# info on old ibm 8560 486



## gameman (Mar 15, 2002)

Hello all,
I need info on an old IBM 8560 486 tower. Does anyone know what type of video it has? While from what I find it says VGA, it has a few pins blocked (at least one I can spot) so a normal VGA monitor won't plug into it. Also what format is the HD? I am hoping it is IDE, but I have this suspiction it is something else being this old.

The problem is error 163 and 162. He said that he tries to set the date but it don't stick. And the other is a setup error of some sort and says to runsetup again. Any ideas? I was going to work on it when I find out the dang thing is some sort of different VGA pinout (or perhaps not even VGA at all, although all the data I can find on it says it is).

Any help is greatly apprecated.

-Gameman


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## MacFromOK (Mar 19, 2001)

______________________________________________
486 machines were VGA capable (not neccessarily
Super VGA, but most were), the video card (or
onboard video) can be any one of a multitude (Cirrus,
Western Digital, etc.).

All 486s I've seen had IDE drives.

A bad motherboard battery can prevent the
computer from retaining the current date.

HOWEVER, I'm not familiar with IBM machines. They
may have/had proprietory design on some stuff,
which may cause nothing but "genuine" IBM parts
to work...

Are you sure it's a 486? Older computers used CGA
and EGA monitors, which didn't use all the video pins.
Also, a black and white or monochrome monitor
doesn't use them all.

OR, someone may have installed an older video card.

Where did this machine come from? Has "he" ever
seen it working?

Cheers, Mac


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## gameman (Mar 15, 2002)

Yep I am sure it is a 486. Also the video board is built in...a part of the motherboard. And yes he saw it working just a few days ago (a client of mine that I often do computer repair for, though on newer machines which is why I am asking about this one......while I used 486's and repaired several before, I know that they can be different as several "standards" that we enjoy now were not in place then).

Ok if it turns out to NOT be IDE and I plug it into a IDE interface, can damage be done to the drive/computer? If I remember right MFM or other formats use different connectors. I have not riped into the machine yet, pefer to do a little research first after I found the VGA connector was not a standard one.

As for the battery, I thought as much. Though I want to boot it up and get write down any setup info that might be retained before I try to replace it. Of course if the battery CAN be replaced. I have seen some that were soldered to the motherboard.

Also I think this may be a moncrome VGA port. As I did a little reasearch and there was a monocrome VGA port, though it was not used long at all and quite rare from what I can find out, and it does not use all the pins either. But I can't tell from the pinouts if I can make an adapter so that a color vga can use this port or it would do damage. I think I will assume it will at the moment as this old behmoth is not worth blowing one of my good montors lol.

-Gameman


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## Lurker1 (Jan 30, 2001)

You need to recheck your model number. If you have a real IBM 8560 it came only with a 286 processor running at 10 meg. The hard drives in them were either 44m or 70 meg and were NOT IDE.

They worked with a standard monitor (VGA only). You can get the connector to fit by breaking off one of the unused pins.


Edit: Oops I rechecked the book and a 486 system and processor board upgrade was available for this system. Some different hard drives available for the system were either ESDI (Up to 314 MB or SCSI (Up to 400 MB).

Looking around the book I believe that all the interface cards are Microchannel. I hope that you have the correct reference and diagnostic disks for this system otherwise there isn't much you will be able to do. BOL

Also as suggested try replacing the battery first. If it is like the ones I have seen it is 6V and if your computer shop doesn't have one try a camara shop.


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## gameman (Mar 15, 2002)

Yes I am sure it is a 8560, actually I found a longer model number when looking around the case which is 8560-071 (and has a 3.5 floppy drive which I see not all 8560's had). My client said it was a 486, though due to the difference in the VGA connector I have not been able to even try to boot it up yet. I am unwilling to break pins in a good monitor. I was thinking of looking around for a adapter but it seems that this VGA configuration is quite unusual from what I can find and will probably just ask him to bring his monitor that he was using with the system.

I agree I will try to first replace the battery but I think I will try to get it to boot first and get into setup, just incase there is some data on the HD or such that I don't have in my HD tables (unlikely but this is a OLD system so who knows for sure).

I have not pulled it appart yet so hopfully it is a SCSI because at least then I could pull the drive and get it running on a SCSI interface in another system (so hears hoping).

