. If you need to keep using the serial port for some reason, there are discarded dial-up modems for serial port connection lying around everywhere.
 
You might be thinking of COPY file AUX which sends a stream to the serial port. ASM's trying to get stuff onto his box, not off.
The RJ-11 method needs a modem in the PC, and something to supply the 45VDC & ring signal that are present on the phone line.

The best thing to do might be to grab that USB-Serial adapter, load HyperTerm on the XP or 7 box, and see if you can use a terminal program to connect the PC's serial port to the USB-Serial port (not the RJ-11 modem).
Of course, the problem here is ASM doesn't have a terminal program.
ASM, where are you located ?
patscc
 
patscc said:
You might be thinking of COPY file AUX which sends a stream to the serial port. ASM's trying to get stuff onto his box, not off.
The RJ-11 method needs a modem in the PC, and something to supply the 45VDC & ring signal that are present on the phone line.

The best thing to do might be to grab that USB-Serial adapter, load HyperTerm on the XP or 7 box, and see if you can use a terminal program to connect the PC's serial port to the USB-Serial port (not the RJ-11 modem).
Of course, the problem here is ASM doesn't have a terminal program.
ASM, where are you located ?
patscc
Click to expand...

I live in the U.K. Unfortunately,
I will get that adapter and see what I can do,
I will most probably need help though, just getting into this stuff,
Thanks for all the help!
 
ASM's problem currently is that he's stuck modern,non-dos box with (at best) a USB-Serial on one end, and a PC/XT on the other. If someone in the UK were to send ASM a 360k disk with Procomm, or anything else that supports at least xmodem, and can hopefully talk to HyperTerm, things would look up. This is one of those chicken-egg deals.
patscc
 
Keep an eye on this:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Iomega-Zi...uting_FloppyDiskDrives_SM&hash=item4607489dc9
Alternatively (heading for a higher price):
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Iomega-Ex...uting_FloppyDiskDrives_SM&hash=item2574c1bec9

Its the 100MB version that can work with an XT.

On the other end (modern PC) you need a USB version then:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Iomega-ZI...uting_FloppyDiskDrives_SM&hash=item27ca83a6ab

Or you could indeed find an old 486 or P1 system.

I guess it all depends on if you are looking at a one time situation or are going to transfer files more often in the future.
 
Sorry for not responding, I have been away briefly,
When I get home today I will have the USB to (M)Serial adaptor (with drivers),
Is there any possible way of transferring the data on this alone, what should I try?
I guess it would be unfeasible to disassemble some drivers for the Compaq and then copy it out by hand into debug?
Anyway, thank you for all the insight.
 
Last edited:
when I was at hp in 1995, I had time on my hands., and two pc's and other parts as they were seriously upgrading. I made a 3 wire lapting serial cable using dv connectors and a short piece of telephone wire.

I used ll 3.00a. it will install via a serial cable.
no need to have anything on the other end
sometimes is is a PITA( a spanish word meaning difficult nearly impossible) to get going.
but it works. The papallel arranement is much faster.
xtree also has xtlink with is similar to laplink
either program is quite small.
But just taking a spare 720k 3.5" floppy and using it in place of the a drive works fine, just format the diskette in the newer machine. an xt does not know if it is a 1.44 or 720k. there is also chop and unchop
from pc mag freeware. breaks up files in cjhiunks
there is another one i DISREMEMBER
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top