Blast from the past: IBM PS/2

ajs1976

My manager brought in an IBM PS/2 model 80 today. Running DOS with a double density floppy and a hard drive. Looks like it was made in '87.

The owner was having a problem with WordPerfect 5.1. The error said a file was missing. I found a copy of the WP51 on our server and copied the file to a floppy but the computer would not read the disk. That is when I realized it was a double density floppy drive. Used a dd floppy that was in the computer, but that didn't work either. I'm not sure if using the dd floppy in my high density floppy drive ruined the disk or not, but at this point I think there is a bad floppy drive. Tried to reformat the dd floppy disk from the computer, but that didn't work either.

At that point we decided it was time to get the data off the computer. This was going to be accomplished by moving the hard drive to another computer. Took about 30 minutes to figure out how to get the hard drive out of the computer without breaking it. Then I found that the hard drive had a card interface and not the standard 40 pin IDE. The ribbon cable ended in a 44 pin IDE. The extra 4 pins are for power and there was no where to connect a standard power connector to the drive.

Next I thought about connecting it to another computer using a parallel or null modem cable. I googled and found out about interlnk.exe, but did not see it in the C:\dos\ directory.

I have someone looking for a double density floppy disk, so we can test the drive again. If that doesn't work, we are going to try to order one, probably from ebay. Someone else is looking for a converter cable.

Does anyone else have a suggestion? I have access to a parallel port iomega zip drive, but I don't think that helps, because I can't load the driver because the floppy doesn't work.

thanks

Find more posts tagged with

Free for TechExams community: Cybersecurity salary guide

Compare cert salaries and plan your next career move

Button

Comments

SWM

Try searching for ll3.exe (Laplink). I Used it heaps in the late 80's early 90s. It can use either a parallel or serial cable to transfer data from one PC to another. It will download via serial cable onto a pc if it has a dead floppy etc. You had to set the baud rate and get the comm port listening from memory, but its all in the ll3.exe help section.

Plantwiz

SWM wrote:

Try searching for ll3.exe (Laplink). I Used it heaps in the late 80's early 90s. It can use either a parallel or serial cable to transfer data from one PC to another. It will download via serial cable onto a pc if it has a dead floppy etc. You had to set the baud rate and get the comm port listening from memory, but its all in the ll3.exe help section.

I was thinking laplink too.

***

Internal EISA or ISA modem?? Might still find one around.

Or possibly an External Serial modem.

***

Then I'm wondering as it's been sooooo long since I've seen the 44 pin for a desktop HDD, could possibly the Notebook converter work then you can connect this to an IDE channel on a current box?
http://www.pccables.com/00504.htm

Definitely would need to check into it more before attempting because there is no reason to try it blind unless it clicks with someone else and they 'know' it works.

ajs1976

someone suggested that at work and it lets me connect the old hard drive directly to a notebook hard drive, which doesn't help much.

Plantwiz

Disregard my cable idea

***

http://members.chello.at/theodor.lauppert/computer/ps2/8580.htm

Sounds like an ESDI drive.

***

Little on the cost:
http://www.cs.cuw.edu/museum/IBMPS280.html

***

http://www.walshcomptech.com/ps2/model80core.html

Darthn3ss

tell them emachines are cheap

Plantwiz

Plantwiz wrote:

Disregard my cable idea

***

http://members.chello.at/theodor.lauppert/computer/ps2/8580.htm
http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-IBM-30-MB-WDL-330R-ESDI-HARD-DRIVE-6128244-SEALED_W0QQitemZ200160699806QQcmdZViewItem

Sounds like an ESDI drive.

***

Little on the cost:
http://www.cs.cuw.edu/museum/IBMPS280.html

***

http://www.walshcomptech.com/ps2/model80core.html

ajs1976

Darthn3ss wrote:

tell them emachines are cheap

He is probably going to end up with an old dell, which will still be 15 years newer then the IBM.

ajs1976

SWM wrote:

Try searching for ll3.exe (Laplink). I Used it heaps in the late 80's early 90s. It can use either a parallel or serial cable to transfer data from one PC to another. It will download via serial cable onto a pc if it has a dead floppy etc. You had to set the baud rate and get the comm port listening from memory, but its all in the ll3.exe help section.

