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Installing an OS on my CF card (but i don't know what I'm doing)
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2023-12-31 at 3:02 PM UTCUsing http://www.dos-windows.com/index.html I made installation disks (floppies) of MS-DOS 6.22 and proceeded to plug my CF card into my 486 and install DOS just like that but it wasn't working.
The boot sequence only ever gives me 2 options and that is C:/A: or A:/C: and A: seemed to only ever be recognized as the 5.25" floppy drive and not the 3.5" floppy drive I needed to use. I tried numerous tactics yet nothing.
At one point I managed to get it to spin up the 5.25" floppy and then the 3.5" floppy during boot but all I get it an error saying "no rom"
Eventually after a couple hours of this horse shit I gave up and went to trying to write the OS directly to the CF card using my Win 10 computer. This was a very tedious as well trying and testing, watching it fail and starting over time and time again. I followed several tutorials many of which had highly technical jargon of which I did not compute. Several people had videos breezing by my issue with no similar problems themselves.
1 problem is I don't have LBA support (i think that is one of the problems).
Anyways, I'm down to try anything anyone might be able to suggest.
In the mean time I ordered an IDE to USB adapter in hopes of cloning the old drive onto the CF card.
Currently there are no issues with the IDE drive but for how long idk and also I would much rather be able to load games to the CF card from my WIN 10 computer and swap the CF card back and forth for obvious reasons.
Thanks and happy NEW YEAR to all! -
2023-12-31 at 3:11 PM UTCjumper - master/slaveThe following users say it would be alright if the author of this post didn't die in a fire!
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2023-12-31 at 3:23 PM UTC
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2023-12-31 at 3:46 PM UTCYou have to go into the BIOS settings and register the card first, then FDISK and format it once it's recognized and configured.
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2023-12-31 at 3:50 PM UTCnow LBA / sector
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2023-12-31 at 4:14 PM UTCPress-down the Ctrl-Alt-Esc keys at the same time. Ctrl-Alt-Del keys may be used for a 486 AST computer. Press the F10 key on boot during the memory count to access the setup or BIOS.
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2023-12-31 at 5:06 PM UTC
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2023-12-31 at 5:12 PM UTC
Originally posted by Fonaplats It recognized the CF card. It wouldn't format it in BIOS though.
Like Vinny said, it needs to be the master or the secondary master. It probably won't work as a slave, so it has to be on its own ribbon, with nothing else on the ribbon. Also, A-drive should be the first boot device in the boot sequence in CMOS, with the CF card as the secondary device in the boot sequence in CMOS, and you should be booting off the A-drive boot disk that has the command.com, fdisk and format files on it. -
2023-12-31 at 5:15 PM UTCOh, and you also need a proper autoexec.bat and config.sys on the A-Drive boot disk to load himem.sys and EMM386.EXE and the TEMP folder.
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2023-12-31 at 5:27 PM UTCIt sounds like you're encountering issues with the boot sequence and drive recognition when installing MS-DOS 6.22 on your 486 system using a CF card and floppy disks. Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot and potentially resolve the issue:
Check CF Card Format: Ensure that the CompactFlash (CF) card is properly formatted and that MS-DOS is correctly installed on it. You can use a modern computer and a CF card reader to verify this.
BIOS Settings: Enter the BIOS settings on your 486 computer and check the boot sequence. Make sure that the CF card is set as the first boot device. The settings may refer to it as a "Hard Disk" or similar.
CF Card Adapter: If you're using a CF-to-IDE adapter to connect the CF card to the 486 motherboard, make sure the adapter is functioning properly. Try using a different adapter or CF card if available.
Boot from Floppy:
Since you're having trouble recognizing the 3.5" floppy drive, make sure the floppy drive is properly connected and configured in the BIOS. Also, confirm that the MS-DOS installation floppy disks are not corrupted.
Boot Disk Configuration: When you create the MS-DOS boot floppy, ensure that the CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files on the floppy are configured correctly. They should point to the appropriate drivers and system files on the CF card.
Manually Select Boot Drive: During the boot sequence, try manually selecting the CF card as the boot drive. This might involve entering a command like C: or A:, depending on how the drives are recognized.
Check for Drive Letter Assignments:
Once in MS-DOS, use the FDISK command to check the drive letter assignments and make sure the CF card is recognized correctly. You may need to use the SYS command to transfer the system files to the CF card. Test with a Different CF Card: If possible, try using a different CF card to see if the issue persists. Sometimes, compatibility issues or faults with specific cards may cause problems.
Check for Errors During Boot: Pay attention to any error messages or prompts that appear during the boot process. This can provide clues about what might be going wrong.
Recreate Boot Floppies:
If all else fails, recreate the MS-DOS installation floppy disks from the original source or a reliable source, ensuring that the files are not corrupted. -
2023-12-31 at 5:28 PM UTCThe cf card is set to master.
I tried booting a: and it doesn't work.
It only wants to boot the 5.25" floppy drive and even when I use a floppy in that it fucks up. -
2023-12-31 at 5:30 PM UTC
Originally posted by Frothy It sounds like you're encountering issues with the boot sequence and drive recognition when installing MS-DOS 6.22 on your 486 system using a CF card and floppy disks. Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot and potentially resolve the issue:
Check CF Card Format: Ensure that the CompactFlash (CF) card is properly formatted and that MS-DOS is correctly installed on it. You can use a modern computer and a CF card reader to verify this.
