Compaq Deskpro 386, getting it running
Compaq Deskpro 386/20e. Comes with a dealer-option 3.5-inch 1.44 MB. floppy drive, 5.25-inch 360 kB. floppy drive, and DC2120 tape drive.
I finally was able to source a hard drive bracket. The case and bracket require the HDD to be upside down. I know that I have seen that orientation forbidden on the sticker of many HDDs. If an HDD does not have that sticker, should I assume it is okay to be upside down?
I have created diagnostic/BIOS/setup disks from modern downloads.
I started it up and it asked for the Diagnostic disk. I was able to get through the diagnostic and save it, then the computer reboots and it starts all over again, asking for the Diagnostic disk.
The motherboard says it is assembly number 001625001, revision not specified.
During one boot it said that switch #6 or jumper 17 was set so that certain things would not be able to be read or written to the ROM. My guess is that that is the reason the bootup always asks for the Diagnostic disk. I don't see any switches or jumpers for that in the diagram. Next to the blue SW1 in the photographs you can see a brown pin header connector, but that is for the speaker.
The other item is the BIOS battery. According to Stason.org, there should be a CMOS battery header on the motherboard, but there is not. There is space for one, but I don't even see the PCB pads for the header to be soldered on. (Was this another strange dealer option?) I don't see a header or a CMOS battery anywhere else on the motherboard. Do you?
Compaq Deskpro 386/20e. Comes with a dealer-option 3.5-inch 1.44 MB. floppy drive, 5.25-inch 360 kB. floppy drive, and DC2120 tape drive.
I finally was able to source a hard drive bracket. The case and bracket require the HDD to be upside down. I know that I have seen that orientation forbidden on the sticker of many HDDs. If an HDD does not have that sticker, should I assume it is okay to be upside down?
I have created diagnostic/BIOS/setup disks from modern downloads.
I started it up and it asked for the Diagnostic disk. I was able to get through the diagnostic and save it, then the computer reboots and it starts all over again, asking for the Diagnostic disk.
The motherboard says it is assembly number 001625001, revision not specified.
During one boot it said that switch #6 or jumper 17 was set so that certain things would not be able to be read or written to the ROM. My guess is that that is the reason the bootup always asks for the Diagnostic disk. I don't see any switches or jumpers for that in the diagram. Next to the blue SW1 in the photographs you can see a brown pin header connector, but that is for the speaker.
The other item is the BIOS battery. According to Stason.org, there should be a CMOS battery header on the motherboard, but there is not. There is space for one, but I don't even see the PCB pads for the header to be soldered on. (Was this another strange dealer option?) I don't see a header or a CMOS battery anywhere else on the motherboard. Do you?
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