Ibm Pc At 5170

[Paul Stenning]

Originally Posted by Paul Stenning

I should have some EGA card games somewhere - I'll have a look tomorrow...

Attached is a rather good EGA solitaire game. I played this a lot back in the 286/386 days.

Originally Posted by Paul Stenning

I have probably got a copy of that too. I have a few hundred megs of old software somewhere. If I can find it I'll send you a CD.

I have now copied it all to a CD-R for you. There's over 500MB of it including various versions of Windows up to 3.11 (including several V2.x ones), MS/PC/DR-DOS, 16 bit Windows and DOS applications and games etc, GEM and some GEM apps etc. It's all only really of historic interest now.

Send me a PM with your address and I'll get it in the post to you.

[Dave Moll]

Originally Posted by Paul Stenning

I have now copied it all to a CD-R for you. There's over 500MB of it including various versions of Windows up to 3.11 (including several V2.x ones), MS/PC/DR-DOS, 16 bit Windows and DOS applications and games etc, GEM and some GEM apps etc. It's all only really of historic interest now.

Send me a PM with your address and I'll get it in the post to you.

Paul, you have a PM.

That sounds just what I am looking for. I am looking to create a set of floppies from which I can boot a variety of DOS versions on my XTs and AT. Ideally, I would like to include DOS 1, but I understand that it doesn't support 360K double-sided floppies - which could prove something of a stumbling block

In addition to the above, I intend to create a series of directories on the hard disc, each with a different version of Windows.

[Dave Moll]

Originally Posted by Paul Stenning

Attached is a rather good EGA solitaire game. I played this a lot back in the 286/386 days.

The first thing it has proved is that my serial mouse isn't working I notice, however, that the mouse driver thinks it has successfully initialised the mouse even if one isn't present, which is odd because the same driver fails on my 486 without a mouse present I need to do some COM port checking - and/or see whether I can sort out the original Microsoft Mouse.

I had to smile when the first screen after the musical intro asked "Do you want to use the mouse?" - and needed the mouse to click on "No" Reminds me a bit of that classic error message: "Keyboard error - press F1 to continue"

[Paul Stenning]

Originally Posted by Dave Moll

That sounds just what I am looking for. I am looking to create a set of floppies from which I can boot a variety of DOS versions on my XTs and AT. Ideally, I would like to include DOS 1, but I understand that it doesn't support 360K double-sided floppies - which could prove something of a stumbling block

Most of the software is in the form of disk images I think, so you'll need WinImage or the DOS program mentioned above to make floppies from them. There's enough different versions of Windows 2 on there that you should find one or two you can use.

A lot of it came from a newsgroup whose name I can't remember, back in 2000 when I got the IBM.

Originally Posted by Dave Moll

The first thing it has proved is that my serial mouse isn't working I notice, however, that the mouse driver thinks it has successfully initialised the mouse even if one isn't present, which is odd because the same driver fails on my 486 without a mouse present I need to do some COM port checking - and/or see whether I can sort out the original Microsoft Mouse.

I had to smile when the first screen after the musical intro asked "Do you want to use the mouse?" - and needed the mouse to click on "No" Reminds me a bit of that classic error message: "Keyboard error - press F1 to continue"

I think in this case though you can press the N key to get past that and use the keyboard. It's not a particularly keyboard-friendly game though.

It may need a newer mouse driver than the one on the floppies that came with the machine - and I don't know if a newer mouse driver will support an old bus mouse.

Did you have the bus mouse card in the machine when trying to use your serial mouse? It may be that the driver saw that and is loaded for that rather than for your serial one?

[Dave Moll]

Originally Posted by Paul Stenning

Most of the software is in the form of disk images I think, so you'll need WinImage or the DOS program mentioned above to make floppies from them.

Not a problem. In fact I was hoping that they would be.

It may need a newer mouse driver than the one on the floppies that came with the machine - and I don't know if a newer mouse driver will support an old bus mouse.

I think I have already mentioned that I have temporarily given up on the bus mouse (due to problems with its rollers) and am trying to use a serial mouse at present. I am, however, going round in circles with my serial mouse driver software. I did have it working briefly last night, but made the mistake of going to bed With no further changes, the driver refuses to work properly today. It claims to run successfully only if the given serial port does not exist - it fails with a valid port (with or without a mouse attached) I think I'll try to find another mouse driver - I should have several.

