Author Topic: transfering information from 1981 PC to a computer of today (Read 9349 times)

swalters · « **on:** May 09, 2007, 06:32:25 PM »

I need to find two ways to transfer information from a 1981 PC to a computer of today. So far I have possible ideas of using a serial data transfer and even focusing on the cassette tape used for memory at that time, but I have no idea how to do the actual work, please help.

M1CH431 · « **Reply #1 on:** May 09, 2007, 07:10:38 PM »

Well we definitely need more information. Like What are the 2 Computers? What Operating Systems? Etc, Etc...

Zylstra · « **Reply #2 on:** May 09, 2007, 07:14:00 PM »

Any data on a 1981 computer has a good chance of being corrupted.

Is this from a Lotus document system?

Do you have it on a large floppy disk? Or is it on an actual hard drive?

unlovedwarrior · « **Reply #3 on:** May 09, 2007, 09:14:47 PM »

snap old school

swalters · « **Reply #4 on:** May 10, 2007, 06:47:51 PM »

The information is on hard disk in the 1981 PC with DOS, the current operating system is Windows XP - other than that, no other info

Raptor · « **Reply #5 on:** May 10, 2007, 09:23:32 PM »

Is it an IDE drive? Hook it up as a slave. Everything should be pretty much backwards compatible.

2k_dummy · « **Reply #6 on:** May 11, 2007, 04:56:51 AM »

It is seriously doubtful that the old drive can be slaved in a modern computer. Most likely it uses MFM or RLL encoding (pre IDE) and would need an adapter to work in a modern machine, if it would work at all. Floppy drives still use MFM encoding but the interface precludes connecting to a floppy controller. If a direct cable connection can be established between the two machines, it might be possible to transfer data. XP might balk, but it is worth trying if the data is valuable. You might also have to transfer the data to floppies.

GX1_Man · « **Reply #7 on:** May 11, 2007, 06:43:57 AM »

2K and I are obbviously old school and he is absolutely correct. Does the old machine have a floppy drive? If so, what size? How much data is involved?

Raptor · « **Reply #8 on:** May 11, 2007, 07:25:28 AM »

I was going to say i had an old HDD lying around that did work, but I looked up the specifications and it turned out to be from 1990'. Guess it ain't that old.

ST175A

WillyW · « **Reply #9 on:** May 11, 2007, 12:19:55 PM »

Quote from: GX1_Man on May 11, 2007, 06:43:57 AM

2K and I are obbviously old school
....

I remember using something called LineLink or LapLink, or something like that - on DOS machines. Used the parallel port, if I remember correctly.

Googled, and found:
http://www.laplink.com/llv/
The description sounds like what the original poster is looking for.... but somehow it just doesn't seem like the software I once used.
Maybe it is just modernized.....

Am I ringing any bells out there, with the other old timers?
Is there any potential to this, as a solution for the original poster?

GX1_Man · « **Reply #10 on:** May 11, 2007, 12:24:29 PM »

Laplink was available with some version of DOS and Windows 3.1, but I don't remember what version was required.

WillyW · « **Reply #11 on:** May 11, 2007, 12:35:06 PM »

It would be nice if the original poster could mention the version of DOS he is using.

For what it is worth, the software in that link I posted above says:
" PC-DOS or MS-DOS 3.1 or higher, or DR DOS 5 or 6 "

I see you've inquired as to whether he has a floppy drive. If he does, then the version of DOS becomes moot - he could boot 6.22 if he wanted.

unlovedwarrior · « **Reply #12 on:** May 11, 2007, 12:40:35 PM »

i like this topic i can learn about old school stuff

WillyW · « **Reply #13 on:** May 11, 2007, 12:46:42 PM »

Quote from: unlovedwarrior on May 11, 2007, 12:40:35 PM

i like this topic i can learn about old school stuff

My first computer:
>Click here<

GX1_Man · « **Reply #14 on:** May 11, 2007, 12:54:28 PM »

I'll wager he only has a 5 1/4" 360K floppy drive.

WillyW · « **Reply #15 on:** May 11, 2007, 01:01:14 PM »

Quote from: GX1_Man on May 11, 2007, 12:54:28 PM

I'll wager he only has a 5 1/4" 360K floppy drive.

How would that affect him?

unlovedwarrior · « **Reply #16 on:** May 11, 2007, 01:25:52 PM »

willyw that would confuse me to know end

2k_dummy · « **Reply #17 on:** May 11, 2007, 03:59:24 PM »

Thats where the drivparm command came into play. You could set the parameters for the floppy drive to be something other than the default. Could also be used to set parameters for tape drives and HD. You couldn't make a drive be something it is not, but you could make a 5¼ inch 360K drive read and write 1.2m 5¼ disks. Same for 3½ inch 720K and 1.44m drives. With tape drives and HD's you had to specify heads, sectors, and tracks, which could also be done with floppy drives but generally was not necessary.

None of this should have any effect on data transfer.

GX1_Man · « **Reply #18 on:** May 11, 2007, 04:58:20 PM »

He's going to have to have some appropriate size floppy disks and then an appropriate cable to hook to a newer machine.

WillyW · « **Reply #19 on:** May 11, 2007, 05:09:49 PM »

Had a quick look around.

If anyone is interested, old versions of LapLink can be downloaded here:

http://oldfiles.org.uk/powerload/msdos.htm

Raptor · « **Reply #20 on:** May 12, 2007, 09:35:34 AM »

You're all so eager to show off your knowledge of old junk that you forgot to notice the guy never came back..