Thanks for the suggestion. I tried ll3, but could not get it to work. then I found ll5 and had better look. The second PC was running XP and ll5 kept shutting down after a couple of files were copied. I eventually reboot the second PC into DOS and ll5 ran better that way. I have been able to get some files copied, but it seems to stop files that are around 2500 (k?). I am going to try again on monday.

JDMurray

Back in the late 1980's era I used LapLink 3 to move data between IBM PS/2 Models 50, 60, and 80 computers using a null modem cable. Windows prevents direct hardware access, so transferring to another DOS computer is the best way to go. Run the same version of LapLink on both computers and make sure the COM ports are configured with the same settings. If the transfer stops prematurely, back down the serial port baud rate one notch and try again.

I think the PS/2 only had 8250B UARTs and not the much faster 16550A, so 9600 baud may be your most stable transfer rate. I also seem to remember that the 8250A UARTs had a problem that required them be replaced with the 8250B. Boy, that was a long time ago...

Kaminsky

ajs1976 wrote:

My manager brought in an IBM PS/2 model 80 today. Running DOS with a double density floppy and a hard drive. Looks like it was made in '87.

The owner was having a problem with WordPerfect 5.1. The error said a file was missing. I found a copy of the WP51 on our server and copied the file to a floppy but the computer would not read the disk. That is when I realized it was a double density floppy drive. Used a dd floppy that was in the computer, but that didn't work either. I'm not sure if using the dd floppy in my high density floppy drive ruined the disk or not, but at this point I think there is a bad floppy drive. Tried to reformat the dd floppy disk from the computer, but that didn't work either.

At that point we decided it was time to get the data off the computer. This was going to be accomplished by moving the hard drive to another computer. Took about 30 minutes to figure out how to get the hard drive out of the computer without breaking it. Then I found that the hard drive had a card interface and not the standard 40 pin IDE. The ribbon cable ended in a 44 pin IDE. The extra 4 pins are for power and there was no where to connect a standard power connector to the drive.

Next I thought about connecting it to another computer using a parallel or null modem cable. I googled and found out about interlnk.exe, but did not see it in the C:\dos\ directory.

I have someone looking for a double density floppy disk, so we can test the drive again. If that doesn't work, we are going to try to order one, probably from ebay. Someone else is looking for a converter cable.

Does anyone else have a suggestion? I have access to a parallel port iomega zip drive, but I don't think that helps, because I can't load the driver because the floppy doesn't work.

thanks

You have waaaayyy too much time on your hands in that office. I remember back in my college days we used Commodore PETS where the fan was controlled by memory locations which you could PEEK/POKE new values into those locatons and switch the fan on/off. If the next class didn't know about this, they would get halfway through their class and smoke would start coming out of their machines... oh, those were the days!

Anyways, You best bet is the COM port (D9) and a laplink cable. Laplink, if you can still get hold of it somewhere was a wicked utility. Get yourself a D9-D9 cable (think they were called null modem cables) and you communicate between the two devices by that. Once you pull the data off. THEN, explain to the user about upgrading their PC! (I am not even sure word can handle WP 5.1 still. (excellent WP though.. Minute footprint where, once you learned the shortcut key combinations, you could go at lightening speed.... far faster than anything nowaday. A trainded secretary, fully conversant in WP5.1 shortcuts was an amazing thing to watch.... shame that went the way of the dodo.)

ajs1976

Thanks for all the help everyone. I think i'm done with this system for now.

Slowing the com ports down to 19200 helped. I still had to copy the files a little at a time, but eventually go them all. Ended up copying the files (DOS and everything else) to a 2 gb Western Digitial and throwing it into an old Dell. P-III with 256 mb makes a killer DOS box.

Plantwiz

Glad it all worked out. Thanks for the update

2BEDB411

Kaminsky wrote:

ajs1976 wrote:

My manager brought in an IBM PS/2 model 80 today. Running DOS with a double density floppy and a hard drive. Looks like it was made in '87.
I don't think that helps, because I can't load the driver because the floppy doesn't work.
thanks

You have waaaayyy too much time on your hands in that office. I remember back in my college days we used Commodore PETS where the fan was controlled by memory locations which you could PEEK/POKE new values into those locatons and switch the fan on/off. If the next class didn't know about this, they would get halfway through their class and smoke would start coming out of their machines... oh, those were the days!

Laplinks' the shizbit ! I used to use it to death !
Thanks for the Commodore 64 memories ..OMG PEEK and POKE lol
may they rest in peace