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Please help me to open the case of an old 286 desktop (Amstrad PC5286HD)

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caligula

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Sep 25, 2014
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Hello, I have recently acquired an Amstrad PC5286HD for collection purposes.

the machine powers up and boot to MS-DOS 3.3, but this seems a really minimal install, because there are absolutely NO folders on C root and all i see by input a DIR command is just the "COMMAND.COM" file :(

The floppy unit unfortunately is probably faulty because trying to read a disk always report an error... so I am actually thinking what to do to bring this machine into a working state and install a better DOS or Windows...

I have a parallel floppy external unit but I guess I would need to configure DOS first, to be able to use it...
but obviously in these conditions, without being able to edit or copy files on the internal hard drive... I really can't do anything.

So I have to open the case and check if I can eventually change the floppy unit, but here comes the first problem: I can't even open it! and I feel quite embarassed about this :oops:
I removed the screws circled in red in the image below... but the case does not come out, seems somehow stuck, probably in the front part and I don't want to force or break anything...

Can someone please tell me which is the right procedure to remove the external case on a PC5286HD and access to the internal floppy and hdd ?

Thanks in advance!


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On that style of case, the cover normally slides off from the front. And that one Phillips screw by the power connector may be holding it on too.
 
The floppy drive connectors on these are propriatory and the drives themselves are known to fail. It was a while ago, but I'm pretty sure on the one I scrapped you just needed to undo the bottem screws and slide the cover off.
 
Thanks for all replies...

I will try another attempt to remove the cover later today... even if I'm not so confident... but I will try :)

Do you think that I have to remove also the 4 bottom screws surrounded by "gummy" in the first picture??

Thanks Caluser about the feedback on floppy drive..... if it will be hard to find a replacement for this floppy....then I think the only solution may be to remove the hard drive (hoping that it is a standard IDE interface) and somehow make it bootable with another DOS version... but complete... and then put the drive back in
 
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The hard drive is a standard IDE affair iirc. If you have another older dos box available installing more software should be easy enough. Adding a nic with packet driver and the mTCP suite is doable as well. You can also transfer files from one machine to the other using the parallel or serial port. Parallel port transfers will be faster than serial transfers though.

Removing those 4 screws will achieve nothing apart from removing the rubber feet..

My one had an Amstrad made Adlib compatible sound card. That and the raiser card are the only items I kept hardware wise. If you want a disk image of the Amstrad branded CounterPoint menu software sing out.
 

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Thanks Caluser2000, I will let you know how it goes!

By the way... what happened to your PC5286 ? You don't have it anymore... ?
 
caligula said:
Thanks Caluser2000, I will let you know how it goes!

By the way... what happened to your PC5286 ? You don't have it anymore... ?
Click to expand...

Far too many issues. FDD + PSU fail along with the hdd. Decided it wasn't worth putting the time and effort into it. It's now in that big recycle center in the sky. They are tiny, which was why I got it in the first place. Received a nice selection of software with the machine though.

I was lucky enough to pick up a Zenith 286 in good condition a year or so ago to replace it. IMHO It has a quite few advantages over the Amstrad, with the fdd being a bog standard affair for one-> http://www.vintage-computer.com/vcforum/showthread.php?40708-Zenith-Data-Systems-Model-ZCV-251-EC
 
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