enter bios on legacy PB computer?

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gasman

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Jun 6, 2004
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Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.packardbell (More info?)

Hi,

my cousins computer cannot find a HD and I *think* that the HD
controller has packed up as it does not find the HD or the CDROM. The
cabling looks fine.

How do I enter the bios on the legacy computer. its serial no is
F8295000120.

Can I put in a basic HD controller card, as I have done for my old bog
standard PC?

TIA


Please remove obvious from email address if emailing.
 
Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.packardbell (More info?)

"GasMan" <nospampsteel@tesco.net> wrote in message
news:40d88b6c.263218558@news.ntlworld.com...
> Hi,
>
> my cousins computer cannot find a HD and I *think* that the HD
> controller has packed up as it does not find the HD or the CDROM.
The
> cabling looks fine.
>
> How do I enter the bios on the legacy computer. its serial no is
> F8295000120.
>
> Can I put in a basic HD controller card, as I have done for my old
bog
> standard PC?
>
> TIA
>
>
> Please remove obvious from email address if emailing.
>

That varies. Sometimes its F1, or Ctl-Alt-Del, or F2, or in many
systems you push DEL and you enter the BIOS.
After your there simply make sure that the BIOS is set for AUTO
Detect, if the hdd and cd rom are connected correctly on the Pin 1
with the strip of the controller ribbon. Also make sure that the IDE
controllers ribbon is set into the slot without any bent or missing
pins and lastly make sure that the power supply connectors are live
and snug.

Elector
 
Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.packardbell (More info?)

Thanks, it turned out to be F2, and when I re auto the drives it tells
me 'not installed', yet when I changed the primary slave to CDROM, on
bootup it told me 'not ATAPI compatable', so it is recognising
something.

On Tue, 22 Jun 2004 21:27:02 GMT, "Elector" <elector@my-deja.com>
wrote:

>
>"GasMan" <nospampsteel@tesco.net> wrote in message
>news:40d88b6c.263218558@news.ntlworld.com...
>> Hi,
>>
>> my cousins computer cannot find a HD and I *think* that the HD
>> controller has packed up as it does not find the HD or the CDROM.
>The
>> cabling looks fine.
>>
>> How do I enter the bios on the legacy computer. its serial no is
>> F8295000120.
>>
>> Can I put in a basic HD controller card, as I have done for my old
>bog
>> standard PC?
>>
>> TIA
>>
>>
>> Please remove obvious from email address if emailing.
>>
>
>That varies. Sometimes its F1, or Ctl-Alt-Del, or F2, or in many
>systems you push DEL and you enter the BIOS.
>After your there simply make sure that the BIOS is set for AUTO
>Detect, if the hdd and cd rom are connected correctly on the Pin 1
>with the strip of the controller ribbon. Also make sure that the IDE
>controllers ribbon is set into the slot without any bent or missing
>pins and lastly make sure that the power supply connectors are live
>and snug.
>
>Elector
>
>
>

Please remove obvious from email address if emailing.
 
Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.packardbell (More info?)

"GasMan" <nospampsteel@tesco.net> wrote in message
news:40d94ea0.313191155@news.ntlworld.com...
> Thanks, it turned out to be F2, and when I re auto the drives it tells
> me 'not installed', yet when I changed the primary slave to CDROM, on
> bootup it told me 'not ATAPI compatable', so it is recognising
> something.
>



You would first place the fdisked and formatted hard drive on the Primary
IDE as Master, you place the CD Rom on the Secondary IDE as Master in a
perfect world. However, an ATAPI CD Rom would need to be attached in a
system that does not use config.sys or autoexec.bat since these two files
will be conflicting when it tries to run. I always rename them to config.old
and autoexec.old (Do not remove the original files after renaming them)

Did the original system have the CD Rom on the sound card? I would bet it
did. If you still have the original set up you could place the unit as
original in order to get the unit up and running and then place the proper
OS on the system then install the newer CD rom as my instructions above.

Another cause of action:

If the Primary IDE is functional simply make sure that the hard drive is not
screwed up. Is it the original hard drive? If not what is the size of it?
Has it been fdisked and formatted? if it has then place only the hard drive
on the primary IDE and see if on boot up it starts windows. If it does then
place the other device on the secondary IDE.

If you have a controller card place it in the PCI slot and then the hard
drive on and see if it boots as per the instructions in the box for the
card.

Write back if you have more difficulty.

Elector
 
Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.packardbell (More info?)

