IBM model 25 issues. (mostly hard drive)

[luckybob]

In fact its probably all hard drive. A while ago, I bought what appeared to be a new in box, 20mb hard drive for my model 25. Sealed anti-static bag, front bezel, mounting screws, cable. the whole nine yards. I paid out the arese for it, thinking "there's no way a new drive cant work"

EL OH EL.

My last experience with a ps/2 was many years ago, a model 50 if memory serves. What I remember is needing a disk to do ANYTHING hardware related. So I downloaded both disks from this site: http://ps-2.kev009.com/selectpccbbs/ The advanced diagnostics disk works as it should. finds the hard drive, and everything. nothing gives me any errors except the hard drive. Trying to do an unconditional format results in a "time out" error. (1702 if i remember right) It will do drive seeks fine, but I just cant write to the drive. It ACTS like it hasn't been setup correctly. So when I try the "starter disk" The machine hard locks after reading the disk. I've tried multiple disks, on 2 different machines. I tried fdisk in dos, it can find the disk, but cannot save any data to it. (fdisk fails)

Sadly the drive I bought, a WDL-320, seems like it was made instead for a model 30. Looking at the directions (after hours of playing with this thing) it shows a model 30 and not a 25. The icing on the cake is the brand new drive plate and mounting hardware is for, you guessed it, a model 30. *sigh*

Am I missing something here? I can't seem to find exactly what hard drive goes into this little machine. Does anyone know exactly what model I should search for? Does anyone want to trade a probably good WLD-320 with accessories for a model 25 drive?

 

[Beerhunter]

1. I paid out the arese for it, thinking "there's no way a new drive cant work"

2. My last experience with a ps/2 was many years ago, a model 50 if memory serves. What I remember is needing a disk to do ANYTHING hardware related.

1. However, old hard files can suffer from "sticktion" - the actuator gets stuck. As you appear to have a genuine IBM part, it will date from around 20 years ago - or more!

2. However a PS/2 Model 50 is a Micro Channel Architecture based box whereas the model 25 is not and so they are VERY different.

 

[RWallmow]

I would get yourself a XT-IDE or 8-bit SCSI card (like a TMC-841 with boot-rom) and stick a more modern drive in it.

I also went down the road of paying way too much for a model 25/30 drive (25 and 30 use same planar, so should be same drive other than mounting) that was untested, I get a 1702 on boot, have tried various methods of LLF and other disk utilities on it and have gotten nowhere with mine either (its not sticktion either, drive spins and heads seek freely, I think it just cant find track 0).

I had been using a 20mb "PLUS HardCard" drive in my 25 , but recently got a great deal on a TMC-841 SCSI card that had an IBM Boot ROM in it, works like a champ in the Model 25, and gives me options for external SCSI expansion for like CD-ROMs, Zip/Jaz drives, and whatnot.

EDIT: I should note, I would be more than happy to dump the TMC-841's ROM if anyone wants to take a shot at burning it to use in one of the ROM-less TMC-841's out there to make them bootable.

 

[luckybob]

I'm really NOT interested in the XT-IDE. I only have 2 slots, one will be sound and the other I'm planning on being video. So "onboard" is the only option I have without sacrificing something else. I'm debating opening the hard drive and seeing if anything is stuck. It really is too quiet. It doesn't seem like I have much to lose at this point.

 

[RWallmow]

I'm really NOT interested in the XT-IDE. I only have 2 slots, one will be sound and the other I'm planning on being video. So "onboard" is the only option I have without sacrificing something else. I'm debating opening the hard drive and seeing if anything is stuck. It really is too quiet. It doesn't seem like I have much to lose at this point.

Then you are going to likely be stuck trying to find the proprietary drive, or try to hack up a adapter-cable to a (supposedly) compatible ST-506 type drive, but doing this would require the pin-out on the proprietary Model 25/30 HD header, which I am not sure how easy it would be to find (ST-506 pin-out should be trivial to find though).

I am not at home to get the exact model/FRU numbers off my non working drive right now, but you are welcome to it if you want to pay shipping to have it for extra parts if you wanted to mix and match drive parts in hopes of making one that works.

 

[evildragon]

I can get the pinout, I have the tech ref.

 

[evildragon]

Here they are.

 

[njroadfan]

Then you are going to likely be stuck trying to find the proprietary drive, or try to hack up a adapter-cable to a (supposedly) compatible ST-506 type drive, but doing this would require the pin-out on the proprietary Model 25/30 HD header, which I am not sure how easy it would be to find (ST-506 pin-out should be trivial to find though).

I am not at home to get the exact model/FRU numbers off my non working drive right now, but you are welcome to it if you want to pay shipping to have it for extra parts if you wanted to mix and match drive parts in hopes of making one that works.

Seagate ST-125L 20MB
P/N: 6373538
IBM FRU: 61283286
Drive Type: 36

 

[luckybob]

bit of an update, I found a working startup disk from another website. Long story short, NO setup options, its just a manual for computer illiterates.

Its the strangest thing, the drive will pass the "test sector " test as well as the seek test, but everything else fails. oh well. Going to toss it in its box and just watch ebay for one less than $100.

Thank you njroadfan, i'll add that to my list of saved searches. if I find one that doesn't work I'll see if I can peace-meal it with yours. Does your have the mounting hardware/bracket for the model 25?

 

[njroadfan]

Thank you njroadfan, i'll add that to my list of saved searches. if I find one that doesn't work I'll see if I can peace-meal it with yours. Does your have the mounting hardware/bracket for the model 25?

It was out of a Model 30 I believe, but I think the bracket is the same. Rwallmow actually has the drive I got that info off of. Whats interesting is that interfacing a modern IDE drive using an adapter based off of the XT-IDE might be possible. The lack of an A3 address line (used by XT-IDE to flip-flop between /CS1FX and /CS3FX) seems to be the biggest roadblock. A cheap hack would be to just tap the ISA slot for the A3 signal. I have no clue if the DISK_CS signal is electronically compatible with a 16-bit IDE /CS1FX line. It likely won't work with the Model 25/30's BIOS Int 13h routines, so the XT-IDE ROM will be needed (A plus because the BIOS only supports tiny drives).

 

[RWallmow]

I am not using any mounting plates or brackets, there are 2 screw holes on the side of the "drive cage" on the 25 that line up with the screw holes of the hard drive, so that's how I hold the drive in place.

I do need to get a hold of the blank face plate though, right now just have the old floppy plate covering the front of the drive.

 

[luckybob]

I am not using any mounting plates or brackets, there are 2 screw holes on the side of the "drive cage" on the 25 that line up with the screw holes of the hard drive, so that's how I hold the drive in place.

I do need to get a hold of the blank face plate though, right now just have the old floppy plate covering the front of the drive.

HMM... My memory tells me the holes didn't line up. I should check that again. As for a blank plate, I can send you one for cost of shipping.

 

[RWallmow]

HMM... My memory tells me the holes didn't line up. I should check that again. As for a blank plate, I can send you one for cost of shipping.

All the drives I have tried in my 25 line up in the stock screw holes, but I have seen a few different screw patterns, so its possible not all will fit.

I think I will take you up on that blank plate, I will PM you.