BIOS Settings: Enter the BIOS settings on your 486 computer and check the boot sequence. Make sure that the CF card is set as the first boot device. The settings may refer to it as a "Hard Disk" or similar.
CF Card Adapter: If you're using a CF-to-IDE adapter to connect the CF card to the 486 motherboard, make sure the adapter is functioning properly. Try using a different adapter or CF card if available.
Boot from Floppy:
Since you're having trouble recognizing the 3.5" floppy drive, make sure the floppy drive is properly connected and configured in the BIOS. Also, confirm that the MS-DOS installation floppy disks are not corrupted.
Boot Disk Configuration: When you create the MS-DOS boot floppy, ensure that the CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files on the floppy are configured correctly. They should point to the appropriate drivers and system files on the CF card.
Manually Select Boot Drive: During the boot sequence, try manually selecting the CF card as the boot drive. This might involve entering a command like C: or A:, depending on how the drives are recognized.
Check for Drive Letter Assignments:
Once in MS-DOS, use the FDISK command to check the drive letter assignments and make sure the CF card is recognized correctly. You may need to use the SYS command to transfer the system files to the CF card. Test with a Different CF Card: If possible, try using a different CF card to see if the issue persists. Sometimes, compatibility issues or faults with specific cards may cause problems.
Check for Errors During Boot: Pay attention to any error messages or prompts that appear during the boot process. This can provide clues about what might be going wrong.
Recreate Boot Floppies:
If all else fails, recreate the MS-DOS installation floppy disks from the original source or a reliable source, ensuring that the files are not corrupted.
Thanks chat gtp... -
2023-12-31 at 5:32 PM UTC
Originally posted by Fonaplats It recognized the CF card. It wouldn't format it in BIOS though.
If the BIOS is having trouble formatting the CF card, there are a few potential reasons for this issue. Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot:
Make sure that the CompactFlash (CF) card you are using is compatible with the CF-to-IDE adapter and the BIOS of your 486 system. Some older systems may have limitations on the size or type of storage devices they can recognize.
If you are using a CF-to-IDE adapter, check if it has any jumper settings. Some adapters have jumpers that need to be set correctly for the system to recognize and format the CF card properly. Refer to the adapter's documentation for guidance.
Check if there is a BIOS update available for your 486 motherboard. Sometimes, updating the BIOS can add support for newer storage devices and resolve compatibility issues. If the BIOS is having trouble formatting the CF card, you may try using a low-level format utility. Some CF card manufacturers provide such utilities that you can run on a different system to perform a low-level format. Be cautious with low-level formatting, as it erases all data on the card.
If possible, try using a different CF card to see if the issue persists. It's possible that the CF card itself is defective or incompatible with your system.
Partition the CF Card on Another System:
Use a modern computer with a CF card reader to partition and format the CF card. Create a single FAT16 partition and install MS-DOS on it. Then, move the CF card back to your 486 system and see if it can boot from it.
Ensure that the power supply to the CF-to-IDE adapter is stable and providing sufficient power. Inadequate power supply can lead to issues with drive recognition and formatting.
Inspect the CF-to-IDE adapter, IDE cables, and connections for any physical issues. Make sure everything is securely connected.
If available, try testing the CF card and adapter on a different system to determine if the issue is specific to the 486 system. -
2023-12-31 at 5:33 PM UTC
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2023-12-31 at 5:36 PM UTC
Originally posted by Fonaplats The cf card is set to master.
I tried booting a: and it doesn't work.
It only wants to boot the 5.25" floppy drive and even when I use a floppy in that it fucks up.
Disconnect the CD-Rom drive cable from the motherboard. Make sure the entries in your autoexec.bat and config.sys on the floppy disk are standard startup commands and that you're using a proper bootable MS-Dos startup floppy disk with the autoexec.bat and config.sys and command.com on it. -
2023-12-31 at 5:50 PM UTC
Originally posted by ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Disconnect the CD-Rom drive cable from the motherboard. Make sure the entries in your autoexec.bat and config.sys on the floppy disk are standard startup commands and that you're using a proper bootable MS-Dos startup floppy disk with the autoexec.bat and config.sys and command.com on it.
What cd rom drive?
You guys are just rambling on about cd rom drives and I don't even have one so....
I'm starting to think you are all just throwing poop at me.
I got msdos from here http://www.dos-windows.com/index.html and I made the floppies like the instructions said to do.
You guys are giving me embolisms. -
2023-12-31 at 5:55 PM UTC
Originally posted by Fonaplats What cd rom drive?
You guys are just rambling on about cd rom drives and I don't even have one so….
I'm starting to think you are all just throwing poop at me.
I got msdos from here http://www.dos-windows.com/index.html and I made the floppies like the instructions said to do.
You guys are giving me embolisms.
That's not a proper bootable floppy disk. That's to install MS-Dos onto a hard drive.
Use this:
https://kb.iu.edu/d/adav#:~:text=The%20sys%20command%20creates%20a,files%20to%20the%20floppy%20disk.&text=You%20should%20make%20the%20emergency,it%20may%20be%20used%20on. -
2023-12-31 at 6:43 PM UTCfucing spamboyd
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2023-12-31 at 9:12 PM UTC
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2023-12-31 at 11:11 PM UTCYou have to fdisk and format both drives from the A-floppy after booting from the A-floppy. Just because the drive is recognized doesn't mean it's fdisk'd and formatted.
