Want to purchase MS-DOS 2.1 System Disks for a vintage 1983 TIPPC.
Have been looking for some time in all the standard markets (e-bay, amazon, craig's list, etc.) .Can anyone in this forum advise on this?
Thanks very much.
Has anyone ever gotten the system disk images to work? When I use IMD to restore either one, IMD is writing them out as 360KB 9 sectors-per-track yet I am fairly certain that the TIPPC expects 320KB 8 sectors-per-track. I have tried a bunch of tricks, even using an IBM PC XT to format a floppy as 320KB, and then writing io.sys, msdos.sys, and command.com sequentially. Since I acquired this TIPPC only a few weeks ago, I may be missing tribal knowledge that you all may have...
Disks intended for use with MS-DOS 2.x will be formatted 360k. Disks intended for use with DOS 1.x will be formatted 320k. Although, they use a 1:2 sector interleave instead of 1:1 like IBM PC.
MS-DOS can not usually be made bootable just by copying system files. You must also write the proper boot sector. That can be tricky.
The TI Professional computer is not IBM PC compatible. It will not boot IBM PC-DOS or any other OEM’s MS-DOS.
If you use ImageDisk on an IBM PC to write the TI-Professional Computer MS-DOS 2.11 downloadable here, then the resulting image SHOULD be bootable.
Also, be aware that that 360k disks written using a 1.2mb floppy drive WILL NOT BE READABLE in a 360k floppy drive. You must write the disks with a 360k 5.25” floppy drive.
To be more thorough in my explanation, I used a 360KB floppy on an IBM XT so that the tracks on disk were created by a thicker-headed diskette drive. I used MS-DOS 6.2.2's format.com switch /320 to ensure the disk was what the TI manuals/print article reviews I have say it should be equipped with.
I sys.com-ed the diskette gambling that the boot sector laid down by MS-DOS 6.2.2 would work with the system files (io.sys, msdos.sys, command.com) I extracted from the TI MS-DOS 2.11 image. I copied those files in that order, ensuring after copying each file that io.sys was starting at the beginning of the disk and also that all blocks for each file were contiguous. I then set the IBM-appropriate attributes on the files (io.sys and msdos.sys at +RSH, command.com at +R)
I realized before the start that this was probably not going to work, but it was a Hail Mary since my attempts with the IMD image (also used on the IBM XT with and without 'Double-step') have not produced usable results.
I suppose it could be the TI, itself, that might have damaged floppy drives (there are 2), but I will not know, I suppose, until I start trying to replace the diskette drives inside the TI with hopefully-compatible IBM-compliant diskette drives.
The TI, itself, may be defective in some other way. It does 'want' to boot because any time I use the IMD imaged diskette in it, the TI will produce a line on screen saying TI-DOS 2.11 (and some other text) before throwing series 30 errors. The funny part is that neither TI manual I have shows error definitions in the 30s block, so for all I know the TI is telling me something the meaning of which I simply have no resource for.
•Does anyone have an extracted boot disk that has actually worked on their TI?
•• System Error - 0030 •• No diskette drives installed .
•• System Error - 0031 •• System could not boot from any drive .
•• System Error - 0032 •• CRC diskette read error .
•• System Error - 0033 •• Diskette seek error .
•• System Error - 0034 •• Sector not found .
•• System Error - 0035 •• FDC interface failure .
•• System Error - 0036 •• Not a system diskette.
•• System Error - 0037 •• Diskette format error or no data received .
•• System Error - 0038 •• Boot sector CRC error or bad sector buffer .
•• System Error - 0039 •• ORO error from controller .
The diskette drives option provides two configurations
for diskette mass storage. You may install a
second 320-kbyte drive in the right front of the
system unit. The system unit contains the necessary
power and control cable harnesses, and
connectors required for installation. Both drives
must be 320-kbyte capacity units, since the system
unit board is jumpered for the type of drives
installed. The option kit consists of the drive assembly,
mounting hardware, and a manual.
It sounds to me like the floppy drives in the TIPC are dirty. They may be reading the first track but then not able to step to the next track if there is dust jamming it.
I would inspect and clean the drives, but a bit of fresh lithium grease on the rails the head moves on, and make sure the heads move freely when powered off. Exactly what model of floppy drive does it use anyway?
Another thing you might try taking the disks written by ImageDisk and reading them back in with ImageDisk. That would show if there were any errors writing.
Comments
https://winworldpc.com/download/7EFB658 ... 54D21A8599
*Microsoft MS-DOS 2.11 [TI Professional Computer OEM r2.13]
https://winworldpc.com/download/7F85DDA ... 54D21A8599
MS-DOS 2.1x for TIPC is already uploaded.
