[Hidden-tech] More packrat stuff... files off an ms-dos system?

[Robert Heller]

At Tue, 10 Jun 2008 12:33:37 -0400 jwerner at jwdp.com wrote:

> 
>    ** The author of this post was a Good Dobee.
>    ** You too can help the group
>    ** Fill out the survey/skills inventory in the member's area.
>    ** If you did, we all thank you.
> 
> 
> The 40 MB (that's Megabytes, not Gigabytes) HD in the Epson Equity II+ 
> probably had an ST506 or ST412 interface -- almost certainly not an IDE 
> interface -- which means that it will not work in any external drive 
> enclosure you can buy today.
> 
> Any of the proposals for using a serial or parallel transport protocol 
> won't work unless you have some way of getting the software onto the 
> system in the first place, which means having either communications 
> software already installed on the HD (and knowing how to use it), or 
> having a working floppy drive, in which case there isn't much of a 
> problem in the first place.

If it A) boots to MS-DOS and B) contains its own local WP software, it
*might* be possible to convert the files to plain ASCII text.  If so, it
should be then possible to just use 'copy': 'copy textfile.txt COM1:'. 
The computer at the other end needs so way to capture this text.  At
worst fire up a console window (run cmd.exe or command.com) and do 'copy COM1:
textfile.txt' -- you'll have to ^C out.  Crude, but effective if the
point is to just transfer the poetic content.  Nevermind the formatting
-- the *words* are the important thing.

> 
> I used to have Laplink-like program, the name of which now escapes me, 
> that could install itself from a remote computer over a null-modem or 
> reverse parallel cable (it worked with Laplink cables) but that would 
> require having a second computer running MS-DOS to start up from.
> 
> It might be worth finding out if the Epson can even boot from the HD in 
> the first place. If not, the HD may be dead. The only way to find out 
> would be to boot from a floppy and see if one could read from the HD. If 
> the answer is yes, then the data may be retrievable. If not, the only 
> option would be a drive recovery firm with the ability to access older 
> disks. Ontrack might be able to do it, but it would cost a fortune.
> 
> Jan Werner
> ________________
> 
> Greg Major wrote:
> >   ** The author of this post was a Good Dobee.
> >   ** You too can help the group
> >   ** Fill out the survey/skills inventory in the member's area.
> >   ** If you did, we all thank you.
> > 
> > 
> > Don't make it so complicated. Get an external drive enclosure from 
> > Staples (approx. $30.00) and put your old hard disk in it. Then it will 
> > plug into any machine through the usb port and you will be able to 
> > access all of the files on the hard disk. Just make sure you get the 
> > right size enclosure.
> > 
> > B. Kimo Lee wrote:
> >>   ** The author of this post was a Good Dobee.
> >>   ** You too can help the group
> >>   ** Fill out the survey/skills inventory in the member's area.
> >>   ** If you did, we all thank you.
> >>
> >>
> >> Hi all,
> >>
> >> Steven Solomon's "pack-rat" post inspired me to move on this legacy 
> >> issue.
> >> I have an ancient Espon Equity II+ (MS-DOS) on which are some original 
> >> songs my ex wrote years ago. No, she doesn't have hard-copy printouts. 
> >> Yes, it has parallel ports!!
> >> Thought I'd see if anybody has some thoughts on how to transfer the 
> >> files onto an external drive of some sort?
> >> Is this even possible? I'm really curious if some of you ultra-geeks 
> >> can recommend something. I'd like to recycle that thing and get it out 
> >> of my basement once and for all. lol!
> >>
> >> Thanks,
> >> Kimo
> >>
> >>
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>             

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