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NEC Powermate I (286) Desktop

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Unknown_K

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Snagged a NEC Powermate I Friday since I was bored and it had a 3.5/5.25" combo drive in it. System is a 286-8 with 640K RAM and a 40MB MFM drive. Oddly enough once I got it hooked up the system boot, so I guess the CMOS memory is intact.

Kind of odd having only 640K of RAM (didn't most 286 systens come with 1MB?), how do I get into BIOS to see if the extra RAM is turned off?

Also what is the best way to add more RAM on a 286 (if I decide it needs it)?
 
According to the stason motherboard information, it is possible to have 640kb on the motherboard. Check to see if the one bank has lower capacity chips than the other. If so, simply upgrade memory chips and change jumpers and everything should work. My AT clone did something similar though without requiring the 512kB to be moved when upgrading to 640kB.

http://stason.org/TULARC/pc/motherboards/N/NEC-TECHNOLOGIES-INC-286-POWERMATE-286.html

Most expansion cards would back fill the memory and sometimes that would be faster than the motherboard memory.
 
Unknown_K said:
Kind of odd having only 640K of RAM (didn't most 286 systens come with 1MB?), how do I get into BIOS to see if the extra RAM is turned off?
Also what is the best way to add more RAM on a 286 (if I decide it needs it)?
Click to expand...

As for BIOS configuration, the text at http://www.mail-archive.com/survpc@softcon.com/msg01662.html indicates a setup program from NEC. Maybe that setup program was Powermate 1 specific, but maybe it was a generic one.

By writing "Kind of odd having only 640K", I get the impression that that's the RAM count that the POST is displaying. In my experience, machines count fitted RAM even if some of it is hidden, or used by the BIOS, or mapped past the 1MB mark. So it sounds like you've got 640KB fitted.

"NEC Powermate 1 286-8/640Kb/21Mb" appears at http://74.125.153.132/search?q=cach...eng.unsw.edu.au/app/Examples/Excel/Assets.xls

However, the review of the Powermate 1 (a 10 MHz one) in the 25Jul88 edition of InfoWorld indicates 1MB of RAM.
To see that, Google using "the nec powermate 1 combines" (with the quotation marks).

So maybe the 286-8 ones were supplied with 640KB, and the 286-10 ones were supplied with 1MB.
 
I have also just acquired a working NEC Powermate 1 with 3.5 & 5.25 floppy drives and a 20mb hard drive.

When booting I receive a message "Invalid Configuration - please run the setup disk"

I have contacted NEC to try and obtain the setup file with no success.

Any suggestions of how to obtain the setup file would be welcomed.


Jeffo
 
Jeffo said:
When booting I receive a message "Invalid Configuration - please run the setup disk"

I have contacted NEC to try and obtain the setup file with no success.

Any suggestions of how to obtain the setup file would be welcomed.


Jeffo
Click to expand...

Found the setup disk here:

ftp://ftp.necam.com/pub/desktop/PowerMate/Old.PowerMate/Other.PowerMate/Utilities/

You will need your browser setup to connect to FTP sites. I use FireFTP for Firefox.

The file you need is :

HSPM1.EXE PM1 Hardware Utilities Reve 1.20
 
I have an NEC Powermate 286 Plus. It gives the message 'Invalid Configuration Information - Please run SETUP program'
I tried running HSPM1.EXE PM1 Hardware Utilities Reve 1.20 without success. The same invalid configuration information still comes up. HSPM2.com also didn't work.

I tried finding GSETUP mentioned by Druid6900 but am unable to find it.

Can anyone help? How do I configure setup information?
 
If you run the program, save it, and restart (without powering off) - does it work?
If so, you'll need to replace the battery. There is also switches inside the machine, and above the top drive bay should be a sticker explaining them, make sure they're ok.

You can find GSETUP on the best website ever: http://www.minuszerodegrees.net/software/software.htm

Since this old thread has already been dug up, I have a PowerMate 286 as well, and so does the NEC office upstairs!
 
I put a new battery in there. Switches are all good.
Downloaded GSETUP put it doesn't want to boot. I still get invalid configuration message.
I can't do anything on the machine.

