10Yr old PC & Fresh Win95 install - Where do I find DRIVERS?

[Randyman...]

Hello,

I am trying to bring a ~10 year old 120MHz Pentium back to life after an apparent HD failure/corruption. It worked in a stock configuration (stock HD & Fans, too) up until last month! It is an AT&T Globalyst 380tpc - marketed for SOHO type applications with a tiny 1 Gig HD, 16MB of RAM, and 120MHz Pentium (sold for $1999 in 1995!).

Due to the speed and architecture of this PC, I'm planning on doing a fresh install of Win95 - as I have an old copy laying around (w/legit license).

Question - Am I going to be able to find all the needed drivers and stuff? I searched for the PC's model# on every PC forum and Google, and all I find is a small 50 word write up on it, and that is it! I don't know what the model #'s are for the MoBo (on-board video), the exact processor, RAM (it's OLD!!!), CDR, etc, so I don't know how to search for what I'll need. Maybe if I can get a base install going, the Device Manager will give me some information (is there a "Device Manager" in Win 95?)?

I built a new PC and am fairly comfortable with modding + OC and even a bit of LAN, so I know somewhat what I'm doing - but working with this old stuff is a *bit* unusual! Not many resources that I can find. HELP !

I'm going to try another old HD I have, and see if I can format and install Win95 to run stable, and go from there for now...Maybe I can salvage the "stock" HD - but I doubt it. We'll see how far I get!

Thanks for any help.

Groovy

 

[repo man11]

You should have most of the drivers you'll need on the Win95 disk. I'd start with a Win98 floppy to format the harddrive (it includes a driver for the CDROM).

I'd see how it goes after the install. You may need to update some drivers, so you'll have to find the exact hardware you have to do a driver search.

 

[germanjulian]

yep 95 should have all the drives. but why dont you install 98!? that has even more drives on it

 

[Drec]

98 = slow with 16mbs of ram? and he HAS 95...! let him install waht he has...hehe nice solitaire(sp?) rig you got there.

 

[Pinky]

Once you install windows, you may need drivers for any specific sound cards, modems, video card, or NIC... you will need to search for specific make/models/chipsets on google to find their respective drivers. I've had to do this not so long ago, as I often rebuild older machines for the needy college students (windows 95 and earlier Office/Wordperfect versions are more than enough for writing papers). You'll be surprised what you will find if you know what criteria to use to find it! (specific model and/or chipset info from the card will be most useful when searching for drivers)

 

[DanFraser]

Or how about use the windows 98 CD to install the drivers you may need after you install 95?

 

[Milkman]

Just as Pinky said, write down all chipset numbers(sound,nic,modem etc..) and start googling for drivers, that's how I always track down old or hard to find ones, I don't think I have ever had one I couldn't find somewhere.

-Milkman

 

[FlailBoy]

I searched for the PC's model# on every PC forum and Google, and all I find is a small 50 word write up on it, and that is it!

LOL I think I saw the same one.

Win 95 does have a device manager.

(specific model and/or chipset info from the card will be most useful when searching for drivers)

Definitely. The more info you have when you're searching the better your odds.

Or how about use the windows 98 CD to install the drivers you may need after you install 95?

The Win 95 disc will probably work for most of the drivers; but if you have a Win 98 disc too, this will work for a lot of the other drivers. And for that rig it might end up being 'one-stop-shopping' for what Win 95 doesn't have.

When you're in the device manager you'll get to the 'search for the best driver (recommended)' prompt. Sometimes it'll find it just by searching the CD or HDD, but sometimes you'll have to nudge it in the right direction so it'll help to get to know where the drivers are on the disc (i.e. what folder). In some cases this will just be D:\Win98 (if your CD is drive D).

 

[FlailBoy]

Wow. Never would have found this at home on a 56k connection...

globalyst drivers

 

[Randyman...]

OMG! Thanks a million FlailBoy! That should get me what I need. I got a basic 95 install running, and I need quite a few of those drivers. Do I use the DOS drivers for 95, or the 3.x drivers (specifically video/chipset drivers)? Some of the drivers don't specify what OS, so I guess they work with all?