WillyW · « **Reply #21 on:** May 12, 2007, 09:39:47 AM »

Quote from: Raptor on May 12, 2007, 09:35:34 AM

You're all so eager to show off your knowledge of old junk that you forgot to notice the guy never came back..

"(Read 109 times)"

But we don't know who else may benefit.

By the way, who says it is junk?

2k_dummy · « **Reply #22 on:** May 12, 2007, 09:49:40 AM »

Quote from: Raptor on May 12, 2007, 09:35:34 AM

You're all so eager to show off your knowledge of old junk that you forgot to notice the guy never came back..

I noticed, but it got to be fun. I like to tinker with "the old junk".

GX1_Man · « **Reply #23 on:** May 12, 2007, 01:06:38 PM »

I like to communicate with people older than 15 sometimes.

2k_dummy · « **Reply #24 on:** May 12, 2007, 03:07:48 PM »

Oh, yeah! I bet when I mentioned MFM and RLL, there wasn't a 15 year old on these boards that knew what they meant.

GX1_Man · « **Reply #25 on:** May 12, 2007, 03:12:06 PM »

I am positive you are correct.

Raptor · « **Reply #26 on:** May 12, 2007, 03:15:11 PM »

Enlighten all the 15 year olds, then?

2k_dummy · « **Reply #27 on:** May 12, 2007, 03:23:28 PM »

Quote from: Raptor on May 12, 2007, 03:15:11 PM

Enlighten all the 15 year olds, then?

Do you need enlightment as well?

MFM = Modified Frequency Modulation
RLL = Run Length Limited

Any HD that was rated for RLL could be formatted for either RLL or MFM, but not all MFM rated drives could reliably be formatted RLL. RLL allowed 50% more data to be crammed on a drive.

Raptor · « **Reply #28 on:** May 12, 2007, 03:36:26 PM »

So why is it incompatible?

2k_dummy · « **Reply #29 on:** May 12, 2007, 06:15:03 PM »

The data itself is not, the drives are. Most of those old drives required a dual cable hookup. They are not IDE compatable and cannot be hooked up to an IDE connector. It is possible to connect one IF one can find the proper adaptor. When IDE became the standard, manufacturers made adaptors to allow the old drives to be used. Then again, these adaptors were ISA. At the time, PCI wasn't even a figment of someones imagination. For several years computers were made with both ISA and PCI slots. Some even had "dual use" slots that accepted either type of card. I have an old machine that has those slots plus a proprietary slot for a memory card (you couldn't just plug in a memory stick like we do now). It has a 9 megs of total memory. At the time it was manufactured, it was a genuine "golly whopper" muscle machine.

It has a 20 year old RLL HD that was still working when I set it aside about 4 years ago in my "tinker around" shop.

unlovedwarrior · « **Reply #30 on:** May 15, 2007, 08:56:21 AM »

::flashbacks:::

:you have enter a topic where past comes to life:

Raptor · « **Reply #31 on:** May 15, 2007, 09:54:50 AM »

Quote from: unlovedwarrior on May 15, 2007, 08:56:21 AM

::flashbacks:::

:you have enter a topic where past comes to life:

entered

unlovedwarrior · « **Reply #32 on:** May 15, 2007, 10:14:44 AM »

what can i say im taking a higher english next semter

GX1_Man · « **Reply #33 on:** May 15, 2007, 05:51:02 PM »

I hope the "semter" is coming soon.

Zylstra · « **Reply #34 on:** May 15, 2007, 06:16:07 PM »

Fire Fox will help you greatly with spell checking....
r943r0s 28oo y3p- 708 t43q53o6 295y w-3oo dy3di8ht

unlovedwarrior · « **Reply #35 on:** May 16, 2007, 08:12:18 AM »

ummm....dont have firefox at work

Raptor · « **Reply #36 on:** May 16, 2007, 08:17:30 AM »

Quote from: unlovedwarrior on May 15, 2007, 10:14:44 AM

what can i say im taking a higher english next semter

Aw, for us?

unlovedwarrior · « **Reply #37 on:** May 16, 2007, 10:08:38 AM »

lol as a requirement to get my gen ed done

Zylstra · « **Reply #38 on:** May 16, 2007, 08:53:29 PM »

Quote from: unlovedwarrior on May 16, 2007, 08:12:18 AM

ummm....dont have firefox at work

This website is your friend:
http://portableapps.com/

unlovedwarrior · « **Reply #39 on:** May 17, 2007, 09:00:38 AM »

i forgot about that site, used it many time to halo my high school's internet restrictions (oh good times)

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Author Topic: transfering information from 1981 PC to a computer of today (Read 9349 times)

swalters

M1CH431

Zylstra

unlovedwarrior

swalters

Raptor

2k_dummy

GX1_Man

Raptor

WillyW

GX1_Man

WillyW

unlovedwarrior

WillyW

GX1_Man

WillyW

unlovedwarrior

2k_dummy

GX1_Man

WillyW

Raptor

WillyW

2k_dummy

GX1_Man

2k_dummy

GX1_Man

Raptor

2k_dummy

Raptor

2k_dummy

unlovedwarrior

Raptor

unlovedwarrior

GX1_Man

Zylstra

unlovedwarrior

Raptor

unlovedwarrior

Zylstra

unlovedwarrior