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EPSON
PLACE
STAMP
HERE
EPSON America, Inc.
2780 Lomita Blvd.
Torrance, CA 90505
MS 4-1
Fold Here
- - _ - - _ - _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - _ - _ - _ _ _
Tape Here. Do Not Staple
.L
EPSON
®
E Q U I T Y ™ I I e
User’s Guide
Y18699100101
IMPORTANTNOTICE
DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY
Epson America makes no representations or warranties, either express or implied, by or with respect to anything in this manual, and shall not be liable for any implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose or for any indirect, special, or consequential damages. Some states do not allow the exclusion of incidental or consequential damages, so this exclusion may not apply to you.
COPYRIGHTNOTICE
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Epson
America, Inc. No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of information contained herein. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this publication, Epson America assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions. Nor is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein. Further, this publication and features described herein are subject to change without notice.
TRADEMARKS
Epson is a registered trademark of Seiko Epson Corporation.
Equity is a trademark of Epson America, Inc.
Centronics is a registered trademark of Centronics Data Corporation.
Hercules is a registered trademark of Hercules Computer Technology Corporation.
IBM is a registered trademark and AT and XT are trademarks of International
Business Machines Corporation.
Intel is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation.
Lotus and 1-2-3 are registered trademarks of Lotus Development Corporation.
Microsoft, MS-DOS, and MS are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
Rampage Plus is a registered trademark of AST Research, Inc.
Copyright 0 1989 by Epson America, Inc.
Torrance, California ii
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
4.
5.
1.
2.
3.
6.
7.
Read all of these instructions and save them for later reference.
Follow all warnings and instructions marked on the product.
Unplug this product from the wall outlet before cleaning. Do not use liquid cleaners or aerosol cleaners. Use a damp cloth for cleaning.
Do not use this product near water.
Do not place this product on an unstable cart, stand, or table.
The product may fall, causing serious damage to the product.
Slots and openings in the cabinet and the back or bottom are provided for ventilation; to ensure reliable operation of the product and to protect it from overheating, these openings must not be blocked or covered. The openings should never be blocked by placing the product on a bed, sofa, rug, or other similar surface. This product should never be placed near or over a radiator or heat register. This product should not be placed in a built in installation unless proper ventilation is provided.
This product should be operated from the type of power source indicated on the marking label. If you are not sure of the type of power available, consult your dealer or local power company.
8.
This product is equipped with a 3-wire grounding-type plug, a plug having a third (grounding) pin. This plug will only fit into a grounding type power outlet. This is a safety feature. If you are unable to insert the plug into the outlet, contact your electrician to replace your obsolete outlet. Do not defeat the purpose of the grounding type plug.
Do not locate this product where the cord will be walked on.
9.
10. If an extension cord is used with this product, make sure that the total of the ampere ratings on the products plugged into the extension cord do not exceed the extension cord ampere rating.
Also, make sure that the total of all products plugged into the wall outlet does not exceed 15 amperes.
11. Never push objects of any kind into this product through cabinet slots, as they may touch dangerous voltage points or short out parts that could result in a risk of fire or electric shock. Never spill liquid of any kind on the product.
12. Except as specifically explained in the User’s Manual, do not attempt to service this product yourself. Opening or removing those covers that are marked “D O Not Remove” may expose you to dangerous voltage points or other risks. Refer all servicing in those compartments to service personnel.
13. Unplug this product from the wall outlet and refer servicing to qualified service personnel under the following conditions:
A.
B.
When the power cord or plug is damaged or frayed.
If liquid has been spilled into the product.
C.
D.
E.
F.
If the product has been exposed to rain or water.
If the product does not operate normally when the operating instructions are followed. Adjust only those controls that are covered by the operating instructions, since improper adjustment of other controls may result in damage and will often require extensive work by a qualified technician to restore the product to normal operation.
If the product has been dropped or the cabinet has been damaged.
If the product exhibits a distinct change in performance, indicating a need for service.
Contents
Introduction
How to Use This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Where to Get Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 1 Setting Up Your System
1 Unpacking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Removing the Diskette Drive Protector Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2 Choosing a Location. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3 Connecting a Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4 Connecting a Printer or Other Device. .
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Using the Parallel Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using the Serial Interface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using the Mouse Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5 Connecting the Power Cord. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6 Connecting the Keyboard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7 Turning On the Computer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 2 Running the Setup Program
Starting the Setup Program. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
.
Continuing From an Error Message . . . . . . . . . . . . .
.
Moving the Cursor Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Setting the Memory Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Changing the On-board Memory Setting . . . . . . . .
Setting Extended Memory on a Memory Card . . . . . . . .
Saving Your Memory Configuration Settings .
. . . .
iii
Setting the Display Adapter Card Type
. . . . . . . . . .
. . . . .
Setting the Power-on Password. . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . .
Setting the Auto Speed Function. . . . . . . . .
. . . . .
C h a n g i n g t h e M a t h C o p r o c e s s o r S e t t i n g . . .
Setting the Real-time Clock. . . . .
. . . . . . . .
Setting the Hard Disk Drive Configuration . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . .
. . . . .
. . . . .
S e t t i n g t h e D i s k e t t e D r i v e T y p e ( s ) . . . . . . .
. . . . .
Setting the Serial and Parallel Interfaces . . .
. . . . .
Reviewing Your Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . .
Leaving the Setup Menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . .
Chapter 3 Using the Equity IIe
Installing MS-DOS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . .
Using a Power-on Password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . .
Changing a Power-on Password .
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
. . . .
Deleting a Power-on Password . . . . . . . . .
. . . .
Selecting the Operating Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . .
Special Keys on the Equity IIe Keyboard .
.
.
.
.
. . . .
Stopping a Command or Program . . . . . . . . . .
. . . .
Resetting the Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . .
Using Disks and Disk Drives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . .
How Disks Store Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . .
Types of Diskette Drives. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . .
C a r i n g f o r D i s k e t t e s a n d D i s k e t t e D r i v e s , . . . .
Inserting and Removing Diskettes .
.
.
.
.
.
. . . .
Write-protecting Diskettes. . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . .
Making Backup Copies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . .
Using a Single Diskette Drive . . . . . . . . .
. . . .
Using Two Diskette Drives . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . .
Using a Hard Disk Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . .
Turning Off the Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . .
i v
--
Chapter 4 Using MS-DOS with Your Equity IIe
Starting and Exiting MS-DOS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using Drive Designators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Current Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Types of MS-DOS Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Entering an MS-DOS Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Setting the Date and Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating and Managing Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Naming Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Copying Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Renaming Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Deleting Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Printing Text Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using Directories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Current Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Changing the Current Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using Pathnames . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Including Filenames With Pathnames . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Including Drive Letters With Pathnames and
Filenames.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating Directories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Listing the Contents of a Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Displaying a List of Directories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Removing Directories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Formatting Diskettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Formatting Diskettes With a Hard Disk . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Formatting Diskettes With Two Diskette Drives
(No Hard Disk) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Formatting Diskettes With One Diskette Drive
(No Hard Disk) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Backing Up Data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using the DISKCOPY Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using the BACKUP Command. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The MS-DOS Shell Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using the Epson HELP Program. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using the Epson MENU Program. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Menu Program Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
v
Using an AUTOEXEC.BAT File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Creating an AUTOEXEC.BAT File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using Memory Beyond 640KB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using EEMM286.SYS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 5 Installing Options
Adding Memory Modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Installing Option Cards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Removing the Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Installing an Option Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Changing Jumper Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Removing an Option Card. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Replacing the Cover. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Post-installation Setup for Memory Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Post-installation Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Appendix A Troubleshooting
Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . .
The Computer Won’t Start . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . .
The Computer Locks Up . . . . . . . . . .
Password Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Keyboard Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
. .
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . .
Monitor Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Diskette Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . .
Diskette Drive Problems . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . .
Hard Disk Problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . .
Software Problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . .
Printer Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . .
Option Card Problems . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . .
vi
Appendix B Power-on Diagnostics
System Device Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Timer and CMOS RAM Check. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
RAM Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Keyboard Controller and Keyboard Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Display Adapter Card Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Optional RAM Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Diskette Drive Seek Check. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Hard Disk Controller and Hard Disk Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Appendix C Performing System Diagnostics
Starting System Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Selecting an Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Modifying the Device List. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Selecting a Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Resuming From an Error. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
System Board Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Memory Check.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Keyboard Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Monochrome Display Adapter and CRT Check . . . . . . . . . . .
Monochrome Adapter Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Attribute Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Character Set Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Video Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SyncCheck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Run All Above Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
vii
Color Graphics Adapter and CRT Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Color Graphics Adapter Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Attribute Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Character Set Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
40-column Character Set Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
320x200 Graphics Mode Check. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
640x200 Graphics Mode Check. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Screen Paging Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Light Pen Check. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Color Video Check. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SyncCheck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Run All Above Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Diskette Drives and Controller Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Sequential Seek Check. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Random Seek Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Write, Read Check. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Disk Change Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Run All Above Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Math Coprocessor Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Parallel Port (Printer Interface) Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Alternate Parallel Port Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Parallel Port (on Video Adapter) Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Serial Port (RS-232C Port) Check. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Alternate Serial Port Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Dot-matrix Printer Check. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Hard Disk Drive(s) and Controller Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Seek Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Write, Read Check. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Read, Verify Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Run All Above Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Error Codes and Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
viii
Appendix D Physically Formatting a Hard Disk
Choosing the Type of Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Reformatting a Used Disk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Formatting a New Disk. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Selecting an Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Starting the Formatting Process . . . . . . . . . . .
Option 1, Format..............................................................
Modifying the Defective Track Table . . . . . .
Formatting the Disk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Option 2, Destructive Surface Analysis . . . . . . . . .
Option 3, Non-destructive Surface Analysis . . . . .
Exiting the Hard Disk Format Menu . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . .
. . . . .
. . . . .
. . . . .
. . . . .
. . . . .
. . . . .
. . . .
. . . .
. . . .
. . . .
Appendix E Hard Disk Drive Types
Hard. Disk Drive Types Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Appendix F Specifications
CPU and Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Controllers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Interfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Power Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Mass Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Physicalcharacteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Environmental Requirements..................................................................
Glossary
Index ix
Introduction
The Epson® Equity™ IIe is a versatile, high-performance, personal computer which supports multiple users and multitasking operations. In addition, you can easily upgrade your system by adding memory and installing options.
The Equity IIe is available in these configurations:
Li A single diskette drive system with either a 1.2MB
(megabyte), 5 ‘/4-inch diskette drive or a 1.44MB, 3 l/l-inch diskette drive
LI A hard disk drive system with one 40MB or 100MB hard disk and either a 1.2MB or a 1.44MB diskette drive.
You can install an additional diskette drive or hard disk drive, up to a maximum of three drives total.
All models of the Equity IIe include 1MB of internal memory, five standard option slots (four 16-bit and one 8-bit), serial and parallel interfaces, and an auxiliary mouse connector.
Because of its industry-standard architecture, the Equity IIe is fully compatible with the current installed base of personal computer hardware and software. You can install just about any optional device that is compatible with the IBM@ Personal
Computer, PC XT,‘” or PC AT.‘”
You can expand the computer’s memory up to 5MB by adding memory modules to the main system board and up to 16MB by installing both memory modules and a memory card.
You may also want to install an 80287 math coprocessor to speed up mathematical calculations. Check with your authorized Epson dealer to see which options are available.
I n t r o d u c t i o n I
Your Equity IIe comes with version 4.01 of MS-DOS® the operating system by Microsoft.@ This version of MS-DOS includes a Shell program, which helps you manage your data and lets you run MS-DOS commands by selecting them from on-screen menus. You’ll find a set of MS-DOS manuals packed in the box with the computer.
You probably also purchased other software; you can use virtually any application program designed for the IBM PC,
PC XT, PC AT, or compatible computers on your Equity IIe.
Additionally, Epson has included two time-saving utilities that make MS-DOS easier to use: HELP and MENU. The HELP program lets you display information on the screen about any
MS-DOS command. MENU provides an easy way to run many useful MS-DOS commands.
MS-DOS is not the only operating system you can use with your computer. If you have a hard disk, for example, you also may want to use the more powerful MS® OS/2. Among other capabilities, MS OS/2 provides multitasking, dual-mode processing, and online help. With Epson’s version of MS OS/2, you can have both MS-DOS and MS OS/2 on your Equity IIe; this way, you can select which operating system to load each time you turn on the computer. Ask your Epson dealer for more information. (In particular, be sure to check the amount of
RAM required to run MS OS/2.)
How to Use This Manual
This manual explains how to set up and care for your Equity IIe.
It also describes how to use your computer and run diagnostics checks. You probably do not need to read everything in this book; see the following chapter summaries.
2 Introduction
Chapter 1 provides simple step-by-step instructions for setting up your system. On the back cover foldout are illustrations identifying the different parts of the Equity IIe; you may want to refer to this while setting up your system.
Chapter 2 describes how to run the Setup program to define your computer’s configuration. You must do this for a new computer before you use it. You may need to do it again later, if you change the configuration.
Chapter 3 provides instructions for performing important operating procedures, including using and caring for your disks and disk drives.
Chapter 4 provides basic instructions for using MS-DOS with your computer.
Chapter 5 describes some of the options you can use in your
Equity IIe and contains instructions for installing option cards and changing jumper settings.
Appendix A contains troubleshooting tips in case you encounter any problems while using your computer.
Appendix B provides information about the power-on diagnostics.
Appendix C outlines the system diagnostics checks you can perform on your computer. If you are having trouble with any part of the hardware, you may want to run some of these diagnostics checks.
Appendix D describes how to perform a hardware-level format on a hard disk. You need to do this only if you have installed a new hard disk that has never received this type of low-level format, or if you are having serious problems with the hard disk in your computer. (This is not the same type of format you can perform with the MS-DOS FORMAT command.)
Introduction 3
Appendix E lists the types of hard disk drives you can use in the
Equity IIe.
Appendix F gives the technical specifications for the Equity IIe.
At the end of the manual, you’ll find a glossary of the computer terms used in this manual and an index.
Where to Get Help
Customer support and service for Epson products are provided by a network of authorized Epson dealers and Customer Care
Centers throughout the United States. Epson America provides product information and support to its dealers and Customer
Care Centers.
Therefore, we ask that you contact the business where you purchased your Epson product to request assistance. If the people there do not have the answer to your question, they can obtain it through our toll-free dealer support program.
Epson is confident that this policy will provide you with the assistance you need.
Call the Epson Consumer Information Center at
1-800-922-8911 for the following:
0 The nearest Epson dealer
Ci The nearest Customer Care Center
Li Information on Epson User Groups.
To locate or purchase accessories or supplies, contact your nearest Epson dealer or call 1-800-873-7766.
4 Introduction
Chapter 1
Setting Up Your System
Setting up your Epson Equity IIe personal computer is easy. Just follow the seven steps in this chapter. As you set up your computer, you may want to leave the back cover foldout open so you can refer to the two illustrations identifying the different parts of the computer.
