upgrading a really old PC [nearly resolved but still interested in peoples' opinions]

[Behemoth]

my girlfriends mum has a really old PC
I think it started life as a 386, and has been upgraded to a 486 in the past.

Its a compaq (I think) desktop, with 8mb RAM and 5¼in and 3½in disk drives. It is running under Windows 3.1. My g/fs mum is thinking about swapping the 5¼in drive for a CDROM.

Does anyone have any suggestions whatsoever about upgrading such an old machine? What am I likely to find inside the case? Will a switch from the floppy drive to a CD-rom go smoothly? Is the memory sufficient?

I haven't opened it up yet, so I know very little about it. Any advice whatsoever would be appreciated.

Thanks

[Gandalf_Grey_]

it should i have successfully run a CD rom in a computer with 4mb of ram. goto http://www.bootdisk.com/readme.htm#cdromdos and get the program (self extracting diskette) which will allow you to run a CD-ROM in dos/win 3.1

[Jethro]

Shouldn't have any problems dude....may need to tamper with the BIOS though.....

Make sure the drivers supplied with the CDROM support DOS, Win 3.x is gonna boot more through the autoexec and config files than later versions.

Taking off the lid may just be a frightening expierance that you will need a few lagers to get over.......dust and crap galore am beating.

Points to note

1. Backup data before powering down, you just never know.

2. CDROM should come with a disk of drivers for various versions of windows and DOS.

3. Put CDROM in, load drivers, and let the puter do the rest.

A CD writer might not be an option on a machine this old, but a CD Rom will be....

Easy Peasy.........

[Behemoth]

Anything else I should note?
Will I find a standard IDE cable in there?
Will it all plug together like modern PCs?

[Jethro]

Originally posted by Gandalf_Grey_
it should i have successfully run a CD rom in a computer with 4mb of ram. goto http://www.bootdisk.com/readme.htm#cdromdos and get the program (self extracting diskette) which will allow you to run a CD-ROM in dos/win 3.1

Can beat that...

Successful installation to 386 with 1 meg ram......rom came with Office Professional as well....woo hoo....Psst CDs don't make good frisbies......


Make a backup copy of the CDROM drivers and store in safe place, am always having to hunt those things out....

[Behemoth]

any suggestions regarding backing stuff up? or are we resigning ourselves to 1.44mb chunks?

[Gandalf_Grey_]

who needs the drivers that came with it, half the time they are POS (in my experiance anyways) i just use that image i pointed to and voila! i have used it on about 10 different drives with no problems, both old and new

[Behemoth]

thanks gandalf...i'll give it a go

[Jethro]

Originally posted by Behemoth
Anything else I should note?
Will I find a standard IDE cable in there?
Will it all plug together like modern PCs?

Yes just like a modern PC, they don't really change that much...

[Jethro]

Originally posted by Gandalf_Grey_
who needs the drivers that came with it, half the time they are POS (in my experiance anyways) i just use that image i pointed to and voila! i have used it on about 10 different drives with no problems, both old and new

POS = Point of Sale......

Sure the site is fine as well....

Just do it. should have no problems, as long as spare power connection, which they all generally have, if not just get a splitter for approx 1.50...

[Jethro]

How did it go Behemoth, tea and scones at the end, or did you get your hairy date kicked down the street

[Gandalf_Grey_]

POS = Piece of ****

[JungleMan]

Piece of ****

[Behemoth]

Originally posted by Jethro
How did it go Behemoth, tea and scones at the end, or did you get your hairy date kicked down the street

Not started yet, still doing some background research...

Should be able to pick up an old 486 tower case with everything in except a HDD, so I might use that. It's gonna be a couple of weeks yet, cos my g/fs mum is just finishing a mail herbalism course, and everything is stored, so I want to make sure everything is backed up securely before I even open the case.

[CyberSurfer]

Make sure it has a decent power supply in it too, I tried to put a CD Writer in a comp with a 200w PSU the other day, and it rolled over crying hideously...

[JungleMan]

Originally posted by CyberSurfer
Make sure it has a decent power supply in it too, I tried to put a CD Writer in a comp with a 200w PSU the other day, and it rolled over crying hideously...

exactly. i know it doesn't apply in this case but athlons require A LOT of power! I put at least 350w in any machine I build.

[Jethro]

Originally posted by CyberSurfer
Make sure it has a decent power supply in it too, I tried to put a CD Writer in a comp with a 200w PSU the other day, and it rolled over crying hideously...

Amen to that one, and ensure you get the power connections correct to the motherboard, that can be a real *****

[Gandalf_Grey_]

i only have 300 in mine, hes right make ABSOLUTELY sURE you have the connections right, hooking it up backwards is a good way to screw a motherboard up

[JungleMan]

Originally posted by Gandalf_Grey_
i only have 300 in mine, hes right make ABSOLUTELY sURE you have the connections right, hooking it up backwards is a good way to screw a motherboard up

the connector only goes in one way you idiot

[Jethro]

Originally posted by jpbtennisman


the connector only goes in one way you idiot

Not on all motherboards Justin, we are talking the power supply to the motherboard power connections...have got this one wrong before

And remember we are talking an old motherboard here....

[JungleMan]

Originally posted by Jethro


Not on all motherboards Justin, we are talking the power supply to the motherboard power connections...have got this one wrong before

And remember we are talking an old motherboard here....

Yeah you have a good point...but on ATX boards it can only go in one way.

AT boards however, different story. And on the old CPU sockets you had to put the CPU in the right way or it would fry

[Jethro]

Originally posted by jpbtennisman


Yeah you have a good point...but on ATX boards it can only go in one way.

AT boards however, different story. And on the old CPU sockets you had to put the CPU in the right way or it would fry

Thinking the power connections will be the old two thingies.... sort of black rectangles, very easdy to slot them into the wrong place, cause in quite a few models the manufacturers didn't bother actually indicating which was which


Behemoth

Would suggest putting a sticker or something on one in current rig, so this does not become a problem.

Justin is correct with the power supply to the drives, can only be inserted one way.

[Behemoth]

I have no problem PSU > drives, but I've never player about with PSU > mobo... Should be fun

[Jethro]

Tsk...and you didn't mention the new box at the start.... typical..

[Behemoth]

there wasn't the option of a new box at the start... It was just a bit of wheelin' and dealin' that I managed to get it.

[Jethro]

Next it's gonna be we wont to add a 120gig hard disk, full surrond sound, and dual overhead fox tails.....

[Behemoth]

This foxtails obsession is truly disturbing, Jello...

[Jethro]

Originally posted by Behemoth
This foxtails obsession is truly disturbing, Jello...

Hey they cover my bits and pieces....


Ooh look a fruit bat.....

[JungleMan]

Originally posted by Jethro
dual overhead fox tails.....

I guess that must be the latest case mod

[Jethro]

Originally posted by jpbtennisman


I guess that must be the latest case mod

For your discerning Red Neck

[JungleMan]

Originally posted by Jethro


For your discerning Red Neck

I was thinking more an Aussie case mod