PB Legend 2050

[Chris]

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

Hi, I have a PB Legend 2050 with a PB441A motherboard and a DSX2 50
mhz. processor. I tried to flash the BIOS with the wrong file(PB450)
it diddn't take, stayed stuck on "erasing flash eprom 0%". I finally
gave up then figured out I have a PB441A motherboard.

The computer still booted up and loaded Windows 3.11, everything
seemed still OK.

So I proceeded to FDISK and FORMAT and install Windows 95A. Everything
went fine. Installed SP1 and went to bed. Today when I turned it on I
get 2 low pitced long beeps followed by 3 short low pitced beeps. CMOS
read/write failure.

Is there a way to recover the BIOS if so does anyone have this
BIOS.(1.01E) or a newer one?

 

[Guest]

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

If I remember well (the cobwebs in my brain continue to gather), the PB441A does
not have a flash BIOS. Instead, it has the type of BIOS chip that is removed
and programed with a special EPROM burner.

If you want to overcome BIOS limitations (like hard disk?), the best way is to
install an ISA bus add-in card with its own hard disk BIOS. MicroFirmware once
sold a replacement BIOS EPROM for the PB441, but they are now out of business.

The "CMOS read/write failure" has other causes, however. First, I would replace
the motherboard battery. There is also the possibility that the CMOS chip
(different from the BIOS EPROM) has failed after all these years.

Except as a working heirloom, the system has little practical value. Used
Pentium and Pentium II systems are being scrapped all the time, for want of
someone to use one. Best to replace the PB 486 system... Ben Myers

On 16 Apr 2004 20:07:24 -0700, Airdale@cox.net (Chris) wrote:

>Hi, I have a PB Legend 2050 with a PB441A motherboard and a DSX2 50
>mhz. processor. I tried to flash the BIOS with the wrong file(PB450)
>it diddn't take, stayed stuck on "erasing flash eprom 0%". I finally
>gave up then figured out I have a PB441A motherboard.
>
>The computer still booted up and loaded Windows 3.11, everything
>seemed still OK.
>
>So I proceeded to FDISK and FORMAT and install Windows 95A. Everything
>went fine. Installed SP1 and went to bed. Today when I turned it on I
>get 2 low pitced long beeps followed by 3 short low pitced beeps. CMOS
>read/write failure.
>
>Is there a way to recover the BIOS if so does anyone have this
>BIOS.(1.01E) or a newer one?

 

[Chris]

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

Thanks for replying, I replaced the battery a couple of months ago
with a solder in NiMH. I also tried booting with the J17 Flash EPROM
jumper in the Boot-from-Boot Block position(since posting last night)
and got a "police siren" followed by a different set of high pitched
beep codes that I couldn't desipher from "uhtksupport" he doesn't
actually have the PB441A listed.

I know the computer is way out of date but it is my mom's and is
virtually unused and would like to keep it for word processing.

 

[Chris]

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

I got this figured out. It turns in removing and reinstalling the hard
drive(mounts on the side of the CD-ROM cage)it was shorting out on the
reset switch and LEDs on the front of the case. Looks like a design
flaw in the case.