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We need something better than cards for retro PC HD Drive Replacement

EverStaR

EverStaR

Experienced Member
Joined
Jan 17, 2024
Messages
195
GPT weighs in:

Replacing hard drives in retro PCs, requires consideration of several factors, including the original hardware's limitations, the desired outcome (e.g., authenticity vs. modern convenience), and the availability of contemporary solutions that are compatible with vintage technology. Here are some of the best solutions for replacing retro PC hard drives, ranging from authentic hardware solutions to modern alternatives that emulate the behavior of old storage devices:

### 1. **Using Original Hardware (when available)**
- **Pros**: Authentic experience, maintains original system specifications.
- **Cons**: Hard to find, can be expensive, prone to failure due to age.

### 2. **Compact Flash (CF) or SD Card Adapters**
- These adapters can replace old hard drives and use CF or SD cards as storage media.
- **Pros**: Relatively easy to find, solid-state (no moving parts), lower power consumption, silent operation.
- **Cons**: May require custom firmware or adapters, file system compatibility issues.

### 3. **SCSI2SD or IDE2SD Adapters**
- SCSI2SD converts an SD card into a SCSI hard drive, suitable for systems using SCSI interfaces. IDE2SD does the same for IDE interfaces.
- **Pros**: Good compatibility with old systems, adjustable settings for different SCSI or IDE types, solid-state reliability.
- **Cons**: Cost higher than basic adapters, setup complexity for non-technical users.

### 4. **USB to IDE/SATA Adapters (with appropriate enclosure)**
- For systems that can boot from USB, these adapters can be used with modern SATA drives or SSDs.
- **Pros**: Utilizes modern, readily available storage solutions, relatively easy setup.
- **Cons**: Limited by the USB implementation on retro PCs, not all systems support USB booting.

### 5. **PiDrive or Raspberry Pi with Network Storage**
- Using a Raspberry Pi as a network-attached storage (NAS) device or directly emulating a hard drive via GPIO pins.
- **Pros**: Highly customizable, modern storage capacities, can serve multiple functions beyond just storage.
- **Cons**: Requires additional setup and configuration, might not be suitable for all retro computing environments.

### 6. **Floppy Emulators (e.g., Gotek)**
- Although primarily used for floppy disk replacement, some systems can boot from floppy drives and might be served well with a floppy emulator for basic storage needs.
- **Pros**: Simple to install and use, replaces unreliable floppy disks.
- **Cons**: Limited storage capacity compared to hard drives.

### 7. **Custom Solutions**
- For the truly dedicated, custom PCBs that interface modern storage solutions with vintage computer buses (e.g., IDE, SCSI, or custom interfaces) can be designed.
- **Pros**: Tailored exactly to your needs, can offer the best of both worlds (modern storage with retro compatibility).
- **Cons**: Requires advanced knowledge in electronics and possibly firmware development, potentially high cost and time investment.

### Choosing the Best Solution
The "best" solution depends on your specific needs, the particular retro PC you're working with, and your preferences regarding authenticity versus convenience. For example, if maintaining the original look and feel is paramount, seeking out original hardware or using CF/SD adapters that fit within the existing chassis might be best. If you prioritize reliability and storage capacity, SCSI2SD or IDE2SD adapters offer a modern twist on retro storage without significantly altering the system's external appearance.

Remember, compatibility is key. Ensure the solution you choose is compatible with your system's hardware and software requirements.


What are your thoughts on this topic, I personally think CF Cards have a more limit life expectancy and this topic is worthy of discussion!

Thoughts?
 
Nah. My old computers arent on constantly like when they were in use. So these methods now are perfect the way they are. Cheap easy and convenient.
 
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VERAULT said:
Nah. My old computers arent on constantly like when they were in use. So these methods now are perfect the wya they are. Cheap easy and convenient.
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Not sure I a. Following, real HD,CF, SD, other converted option?
 