1
Unpacking
As you remove your system components from their cartons, be sure to inspect each piece, If anything is missing or looks damaged, check with your Epson dealer.
Setting Up Your System 1-1
Besides this manual, you should have the following:
The computer and power cord
The keyboard with attached cable
MS-DOS 4.01 diskettes: either six 5 ‘/q-inch diskettes
(Install, Operating 1, Operating 2, Operating 3, Shell, and
Select) or three 3 ‘/z-inch diskettes (Install, Operating, and
Shell)
A Reference diskette
Four MS-DOS manuals: an Installation Guide, a Shell
User’s Guide, a Reference Manual, and a Command
Summary.
In addition to these items, you need a compatible monitor and display adapter card. You may also have a printer or other peripheral device.
You’ll find a warranty card and a registration card with the computer. Keep the warranty card for your records. Fill out the registration card now and mail it to Epson. With your registration card on file, Epson can send you update information.
Be sure to keep your packing materials. They provide the best protection for your computer if you need to transport it later.
1-2 Setting Up Your System
Removing the Diskette Drive Protector Card
If your computer has a 5 ‘/J-inch diskette drive, there is a protector card in the diskette slot. This card is inserted at the factory to protect the read/write heads in the drive. To remove it, turn the diskette drive latch up until it is horizontal. This causes the card to pop out slightly so you can pull it out of the slot, as shown below.
(If you have a second 5 ‘/d-inch diskette drive, be sure to remove the card from that drive as well.)
Save the protector card and reinsert it whenever you move the computer. If you don’t plan to use your computer for a week or more, reinsert the card to help prevent dust from entering the drive.
Setting Up Your System 1-3
2
Choosing a Location
Before you set up your Equity IIe, it’s important to choose a comfortable, convenient location where it can run properly.
Select a location that provides the following:
A large, sturdy desk or table that can easily support the weight of your system, including all its components.
A flat, hard surface. Soft surfaces like beds and carpeted floors attract static electricity, which can erase data on your disks and damage the computer’s circuitry. Soft surfaces also prevent proper ventilation.
Good air circulation. Air must be able to move freely under the system as well as behind it. Leave several inches of space around the computer to allow ventilation.
Moderate environmental conditions. Protect your computer from extremes in temperature, humidity, dust, and smoke.
Avoid direct sunlight or any other source of heat. High humidity also hinders operation, so select a cool, dry area.
Appropriate power sources. To prevent static charges, connect all your equipment to three-prong, 120-volt grounded outlets. You need one outlet for the computer, one for the monitor, and additional outlets for a printer and any other peripherals. You can plug one peripheral into the auxiliary power outlet on the back panel of the Equity IIe, reducing the number of wall outlets you need.
No electromagnetic interference. Locate your system away from any electrical device, such as a telephone, that generates an electromagnetic field.
1-4 Setting Up Your System
3
Connecting a Monitor
The procedure you use to connect your monitor to the computer depends on the type of monitor you have. See your monitor manual for detailed instructions or follow the general guidelines below.
A monitor requires that a display adapter (video) card be installed inside the computer to control it. Your dealer may have already installed a video card for you; if not, you need to install it before you can connect your monitor. See Chapter 5 for instructions on how to remove the computer’s cover and install an option card (a video card in this case).
The monitor type must match the video card installed in the computer. Check the following table to make sure your card and monitor match.
Monitor/video card compatibility
Monitor
Monochrome
Color or EGA
Video card
Monochrome display adapter (MDA)
Multi-mode graphics adapter (MGA)
Enhanced graphics adapter (EGA)
Hercules® graphics card (HGC)
Color graphics adapter (CGA)
Multi-mode graphics adapter (MGA)
Enhanced graphics adapter (EGA)
Video graphics array (VGA) Monochrome or color VGA
Follow these steps to connect the monitor:
1. Place your monitor on top of or near the computer. It is easiest to connect the monitor cable if the backs of the monitor and the computer are facing you.
2. If necessary, connect the monitor cable to the monitor.
(Some monitors come with permanently attached cables.)
Setting Up Your System 1-5
3. Connect the appropriate end of the monitor cable to the video card connector on the back of the computer, as shown below. If the plug has retaining screws, tighten them by hand or with a screwdriver, depending on the screw type.
retaining screws
4. If there are any switches or jumpers on the video card (for example, to indicate color or monochrome), be sure they are set properly. (See the documentation that came with your monitor or video card for instructions.)
1-6 Setting Up Your System
5. Plug the monitor’s power cord into the monitor’s power inlet, as shown below.
6. Plug the other end of the power cord into an electrical outlet.
If the monitor has the proper type of plug, you can plug it into the AC power outlet on the back of the computer.
Setting Up Your System 1-7
4
Connecting a Printer or Other Device
The Equity IIe has a parallel interface, a serial interface, and an auxiliary mouse connector. To connect a printer or other peripheral device to one of these interfaces, follow the instructions below. Epson offers a full range of printers; check with your dealer for more information.
Using the Parallel Interface
The Equity IIe parallel interface is Centronics®-compatible and uses a DB-25S connector. Most Epson printers have parallel interfaces.
To connect a printer to the computer, you need an IBMcompatible printer cable. If you are not sure which one you need, check with your Epson dealer. Once you have the correct printer cable, follow these steps to connect your printer to the parallel interface on the computer:
1. Be sure the power switches on the computer, monitor, and printer are off.
2. Place the printer next to the computer.
1-8 Setting Up Your System
3. One end of the printer cable has a 25-pin, D-shell, male connector. Connect this end to the parallel port on the back panel of the computer, as shown below. If the plug has retaining screws, tighten them by hand or with a screwdriver, depending on the screw type.
Setting Up Your System 1-9
4. Connect the other end of the cable to the printer, as shown below. To secure the cable, squeeze the clips at each side of the printer port and push them into place.
5. Plug the printer’s power cord into an electrical outlet.
1-10 Setting Up Your System
Using the Serial Interface
If you have a printer, a modem, or any other peripheral with a serial interface, you can connect it to the serial (RS-232C) port on the back of the computer.
6 5 4 3 2 1
@ serial port A i
The Equity IIe uses a DB-9P male connector, so be sure you have a compatible cable. To connect a serial device, follow the same steps as above for connecting a parallel device.
Note
You need to ensure that the serial port is set up so it functions properly. If you are using the port for a serial printer, you need to redirect printer output to the serial port instead of the parallel port. To do this, you can use the
MS-DOS MODE or SETMODE command or the MENU program. See your MS-DOS Reference Manual for instructions.
Setting Up Your System 1-11
Using the Mouse Connector
The Equity IIe has an auxiliary port for a mouse that uses a mini
DIN (6-pin) connector. To connect a mouse to the built-in mouse port and set up the computer to use it, see the manual that comes with the mouse. To use a mouse with your computer, you may need to add commands to your MS-DOS
CONFIG.SYS file.
6 i
5 i mouse connector
\
Note
If you want to use a mouse or other pointing device connected to a port on an option card in your computer, you need to disable the built-in mouse connector by changing a jumper setting in the computer, See “Changing Jumper
Settings” in Chapter 5 for instructions.
1-12 Setting Up Your System
5
Connecting the Power Cord
Follow these steps to connect the power cord:
1. Make sure the power switch on the computer is turned off.
2. Plug the power cord into the AC power inlet on the back panel, as shown below. To avoid an electric shock, be sure to plug the cord into the computer before plugging it into the wall socket.
3. Plug the other end of the power cord into a three-prong,
120-volt, grounded electrical outlet.