*update
I've tried booting an IBM version of DOS from a 5' floppy. I get the error no boot drive detected press F1 to reboot. When I push F1 the message reappears and the machine doesn't reboot unless I ctrl alt + del
 
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nka said:
I still get invalid configuration message.
Click to expand...
You will continue to see that message until such time that you reconfigure the computer using a suitable SETUP program.

nka said:
I've tried booting an IBM version of DOS from a 5' floppy. I get the error no boot drive detected press F1 to reboot. When I push F1 the message reappears and the machine doesn't reboot unless I ctrl alt + del
Click to expand...
Was that a 1.2M sized 5.25" boot floppy? If so, try a 360K sized 5.25" boot floppy, because it is possible that the computer can only boot from a 360K floppy when the computer is in an unconfigured state.
 
Am I correct in thinking I need to boot DOS first in order to run a setup program (I've found GSETUP) but I need a 360K floppy in order to do so?
 
nka said:
Am I correct in thinking I need to boot DOS first in order to run a setup program (I've found GSETUP) but I need a 360K floppy in order to do so?
Click to expand...
GSETUP is a DOS program, so yes, to run GSETUP, you would need to boot to DOS and then run GSETUP.

I do not know if your 5.25" drive is a 360K or a 1.2M, but most 286 based computers would have been supplied with a 1.2M drive.

Often, when the computer is unconfigured, attempts to boot using a 1.2M boot floppy in a 1.2M drive will fail, but attempts to boot using a 360K boot floppy in a 1.2M drive will work. That may be the situation with your computer. PM me if you would like me to freely mail you a 360K boot diskette (with GSETUP on it).

I am unfamiliar with the PowerMate 286, and so I do not know whether or not GSETUP will work. Post #9 indicates that SpidersWeb has a PowerMate 286, and in that post he points to GSETUP, kind of suggesting that he knows that GSETUP will work.
 
Brogmoid said:
Did you end up getting a 5 1/4 floppy to boot? I am having the same problem after removing battery to replace it. I tried GSETUP on a 3.5 floppy but it wont read it.
Click to expand...

Is the disk formatted as a DOS system disk? Have you tested it in another machine?
Also make sure your 3.5 floppy is the A drive.
 
Just bought one of these machines today. It came without a FDD so I installed a 5.25" HD FDD.

I can confirm the HSPM1.EXE (ftp://ftp.necam.com/pub/desktop/PowerMate/Old.PowerMate/Other.PowerMate/Utilities/) works great. It unpacks a bunch of software though. INIT.EXE is the tool that allowed me to get in the BIOS. The BIOS is a little fickle in that you cannot easily choose which HDD to install: e.g. there is no display of headers, cylinders, sectors and so on.

I have a NEC PowerMate 286 Plus BTW. The HDD that came with it is a WD 930-44A. It has 1 16BIT ISA expansion card for IDE and FDD.

I had to configure the BIOS to have 384KB XMS recognized.

I managed to get the NEC PowerMate 286 to boot @ 12MHZ with the SETUP.EXE in this file:
HS286PR4.EXE (ftp://ftp.necam.com/pub/desktop/PowerMate/Old.PowerMate/PowerMate.286.Series/Utilities). This is a folder separate from the 1 above.
 
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It turns out to be a really fast 80286. I have no idea why but it feels a lot faster than my Leading Technology 5000AT which has the same CPU and 2MB RAM instead of 1MB like the NEC.

I may install a 3.5" HD FDD as well. I believe my local Goodwill has a NEC keyboard that would go nice with it. I may pick that up. Beware the wrath of the lady of the house! :)
08470-1.jpg
 
It turns out to be a really fast 80286. I have no idea why but it feels a lot faster than my Leading Technology 5000AT which has the same CPU and 2MB RAM instead of 1MB like the NEC. I installed a Sound Blaster 2.0 CT1350 in it and played Wolfenstein 3D. That game runs really smooth. And it handles Wings of Fury a little too well. I have to slow it down to 8MHZ for that game to work properly (e.g. the fighter plane not to go too fast).

I may install a 3.5" HD FDD as well. I believe my local Goodwill has a NEC keyboard that would go nice with it. I may pick that up. Beware the wrath of the lady of the house! :)
08470-1.jpg
 
S+
peaking of the PowerMate I...it was my first ever computer...MFM drive was dead as all hell. I blew up the power supply on it being the curious kid i was. Ditched the lot, which is a shame as apart from the PSU it would have been fine. I spotted one on ebay just now and im gunning for it. I have huge nostalgia
& melancholy for this machine and its also a strong memory of my father, as he bought it back in the day. Large emotional attachment here to a old machine here. It's been so long since ive worked with a 286...can i just drop a IDE controller in it or am i going to need something like a XT-IDE BIOS on a ethernet option rom as well.
 
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