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Help remote installing LapLink on to a Zenith Data Systems Z-Note 325Lp

TH2002

TH2002

Experienced Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2020
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364
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California, United States
So I picked up a Zenith Data Systems Z-Note 325Lp (386SL 25, 4 MB RAM, 122MB HDD, so on so forth) and would love to install LapLink on the machine as I do with all my vintage systems.

Since the floppy drive doesn't work in this computer and LapLink can install itself onto another PC via serial (I have successfully done this before) I figured that should be the first order of business.

Well, I can't seem to get it to work this time around.

The instructions in LapLink are as follows after specifying the local and remote serial ports:

MODE COM1:2400,n,8,1,p
CTTY COM1

Mixed results trying this with various computers, but none of them work:

Toshiba Satellite Pro 420CDT: Z-Note 325Lp hangs after typing CTTY COM1. Remote install failed message on 420CDT.
Toshiba T3100e/40: Oh, I forgot that LapLink has a bad habit of crashing on my T3100e/40.
Epson ActionNote 660C: Write fault error writing device COM1 message on Z-Note 325Lp. Remote install failed message on ActionNote 660C.

Went into setup on the Zenith laptop to make sure the serial port is enabled, and it is.

Am I missing something obvious?
 
Maybe there is some crud in the serial port? Have you tried spraying a lil alcohol on the serial connector and pulling the cable on and off a few times?
 
twolazy said:
Maybe there is some crud in the serial port? Have you tried spraying a lil alcohol on the serial connector and pulling the cable on and off a few times?
Click to expand...
No visible buildup or anything like that, but I did go ahead and clean the pins with some rubbing alcohol. No difference.
 
TH2002 said:
Z-Note 325Lp hangs after typing CTTY COM1
Click to expand...
It is normal for the keyboard to become completely unresponsive after typing in that command. Or by "hangs", do you mean something other than what I just described?

TH2002 said:
Am I missing something obvious?
Click to expand...
1. Although you've done this before, have you remembered that a specific type of cable is required. A simple 'null modem' cable will not do the job (unless it is version 3 of Laplink, and it was started using the /3 switch).
2. See 'Version incompatibility' at [here].
 
modem7 said:
It is normal for the keyboard to become completely unresponsive after typing in that command. Or by "hangs", do you mean something other than what I just described?


1. Although you've done this before, have you remembered that a specific type of cable is required. A simple 'null modem' cable will not do the job (unless it is version 3 of Laplink, and it was started using the /3 switch).
2. See 'Version incompatibility' at [here].
Click to expand...
Sometimes the keyboard just becomes unresponsive, other times the system locks up completely (thought the latter is rarer, fortunately).

I use LapLink 4 on all of my systems. Was able to do a remote install from my Satellite 420CDT to my Tecra 500CDT using a null modem cable, and didn't have any issues.
 
TH2002 said:
I use LapLink 4 on all of my systems. Was able to do a remote install from my Satellite 420CDT to my Tecra 500CDT using a null modem cable, and didn't have any issues.
Click to expand...
So, logically we know the problem is the 325Lp (the only item in the 'equation' that is LapLink 4 unproven).

Perhaps use some diagnostic software to perform an external loopback test on the serial port of the 325Lp.
Of course, you may need to fix the floppy drive problem in order to get diagnostic software to the computer.
 
I haven't had good luck attempting to fix floppy drives, and though if I had to guess the only issue is the heads are dirty, I don't even know where to start in terms of disassembling the floppy drive itself. I did spray some compressed air into the drive and use one of my 3.5'' cleaning disks, didn't fix anything but that's about all I can do.

I ended up pulling the HDD out of the 325Lp, hooking it up to my PIII tower and installing LapLink that way. That went fine, though presented yet more issues as I could copy files from the Zenith HDD to the Epson HDD (used my ActionNote as I couldn't get my ThinkPad to work in this case) with no issues, but LapLink would lock up on the PIII if I tried to copy files from the Epson HDD to the Zenith HDD.

All that aside, I think it's safe to say the serial port on the 325Lp has been the culprit this entire time as LapLink running on the Zenith does not show any available connections minus the Local connection (the laptop itself) and vice versa.

