Re: [pc110] Can't get PC110 to boot from floppy to begin

Matthew Hershenson (mjh nospam at spies.com)
Tue, 24 Nov 1998 09:27:04 -0800 (PST)

I'm powering the unit through the battery contacts by using a battery
eliminator from a camcorder.

I have experimented further by formatting another PCMCIA hard drive on
a laptop using "FORMAT /S" and it won't boot either. I think there's
something missing from this disk and the boot floppy as far as the
PC110 is concerned. I was thinking of trying to copy some of the
invisible files from the PCMCIA HD that will boot to the other HD that
won't in the hopes that I can make another bootable HD and then I can
try to copy those same files to a floppy.

I don't know if it's usefule to know, but these are the verions I get
from the PS2 utility:
ROM Parts Number: 39H4552
ROM Release Date: 10/13/95
BIO Revision: 0.32 10/13/95
APM Revision: 0.26 10/13/95
VGA Revision: 0.15 09/07/95
SETUP/DIAG Revision: 0.27 09/19/95
KBFIBM Revision: 0.21
PSMC Revision: 0.22

Matt

>
> Next question, then... is the power connector going into the docking
> station or into the PC110? It should go into the docking station, to boot
> off floppy.
>
> At 06:56 PM 11/23/98 -0800, Matthew Hershenson wrote:
> >I did check the settings - the order is 1st FDD-1, 2nd PCMCIA, 3rd
> >HDD-1. One thing I thought was strange is that if the linux boot
> >floppy is installed in the PC110 and I restart, it scans the floppy
> >(the light goes on for a few seconds and I hear the disk spin), but it
> >boots Win95 from the PCMCIA HD. In my desktop machine, if an
> >unbootable floppy is in the drive on restart, it complains, something
> >like "Non-system disk... Replace disk and hit any key..." I don't
> >know if this is significant.
> >
> >Thanks for the suggestions,
> >Matt
> >
> >>
> >> Not to be a smarta$$ or anything, but did you check your CMOS settings?
> >> Remember that one of the options is boot device, and you don't need the
> >> floppy on that list.
> >>
> >> If you're not sure, turn the machine off, turn it on and immediately
> >> (before the beep) hit and hold F1. It's a menu option.
> >>
> >> At 02:40 PM 11/23/98 -0800, Matthew Hershenson wrote:
> >> > I tested the Linux Boot floppy in another PC, this time a K6
> >> >and it booted fine as well. I also made a bootable disk on the PC110,
> >> >using "FORMAT /S A:" under MS-DOS and the PC110 wouldn't boot off it,
> >> >but my K6 PC would. I tried running the Test from the "Easy-Setup"
> >> >[restart with F1 depressed] and the FDD-1 icon is grayed out. Is this
> >> >normal? Maybe this is a sign that the PC110 isn't happy with the
> >> >floppy. However, it can read and write floppies from Win95.
> >> > If I want to bypass the floppy altogether, is there a way
> >> >I can boot of the internal flash drive? Could I copy the linux boot
> >> >and support floppy images to that and boot from it?
> >> >
> >> >Thanks again for the help,
> >> >Matt
> >> >
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >> Test your disk in another "ordinary ;))" PC and see if that likes it as
> >> >> a first step
> >> >>
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >>
> >> >> > Thanks for the message. I just realized that I replied to you and
> >> >> > not the mailing list. I don't know the etiquette for replying -
> whether
> >> >> > it's best to reply to the list or sender. In any case, I didn't save
> >> >> > a copy of the message, so if it should be posted to the mailing list,
> >> >> > please send me a copy of my message and I will resend it to the list.
> >> >>
> >> >> I didnt save it either 8)
> >> >>
> >> >> Test your disk in another "ordinary ;))" PC and see if that likes it as
> >> >> a first step
> >> >>
> >> >
> >>
> >>
> >
>
>