Ahh one of those 6v batteries, well I can get one of them no problem if it is that. And hopfully it is something simple like that, and if not that the HD is a standard type so I can pull the data from it.

As for the diagnostics, my client did give me a startup disk that I hope contains the tools you speak of. I suspect it does as it is the same age of the system and even has the model number on the label (an original IBM disk as well). If you think that this does not contain the tools you mentioned, do you know where I might find them?

Thanks for all the help it is greatly apprecated.

-Gameman


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## Lurker1 (Jan 30, 2001)

The start up disk does sound like the reference disk you will need to get the system going again after the battery is changed and to set the date and time. Unfortunately I dont know where you could get diagnostics if they are not on the startup disk. (Your customer may have one somewhere) I would try to make a copy of the startup disk if you can. Its been too long since I worked on a system like this but it sounds like you are on the right track.  

I understand that you don't want to break any pins on a monitor plug even though most of them are not used for anything. Its probably best to use the customers monitor as you said.


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## MacFromOK (Mar 19, 2001)

______________________________________________
Just a thought:

I bought a used "486" PC once that turned out to
be a 286/486 upgrade (also had a 1.44 floppy).... 

Cheers, Mac


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## Lurker1 (Jan 30, 2001)

Yes Mac it could be an overdrive chip of some kind. The -071 in the model number means that the unit originally came with a 70 meg ESDI hard drive.

http://www.pc.ibm.com/qtechinfo/GJAN-43VS3S.html?lang=en_US&brand=root&doctype=&subtype=Cat


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## gameman (Mar 15, 2002)

Yep that is it. Looks just like it. And that was the same page I got some of the data from. I just figgured that they added 486 to the selectable options. But you are right it could be it is a upgraded model not an acutal 486. And I am sure we will see soon (as I will probably pull it appart tommarow or at least get the monitor from my client and see if I can get it to "turn over").

Thanks for all the help, it is greatly apprecated.

-Gameman


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## gameman (Mar 15, 2002)

Well I managed to get it running. But I suspect it is the battery (runs fine once the config is set up), I will be getting a new one, and yes it is one of the lithum 6v photo batteries. I don't normally have that type hanging around so when I pick up one tomarrow I will post if it worked or not.

BTW thanks again Lurker for the tip about the custom tools disk. I asked him to look around and find any other disks that came with the system. And he found the original manuals AND the reference disk which had the tools to auto config the system or manually set up as well as backup the custom settings. I think I will make a backup of this disk just incase some other customer comes by with a unit like this.

Also since I have it going I was thinking of making a dump from the serial port to one of my systems to backup the unit and burn it to CD for him (or at least offer the service). The only catch is where do I find a DOS program that will allow me to do this on this old system (preferably downloadable).

-Gameman


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## Lurker1 (Jan 30, 2001)

If you can find an old copy of laplink it used to work fine in DOS and allowed you to transfer files by the parallel or serial port (if you had the special cables of course). Its probably the easiest to use in DOS too (but it wasn't free). The old versions fit on one floppy disk. BOL


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## MacFromOK (Mar 19, 2001)

______________________________________________
If you have a copy of DOS 6x, it has *interlnk* and
*intersvr*. You can make a boot floppy for both
machines (include interlnk/intersvr) and won't have
to bother their current DOS versions. Requires a
*null-modem* cable.

It should run on the machine OK, I've used DOS 6.20
on 286s and still have an old Tandy (no hard drive,
720k floppy) that I use it on. 

Cheers, Mac


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## gameman (Mar 15, 2002)

I replaced the battery and it does appear to hold the setup/clock data now, BUT it still gives the same old errors that the setup is not valid and to run setup etc if you shut down the system for a bit and restart it. If I try to reboot it several times eventually I can get it to boot the reference disk, and while all the setup data is intact it still gives that error. I figgure that the mother board is on its way out, also I found that the floppy drive is intermittent failing as well. It won't write past track 50. At lest it still reads though (most of the time, somtimes you have to reboot it abit to get it workin) at this point but who knows how long that will last heh. So the only way i am going to get data off of this (semi realiably anyway) is to use a cable transfer.

