Solve : Tandy 1000EX with hard drive - need help?

1.	Solve : Tandy 1000EX with hard drive - need help?
Answer» I have a Tandy 1000EX with 2 floppies and added memory/expansion board, serial board, CM-11 monitor and DMP130 printer that I just started to resurrect after it sat for over10 years in my garage. It mostly works OK, booting off the internal 5.25, 360k floppy drive, i can switch to the second, external floppy - also 5.25, 360k, but the computer will no longer acknowledge my added-on 65mb hard drive. Although Tandy swore (in writing) that it was not possible, through long and diligent searching in the late 80's, early 90's, I was able to find and add a WD-1004-27x hard drive controller board with an adapter that actually fit inside the EX, with a Seagate ST277-R (RLL) 65mb hard drive, in an external enclosure with a separate power supply. I followed the instructions from Hard Drives International after I got it (over 25 years ago), and it worked fine. I do not recall if it would boot off the hard drive, but I don't think so. I recently tried to boot off the floppy drive and got several messages due to some corrupted files. My old DOS 5.0 boot disk was sitting in the floppy drive for about 10 years, so I'm not surprised. The hard drive powered up and seemed to be ready to use. However, with all the corrupted files (like the autoexec and config.sys ), the computer will no longer recognize or switch to the C: drive. I have tried reformatting the HD using the DEBUG command, which it apparently did (3 times), but the computer re-boots after it finishes the FORMATTING and will not recognize the drive so I can CONTINUE with partitioning or high level formatting. I think there should be some command in either the autoexec.bat or config.sys file that tells the computer to look for the hard drive, but after all this time, I don't recall and cannot figure out what is should be. Does anyone who may have successfully added a hard drive to a Tandy 1000EX (or maybe an HX) know what the command would be that will get the computer to recognize the Hard drive? I am interested in getting this going again for the purpose of selling it, so it is somewhat important that this WORK. Any helpful suggestions will be tried. I don't know about altering or upgrading the BIOS, I don't even know if it is possible with this computer. The BIOS is 1.02.00, I think. If it would provide any clue, I can post the contents of the existing autoexec and config files. Thanks. You can post your responses here, or send them directly to me at email address removed by Allan Fred Quote but the computer re-boots after it finishes the formatting In DOS, the computer should not be rebooting itself after format is complete. It should just complete and stay running. *** Posting your e-mail here for everyone to see if dangerous as for you can have your e-mail picked up by a spam server and all of a sudden get an inrush of junkmail. I'm notifying a moderator to remove your e-mail so that its hidden from spam servers. I never had a Tandy 1000, but I did have other systems of that era of computer. I am guessing that the BIOS config is performed via dip switches like the IBM and Clones of that period. However some systems had setup disks required to configure the BIOS. My guess is that you NEED to acquire the BIOS setup disks if any exist because otherwise dip switch settings would not have changed and so 10 years later the HDD should work just as it did 10+ years ago. Depending on humidity in the garage the HDD controller and HDD could also be junk now. I have seen many systems rot away in garages, cellars, and sheds and partially work when powered after a long storage in not the best environment.tandy - I deleted your email address. The way support forums work is all questions and response are posted on the forum for all to see. Thank you for your cooperation.On top of that it should be mentioned you saved his Inbox from boatloads of SPAM...Thank you, moderator, for the schooling on forum decorum. I appreciate the advice and no spam. Dave, Thank you for the info. I have explored the guts of the EX, as well as scouring the technical manual. Nothing mentions dip switches and none are to be found. On the other hand, the hard drive SEEMS to be operating OK, it starts and does seem to go thru the usual exercises that a hard drive goes thru. Also, I get the appropriate responses to the debug command, depending on which options I choose, so I can't say for sure that either one is mis-behaving. It's just that rebooting business. It is a consistent thing (i.e. 3 times in a row). It goes thru the formatting process and then reboots. I haven't found any information referring to BIOS updates for the EX. I once had a letter from Tandy stating that the 1000EX was not intended to EVER have a hard drive. Oddly enough, in the technical manual, reference IS made to a hard disk controller-- on page 28 in the discussion of interrupt functions--"The 8259A (chip) is the source of the INT for the 8088. The 8259A has eight interrupt inputs controlled through software commands. It can mask (disable) and prioritize to generate INT. These eight interrupts are: #0 Timer Channel 0 (Software timer) #1 Keyboard (Keyboard code received) #2 Hard Disk Controller (Optional function, Interrupt on Bus #3 etc" The Floppy disk function is on INT #6 On page 45, it further shows in the I/O summary, that Block 0032-0032F is RESERVED for Hard Disk. So, they apparently had a chip that was ABLE to handle a hard drive, but it appears it was never enabled. I suppose the 28 watt power supply that they had in the EX was not up to the demands of a hard drive, which is why my HD has its' own power supply. Any thoughts on this matter will be greatly appreciated. Fred I suggest a forum that caters to vintage computers where you can find people that are familiar with the Tandy 1000 EX: http://www.vintage-computer.com/vcforum/activity.phpThe reboots your getting could be a weak power supply. Weak power supply can make a HDD go out to lunch. At the end of a format it should just complete and not reboot.

