Compaq Deskpro 386s manual (HDD configuration)

[qwertz_]

Hello,

I have a vintage Compaq Deskpro 386s (386SX @16MHz from 1988-1990) with a smashed HDD and failed CMOS battery.

I managed to get another battery and to get the SP0308 floppy disk required to configure the CMOS data (these machines have no built-in BIOS setup).

I am now trying to change the HDD for either an IBM H3256 (210MB) or a Seagate ST3290 (260MB), but the CMOS setup only recognises a couple of HDD types and I did not find where to specify the correct Cylinders/Heads/Sectors parameters.

I tried to get a manual from the HP (both HP enterprise and consumer) without success. The computer is listed, but there is no relevant documentation.

The only deskpro 386s related documentation I can find is from the TH99 project, and does only specify the jumper settings.

How is it possible to get a Compaq Deskpro 386s user/service manual?

And how is it possible to install a non-original HDD (custom C/H/S) on this machine?

Thanks in advance for any reply.

[GBL84]

Dear Customer,

While looking for more information for your post, I have found this document:

http://typewritten.org/Articles/Compaq/108033-003.pdf

Hope this helps, for any further queries reply to the post and feel free to join us again

 **Click the White Thumbs Up Button on the right to say Thanks**

Make it easier for other people to find solutions by marking a Reply 'Accept as Solution' if it solves your problem.

Thank You,

GBL84

I am not an HP Employee

[qwertz_]

Thank you for this reply. I've already found this document while trying to find relevant information for my machine, and it did not help much. I finally managed to have it working, only by setting HDD type that has the biggest geometry that would fit my HDD (approx. 110MB instead of 250MB). For my case, the actual HDD has 872 cylinders, 16 heads and 36 sectors, and I had to use the type 33 (833 cylinders, 8 heads and 33 sectors). As I do not mind losing half of the drive's space, I am okay with this workaround.

[GBL84]

Iam sorry that unfortuntely i could not help you much on that!!

For any further queries reply to the post and feel free to join us again

 **Click the White Thumbs Up Button on the right to say Thanks**

Make it easier for other people to find solutions by marking a Reply 'Accept as Solution' if it solves your problem.

Thank You,

GBL84

I am not an HP Employee

[AlfaBravo]

Qwertz_ (Honor Student) -- Hi.  Re: "I tried to get a manual from the HP (both HP enterprise and consumer) without success. The computer is listed, but there is no relevant documentation."  And, "How is it possible to get a Compaq Deskpro 386s user/service manual?"  I have a new (i.e. virgin, never used, still in HP plastic wrap) Compaq Operations Guide for Compaq Deskpro 386s/20 PC.  In its 3-ring binder, it includes: Publications Reference, Compaq Quality Statements, Creating a Comfortable Work Environment, Options: Compaq Systempro Family, New Features: Compaq Deskpro 386s/20 PC, 4 disks (Diagnostics, User Programs 1, User Programs 2, User Programs 3), System Overview: Compaq Deskpro 386s/20 PC, Grtting Started: Compaq Deskpro 386s/20, and User Programs Reference.  Are you interested in it?  Alfa Bravo (Rochester, NY USA)

[rockman1]

I tried the same software sp0308 and can not get the system to recognize it .  It keep asking for the diagnostic disk, The computer is a Compaq desk-pro 386s-16 model-2530v  s/n 4914ht3h0407 and FCC id: cnt75m5532v. So what I need is the disk,program or software that tells the C mos that there's a hard-drive the date and time. Unless there's a after market bios chip I can put in.

[rockman1]

do you still have the disks and what do you want for them?

[qwertz_]

The floppy disks images are still available on HP's FTP server.

See here for the SP0308: ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp0000-0500/sp0308.zip

But you can also browse all the tree to find a lot more interesting stuff.

I also suggest you to get a local copy in case HP decides to wipe all the "old stuff" like Intel did a few months ago.

[DGroves]

which submodel 386s do you have? the 386s had quite a few different submodels/configurations

also the 386s line was a EISA bus interface which is why a config/Setup/diagnostic disk is required to configure/set the add in cards configurations it needs to be run each time you add/remove or move a card to a different slot

also i believe you need the sp19619  setup disk not the earlier sp0308/sp0316 ones for the 386s line

ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp0000-0500/sp0308.txt
ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp0000-0500/sp0308.zip

ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp0000-0500/sp0316.txt
ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp0000-0500/sp0316.zip

ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp1001-1500/sp1234.txt
ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp1001-1500/sp1234.exe

ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp1001-1500/sp1263.txt
ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp1001-1500/sp1263.exe

ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp1001-1500/sp1368.txt
ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp1001-1500/sp1368.exe

not sure what revision

Compaq bios utils 286/386

ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp19501-20000/sp19619.txt
ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp19501-20000/sp19619.exe

the link below should be helpfull, i would make a local copy of it

https://stason.org/TULARC/pc/motherboards/C/COMPAQ-COMPUTER-CORPORATION-386-DESKPRO-386s.html

http://www.minuszerodegrees.net/manuals/Compaq%20DeskPro%20386%20-%20Maintenance%20and%20Service%20G...

[qwertz_]

My Deskpro 386s has no EISA (the 386SX only has a 16-bit bus).

Here is a picture of the motherboard as I opened the case for the 1st time

I used the SP0308 and the SP0542, they support all the hardware my Deskpro has and they fit on a single floppy disk. The 256kiB memory footprint is not relevant for these machines since they all had at least 1MiB of RAM.

I think the SP19619 is not made for this line of machines (same with the SP1234 and up). The Deskpro 386s is not listed in the compatible HW. I did use something like that for more recent Compaq Deskpros (something with a socket 7), but the diag and setup software is a lot different and I doubt it would run on a 386.