Ancient IBM PS/2 boot problem

[drkphibr]

For all you PC history buffs, here's what's driving me crazy:

Have an IBM PS/2 model 55sx that I'm trying to get working.

Had the 161 & 163 boot errors. Replaced the Dallas IC clock and the adjusted the date/time.

Installed various versions of IBM/MS DOS after either a low level format (hours) using the reference diskette for the ESDI drive or FDISK to blow away the partition.

EVERY time the same thing happens. DOS installs "normal" and on reboot, the PC goes into IBM Basic v1.10 and won't launch DOS. Entering "system" to exit BASIC only produces a "syntax error". So, I'm "stuck" in BASIC.

Anyone have a clue to reviving this ancient PC?

[bigbearbear]

How are you booting up that PC? Those old IBM machines have BASIC built into their BIOS/ROM, if it is unable to boot an OS (eg. DOS), it'll go into BASIC environment instead. And no, you cannot "exit" to a regular OS from the BASIC environment.

Are you trying to boot from the floppy drive? Chances are it might be dead.

[sd_shooter]

Time for a new computer.

[drkphibr]

How are you booting up that PC? Those old IBM machines have BASIC built into their BIOS/ROM, if it is unable to boot an OS (eg. DOS), it'll go into BASIC environment instead. And no, you cannot "exit" to a regular OS from the BASIC environment.

Are you trying to boot from the floppy drive? Chances are it might be dead.

Found the issue/problem. Turns out that replacing the battery/clock IC gets rid of the 161/163 errors (after setting the date via the reference diskette), the new chip wreaks a bit of havoc on the CMOS. It needed to be cleared and then everything reset via automatic configuration under the reference diskette.

Had to boot to a DOS diskette and run the following in DEBUG:

o 70 13
0 71 00

That cleared it up and it booted straight into DOS. Spending more time on the net searching for clues ("BASIC" is WAY too common of a term and trying to narrow things down was...fun). The ancient PC lives once again....

[Low Light]

How about some screen shots for the (overly) nostalgic?

(I'm guessing you'd have to use a smartphone? LOL)

[drkphibr]

How about some screen shots for the (overly) nostalgic?

(I'm guessing you'd have to use a smartphone? LOL)

Since you asked...

So after getting things running again, I started playing with some very old OSes like:

IBM DOS 5.0 (running the visually unimpressive DOSshell)
Windows 286
Windows 3.0
Windows 3.1
OS/2 1.3

http://s145.photobucket.com/user/drkphibr/library/IBM%20PS2

[M1NM]

Now hook up your 1200 baud modem and you can spend literally hours on the net.

[drkphibr]

Now hook up your 1200 baud modem and you can spend literally hours on the net.

I'm actually looking for old MicroChannel cards now...a modem...network adapter..."better" graphics...SCSI adapter (to install NT 3.5) and anything else before they disappear forever.

For gear that is 25+ years old, this stuff was made like tanks...not the flimsy stuff of today.

[Low Light]

Don't forget the dot matrix printer.

[gorn5150]

Wow, reading this makes me want to break out my unopened windows 1 disks and play.

[drkphibr]

Don't forget the dot matrix printer.

I'm on the lookout for the IBM ProPrinter 24 as a matter of fact. I just dusted off my original (bought it in 1989) HP LaserJet IIP.

Paid $999 for the unit (plus tax) and then dropped another $199 for the optional, lower cassette paper tray.

[drkphibr]

Wow, reading this makes me want to break out my unopened windows 1 disks and play.

I've got a copy some place, but after ripping apart the house, I still can't find them. Bummed! I did find my Windows for Workgroups disks though...and WordPerfect 5.1 too ;-)

[yellowsulphur]

Good Old DOS 3.1 and gwbasic kept me busy as a kid.

[mrkubota]

.... this stuff is still too modern!
I'll have to drag out the old Morrow MD-2 CP/M machine....
64K and dual hi-density 5.25" floppy drives. 1200 baud modem made it the scourge of the usenet alt.rec.guns forum in the '80s

WordStar forever!



... found this old pic of me playing with the 'new' MD-3' transportable CP/M machine in 1984. You can kind of see the 1200baud modem between the MD-2 and the MD-3 too. They both ran CP/M 2.2 from floppy in 64K of ram with 4MHZ Z80 processors. I was working as a COE Installer for GTE then and writing applications to make installing/testing early electronic telecom switching systems easier. (#1EAX, #2EAX, and #5EAX systems) . First in BASIC and with the MD-3, the first version of Borland's Turbo PASCAL for CP/M. (also my first introduction to a compiled structured language)

[klewan]

I looked up your stuff, Reagan was still president when it came out....I had Windows 3.11 on a work laptop in '95; $6,000 IBM Thinkpad. 75MGZ on a 486.