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Sharp PC-4600 DOS

S

sp1r1d0n

New Member
Joined
Aug 22, 2012
Messages
4
Hi guys,
I have got an ancient Sharp PC-4600. But I haven't got the original diskette with DOS. So I cant run any programs on it. Original was 720k DOS 3.3 floppy. I have found some images on the internet, but the problem is, that all of them are install disc, for installation on HDD. But this "notebook" haven't got any HDD. I need just boot disc of DOS 3.3 . And I cant find it :(
 
I tried to "burn" image on floppy but I have failed :/ . Can you recommend me a good program for doing this? I remember that I used winimage for some crazy experiments like this, but It doesnt work for me anymore. It always says that the floppy is corrupted, but it isn't truth. Also I remember, that I copied the images somehow in Linux, using dd command. But my last pc with floppy drive has windows only. So what do you recommend me? In worst case I will reinstall the PC on Ubuntu but I'm sure that there is a good program for windows.
 
Winimage requires the diskette to be absolutely error free, as in no bad sectors. When Winimage runs into the slightest error on the disk, it will halt. I've had to deal with this problem many times. Most of the time it's a Bad Track 0 error, but try to use error free disks.
 
Interesting. I tried 3-4 floppies and the formating/image writing stopped always on 2%. So I thought that there is a problem with the program. I am going to collect all the floppies from the old times at home and hope that one of them is 100% ok.
 
sp1r1d0n said:
Interesting. I tried 3-4 floppies and the formating/image writing stopped always on 2%. So I thought that there is a problem with the program.
Click to expand...
I have just discovered that WinImage version 8.5, on two different computers of mine (a 32-bit OS, and a 64-bit OS), fails a diskette format at the 2% mark.
So, no image file at all - just opening WinImage and then choosing to format a 1.44M diskette. Multiple diskettes.
I reverted to version 8.1 and the problem disappeared.

I have regenerated the image file (at post #1) in version 8.1, just in case 8.5 didn't generate it properly.
 
I don't know if you have solved the problem or not, but some time ago I uploaded the system disk for a Sharp PC-4500 to this site:

http://vetusware.com/download/MS-DOS 3.21/?id=14921

I do not own any of those systems any more but I recall that the 4600 was more or less the same thing with a faster NEC V40 processor and that you can boot those things only with OEM Sharp MS-DOS flavor (this DOS also boots fine on compatibles, I tested it that way).

Hope this helps
 
Muttley Black said:
Thank you.

Here you find the original oem system disc for sharp pc-4600.
http://www.vcfed.org/forum/showthread.php?71008-Looking-manual-and-dos-system-disc-for-Sharp-PC-4600

I am gonna send it also to WinWorld-pc so anyone that search it can found it.
I was searching this oem system disc for looooong time. So finally we all have it!
Click to expand...
Hi Muttley,

It seems that your system disk got removed. Could you upload it again please? And does anyone have the service manual for the PC-4600?

Thanks!
 
To correct a misconception, I have had no trouble booting DOS 5.0, 6.22, PC-DOS, or DR. DOS on my PC4502. I have looked at the boot sectors and there is nothing different or special about the Sharp disks other than a couple sharp utilities it comes with.

5.0 does boot pretty slowly and 6.22 takes a really long time to boot and use a lot of memory. But it does boot.

I have a gotek running in mine as drive A and it has booted any 720K image I have tossed at it. There is apparently a way to switch the disk controller to support 1.44MB disks, but I still have to sort that out.
 
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