Setting Up Your System 1-13
6
Connecting the Keyboard
Follow these steps to connect the keyboard:
1. Turn the computer around so the front is facing you.
2. Open the cover on the lower left comer of the computer’s front panel by pressing it in slightly and then releasing it.
-
1-14 Setting Up Your System
3. Plug the keyboard cable into the socket, as shown below.
Do not force the connector, but be sure to insert it all the way.
4. Close the keyboard cable cover.
Setting Up Your
System
1-15
You can change the angle of the keyboard by adjusting the legs on the bottom. Turn the keyboard over and lift each leg upward until it locks into place, as shown below. You can lock the legs to a low or high position, or leave them flat.
7
Turning On the Computer
After you set up your system, you’re ready to turn on the power.
But first, read the following safety rules to avoid accidentally damaging your computer or injuring yourself:
Never turn the computer on with a protector card in the diskette drive.
Do not dismantle any part of the computer. Only remove the cover to install or remove optional devices or change jumper settings. If there is a hardware problem you cannot solve after reading the information on troubleshooting in
Appendix A, check with your Epson dealer.
Always turn off the power, disconnect the computer’s power cord, and wait five seconds before you remove the computer’s cover.
Do not unplug cables from the computer when the power is on.
1-16
Setting Up Your
System
Never turn off or reset your computer while a disk drive light is on. This can destroy data stored on disk or make an entire disk unusable.
Always wait at least five seconds after you turn off the power before you turn it on again. Turning the power off and on rapidly can damage the computer’s circuitry.
Do not leave a beverage on top of or next to your system or any of its components. Spilled liquid can damage the circuitry of your components.
Follow these steps to turn on your system:
1. Make sure the power cord is plugged into the AC power inlet on the back panel of the computer and into a threeprong, 120-volt, grounded electrical outlet.
2. Turn on the monitor, printer, and any other peripheral devices connected to the computer. (Always turn on the monitor and any peripheral devices before you turn on the computer.)
3. To turn on the power, press the power button in the upper right comer of the computer’s front panel.
Setting Up Your System 1-17
The power indicator on the front panel lights up. After a few seconds, the computer starts to perform an internal self test.
This is a series of checks the computer completes each time you turn it on to make sure everything is working correctly. If anything is wrong, an error message appears on the screen.
You see a message prompting you to insert a system diskette.
(Do not insert a diskette at this point.)
If you cannot see the screen display clearly, use the controls on your monitor to adjust the brightness and contrast until characters on the screen are clear and bright. If the display is not stable, check your monitor’s horizontal and vertical hold controls.
After you adjust the monitor’s brightness and contrast, press the power button again to turn off the computer. Then turn off the monitor and any peripherals.
Now go on to Chapter 2 and follow the instructions there to run the Setup program. After you run Setup, you need to install
MS-DOS using the instructions in your MS-DOS Installation
Guide.
1-18 Setting Up Your System
Chapter 2
Running the Setup Program
The first time you use your Equity IIe, you need to run the
Setup program on the Reference diskette to define the computer’s configuration. This is a simple procedure you must do at least once. (You may need to do it again later, if you change the configuration.)
The Setup program lets you set (or change) the following for your computer:
Memory configuration
Type of display adapter (video) card installed
Power-on password
Auto speed function
Math coprocessor setting
Real-time clock’s time and date
Hard disk drive configuration
Diskette drive type(s)
Serial and parallel port settings.
The configuration you define with the Setup program is stored in the CMOS RAM, which is permanent because it is backed up by a battery. Whenever you turn on the computer, it searches the CMOS RAM for the correct installation information. If the computer discovers a difference between the information in the CMOS RAM and its actual configuration, it prompts you to run the Setup program.
Running the Setup Program.
2-1
Starting the Setup Program
Follow these steps to start the Setup program:
1. Insert the Reference diskette into drive A. If you have a
5 ‘/+inch diskette drive, turn the latch down (clockwise) to lock the diskette into place. If you have a 3 ‘/z-inch diskette drive, slide the diskette into the drive until it clicks into place. (For more instructions on inserting and removing diskettes, see Chapter 3.)
Note
Be sure to make a backup copy of your Reference diskette after you run the Setup program and install MS-DOS.
See Chapter 3 for instructions on how to copy diskettes.
2. Turn on your system. (Remember to turn on your monitor and any peripherals before you turn on the computer.) The screen displays the Operation Menu:
I OPERATION MENU
1 - Setup
2 - Format hard disk
3 - System diagnostics
4 - Prepare hard disk for moving
0 - Exit to DOS for more utilities
If an error message appears when you turn on the computer, see “Continuing From an Error Message,” below.
2-2 Running the Setup Program
3.
The Setup
option is highlighted. To select it, press
Enter.
The screen displays the main Setup menu:
Exit
Memory
Display
Password
Auto speed
Coprocessor
Real-time clock
Hard disk drive
Diskette drive
Serial / Parallel
Continuing From an Error Message
If your computer has never been set up, you may see an error message, such as the following:
162 - System options not set
(Run SETUP in REFERENCE DISK)
(Resume = "F1" key)
Running the Setup Program 2-3
If you see an error message like this one, follow these steps to proceed:
1. Press
F1.
The computer beeps and the screen displays messages, such as the following:
!!!!! Error(s) detected !!!!!
+ Incorrect configuration
Set default value ? (Y/N)
2. Be sure
Y
is highlighted and press
Enter.
The Setup program deletes the setting that caused the error and substitutes a setting that is more likely to match your system. The screen displays the main Setup menu:
Exit
Memory
Display
Password
Auto speed
Coprocessor
Real-time clock
Hard disk drive
Diskette drive
Serial / Parallel
Note
If you press E
SC
instead of selecting
Y
to set a default value, the Setup program does not change the setting that caused the error and the screen displays the main
Setup menu,
2-4 Running the Setup Program
Moving the Cursor Block
Use J and ? to move the cursor block (the highlighted bar) through the options on the main Setup menu. After you highlight the option you want, you can press
Enter
to select it.
Follow the instructions in the rest of this chapter to use the
Setup program to define your computer’s configuration.
Setting the Memory Configuration
The Equity IIe comes with 1MB of on-board memory.
(On-board memory is memory that resides on a computer’s main system board.) You can install single inline memory modules
(SIMMs) or a memory card to add more memory to your computer.
There can be three types of memory in your computer: conventional, extended, and expanded. These three types of memory are all types of RAM (Random Access Memory).
The first 640KB of memory that your computer comes with is called conventional memory. MS-DOS and application programs use conventional memory.
Running the Setup Program 2-5
Extended memory is the memory above 1MB that is accessed by the protected mode of the 80286 microprocessor. Some application programs and operating systems (like MS OS/2) use extended memory.
Expanded memory is usable memory beyond the 640KB conventional memory limit of MS-DOS. With a special memory manager (a type of device driver), some MS-DOS application programs that conform to the Lotus®/Intel®/
Microsoft Expanded Memory Specification (LIM EMS) can use expanded memory.
To set your computer’s memory configuration, press L to highlight
Memory
at the main Setup menu. You see the memory submenu:
On-board memory type
Memory on card
5
0 KB
The number for
On-board memory type
indicatesthe type of current on-board memory configuration. The value for
Memory
on
card
should equal the amount of extended memory on any memory card installed in your computer.
To change or check the current memory configuration settings, press
Enter.
The cursor block moves into the memory submenu.
The following sections describe how to set your computer’s on-board and on-card memory configuration.
2-6 Running
the Setup Program
Changing the On-board Memory Setting
1. Be sure
On-board memory type
is highlighted.