I installed 95 on a spare 1Gig HD I had (hadn't been fired up in about 6 yrs!), and slaved the "stock" HD in order to retrieve the data. I salvaged pretty much everything they needed, and now the PC has over 2 GIGS of HD!!!

This PC was essentially donated to my young 2nd Cousin (I think he is 10yrs old), and he just uses it for really basic games and his parents use it for word doccuments and a power point presentation or two. They don't even have an internet connection either.

I was actually able to dig up some compatible RAM from my older brother's "abandoned/fried" PC (Also a 100MHz Pentium). My cousin's AT&T PC now has a whopping total of 40MB of RAM (stable with DocMemory). If I can get Windows 98SE, would it be worth my effort on this system? I know the stock 16MB would not work well with 98 - but now with 40MB? I'm sure they will eventually get an internet dial-up connection if that matters.

Thanks for all the help.

 

[FlailBoy]

No problem. I was able to find out that it was an NCR mobo and I just googled around for a while.

I'd use the 95 drivers. If you have some older DOS games, the DOS drivers may come in handy though (particularly for sound).

R.I.P. DOS 6.22

If I can get Windows 98SE, would it be worth my effort on this system?

When WIN 98 came out, most PCs were still being sold with probably 32-64mb of RAM. 64 was the minumum recommended for Win98 but it might be worth a try. I guess I'd wanna' know.

 

[batboy]

I've seen WIn98 installed on old systems with 32 meg of RAM before. They run slow because it has to use a lot of virtual memory. Usually, at least 64 meg is recommended. The first computer I ever overclocked was a P-120. If the mobo has jumpers for both 60 FSB and 66 FSB which most of them did back then, just change the jumper from 60 to 66... tada... you now have a no brainer P-133.

 

[Randyman...]

I was considering that - as the switches are clearly labeled on the MoBo. I know with my P4C800E-Dlx, it is pretty hard to "crash" the BIOS - what about something like this? I don't want to chance freaking out the BIOS with no easy way to recover (not my PC)...

Two more Q's - Would a faster 5400RPM (or even 7200RPM) HD help with a system like this at all? And what kind of RAM do you recon is in here? I may just try to scrape some up some compatible RAM (likely pretty cheap - I'm sure), and up the RAM to 64MB or whatever the max is - 4x 16MB sticks would do the trick - looks like there are currently 4x 8MB sticks (two are single sided, two are double sided), and I added 2x 4MB sticks I found around the house (of unknow type - one sided)... What is the proper RAM for this type system?

Thaks again - and I guess I will keep the 95 install unless I can find some more compatible RAM for cheap...

 

[FlailBoy]

just change the jumper from 60 to 66... tada... you now have a no brainer P-133.

I agree with batboy on this one. Do it. The first computer I ever OC'd was an old Tandy 486 w/a 33mhx processor. Got my hands on a DX2-66, slapped it in the *second* socket (bizarre...), threw a jumper, and it was suhweeet.

I don't think HDD access time is going to be your limiting factor here. If a 5400 or a 7200 falls out of the sky and hits you in the head, put it in. Otherwise, eh...

I would guess that it's some older sdram. It'd be cheap; but a second hand computer store might not even have it anymore. If you can find an an entire comp at rummage sale/thrift shop and buy everything for 20-30 bucks just to get the RAM you could stoke that rig.

EDIT: Go here.

globalyst memory

Didn't see the 380; but if you really wanna' know what mem is in there, this might be worth a look.

Btw, did a google search for NCR/AT&T if that helps.

I found this one on 56k. It's time for a beer...

 

[Randyman...]

Did the 66MHz OC for a 133Pentium! Booted lots faster, and opens folders MUCH quicker now...

I still haven't had a chance to burn the drivers onto a CD-R (I'm out of CD-R's at the moment) - but I'm sure I will get them installed soon...

Thanks!

 

[TimDgsr]

R.I.P. DOS 6.22

rest in peace nothing, i just got done downloading dos 6.22 off the msdn subscriptions site yesterday. they had 5.0, but only in foreign languages.