Old PC 486/P1/P2 ISA slot motherboard/PC?

jonhall80 at comcast.net jonhall80 at comcast.net
Sat Mar 13 19:43:54 EST 2021


Warren,

So the *drive* is toast, or the motherboard and CPU?   It was a little hard to figure that out from what you wrote.   It sounded like the drive was failing, but the CPU and motherboard were still working.   But maybe I am reading it wrong.

If it is just the drive you might be able to get a replacement drive and restore the W95 OS and get him back working again.

md

>     On 03/13/2021 5:31 PM Warren Chris <warren at resara.com> wrote:
>      
>      
>     Thanks Maddog (and all others that have replied to me directly).
>      
>     After talking to my friend in greater detail about what happened, it sounds like data corruption on his OS drive (he had two drives in the machine) probably due to hardware failure.  So it ran along enough for him to get essential data off of it, now its toast.  
>      
>     Redeveloping the software isn't an option for him, at least that's what he says.  He wrote the software 30 years ago and doesn't have it in him to start from scratch...the system failing may be forced retirement. He may end up buying something on Ebay, I know he visited with someone today but turns out they didn't have what he needed (which now I understand is a 2 ISA slot board, P1).  
>      
>     We shall see. It's too bad, back in the Resara/Linux days we had lots of this stuff laying around.  When we closed the office in 2011 we took about 80 computers to the recycling center, now I don't really have any spare computer parts.     
>      
>     Thanks, have a great weekend!
> 
>     On Fri, Mar 12, 2021 at 12:46 PM < jonhall80 at comcast.net mailto:jonhall80 at comcast.net > wrote:
> 
>         > >         Hi Warren,
> > 
> >         Assuming that no pack rat answers you with a free motherboard, there are some on Ebay in the 25-40 dollar range, tested and guaranteed to work.
> > 
> >         You mentioned "upgrading" him to a P1 or P2.   I might suggest you stick with exactly what he had before and let him stay with W95 unless you have a reason to move him.   Along those lines how are his other components such as disks, etc?
> > 
> > 
> >         Someone mentioned a USB to ISA adapter.   I tracked down the company and here is the URL for a one slot board:
> > 
> >         http://arstech.com/install/ecom-prodshow/usb2isar.html
> >          
> >         Here is the URL for a three ISA slot board:
> > 
> >         http://arstech.com/install/index.php?app=ecom&ns=prodshow&ref=usb2isax3&sid=36o79v9t3624qpggs903m60it3010rs7
> > 
> >         However, in reading the web page carefully you might want to to add some power supplies, a case, etc. and it appears the software that drives the interface requires a newer version of the operating system (Win XP, etc.), so there might still be application changes that you would have to make.   And the three slot solution would start at 169 USD and probably be about 200 USD  by the time you add the case, power supply and cables.
> > 
> >         Interesting is the fact that the converter also has a Linux driver (Intel 32/64 bit and ARM) and will run on the Raspberry Pi.  I do not know how complex the user-level application that feeds the controller is, or if he still has the source code for it, but that might be another alternative.
> > 
> >         To me it sounds like the more you try to move him to newer solutions the more things might have to change and it might be easier and cheaper to just try and replace the hardware exactly.    You say that "he  built the machine" back in the 90s, so he might have an idea of how complex it would be to start over from scratch and move everything forward.
> > 
> >         Of course he probably has a backlog of disks now, and that solution might take too long and be too risky.   I would say the fastest and least risky solution is to buy an ebay board that is a duplicate to what he has, let him stay with W95 and think about moving him over the long term to another solution.
> > 
> >         Warmest regards,
> > 
> >         maddog
> > 
> >             > > >             On 03/10/2021 10:56 PM Warren Chris < warren at resara.com mailto:warren at resara.com > wrote:
> > >              
> > >              
> > >             Greetings,
> > >              
> > >             It has been years since I last posted here...Alas, I could use some help in regards to tracking down some older computer hardware.  I have a friend who built a machine to punch out discs for antique music boxes back in the 90's that was automated by a computer running Windows 95 (i know, i know....).  well, after all these years, that computer has failed, and his backup computer has failed.  The controller that runs the machine is an ISA card, so I am helping him track down an old P1 or PII system with ideally 2 ISA slots that we can hopefully rebuild his system with so he can continue his work.  
> > >              
> > >             If you are curious, my friend is one of a handful, or the only person in the world depending on the music box, conducting new works and providing new discs for these music boxes.   He works out of his basement and has been doing this for 50 years, out of Peterborough, NH. http://www.henstoothdiscs.com/Thorens45.htm
> > >              
> > >             any help would be greatly appreciated in tracking this PC hardware down.  ideally we would like to build a system with redundant parts (power supply, motherboard, ram, hard drive. cpu) and willing to pay fair/reasonable cash prices. 
> > >              
> > >             Thanks for your help, best regards! 
> > >              
> > >              
> > >             --
> > >             warren
> > >             _______________________________________________
> > >             gnhlug-discuss mailing list
> > >             gnhlug-discuss at mail.gnhlug.org mailto:gnhlug-discuss at mail.gnhlug.org
> > >             http://mail.gnhlug.org/mailman/listinfo/gnhlug-discuss/
> > > 
> > >         > > 
> >     > 
>      
>     --
>     warren
> 
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