You see a submenu, such as the one below, that shows the current on-board memory configuration setting:
0
Mb
Extended
3 8 4 K b
Extended
6 4 0 K b
Conventional
The value in MB in the top square of the submenu indicates the amount of memory on any SIMMs installed in the
SIMM sockets in your computer. The amount you see may be 0MB, 1MB, 2MB, or 4MB-depending on how much memory (on SIMMs) is installed in your computer.
2.
Press
Enter.
The screen displays five different on-board memory configuration choices. The configuration that came with the computer or that you previously selected is highlighted.
Running
the Setup Program 2-7
3. To select another on-board memory configuration, press t or --+ as many times as necessary to move the highlighted box to the configuration you want.
Follow these guidelines to select the appropriate on-board memory configuration for your computer:
Cl If you want to use SIMMs installed in your computer as expanded memory, select
Type 1 or Type 2.
U If you want to use both SIMMs and a memory card as extended memory, select
Type 3.
CI You cannot use both SIMMs and a memory card as expanded memory. If you use one as expanded memory, you must use the other as extended memory.
4. After you highlight the appropriate on-board memory configuration for your computer, press
Enter.
The screen displays the main Setup menu and the memory submenu.
The memory submenu contains the new on-board memory configuration type you selected.
Setting Extended Memory on a Memory Card
1. To set the amount of extended memory on any memory card in your computer, highlight
Memory on card
and press
Enter.
The current extended memory value appears:
I
0 Kb
2. Use 1‘ and L to decrease or increase the extended memory in increments of 64KB or t and + to decrease or increase the value in increments of 1024KB.
2-8 Running the Setup Program
You can press
Home
to reset the value to 0 or
E
SC to reset the value to 0 and return to the memory submenu.
3. When you reach the extended memory value you want, press
Enter
to return to the memory submenu. You see the new extended memory value you entered.
Note
If you
do not want to save your changes, press 1‘ one or
more
times to return to
the main Setup
menu. You can press ? to return to the main Setup menu without saving your changes at any Setup submenu except the real-time clock submenu.
Saving Your Memory Configuration Settings
When you finish setting your computer’s memory configuration, highlight * * * * * S A V E S E T T I N G S ***** and press
Enter.
The cursor block returns to the main Setup menu.
Setting the Display Adapter Card Type
Follow the steps below to set the type of display adapter (video) card you are using with your Equity IIe.
Note
With this option you select the
type of
display adapter card you are using-not the type of monitor.
1. At the main Setup menu, highlight Display. You see the current display adapter card type, such as the following:
EGA, MCGA, VGA or other
Running the
Setup Program 2-9
If the display adapter card type is correct for your system, you can skip this section.
2. To change the display adapter card setting, press
Enter.
The cursor block moves into the submenu and you see:
3.
Press Enter
to move the cursor block into this submenu and then use ? or 1 to highlight the option that matches your display adapter card. If you are not sure which one to choose, follow these guidelines:
Li If you have a VGA, EGA, or MCGA card, select
EGA, MCGA, or other
(If you are using a compatibility mode provided by the display adapter card, you may need to set the DIP switches on the card, which will override the display adapter card setting in
CMOS RAM.)
Ci If you have a color graphics adapter (CGA) or a multigraphics adapter (MGA) attached to an RGB (color) monitor, select
CGA 80 column
(Also be sure to set the color/mono switch on the MGA card to color.)
Li If you have a composite color monitor, such as a color television with a video input, try selecting
CGA 80 column
If the resulting resolution is poor, run Setup again and select
CGA 40 column
Ci If you have a monochrome display adapter (MDA), an
MGA, or a Hercules MGA attached to a monochrome monitor, choose Monochrome 80
column
(Also be sure to set the color/mono switch on the MGA card to mono.)
2-10 Running
the
Setup Program
Cl If you have any other combination of monitor and display adapter card, select
EGA, MCGA, VGA or other.
In addition, consult the documentation supplied with your display adapter card.
4. After you highlight the appropriate display adapter card type, press
Enter.
The screen displays your new display adapter card setting.
5. Highlight
*** SAVE SETTINGS
Enter
to return to the main Setup menu.
***andpress
Setting the Power-on Password
Setting a power-on password lets you control who can use your system. However, you do not need to set a power-on password to use the Equity IIe.
If you set a power-on password, you must enter it the next time you turn on or reset your computer. If you cannot enter it correctly, the computer locks up and does not respond to your keyboard entries. Therefore, if you set a power-on password, be sure to remember it or write it down and keep it in a safe place.
If you want to use your computer as a network server, you must turn on network server mode. (A network server is the master computer in a network which provides storage space for the other computers connected to it. The network server can write files to and read files from the other computers in the network.)
To turn on network server mode, you must set a power-on password.
If you do not want to set a power-on password or turn on network server mode, skip this section.
Running the Setup Program 2-11
Follow these steps to set a power-on password (when one does not exist) and turn network server mode on or off:
1. At the main Setup menu, highlight
Pas sword.
This submenu appears:
Power-on password
Network server mode OFF
2.
Press
Enter.
The cursor block moves to
P owe r - on password.
3.
Press
Enter.
You see this prompt:
To enter a password, type any combination of characters
(including letters, numbers, and blank spaces) up to a total of seven characters. Use the backspace key to delete mistakes.
2-12 Running the Setup Program
WARNING
Be sure to remember the password you enter or write it down and keep it in a safe place. If you cannot remember the password you enter now, you will not be able to access the computer the next time you turn it on.
If you want to return to the password submenu without saving any changes, press
E
SC
.
4.
After you enter a password, press
Enter
to return to the password submenu.
5. Highlight
Network server mode
To turn network server mode from off to on or vice versa, press
Enter.
The Setup program requires a power-on password to turn network server mode on. If you did not enter a password, this message appears:
Set a power-on password first
To enter a password, highlight
Power-on pas sword
and follow steps 3 and 4 above.
6. After you enter a power-on password and turn network server mode on or off, highlight
* * * * SAVE
SETTINGS
* * * * and press
Enter
to return to the main
Setup menu.
Note
If you forget your password, there is a way to disable the password function. See “Password Problems” in Appendix A for instructions.
Running the Setup
Program 2-13
Setting the Auto Speed Function
The Equity IIe can operate at 12 MHz or 8 MHz. You can use the
CPU SPEED
switch on the computer’s front panel to select either speed. (See “Selecting the Operating Speed” in
Chapter 3.) You’ll probably use the faster speed for almost all your operations. Some copy-protected application programs, however, require the computer to run at 8 MHz while accessing the program on diskette. These programs also usually require you to leave a key disk-the diskette that contains the copy protection-in the diskette drive. If you use a copy-protected program often, you may want to enable the Auto speed function.
When Auto speed is enabled, the computer automatically switches to 8 MHz whenever it needs to access a diskette drive.
It runs at 12 MHz for other operations.
There are different types of copy-protected programs.
Depending on the type you have, you may or may not want to enable the Auto speed function. Follow these guidelines:
Ll If you are using a copy-protected program that can run only on a diskette or that requires a key disk, try to start the program at 12 MHz. If this works, you do not need to enable the Auto speed function.
If you can’t load the program at 12 MHz, enable Auto speed.
Ci If you are using a copy-protected program that does not require a key disk but requires a special procedure to install the program on a hard disk, set the
CPU SPEED
switch on the front panel to 8 MHz while you are installing the program. Once it is installed, set the switch to 12 MHz, where you should be able to leave it while you load and run the program.