[Paul Stenning]

There are several mouse drivers (Microsoft and Logitech, various versions) on the CD too.

[Dave Moll]

I seem to have found a hardware configuration which works now. I'm still not entirely sure what the problem was, but suspect from what CHECKIT was telling me that IRQs were not being set quite how I had requested. I have now had a few games of "Klondike" patience in glorious EGA colour.

Interestingly, the EGA display was a bit jittery earlier, but seems to have settled down. I wonder whether it had dodgy electrolitics which have been re-forming with use. Or maybe just an intermittent fault which may return.

[Paul Stenning]

Yes, I think it could be electrolytic caps in the monitor. I have had it since 2000 and never powered it up, and it has spent most of the last 7 years stored in the airing cupboard, so they have had plenty of time to deteriorate and warmth to help them on their way. At least it shouldn't be damp....

It might be worth opening it up and having a look around for dry joints. Though it will probably need a fair amount of dismantling as many EGA monitors from this era had plenty of metalwork inside to shield things.

The CD was posted today so should be with you by the weekend. There's a couple more card games from the same series on it, Pyramid and a solo Poker game.

[Telleadict]

Hello Dave.

I have just found thi thread.

You might be interested in this site http://toastytech.com/guis/index.html especialy the links page (last item in left-hand frame) -- There is someone there who has a coppy of DOS V1 that I think you said you would like to try out!!

I am glad to read that you're getting the old AT up and running again -- I sure I would have a collection of PC history if I had the space.

BTW. I have a Zip file of Digital Research's GEM V1.2 that I could e-mail if you want it (it's too large to post to the forum) it makes into 4 insalation floppies. I got it from a site that seems o have disapeared now but it does work -- I had GEM running with Win 95 on my old Pentium but I doubt it would work with XP!

Let me know if you're interested.
Bye for now
William

[Dave Moll]

Very useful, thank you. I have downloaded the various disc image files to try out in due course.

What a pity the Endangered Software Archive is no longer accepting submissions, but at least it hasn't been extinguished like a site I discovered some years ago.

Although I already have the Amstrad version of GEM, I will PM you about the version which you have on ZIP file.

I'm still trying to work out where the AT (and any further hardware that I may add to the collection in future) will live on a long-term basis so that I can use it without losing the use of the desk in my study. At least software doesn't take up quite so much space - though original software packages seem to fill a number of nooks and crannies.

[Paul Stenning]

There are a couple of versions of GEM on the CD I sent you, too - and some apps to run on it.

[Dave Moll]

Originally Posted by Dave Moll

I would like to include DOS 1, but I understand that it doesn't support 360K double-sided floppies - which could prove something of a stumbling block

I now have a 160K disc from which I can boot DOS 1.10. The site to which Telleaddict directed me contained both the disc image and the software for creating an appropriately formatted disc.

In addition to the above, I intend to create a series of directories on the hard disc, each with a different version of Windows.

I now have on the AT a directory containing Windows 1.01 and another containing Windows 2.03 (obtained from the same site as the DOS image), both of which now work correctly with the EGA monitor.

Speaking of the EGA monitor and the previously-mentioned jitteriness. The pattern seems to be that it is there when I start up, and gradually goes away as it warms up. I did have a go at opening up the unit, but could not get the two halves of the case to part company. I'll have another go after "real life" has finished intruding over the next few days.

[Dave Moll]

I have set to one side for the time being:

1) the inability to make it talk to a real hard disc (as opposed to the hard card which I am currently using)

2) the problem with the motion sensors in the Microsoft bus mouse (using a serial mouse instead)

3) the EGA display suffers from random attacks of the shakes (I know how it feels), but I can live with that for the time being

Apart from the above, I feel that I now have this machine working pretty much as I would like. Alongside DOS 5.0, I have now installed on the hard disc:

Gem 1.2
Windows 1.01
Windows 2.03
Windows 3.0

(I wasn't sure that the latter would work on a 286, but it seems to be fine.)

I am now turning my attention to my XT 5160 - for which I will create a new thread.