upgrading a really old PC: the story
as some of you may be aware, I recently volunteered to help upgrade my girlfriends mums PC. The original system was something like a 486DX2/66 with 8mb RAM. The only requirement she had was that it had a CDROM. The computer was a Compaq desktop.
After a bit of wheelin' an dealin', I got hold of a tower carcass. It had a DX2/66 with something like 32mb ram and a CDROM. So, one saturday morning I cracked open both cases and got to work. I transferred the hard drive okay, then discovered the carcass han no PS2 ports at all. I went on holiday pretty pissed off.
When I got back my dad had managed to dig out a couple of adaptors for me. One was PC keyboard to PS2, and the other was serial to PS2. I settled down again to make another start. The first discovery was that the pins in the serial port were all bent and twisted. After 10 minutes with a pair of pliers, I'd sorted that out. I plugged it all together, and switched it on.
Disk error. ***? disk error? why? I rummaged about in the CMOS settings and detected the disk ok. I tried again...This time, it told me the OS was missing. I was getting pretty pissed off. I stuck a DOS disk in and tried to install it. apparently DOS was already installed. It gave me an A:> prompt.
*sigh*
I checked C:. It was fine. No errors, all the original files were there - even windows. It just would not load. after a number of reboots, CMOS tweaks and such, I noticed the processor fan wasnt spinning properly. I could have cried. It sort of wobbled from side to side. I was just about to give up when my girlfriends mum told me she had been offered one of a couple of old computers stashed in the store room. I didn't think it was going to be worthwhile, but I needed a break, so she drove us up to her office.
I went into the storeroom and spotted the two PCs. The one on the right was enourmous. it was a tower case that seemed to stand about 3foot tall. I checked it over. It was a Dell Dimension with a PII processor inside. It had ports for everything. It was beautiful. Compared to what i had spent the whole day with, it was a supercomputer. Assuming it was in working condition, it would do the trick.
We got it back home, and I'm still not sure how the bloody thing opens. I plugged it in and set it up on the desk. Windows 95 sprang into life. I'd sensibly asked her to back up all the data files she needed, and since they all fitted on a single floppy, it wasn't long before she had everything she needed. I was even chuffed to find that Word 97 has no problems opening MS Works files.
I've set up some speakers and installed her printer, and the whole family has spent the day loading videos and enhanced CDs from their music collection.
A job well done :) The tower carcass is still in my car now.