Not sure where to go from here.
 
I would open the 325L and make sure the bios battery hasnt leaked. Usually the battery is not far from the keyboard/serial connectors. Perhaps it has leaked up the ground traces...
 
CMOS battery in this unit was removed a while ago, and while I didn't pick up on any corrosion when I had it open earlier today, I'll take a closer look the next time I have it apart.
 
Took it apart again today to install some games directly onto the HDD. Clean as a whistle, no corrosion, so at a complete loss to what the problem could be (other than a configuration issue maybe?)

But hey, finally got DOOM running on it, so until I get the serial port and/or floppy drive working I guess that's good enough for now?
 
TH2002 said:
But hey, finally got DOOM running on it, so until I get the serial port and/or floppy drive working I guess that's good enough for now?
Click to expand...
Maybe the serial port is good, and the problem is elsewhere. To check out the serial port, you could run some diagnostic software. With the software alone, that will partially check the port. To fully check the port, you need to use both the software and a suitable loopback plug. Details at [here].
 
What about parallel port file transfer. It's quicker than the serial port.

In fact that is what I generally think of when someone mentions LapLink file transfers.
 
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I'll get around to running some diagnostics on the serial port soon enough, but since I'll have to buy a loopback adapter for that I guess I'll just buy a null-printer cable too while I'm at it? Don't know why it never occurred to me to use the parallel port for LapLink file transfers, maybe because I've been used to using the serial port all this time.
 
We can all get tunnal visionr when we are ealing with ye olde kit. It's good we can break that by discussing problems with folk with similar interests/experiences..
 
Caluser2000 said:
We can all get tunnal visionr when we are ealing with ye olde kit. It's good we can break that by discussing problems with folk with similar interests/experiences..
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Great bit of advice there, I would have never guessed!

Of course with the Zenith Data Systems profile picture there I would assume you are quite familiar with these systems yourself. ;)
 
I've got 2 PC Z-180 xt class Zenith lap tops. Finding documentation for Zenith is like locating Unicorn shit.

Zenith did some funky things like formatting their fat 16 drives so that MS Windos 3.x would need a specific Zenith supplied *.DDL could be used. Starting from scratch. Formatting and installing generic MS/PC/DrDos got around this issue and then you could install standard Win3.x no problem.

The front facia on Zenith 3.5" floppy drive is a different size than any other clone makers. It's about 3mm higher so if yo replace i6t there will be a gap at the top. I noticed this comparing my Zenith 286LP Plus slimline desktop 3.5" fdd with a generic type fdd.IMAG0070.JPG
 
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Caluser2000 said:
I've got 2 PC Z-180 xt class Zenith lap tops. Finding documentation for Zenith is like locating Unicorn shit.
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I have to wonder why that's the case? It's not like Zenith was a nothing startup company that just imported cheap badge-engineered Compal laptops for a quick buck.
Looked for some documentation of the 325Lp before I bought it, and could find virtually nothing other than one site mentioning it has a 386SL-25 (though that is obvious by the name of the laptop) and 2MB onboard RAM (plus an additional 2MB module in my unit for a total of 4MB, good in my case because that means I can run Doom. ;))

Perhaps the most interesting thing about the 325Lp is the color screen, it seems to be pretty early in the era of laptops with color LCD's. Passive matrix and the screen contrast isn't what I would call good, but to be fair the technology had to start somewhere. Plus the slower response time actually provides an advantage for many of the games I play, such as reducing the choppiness in DOOM, making it more playable, not less.

All in all a nice 386 system to have around. Definitely had better luck with this one than the Compudyne given the much superior Zenith build quality and better specs certainly don't hurt. Definitely a keeper for sure.
 
TH2002 said:
Sometimes the keyboard just becomes unresponsive, other times the system locks up completely (thought the latter is rarer, fortunately).

I use LapLink 4 on all of my systems. Was able to do a remote install from my Satellite 420CDT to my Tecra 500CDT using a null modem cable, and didn't have any issues.
Click to expand...
Hi,
Wondering.. does Laplink 4 tell you what kind of uart it detects? 8250 ot 16550? Thx
 
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