Lurker, I looked up laplink at www.laplink.com and see they still sell Laplink V for DOS, is that the version you are talking about? The only problem I see with that is they say it won't work with HD's over 4gig. While the old machine is only 70 meg, all my systems are 12gig or more. Also they want $50 for that version without the cables (that is the download price...ouch). If you have any tips on this and if you think it will work with a larger HD with some switches let me know.

I have a copy of Norton Ghost which I use to clone or image HD's or partitions. And I forgot that it does have LPT ablity. BUT I found out when I tried it that it only works on 386 or above (which has never been a problem till now). Which means two things: one I have to find another method of transfer, and two it is NOT a 486 like my client said but rather as the tech sheets say......a 286.

Thanks Mac for the info about interlink.....I never used it. Looking at the commands I see a command on interlinkserver to dump the HD to the client HD, but nothing on how to direct where the dump occurs on the client. Any ideas? Also I need a verify feature as I don't trust this machine to not all of the sudden reboot, or just crash as it has been doing some odd things when I have been working on it.

Thanks again for all the help.

-Gameman


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## gameman (Mar 15, 2002)

Well I did some checking on Laplink V and they say it will work over 4gig if I use a windows boot disk. LOL, wonder why I didn't see that last night (I must have been more tired than I thought and didn't see the "click here for more info" link LOL).

Now I guess I will ask my client and see how badly he wants this data heh.

-Gameman


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## MacFromOK (Mar 19, 2001)

_______________________________________________
Here's a batch file I wrote to use on both computers
for interlnk/intersvr. It let's you choose master/slave
on each. Read the notes, there's some stuff that
should be in the CONFIG.SYS file on each boot floppy.
Also you must start the SERVER computer first.

Copy both INTERLNK.EXE and INTERSVR.EXE to each
boot floppy, and make sure A: is in your path.

```
rem -----------------------------------------------------------------
rem -- THESE MUST BE IN CONFIG.SYS  (without the "rem") --
rem -- This should reflect the last drive letter you'll assign.
rem      LASTDRIVE = E
rem -- This should reflect your INTERLNK.EXE location and the
rem -- com port to use (Interlnk autoloads high if possible).
rem      DEVICEHIGH=A:\INTERLNK.EXE /COM2
rem -----------------------------------------------------------------


@ECHO OFF
cls
echo.
echo.
echo.
echo     NOTE: You must select on the SERVER computer first.         (X to Exit)
echo.
echo     PRESS 1 TO MAKE THIS COMPUTER THE CLIENT (MASTER).
echo.
echo     PRESS 2 TO MAKE THIS COMPUTER THE SERVER (SLAVE). 
CHOICE /c:12x /n > nul
if errorlevel 3 goto END
if errorlevel 2 goto 2 rem -- (client)
goto 1 rem -- (master/client)

:1 rem -- (master/client)
  cls
  rem -- Adjust these to meet your drive needs --
  rem -- This assigns D on the master to read A on the slave, etc. --
  rem -- Ignore CD-ROM letter, it can't be assigned. --
  INTERLNK D=A
  INTERLNK E=C
  goto END

:2 rem -- (slave/server)
  cls
  INTERSVR
  echo.
  echo.
  echo           THIS COMPUTER IS NO LONGER IN SERVER MODE
  echo.
  goto END

:END
```
Save it as LINK.BAT (or whatever) on both boot floppies.

Cheers, Mac


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## gameman (Mar 15, 2002)

Thanks Mac, much apprecated! Though it won't connect, could be a bad cable but rather than try to fix it I decided to get Laplink and the special cable for it. I also need something that will verify and track what is being transfered as this system is getting more unstable by the minute and is prone to total lockup now. My client gave the go-ahead (as I figgured he would), so that I got laplink V and the cable.

Laplink V worked like a charm and over an hour and a half later I got all the data off of the drive. That system does not even want to boot up now, that 162 error is becomming more and more prevlent to the point that it now takes about 30 minutes of fussing with it before it starts working. It use to only take me 2 minutes or so to get it to boot up.

So while the system itself is heading to the scrap heap, the "heart" of the machine was saved. I thank you both for your help, it was quite invaluable.

-Gameman


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## MacFromOK (Mar 19, 2001)

______________________________________________
You're welcome. Glad ya got the files. 

Sorry interlnk didn't connect though, it takes a
null-modem cable (like we used to play DOOM on),
a regular serial cable won't work.

BTW, I'd check those rescued files for viruses...

Cheers, Mac


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