2-14 Running the Setup
Program
If this does not work, try loading the program at 8 MHz and then switch to 12 MHz to run it, Do not enable the Auto speed function.
Follow these steps to change the Auto speed setting:
1. At the main Setup menu, highlight
Auto speed
and press
Enter.
The current status appears:
Auto speed disabled
** SAVE SETTING **
If the displayed setting is correct, press ‘!’ to return to the main Setup menu.
2. To change the setting from
disabled
to
enabled
or vice versa, press
Enter.
3. Highlight
** SAVE SETTINGS
* * and press
Enter
to return to the main Setup menu.
Changing the Math Coprocessor Setting
If you have not installed an 80287 math coprocessor in your
Equity IIe, you can skip this section.
If you have installed a math coprocessor, you need to change the coprocessor setting. Follow these steps:
1. At the main Setup menu, highlight press
Enter.
Coprocessor
The current setting appears: and
Coprocessor not installed
***** SAVE SETTINGS *****
Running the Setup Program 2-15
2. To change the current setting to
Coprocessor installed press Enter.
3. Highlight
***** SAVE SETTINGS
*****and press
Enter
to return to the main Setup menu.
If you later remove the math coprocessor, follow the same procedure to change the setting again.
Setting the Real-time Clock
The real-time clock in your Equity IIe constantly tracks the time and date-even when the computer is turned off. The first time you run the Setup program, you
use
the
Real-time clock option to
set the time and date for your computer.
You may need to use this option again later to adjust the time for daylight savings time. The Equity IIe automatically changes the date for leap years.
Note
Another way to change the real-time clock’s time and date is with the MS-DOS TIME and DATE commands. See your
MS-DOS Reference Manual for instructions.
Follow these steps to set the real-time clock:
1. At the main Setup menu, highlight
Real-time clock
If the time and date have been previously set, the current settings appear:
If the time and date are correct, you can skip the rest of this section.
2-16 Running the Setup Program
If the time and date are incorrect, go to step 2 below.
If the time and date have never been set, the submenu contains a template for you to fill in:
Go to step 2 to enter the time and date.
2.
Press
Enter
to move the cursor block into the submenu.
3. To set or change the time, press prompt:
Enter
again. You see this
4. Using a 24-hour time period, enter the time in the exact format shown in the box. Type two digits for each part; the
Setup program automatically inserts the colons (:). For example, to set the time to 1:30 p.m., you would type the following:
1 3 3 0 0 0
You can use the backspace key to make corrections.
If you enter an invalid time-for example, a number greater than 23 for the hours or greater than 59 for the minutes or seconds-the computer beeps and ignores your entry. Try again.
When the time is correct, press
Enter.
Running
the Setup Program 2-17
5. To set or change the date, highlight
Date
and press
Enter.
You see this prompt:
6. Enter the date in the exact format shown in the box. Use two digits for the month and day and four digits for the year; the Setup program automatically inserts the dashes. For example, to set the date for December 30, 1989, you would type the following:
1 2 3 0 1 9 8 9
You can use the backspace key to make corrections.
If you enter an invalid date-for example, a number greater than 12 for the month or greater than the number of days in that month-the computer beeps and ignores your entry.
Try again.
When the date is correct, press
Enter.
7. Check the new time and date to be sure they are correct.
Then press ? to return to the main Setup menu.
The Setup program automatically saves the time and date
when you press Enter after typing each one, If you change the time or date and then exit the Setup program without
saving your changes, the new time and date still take effect.
2-18 Running
the
Setup Program
Setting the Hard Disk Drive Configuration
If your computer came with a 40MB or 100MB hard disk, your computer’s hard disk configuration has already been set for you at the factory and you can skip this
section.
If you installed or removed a hard disk, follow these steps to set the computer’s hard disk configuration:
1. At the main Setup menu, highlight
Hard disk drive.
Your current settings appear:
Drive 1:
Drive 2:
Type 59
None
The
Type
number indicates the type of hard disk installed in your computer. See Appendix E for a list of hard disk drive types, and the documentation supplied with your hard disk to find the correct type for the hard disk drive installed in your computer.
The
None
after
Drive 2
indicates that there is not a second hard disk.
If the displayed settings match your hard disk configuration, you can skip the rest of this section.
If a setting is incorrect, or if you want to see more details about your hard disk configuration, go to step 2.
Running the
Setup Program 2-19
2.
To select
Hard disk drive,
press
Enter. You
see a menu such as the following:
Drive 1: Type 59
Number of cylinders 980
Number of heads 5
Number of sectors 17
Precomp. cylinder
Landing zone
None
979
Total capacity (MB) 40.7
Drive 2: None
The submenu lists the settings you can change for each drive: the number of cylinders (tracks), the number of read/ write heads, the number of sectors, the precompensation cylinder, the landing zone (the cylinder on which you want to park the heads when moving the computer), and the total storage capacity in megabytes.
3. If you want to change the settings for Drive 1 (which is drive C on most computers), press
Enter
to highlight
Drive
1 :. If you want to change the settings for
Drive 2, press
Enter
and then + to highlight
Drive 2:.
4.
Press Enter.
You see this submenu:
5. If you want to change the drive type and the configuration of the hard disk you are installing matches one of the drive types listed in Appendix E, go to step 6.
2-20 Running the Setup Program
If you want to change the drive type and the configuration of the hard disk you are installing does not match one of the drive types listed in Appendix E, go to step 7.
If you have disconnected the drive or if the drive does not exist, highlight None and press
Enter.
All the drive settings become 0. Go to step 8.
6. Highlight Type and press
Enter.
The current type number appears:
Now select the drive type number that matches your hard disk configuration from the list of hard disk drive types in
Appendix E.
You can enter the drive type in one of two ways:
0 You can type the drive type number (listed in
Appendix E) and press
Enter.
The screen displays the new drive type number and hard disk settings. (You cannot type 00 or a drive type number that has more than three digits.)
CI You can use the cursor keys to move through the drive type numbers, as follows:
1
increases the drive type number one number at a time
1‘
decreases the drive type number one number at a time
PgDn
increases the drive type number in increments of 10 (for example, from 47 to
57)
Running the Setup
Program
2-21
PgUp
decreases the drive type number in increments of 10 (for example, from 47 to
37)
Home
enters drive type 1 (the first available drive
type)
End
enters drive type 63 (the last available drive type)
This is a handy way to verify new hard disk settings before you press
Enter
because the settings list is automatically updated as you display each new type number.
After you enter the appropriate drive type number, press
Enter.
The screen displays the new drive type number and hard disk settings. Go to step 8.
7. If the configuration of the hard disk you are installing does not match one of the drive types listed in Appendix E, highlight
User defined
and press
Enter. You
see the following:
Number of
cylinders 980
The same parameter is highlighted on the submenu above.
Enter the correct number of cylinders (tracks) for the disk and press
Enter.
The information for
Number of cylinders
is automatically updated on the submenu above and you see the next parameter, Number
of heads.
Enter the correct number of read/write heads for the hard disk and press
Enter.
Follow this same procedure for each remaining item in the settings list (the number of sectors, the precompensation cylinder, and the landing zone).
2-22 Running
the
Setup Program
If you enter a parameter incorrectly, press T or 1 to highlight the parameter and then enter it again.
The Setup program does not allow you to enter the total storage capacity; it calculates the storage capacity for you, based on what you enter for the number of cylinders, heads, and sectors.
After you type the landing zone number and press
Enter,
the cursor block returns to the Drive submenu heading.
