-=> CHARLES ANGELICH wrote to WAYNE CHIRNSIDE <=-

 WC> I've found MSD.EXE to be highly flawed and only can be
 WC> replied on to report how the configured system is
 WC> configured if it's configured correctly in the first place.
 WC> However as my system _is_ correctly configured MSD reports
 WC> just fine. I have HS UART's in the Pentium and confusion on
 WC> that point was in my lack of clarity of my intent to revive
 WC> an old 486 board by salvaging a UART off of another dead
 WC> board.

 CA> Your Pentium has the 16550As then? (mine reports 16550AF, not
 CA> sure what the 'F' is for?).

Had to check but because the 28800 modem was working
without retraining I knew it was a high speed buffered
UART and yes it is  16550AF.

 WC> Now I'm looking for a DOS memory utility that might tell me
 WC> if my EDO RAM is parity or non-parity and 60 or 70 NS prior
 WC> to buying 64 Meg. of EDO on Ebay.

 CA> I think the DOS utility DIAG445 linked at my website would tell
 CA> you or SySoft Sandra for W9x? Check my 'hardware' link, the
 CA> diagnostics apps are linked on that page.

 Thankyou, will do, suddenly I seem to have both Windows 95
 and 98.
 
 WC> Oh yeah the CMOS now holds, it was corrosion under the top
 WC> positive battery contact.

 CA> Good, that was worrisome.

Better news yet, later in post.
 
 CA> btw: BasicLinux v2.0 is alpha testing as of last night
 CA> (SlackWare v7.1 based). Steven is optimistic about a March
 CA> completion date right now. :-)

Pretty cool, seems I've suddenly gained some space.
A non-technically inclined person after much trouble
and having numerous technically profficient 
people having looked at a H.P. Pavilion
decided it was a lost cause.
So onto my doorstep is set a partially disassembled
433 MHz computer with 96 Meg of memory but it won't boot to anything
but a really scrambled display after a brief Windows 98
opening screen. 
I have all the original setup CD's so away I go... no joy.
On a whim I slap the hard drive into this box 
and up comes the correct screen clear as a bell and
I'm able to enter Win 98's registration number
and complete the install!!!
Seems there were some bad sectors on the drive
having to do with video drivers which needed to be marked 
in order for the  software to reisntall.
Still going after the RAM for the Pentium 1 box
but my options have vastly expanded 
Gotta check out H.P's web site and see what the maximum processor
for this baby is.
At 2 years old it's old enough for Linux drivers to have largely 
caught up too :-)
Gads loading the original software uses a huge amount of space on
this Quantum 6.4 drive.
Appears some 300 meg of the drive is mapped bad which I
attribute to it coming from a household with kids and thus 
it's likely been bumped when running though fortunately the
boot sector appears undamaged
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