d8b Forum

Hi CentreFix;

More clarification please.

When you boot with "disk 1" in the floppy drive of the d8b, does it load? Can you hear the drive "churning" away?
Does it ask for "disk 2", then some "churning", then does it ask for "disk 3" (more churning)?

If this does not happen, check your BIOS and make sure that the "A" drive is selected as the boot source or the "A" drive is the first in the boot order.
As Mike said if the green LED comes on and stays on then there is a issue with the Floppy Drive.

Check this out post back.

Thanks and welcome.
Bruce

Hi Bruce,

Really appreciate you guys not giving up on me!

Right. The desk came with Ver 2 and 3 and disks. I have tested to see if the cpu unit goes to the installation screen when I put Disk 1 and power up using these versions of the software. Sure enough, I get the installation screen. The bios is set to seek Drive A and the disks I got with the desk therefore seem ok.

I formatted three 2HD double denstily disks on my PC (windows 7), using the DOS window and typing FORMAT: A as FAT.
Then double clicked the "d8b51_build445 _disk1" file and selected drive A in "Windows Self Extractor" window. The files have extracted to the previously formatted floppy as: System, disk 1, installprefs, MACKIEOS and PME.SYS. Within the System folder are Firmware, Prefs and tools. So essentially these look identical to the original disks that came with the desk, albeit they are for version 5.1.

When I put the disk 1 in the drive and power up I get to the screen I would expect loading to commence, hear then noticeable "click" of the floppy drive, expecting the install to commence (green light on drive A is on), but she goes straight to Ver 3.0 and starts normally.

Interestingly, I can save and load a project to one of the formatted disks I have made, no trouble, so I doubt it's the floppy drive. Additionally, because the original disks load, then this would imply bios and the drive are both ok.

It has to be the disk formatting and or something daft my end. I bought a new sealed box of TDK 2HD double density disks. My only thought at this stage is to ask if anyone actually has a set of Ver 5.1 disks that are proven to load and see if that kicks this one for good.

Cheers for any help in advance.

ok - it sounds like you do the floppy install correctly.
But somehow the CPU unit isn't booting from the floppy.

Maybe try to see if the computer you write the floppies on, can boot from them?
It won't go all the way, but at least you should be able to see whether it starts booting from the floppy or not.

Just to make sure the written floppies are actually bootable.

Thanks for that...I'll give that a go and report back!

Ok, so I made windows start disk to see if the floppies were corrupt and they seem ok. At this point I'm stumped for ideas other than seeing if anyone has an actual set of 5.1 disks they are willing to sell.

Is there any other reason why the cpu won't accept an upgrade of the OS? Something I'm missing?

I also wondered whether something's like this might replace the need for using floppies altogether:

http://www.ipcas.com/products/usb-flopp ... o-udd.html

You may have misunderstood me.
Don't make a dos boot disk - make the first install disk for 5.1, and then see if the computer you make it on will boot from it. You wont see a lot happening, but you should be able to see whether it actually boots from the 5.1 floppy or not.

If you consider the usb floppy emulator, I can strongly recommend it. It's so much easier than to fiddle with old floppies that tend to go bad.
However, you can get a chinese copy of it for much cheaper than the original Ipcas.
f.ex here:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/3-5-1-44MB-Flop ... SwQItUH8Vh

This is what I used in my system. It works quite well with the software that Ipcas made for their drive.
I made a small walkthrough somewhere on this forum, if you choose to go that way.

Thanks for that and apologies if I got the gist of your post incorrect.

Actually, it occurred to me that if I boot from the disk 1 floppy on the PC with which I made it, something should happen and so I gave that a shot too.....nothing occurred which led me to believe that it's either the drive or the floppies I'm using.

I'm going to to go with the USB floppy emulator your link shows.

Looking at this logically, there is no reason why 5.1 downloaded and extracted to disk or USB/floppy emulator wouldn't work and I cannot imagine any reason why my particular desk/cpu can't be upgraded. Will keep you posted once I have the new USB/floppy thingamagig.....

ok.
I wrote a sort of walkthrough in another post:
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1376&start=10#p12455

Smashing! Thanks for the link...will deffo need the walktgrough.

Hey CentreFix;
I have not encountered the problem you are having, but perhaps a format and conditioning of your Hard drive is in order?

If you can make an Image of it prior to formatting it that would be a good way to go.

Seems like it is not finding the new OS.

Just some thoughts.

Cheers
Bruce