8. If you want to change the hard disk settings for drive 2, press + and return to step 4.
9. When the hard disk drive settings are correct, press ? to move the cursor block into the top submenu. Highlight
** SAVE SETTINGS
* * and press
Enter
to save your hard disk drive configuration. The main Setup menu appears.
Setting the Diskette Drive Type(s)
Your Equity IIe comes with one factory-installed diskette drive.
If you removed the installed drive or added a second diskette drive, you need to change the diskette drive settings to match your configuration. If you haven’t made any changes, you can verify the drive type settings. Follow these steps:
1. At the main Setup menu, highlight
Diskette drive.
The current settings appear:
Running the Setup Program 2-23
Each diskette drive is followed by its specific type (360KB,
720KB, 1.2MB, or 1.44MB). If the diskette drive types on the screen match your diskette drive configuration, you can skip the rest of this section.
2.
Press Enter.
The cursor moves into the diskette drive submenu and you see the following:
Not installed
360 KB drive
720 KB drive (3.5")
1.2
MB drive
1.44 MB drive (3.5")
3. If you want to change the drive A settings, be sure Drive A: is highlighted and press
Enter.
If you want to change the drive B settings, highlight
Drive B:
and press
Enter.
The cursor block moves into the submenu.
4. Use L or ‘l’ to highlight the correct type for your diskette drive and press
Enter.
The screen displays the new diskette drive type you selected.
If you want to enter the type for another diskette drive, return to step 3.
5. When the diskette drive settings are correct, highlight
** SAVE SETTINGS
* * and press
Enter.
The cursor block returns to the main Setup menu and you see the updated information for drives A and B.
2-24 Running the Setup
Program
Setting the Serial and Parallel Interfaces
The serial and parallel interfaces in your computer are set up to act as the primary ports. If these are the only ports you are using in your computer, you can skip this section.
If you install an option card with its own serial or parallel port, however, you may want to designate the built-in port as secondary and the additional port as primary. The Setup program lets you choose which port is primary and which is secondary so there is no conflict between the built-in port and the additional port. Here are some examples:
If you install an option card with a port pre-set as primary by the manufacturer, you must designate it as the primary port and make the built-in port the secondary port.
If you install an option card or peripheral with a port not pre-set, you must designate it as the secondary port and the built-in port as the primary port.
If you install two option cards with ports, designate one as the primary port and the other as the secondary port and disable the built-in port.
Follow these steps to change your built-in serial and parallel interface settings:
1. At the main Setup menu, highlight Serial/
Parallel. The current settings for each port appear:
Running the Setup Program 2-25
2.
Press
Enter to
move the cursor block into the submenu.
You see:
3. If you want to change the serial port setting, be sure
Serial
is highlighted and press
Enter.
If you want to change the parallel port setting, highlight parallel and press
Enter.
The cursor block moves into the submenu.
4. Use L or ? to highlight the appropriate setting for the port you selected and press
Enter.
The screen displays the new setting.
If you want to change the setting for the other port, return to step 3.
5. When the serial and parallel port settings are correct, highlight ***
SAVE SETTINGS
*** and press
Enter.
The cursor block returns to the main Setup menu and you see your updated serial and parallel interface settings.
Reviewing Your Settings
When you finish using the Setup program to define your computer’s configuration, press ?’ to highlight
Exit at
the main Setup menu and press
Enter.
2-26 Running the Setup Program
The following Setup summary appears on the screen:
Memory Type
(On-board) 5
Extended (On-board) 384 Kb
Expanded (On-board) 0 Kb
Conventional 640 Kb
Total (On-board) 1 M b
Password
Display type
Extended (card)
Extended (total)
0 Kb
384 Kb
Power-on password not installed
Network server mode OFF
EGA
,
MCGA
,
V
GA or other
Change settings
Exit without saving
** EXIT AND SAVE **
There are two more Setup summary screens you need to check.
To display the next screen, press
PgDn. You
see the following:
Real-time clock
Auto speed
Coprocessor
Diskette drive
Serial
Parallel
Time
Date
Drive A:
Drive B:
13:40:38
12-30-1989 disabled not installed
1.2 MB
None
Primary
Primary
Running the Setup Program
2-27
If you have never set the real-time clock, the real-time clock entry at the top of the screen flashes to remind you to set the time and date.
To view the last Setup summary screen, press
PgDn. You
see your hard disk configuration(s):
Hard disk drive
Drive 1: Type 59 Drive 2: None
Number of cylinders 980
Number of heads
Number of sectors
Precomp.
cylinder
Landing zone
5
979
Total capacity (MB) 40.7
Number of cylinders 0
Number of heads
Number of sectors
None Precomp. cylinder
Landing zone 0
0
0
0
Total capacity (MB) .0
** EXIT AND SAVE **
If your computer has a hard disk drive but your hard disk drive
Setup entry is
None,
the words
Hard disk drive
at the top of the screen flash to remind you to set your hard disk drive configuration.
Check each Setup summary screen to see if all the information is correct. You can press
PgUp
to display the previous screen or
PgDn
to display the next screen.
If anything is incorrect, be sure
Change settings
is highlighted and press
Enter.
The main Setup menu appears and you can change the appropriate settings.
2-28 Running the Setup Program
Leaving the Setup Menu
If you want to save the settings you entered, highlight
** EXIT AND SAVE
** and press
Enter
at a Setup summary screen. The Setup program stores the new settings and resets the computer using the new configuration. If you set a password, enter it at the key prompt. The Operation Menu appears. Press 0 and
Enter
to exit the Operation Menu.
If the computer displays an error message while it is starting up, run the Setup program again and check the setting the error message indicates. If the computer still displays an error message after you check your Setup program settings, see Appendix B or ask your dealer for assistance.
After you save the settings you entered, remove the Reference diskette from your diskette drive and turn off your system. Then follow the instructions in your MS-DOS Installation Guide to install MS-DOS.
Running the Setup Program 2-29
Chapter 3
Using the Equity IIe
This chapter describes the following procedures for using your
Equity IIe computer:
Ll Installing MS-DOS
CI Using a power-on password
Cl Selecting the operating speed
CI Using special keys on the keyboard
Li Stopping a command or program
Ci Resetting the computer
Cl Using disks and disk drives tl Turning off the computer.
Installing MS-DOS
After you connect the components of your system and run the Setup program, you must install MS-DOS. Follow the instructions in your MS-DOS Installation Guide.
The MS-DOS installation process automatically generates working copies of your original MS-DOS diskettes or copies the files on them to your hard disk, if you have one. It is best to make another set of backup copies of your original MS-DOS diskettes. You may also want to copy the working diskettes
MS-DOS generates if you do not have a hard disk.
Using the Equity IIe 3-1
In addition, be sure to make a backup copy of your Reference diskette; MS-DOS does not create one for you. See “Making
Backup Copies” in this chapter and “Backing Up Data” in
Chapter 4 for instructions on how to copy diskettes.
Using a Power-on Password
If you set a power-on password when you ran the Setup program, you must enter it every time you turn on or reset the computer. (See “Resetting the Computer” later in this chapter for instructions on how to reset the computer.) Follow these steps:
1. If you do not have a hard disk, insert your Startup diskette in drive A.
2. Turn on your system. The screen displays a key prompt:
3-rrll
3. At the key prompt, enter the power-on password you set when you ran the Setup program. The key turns when you type a character. The screen does not display the characters you type. Then press
Enter.
After you type the complete password correctly and press
Enter,
a happy face character appears. Then the computer loads
MS-DOS. The screen displays the MS-DOS command prompt or the MS-DOS Shell Start Programs menu, depending on whether you installed the Shell program when you installed
MS-DOS.