Is the computer a 386, 486 or Pentium? If it's earlier than a Pentium, the BIOS
is very much brain-damaged compared to a modern BIOS. Many 486 BIOSes cannot
autodetect hard drives and balk somewhat when confronted by an ATAPI CD-ROM
drive. Also, depending on the age of the computer, the BIOS may well be limited
as to the hard drive capacity it supports without some help. For example, 386s
and early 486s autodetect hard drives up to 528MB. Newer 486s (an oxymoron, for
sure) and early Pentium systems autodetect up to 2.1GB. Then you have the very
early and wierd almost-ATAPI CD-ROM drives, many made by NEC. They use an IDE
connector but fail to meet the modern IDE/ATAPI standards. Playing around with
this old stuff can be fun or frustrating.

Tell some more about the system you have there, and maybe somebody can provide
you with more info... Ben Myers

On Tue, 22 Jun 2004 19:44:31 GMT, nospampsteel@tesco.net (GasMan) wrote:

>Hi,
>
>my cousins computer cannot find a HD and I *think* that the HD
>controller has packed up as it does not find the HD or the CDROM. The
>cabling looks fine.
>
>How do I enter the bios on the legacy computer. its serial no is
>F8295000120.
>
>Can I put in a basic HD controller card, as I have done for my old bog
>standard PC?
>
>TIA
>
>
>Please remove obvious from email address if emailing.
>
 
Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.packardbell (More info?)

Thanks Elector,

I've asked for any Cds that they might have.
It appears to have the original HD and CDROM, and there is only a
modem in a PCI slot. M/b is a MS6159 with builtin sound it appears.


On Wed, 23 Jun 2004 11:52:34 GMT, "Elector" <elector@my-deja.com>
wrote:

>
>"GasMan" <nospampsteel@tesco.net> wrote in message
>news:40d94ea0.313191155@news.ntlworld.com...
>> Thanks, it turned out to be F2, and when I re auto the drives it tells
>> me 'not installed', yet when I changed the primary slave to CDROM, on
>> bootup it told me 'not ATAPI compatable', so it is recognising
>> something.
>>
>
>
>
>You would first place the fdisked and formatted hard drive on the Primary
>IDE as Master, you place the CD Rom on the Secondary IDE as Master in a
>perfect world. However, an ATAPI CD Rom would need to be attached in a
>system that does not use config.sys or autoexec.bat since these two files
>will be conflicting when it tries to run. I always rename them to config.old
>and autoexec.old (Do not remove the original files after renaming them)
>
>Did the original system have the CD Rom on the sound card? I would bet it
>did. If you still have the original set up you could place the unit as
>original in order to get the unit up and running and then place the proper
>OS on the system then install the newer CD rom as my instructions above.
>
>Another cause of action:
>
>If the Primary IDE is functional simply make sure that the hard drive is not
>screwed up. Is it the original hard drive? If not what is the size of it?
>Has it been fdisked and formatted? if it has then place only the hard drive
>on the primary IDE and see if on boot up it starts windows. If it does then
>place the other device on the secondary IDE.
>
>If you have a controller card place it in the PCI slot and then the hard
>drive on and see if it boots as per the instructions in the box for the
>card.
>
>Write back if you have more difficulty.
>
>Elector
>
>

Please remove obvious from email address if emailing.
 
Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.packardbell (More info?)

Ben,

It is a 466 Celeron on a MS6159 m/b with only a modem in a PCI slot.
Evrything else appears to be builtin.


On Wed, 23 Jun 2004 13:24:18 GMT, ben_myers_spam_me_not @ charter.net
(Ben Myers) wrote:

>Is the computer a 386, 486 or Pentium? If it's earlier than a Pentium, the BIOS
>is very much brain-damaged compared to a modern BIOS. Many 486 BIOSes cannot
>autodetect hard drives and balk somewhat when confronted by an ATAPI CD-ROM
>drive. Also, depending on the age of the computer, the BIOS may well be limited
>as to the hard drive capacity it supports without some help. For example, 386s
>and early 486s autodetect hard drives up to 528MB. Newer 486s (an oxymoron, for
>sure) and early Pentium systems autodetect up to 2.1GB. Then you have the very
>early and wierd almost-ATAPI CD-ROM drives, many made by NEC. They use an IDE
>connector but fail to meet the modern IDE/ATAPI standards. Playing around with
>this old stuff can be fun or frustrating.
>
>Tell some more about the system you have there, and maybe somebody can provide
>you with more info... Ben Myers
>
>On Tue, 22 Jun 2004 19:44:31 GMT, nospampsteel@tesco.net (GasMan) wrote:
>
>>Hi,
>>
>>my cousins computer cannot find a HD and I *think* that the HD
>>controller has packed up as it does not find the HD or the CDROM. The
>>cabling looks fine.
>>
>>How do I enter the bios on the legacy computer. its serial no is
>>F8295000120.
>>
>>Can I put in a basic HD controller card, as I have done for my old bog
>>standard PC?
>>
>>TIA
>>
>>
>>Please remove obvious from email address if emailing.
>>
>