Answer»

I have a Tandy 1000EX with 2 floppies and added memory/expansion board, serial board, CM-11 monitor and DMP130 printer that I just started to resurrect after it sat for over10 years in my garage. It mostly works OK, booting off the internal 5.25, 360k floppy drive, i can switch to the second, external floppy - also 5.25, 360k, but the computer will no longer acknowledge my added-on 65mb hard drive. Although Tandy swore (in writing) that it was not possible, through long and diligent searching in the late 80's, early 90's, I was able to find and add a WD-1004-27x hard drive controller board with an adapter that actually fit inside the EX, with a Seagate ST277-R (RLL) 65mb hard drive, in an external enclosure with a separate power supply. I followed the instructions from Hard Drives International after I got it (over 25 years ago), and it worked fine. I do not recall if it would boot off the hard drive, but I don't think so. I recently tried to boot off the floppy drive and got several messages due to some corrupted files. My old DOS 5.0 boot disk was sitting in the floppy drive for about 10 years, so I'm not surprised. The hard drive powered up and seemed to be ready to use. However, with all the corrupted files (like the autoexec and config.sys ), the computer will no longer recognize or switch to the C: drive. I have tried reformatting the HD using the DEBUG command, which it apparently did (3 times), but the computer re-boots after it finishes the FORMATTING and will not recognize the drive so I can CONTINUE with partitioning or high level formatting. I think there should be some command in either the autoexec.bat or config.sys file that tells the computer to look for the hard drive, but after all this time, I don't recall and cannot figure out what is should be. Does anyone who may have successfully added a hard drive to a Tandy 1000EX (or maybe an HX) know what the command would be that will get the computer to recognize the Hard drive? I am interested in getting this going again for the purpose of selling it, so it is somewhat important that this WORK. Any helpful suggestions will be tried. I don't know about altering or upgrading the BIOS, I don't even know if it is possible with this computer. The BIOS is 1.02.00, I think. If it would provide any clue, I can post the contents of the existing autoexec and config files.
Thanks. You can post your responses here, or send them directly to me at email address removed by Allan
Fred Quote

but the computer re-boots after it finishes the formatting

In DOS, the computer should not be rebooting itself after format is complete. It should just complete and stay running.

*** Posting your e-mail here for everyone to see if dangerous as for you can have your e-mail picked up by a spam server and all of a sudden get an inrush of junkmail. I'm notifying a moderator to remove your e-mail so that its hidden from spam servers.

I never had a Tandy 1000, but I did have other systems of that era of computer. I am guessing that the BIOS config is performed via dip switches like the IBM and Clones of that period. However some systems had setup disks required to configure the BIOS. My guess is that you NEED to acquire the BIOS setup disks if any exist because otherwise dip switch settings would not have changed and so 10 years later the HDD should work just as it did 10+ years ago. Depending on humidity in the garage the HDD controller and HDD could also be junk now. I have seen many systems rot away in garages, cellars, and sheds and partially work when powered after a long storage in not the best environment.tandy - I deleted your email address. The way support forums work is all questions and response are posted on the forum for all to see. Thank you for your cooperation.On top of that it should be mentioned you saved his Inbox from boatloads of SPAM...Thank you, moderator, for the schooling on forum decorum. I appreciate the advice and no spam.
Dave,
Thank you for the info. I have explored the guts of the EX, as well as scouring the technical manual. Nothing mentions dip switches and none are to be found. On the other hand, the hard drive SEEMS to be operating OK, it starts and does seem to go thru the usual exercises that a hard drive goes thru. Also, I get the appropriate responses to the debug command, depending on which options I choose, so I can't say for sure that either one is mis-behaving. It's just that rebooting business. It is a consistent thing (i.e. 3 times in a row). It goes thru the formatting process and then reboots. I haven't found any information referring to BIOS updates for the EX. I once had a letter from Tandy stating that the 1000EX was not intended to EVER have a hard drive. Oddly enough, in the technical manual, reference IS made to a hard disk controller-- on page 28 in the discussion of interrupt functions--"The 8259A (chip) is the source of the INT for the 8088. The 8259A has eight interrupt inputs controlled through software commands. It can mask (disable) and prioritize to generate INT. These eight interrupts are:
#0 Timer Channel 0 (Software timer)
#1 Keyboard (Keyboard code received)
#2 Hard Disk Controller (Optional function, Interrupt on Bus
#3 etc"
The Floppy disk function is on INT #6

On page 45, it further shows in the I/O summary, that Block 0032-0032F is RESERVED for Hard Disk.
So, they apparently had a chip that was ABLE to handle a hard drive, but it appears it was never enabled. I suppose the 28 watt power supply that they had in the EX was not up to the demands of a hard drive, which is why my HD has its' own power supply.
Any thoughts on this matter will be greatly appreciated.
Fred I suggest a forum that caters to vintage computers where you can find people that are familiar with the Tandy 1000 EX: http://www.vintage-computer.com/vcforum/activity.phpThe reboots your getting could be a weak power supply. Weak power supply can make a HDD go out to lunch. At the end of a format it should just complete and not reboot.

Solve : Tandy 1000EX with hard drive - need help?

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