XTIDE + CF for my 8088 machines and XUB for 286+. Mostly HDD in these machines but when the HDD breaks down, I see if I can replace it with CF. Mainly depends on the needed size.
 
Did you really post a chatgpt text as a topic of discussion? So if I give out some counter-arguments pro CFs I'm talking to a computer program?

In case the topic title isn't computer generated but actually yours, the response is absolutely no, as the cards are perfect for the task at hand. If you understand the majority use case, and if you understand other requirements such as abundance of media, there is no discussion to be held here. Every design is a compromise, you have mentioned lifespan but didn't mention other things 'pro' CF cards others did here. This is no way to keep a discussion going.

Do you have some strange use cases or just ideas about new developments? Genuinely asking. There are several DIY projects that do the 8bit ISA and BIOS stuff. They can be connected to the "physical" part easily. There is entire project of emulating ISA devices from raspberry Pi. So the bridges are already built. What do you want to put on the other side?
 
All in favor of not allowing posts of this nature which are pure conjecture from ChatGPT say aye.

AYE! 🖐️




I honestly dont care about chatgpt. Its not a tool. Its not important. And Im tired of morons throwing it in my face all day. Jesus.

Why cant the direction of bandwagons be off of a cliff instead of in your face?
 
Fair enough, no more GPT and I do disclose whether something comes from it.

I am genuinely getting to dislike CF cards, however, sometimes its inevitable now days. Simply looking at alternatives. If you would like the moderator to kill this I will ask the simple question.
 
Well discuss that. What are the issues you are having with CF cards? Thats a pretty interesting topic. One I am dealing with myself in the last few days.
 
VERAULT said:
Well discuss that. What are the issues you are having with CF cards? Thats a pretty interesting topic. One I am dealing with myself in the last few days.
Click to expand...
Most I am able to resolve by using identical cards. One thing I do as I build up a base OS, is image snapshots. Sometimes those snapshots become the basis for another build. Example, the win 3.1 dos image was used as a starting point for a Win95 or OS/2 load. Some of those OS's get a bit picky about letting you freshly part ion and do a clean install where as some of the upgrade versions seem fine if they recognize an existing OS. When using an image on the same size CF but manufacturer you sometimes get hangs when loading the copy. This is after going into the BIOS for example and updating the geometry of the drive because each Flashcard is a little different. This is in reference to my 486. I used an SSD for my Pentium Builds and it seems to be much smoother.
 
I see. The trouble I seem to be having is similar. I can partition the new card (a different size or brand) and I can format it. I can even copy contents from another CF card to it and all seems well. But I cannot boot them. For some reason I have to do FDISK /MBR to resolve that.
 
I'd like to see something more custom as an IDE drive replacement for the stuff that doesn't support auto-detect or even user type. You can usually get off-the-shelf stuff working with some fiddling but it's always a pain and seems to vary between system with what works best. For those who want something easier to set up, I'd like to see a BlueSCSI-style device that allows you to configure C/H/S values yourself to whatever your BIOS supports. Would be very useful in systems where XTIDE is tough to get working, like laptops for instance, or anything with limited expansion.
 
CF is crazy sometimes, so today I am getting OS/2 Warp 4 to work, where previously it hasn't. So I installed OS2 V3, and now OS2 V4 seems to acknowledge the partition, just sitting here shaking my head and wondering if it will actually fully install. n OS2 Warp Server declares it wont work with my BIOS where regular OS2 4 Warp Connect using Servers Disk Images works.
 
I have a mixture, but on the 486 2GB is the max so i just use 2GB cards, Transcend, SanDisk, Kingston and yes a few cheapos that ironically tend to work better than the quality ones. I will say the Transcend seems to be most stable of the lot. To be fair, it may not all be to blame on the CF Cards, these are old machines we are talking about as well.
 
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I bought an 8GB SD card a couple months ago, low capacity cards are still available.
 
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