Please remove obvious from email address if emailing.
 
Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.packardbell (More info?)

Aha! I don't have specs for the MS6159 board and its BIOS limitations, but it
should be able to handle a hard drive as large as 32GB (another magic limit)
without coaxing. For larger drives, plug in a Promise ATA100 card or something
similar... Ben Myers

On Wed, 23 Jun 2004 18:29:30 GMT, nospampsteel@tesco.net (GasMan) wrote:

>Ben,
>
>It is a 466 Celeron on a MS6159 m/b with only a modem in a PCI slot.
>Evrything else appears to be builtin.
>
>
>On Wed, 23 Jun 2004 13:24:18 GMT, ben_myers_spam_me_not @ charter.net
>(Ben Myers) wrote:
>
>>Is the computer a 386, 486 or Pentium? If it's earlier than a Pentium, the BIOS
>>is very much brain-damaged compared to a modern BIOS. Many 486 BIOSes cannot
>>autodetect hard drives and balk somewhat when confronted by an ATAPI CD-ROM
>>drive. Also, depending on the age of the computer, the BIOS may well be limited
>>as to the hard drive capacity it supports without some help. For example, 386s
>>and early 486s autodetect hard drives up to 528MB. Newer 486s (an oxymoron, for
>>sure) and early Pentium systems autodetect up to 2.1GB. Then you have the very
>>early and wierd almost-ATAPI CD-ROM drives, many made by NEC. They use an IDE
>>connector but fail to meet the modern IDE/ATAPI standards. Playing around with
>>this old stuff can be fun or frustrating.
>>
>>Tell some more about the system you have there, and maybe somebody can provide
>>you with more info... Ben Myers
>>
>>On Tue, 22 Jun 2004 19:44:31 GMT, nospampsteel@tesco.net (GasMan) wrote:
>>
>>>Hi,
>>>
>>>my cousins computer cannot find a HD and I *think* that the HD
>>>controller has packed up as it does not find the HD or the CDROM. The
>>>cabling looks fine.
>>>
>>>How do I enter the bios on the legacy computer. its serial no is
>>>F8295000120.
>>>
>>>Can I put in a basic HD controller card, as I have done for my old bog
>>>standard PC?
>>>
>>>TIA
>>>
>>>
>>>Please remove obvious from email address if emailing.
>>>
>>
>
>Please remove obvious from email address if emailing.
>
 
Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.packardbell (More info?)

<ben_myers_spam_me_not @ charter.net (Ben Myers)> wrote in message
news:40da5345.13435598@news.charter.net...
> Aha! I don't have specs for the MS6159 board and its BIOS
limitations, but it
> should be able to handle a hard drive as large as 32GB (another
magic limit)
> without coaxing. For larger drives, plug in a Promise ATA100 card
or something
> similar... Ben Myers
>

That was one of the questions he asked in the original post. I also
said to use the controller card.
Elector
 
Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.packardbell (More info?)

Right, but it's nice to know what the motherboard is. A "legacy" PB system
could also be a 486 with just an ISA bus, for which the solution would be
different. Probably to junk the 486... Ben Myers

On Thu, 24 Jun 2004 10:31:19 GMT, "Elector" <elector@my-deja.com> wrote:

>
><ben_myers_spam_me_not @ charter.net (Ben Myers)> wrote in message
>news:40da5345.13435598@news.charter.net...
>> Aha! I don't have specs for the MS6159 board and its BIOS
>limitations, but it
>> should be able to handle a hard drive as large as 32GB (another
>magic limit)
>> without coaxing. For larger drives, plug in a Promise ATA100 card
>or something
>> similar... Ben Myers
>>
>
>That was one of the questions he asked in the original post. I also
>said to use the controller card.
>Elector
>
>
 
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