I think you seem to be looking for original disks right?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/142231854367
--> No diskette.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/142280812977
--> I don't know system disk is included, but this list is for PC sale.
Has anyone ever gotten the system disk images to work? When I use IMD to restore either one, IMD is writing them out as 360KB 9 sectors-per-track yet I am fairly certain that the TIPPC expects 320KB 8 sectors-per-track. I have tried a bunch of tricks, even using an IBM PC XT to format a floppy as 320KB, and then writing io.sys, msdos.sys, and command.com sequentially. Since I acquired this TIPPC only a few weeks ago, I may be missing tribal knowledge that you all may have...
Disks intended for use with MS-DOS 2.x will be formatted 360k. Disks intended for use with DOS 1.x will be formatted 320k. Although, they use a 1:2 sector interleave instead of 1:1 like IBM PC.
MS-DOS can not usually be made bootable just by copying system files. You must also write the proper boot sector. That can be tricky.
The TI Professional computer is not IBM PC compatible. It will not boot IBM PC-DOS or any other OEM’s MS-DOS.
If you use ImageDisk on an IBM PC to write the TI-Professional Computer MS-DOS 2.11 downloadable here, then the resulting image SHOULD be bootable.
Also, be aware that that 360k disks written using a 1.2mb floppy drive WILL NOT BE READABLE in a 360k floppy drive. You must write the disks with a 360k 5.25” floppy drive.
To be more thorough in my explanation, I used a 360KB floppy on an IBM XT so that the tracks on disk were created by a thicker-headed diskette drive. I used MS-DOS 6.2.2's format.com switch /320 to ensure the disk was what the TI manuals/print article reviews I have say it should be equipped with.
I sys.com-ed the diskette gambling that the boot sector laid down by MS-DOS 6.2.2 would work with the system files (io.sys, msdos.sys, command.com) I extracted from the TI MS-DOS 2.11 image. I copied those files in that order, ensuring after copying each file that io.sys was starting at the beginning of the disk and also that all blocks for each file were contiguous. I then set the IBM-appropriate attributes on the files (io.sys and msdos.sys at +RSH, command.com at +R)
I realized before the start that this was probably not going to work, but it was a Hail Mary since my attempts with the IMD image (also used on the IBM XT with and without 'Double-step') have not produced usable results.
I suppose it could be the TI, itself, that might have damaged floppy drives (there are 2), but I will not know, I suppose, until I start trying to replace the diskette drives inside the TI with hopefully-compatible IBM-compliant diskette drives.
The TI, itself, may be defective in some other way. It does 'want' to boot because any time I use the IMD imaged diskette in it, the TI will produce a line on screen saying TI-DOS 2.11 (and some other text) before throwing series 30 errors. The funny part is that neither TI manual I have shows error definitions in the 30s block, so for all I know the TI is telling me something the meaning of which I simply have no resource for.
•Does anyone have an extracted boot disk that has actually worked on their TI?
I spoke too soon:
•• System Error - 0030 •• No diskette drives installed .
•• System Error - 0031 •• System could not boot from any drive .
•• System Error - 0032 •• CRC diskette read error .
•• System Error - 0033 •• Diskette seek error .
•• System Error - 0034 •• Sector not found .
•• System Error - 0035 •• FDC interface failure .
•• System Error - 0036 •• Not a system diskette.
•• System Error - 0037 •• Diskette format error or no data received .
•• System Error - 0038 •• Boot sector CRC error or bad sector buffer .
•• System Error - 0039 •• ORO error from controller .
From the TI maintenance manual:
1.3.2 Diskette Drives
The diskette drives option provides two configurations
for diskette mass storage. You may install a
second 320-kbyte drive in the right front of the
system unit. The system unit contains the necessary
power and control cable harnesses, and
connectors required for installation. Both drives
must be 320-kbyte capacity units, since the system
unit board is jumpered for the type of drives
installed. The option kit consists of the drive assembly,
mounting hardware, and a manual.
It sounds to me like the floppy drives in the TIPC are dirty. They may be reading the first track but then not able to step to the next track if there is dust jamming it.
I would inspect and clean the drives, but a bit of fresh lithium grease on the rails the head moves on, and make sure the heads move freely when powered off. Exactly what model of floppy drive does it use anyway?
Another thing you might try taking the disks written by ImageDisk and reading them back in with ImageDisk. That would show if there were any errors writing.
I'll try to get around to that as soon as I can, but that will likely be months since I am about to go on the road. :(