Resurrecting a Legacy X86 PC..

[Vipersan]

Amazingly it DOES work ..
See image attached..
Just goes to show what amateurs with talent can do

 

[Vipersan]

Well apparently it is possible to retrofit this usb driver on an existing installation of win95 ..
providing the crappy microsoft USBsupplement is totally removed from the system first (USBSUPP) ..
MS released this one (doesn't work) whereas XUSBSUPP does..
I've now added it to my previous build ..and so far is totally stable.

set up a temp test folder on the win95 desktop ..and copied the entire contents of the usb stick to it ..
Took around 3.5 minutes ..
so the ports are aperating in either usb 1.0 or 1.1 mode I'd guess ..but more than adequate to get data into win95
I'll test the reverse 'write' operation next ..
I expect this might be longer ..if at all possible ??

approx 120mb of data


Well to complete the test ..the results of the write time ..
the same data sent the other way took around 6 minutes ..but DID complete.
obviously only fat or fat32 supported
;)

 

[2cvbloke]

Now stick a 128GB USB stick in there and see if Win95 screams and runs away into a BSOD...

 

[Vipersan]

Now stick a 128GB USB stick in there and see if Win95 screams and runs away into a BSOD...

Well the one that is currently in is 256 mb ...so I guess that test has been passed ..
lol
..I wonder if it can handle a keyboard ????

The answer is ...
maybe ?
certainly no BSOD ...but a device was recognised ..and a driver was asked for..
so ..
that's a possibly ?

 

[2cvbloke]

Well the one that is currently in is 256 mb ...so I guess that test has been passed ..
lol

128 GB, not MB...

 

[Vipersan]

128 GB, not MB...

doh!!!
Guess I'm a >>>

Definately wont work then ..
as only fat 32 is recognised ...which imposes restrictions 32gb in memory serves ?

 

[2cvbloke]

There are tools on t'internet that can format beyond 32GB in FAT32, it's just limitations in windows' abilities (now there's a thing!) that can't format beyond 32GB...

 

[Vipersan]

There are tools on t'internet that can format beyond 32GB in FAT32, it's just limitations in windows' abilities (now there's a thing!) that can't format beyond 32GB...

Agreed ...but the USB is working in a windows environment ...so ..
I am happy to stay under the limit..
lol

 

[PaulR]

My 128GB pen drive is formatted with exFAT. Maybe it'll be recognised as it's a sort of FAT?

 

[Vipersan]

OMG ...
Thought this was dumped many years ago..
Was rooting in the loft earlier to find my old Churchill Multimac decoder ..when I discovered ..covered in dust an addon scsi unit which not only contained another scsi hard drive ...but also a PD CD drive ..
Higgs knows if I still have any media to fit it ..
but this was my original re-writer/storage unit..
If memory seves the disc was actually in a carrier and it's surface wasn't to be touched...
anyone remember these ..
my word they were expensive ..and the media carts EEeeeek ..(650mb)
After I'm dead someone will find a veritable treasure trove up there in the loft.
lol

 

[Vipersan]

The PD drive powers up and anounces itself on the scsi bus as Matshita PD -1
So I guess it would still work ..assuming I had a suitable disc-cartridge..???

'Panasonic's PD/CD-ROM LF-1000AB drive wears two hats: It can read and write to a 650-MB rewritable optical disk, and it can also read common quad-speed CD-ROMs--all in the same tray. For PD mode, you insert a cartridge into the phase-change drive's tray; for CDs, you remove the PD cartridge and simply drop a CD into the tray. Supported CD formats include Kodak Photo CD, Video CD, CD-DA, and CD-I FMV. This is the only drive we tested that supports standard CDs as well as a phase-change cartridge. Phase-change cartridges are nonmagnetic media that offer reliable long-term storage.'

Phase-change Dual - Wikipedia
Phase-change Dual - Wikipedia
Looks like I would need drivers to install this piece of legacy kit ..
Not supported directly by windows 98 or 95 ..
Is anyone aware of a group like ours that discusses legacy PC tech ?
Perhaps my only chance to get the drivers I need for this and other hardware..?
rgds
VS

 

[Vipersan]

Looks like there is native support for the PDCD drive in win2000..insofar as both CD and PD drives are identified seperately ..
Sadly it does not 'see' a cd in the drive ...but I can't remember if this ever worked ..
what I do know is that I used it for PD carts ..
Dammit ..now I have to go back in the loft to see if I can find a PD disc cartridge ..
Doubtful but possible ..
unless I have binned the couple I had ..
cest la vie

 

[Vipersan]

Oooh it's ffing wam up there and I was glad to come down ..
BUT ..
lookee what I found hidden inside 2 boxes of DOS and early PC games ..
Including Leasure Suit Larry on 5.25 inch floppy
If memory serves the empty tray is for insertion of a standard CD..
Seems I throw nowt away ..
My life in a Loft ..
Scary innit..

 

[2cvbloke]

I remember at the computer shop, we had a lot of cartridge-loading SCSI CD-ROM drives in external caddies, can't recall the brand, most of which came from old water-damaged stock from the previous shop (long before I worked there), and I had the wonderful job of testing them all (took about two days, couple hundred units in all!!), only for them all to be slung out as they thought they were CD-Writers not CD-ROMs and didn't think to ask me until AFTER I'd tested them all..............

 

[Vipersan]

I remember at the computer shop, we had a lot of cartridge-loading SCSI CD-ROM drives in external caddies, can't recall the brand, most of which came from old water-damaged stock from the previous shop (long before I worked there), and I had the wonderful job of testing them all (took about two days, couple hundred units in all!!), only for them all to be slung out as they thought they were CD-Writers not CD-ROMs and didn't think to ask me until AFTER I'd tested them all..............

Do you remember if these drives needed additional drivers installed to function..
My drive is recognised but fails to read ..
It could be faulty of course ...then again ..it may be missing some additional drivers or software..
rgds
VS

 

[Vipersan]

Interesting reading on the theory of Magneto Optical here :-
Mega Tech Flashback: Writable Optical Discs: MO, PD, DVD-RAM

 

[2cvbloke]

Do you remember if these drives needed additional drivers installed to function..
My drive is recognised but fails to read ..

From what I remember it was just plug & play (with the SCSI DIP switches set appropriately of course), after that the OS just saw it as a drive and read as per usual, but these were just regular (well, regular but used the cartridges to load the CDs into) SCSI CD drives in external caddies, could be that your drive has bit the dust unless Panasonic had something special that was needed for the drive to operate...

 

[Vipersan]

From what I remember it was just plug & play (with the SCSI DIP switches set appropriately of course), after that the OS just saw it as a drive and read as per usual, but these were just regular (well, regular but used the cartridges to load the CDs into) SCSI CD drives in external caddies, could be that your drive has bit the dust unless Panasonic had something special that was needed for the drive to operate...

Hmm it may well be the drive has bit the dust ..
I do remember ..or at least I think I do that the drive used UDF format ...
There is some guy selling a slightly more recent version on fleabay for about a tenner ..
I might just take a punt out of curiosity ...
I might also take a look inside mine to see if the laser has crusted up with crap..
anyway ..enough 'fun' for tonight..

 

[2cvbloke]

I perused the internet to try and work out what the drives I suffered, I mean tested back in the computer shop, they were the NEC MultiSpin CDR-602, and yes, that is a track indicator on the front:

 

[Captain Jack]

Seems like we are all in nostalgia mode at the moment...

Found these two sites, which might be of interest?

Old versions of Windows, Mac and Linux Software, Apps & Abandonware Games - Download at OldVersion.com < self-explanatory - old versions of software
DevID.info – free driver search and update utility < drivers