Question Using a USB Drive on a 1990s Computer Using DOS

[World Changer]

Hi Everyone,

For important reasons I'm trying to transfer files from an old HP Pavilion 8250 computer that runs on DOS, to a USB drive. Ya, I know, it's an antique from the 1990s and if you're too young, you probably never heard of or much less used DOS (Disk Operating System). For those who did use DOS and USB drives back then, I really need your help.

There are a couple of USB ports in back, to which I attached my USB drive. It's the type that has a glowing light, signaling a computer accepted it. The light went on so I assume it was accepted.

However, when I get into DOS, I don't know what drive specification to use. I never used USB drives during the 1990s with DOS. To use its 3.5 inch diskette drive, I would write " A:\ " or "B:\" after the DOS hard drive specification "C:\>" and I'd access the diskette.

But after trying to direct the computer to use the USB drive, using letter specifications D:\, E:\....etc....until J:\ none of them gave access the USB drive. Should I use a letter specification after "J" like "K" or "L" or is there another DOS command that will give me access to the USB drive?

Thanks for any advice you can give me!!

Sincerely,

Paul

 

[USAFRet]

Got it! I've looked on Amazon, and yes, they cost from $16-$26 or so. Thanks for your advice.

(1) Do you know, or is there any way I can find out if those drives will copy DOS - created files onto my current HD. I use Windows 10 Home? I can post another question on Tom's Hardware.

(2) If I can copy them onto my current HD, do you know if I'll be able to see the DOS-created files on the diskettes before and/or after I copy them over?

Using a USB floppy drive would cut out the need to copy it onto an old HD, using DOS, then recopying files onto a USB drive or CD - two huge steps with which I'm having problems achieving. Thanks! We'll see what people say....

1. Probably will work, but you only really know if you try

2. Probably yes.

 

[BFG-9000]

What version of DOS? Your computer from 1997 isn't exactly old, and originally came with Windows 95 so what happens when you enter "win" at the DOS prompt?

You have an IDE attached ATAPI CD drive so would generally load device oakcdrom.sys in the config.sys while USB CD drives can use aspiehci.sys there. And you have to put MSCDEX.EXE in autoexec.bat to add the CD-ROM extensions to DOS.
so if you are booting from floppy,
LH A:\\MSCDEX.EXE /D:MSCD001
in autoexec.bat and both
DEVICE=himem.sys
DEVICEHIGH=oakcdrom.sys /D:cd1
in config.sys for IDE CD-ROM as drive D

I would also suggest a modern computer to get files off of IDE and floppies. But you don't have much choice with the Bernoulli drive as it only has drivers up to Win9x, so it would be a lot easier if you actually had Windows installed. For DOS you would need the Bernoulli DOS driver as well as the driver for whatever 50-pin SCSI card you attach it to

 

[TerryLaze]

OK, good question.

I created a human rights violations database for Guatemala with Dbase III-Plus from 1988-1991, all with DOS. I've always wanted to share it with the world so people could know the horrors during that country's civil war. Now the Forensic Anthropology Foundation of Guatemala (FAFG) wants to use it to ID victims' remains, find more clandestine cemeteries, and possibly reveal perpetrators of those violations.

Yeah, don't try to do this yourself, this is important and historically significant data and this is above of even most tech savvy people.
Asks the FAFG if they have anybody that can do this securely, search locally for anybody that knows their stuff or even get in touch with a retro youtuber like adrians digital basement.
Look at what he did to get old disks working, he knows what he's doing, just getting advise from him would be helpful but I'm pretty sure that he would jump on the opportunity to help especially since you want to share the info.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApNEkeAL4fA

 

[ARICH5]

whoa....ya id ask for a budget and get a third-party thats trained in these sort of things...like an archival company that does this for companies and banks.

this information is very important and may be beyond the reach of a public forum. this may be beyond us as in "do it this way". if we/you mess something up, all could be lost.