3-2 Using
the Equity IIe
You have three chances to enter the correct password. If you do not enter the correct password at the first or second key prompt, another key prompt appears. If you do not enter the correct password at the third key prompt, the screen displays a 0. The keyboard locks up and you cannot use the computer. You may reset the computer and try to enter the correct password again.
Note
If you do not know the correct passward, see
“Password
Problems”
in
Appendix A.
Changing a Power-on Password
To change your power-on password, follow these steps:
1. If you do not have a hard disk, insert your Startup diskette in drive A.
2. Turn on or reset the computer. At the key prompt, enter your current power-on password followed by a forward slash.
After the slash, enter the new password you want to use. For example, if your current password is 123 and you want to change it to ABC, type:
123/ABC
The screen does not display what you type.
WARNING
Be sure to remember the new power-an password you
enter or write it
down and keep it in a safe place. If you cannot remember the password you enter now, you will not be able to access your computer the next time you turn it on.
Using the Equity IIe 3-3
3.
Press
Enter.
A happy face character appears and then the computer loads MS-DOS.
To access the computer the next time you turn it on or reset it, you must enter the new power-on password.
Deleting a Power-on Password
To delete your power-on password, follow these steps:
1. If you do not have a hard disk, insert your Startup diskette in drive A.
2. Turn on or reset the computer. At the key prompt, enter your current power-on password followed by a forward slash.
For example, if your password is 123, type:
3.
Press
Enter.
A happy face character appears and then the computer loads MS-DOS.
The next time you turn on or reset the computer, it does not request a password and loads MS-DOS immediately.
3-4 Using the Equity IIe
Selecting the Operating Speed
The Equity IIe can operate at two speeds: 8 MHz or 12 MHz. At
12 MHz, the computer accesses memory faster than at 8 MHz.
You will probably use this speed for almost everything you do.
However, certain application programs have specific timing requirements for diskette access and can run only at the slower speed. See the manual for your application program to determine if this is the case.
Use the
CPU SPEED
switch on the front panel to change the CPU speed; move it left for 8 MHz or right for 12 MHz.
When the computer runs at 8 MHz, the power light is orange; at 12 MHz, it is green.
CPU SPEED switch
You do not need to turn off the computer to change the operating speed, but do not change it while you are running a program. Complete your current operation, exit the program to
MS-DDS, and then change the speed.
Using the Equity Ile 3-5
Special Keys on the Equity IIe Keyboard
Certain keys on your keyboard serve special functions when your computer is running MS-DOS or application programs.
The following illustration shows the Equity IIe keyboard, and the table that follows describes the special keys.
Key functions
Key
Tab It
Tab +I
Caps Lock
Shift
Ctrl
Alt
Purpose
Moves the cursor one tab to the right in normal mode and one tab to the left in shift mode.
Changes the letter keys from lower- to uppercase; changes back to lowercase when pressed again. The numeric/symbol keys on the top row of the keyboard and the symbol keys in the main part of the keyboard are not affected.
Produces uppercase characters or the top symbols on the keys when used with the main character keys. Produces lowercase characters when the Caps Lock function is on.
Works with other keys to perform special
(control) functions, such as editing operations in MS-DOS and various application programs.
Works with other keys to enter alternate character codes or functions.
3-6 Using the Equity IIe
r
Key t Backspace
J Enter
Insert (Ins)
Delete (Del)
Home, End
Page UP (PgUp)
Page Down (PgDn)
-rtl+
Num Lock
Esc
F 1 - F 1 2
Moves the cursor back one space, deleting the character to the left of the cursor.
Ends a line of keyboard input or executes a command.
Turns the Insert function on and off.
Deletes the character marked by the cursor.
Control cursor location.
Changes the function of the numeric/cursor keys from entering numbers to positioning the cursor; changes back when pressed again.
Cancels the current command line or operation.
Perform special functions within application programs.
Prints the screen display on a line printer.
Print Screen
(PrtSc)
S YS Rq (Req)
Scroll Lock
Pause
Break
Generates the System Request function in some application programs (when used with
Alt).
Controls scrolling in some applications.
Suspends the current operation.
Terminates the current operation (when used with Ctrl).
The
Caps Lock, Num Lock,
and
Scroll Lock
keys work as toggles; press the key once to turn on a function and again to turn it off. When the function is enabled, the corresponding light in the upper right comer of the keyboard is on. When the function is disabled, the light is off.
Using the Equity IIe 3-7
Stopping a Command or Program
You may sometimes need to stop a command or program while it is running. Many application programs provide a command you can use to cancel or even undo an operation. If you have entered an MS-DOS command that you want to stop, try one of the following commands:
Ll Hold down the
Ctrl
key and press C
Ci Hold down the
Ctrl
key and press
Break.
These methods may also work in your application program. If you cannot stop a particular operation, however, you may need to reset the computer, as described in the following section.
Resetting the Computer
Occasionally, you may want to clear the computer’s current settings or its memory without turning it off. This is called resetting the computer.
If an error occurs and the computer does not respond to your keyboard entries, you can reset the computer to reload MS-DOS and try again. However, resetting erases any data in the computer’s memory that you have not stored; so reset your computer only if necessary.
3-8 Using the Equity IIe
To reset the computer, MS-DOS must be either on the hard disk or on a diskette in drive A; so if your computer does not have a hard disk, insert the Startup diskette in drive A.
There are three ways to reset. Because each is more powerful than the last, try them in the order listed here:
1. If you are using MS-DOS, hold down
Ctrl
and
Alt
and press the
Del
key. The screen goes blank for a moment and then the computer should reload MS-DOS. If it doesn’t, try the second method.
2.
Press the
RESET
button on the front panel. This method works even when the computer does not respond to your keyboard entries. If this does not correct the problem, try the third method.
3. Remove any diskette(s) from the diskette drive(s). Turn off the computer and wait five seconds. If your computer does not have a hard disk, insert the Startup diskette in drive A.
Then turn on the computer.
Using Disks and Disk Drives
The disk drives in your computer allow you to store data on disk, and then retrieve and use your stored data when you want to. The Equity IIe comes with a single diskette drive or one diskette drive and one hard disk drive. You may add another diskette or hard disk drive, up to a maximum of three drives total.
Using the Equity IIe 3-9
This section explains how disks work and tells you how to do the following:
0 Use different types of diskettes and diskette drives
Cl Care for your diskettes and diskette drives
LI Insert and remove diskettes
CI Write-protect diskettes
0 Make backup copies of your diskettes
D Use a single diskette drive
LI Use two diskette drives
LI Use a hard disk drive.
How Disks Store Data
The diskette you insert in your computer’s diskette drive is made of flexible plastic coated with magnetic material. It is enclosed in a square jacket that is either slightly flexible (5 l/4-inch diskettes) or hard (3 ‘/l-inch diskettes).
Unlike a diskette, a hard disk is rigid and fixed in place. It is sealed in a protective case to keep it free of dust and dirt. A hard disk stores data the same way that a diskette does, but it works much faster and has a much larger storage capacity.
All disks are divided into data storage compartments by sides, tracks, and sectors. Double-sided diskettes store data on both sides. On each side, there are concentric rings, called tracks
(or cylinders), on which a disk can store data. Double-density diskettes have either 40 or 80 tracks on each side, and highdensity diskettes have 80 tracks on each side.
3-10 Using the Equity IIe
Because a hard disk consists of two or more platters stacked on top of one another, it has four or more sides with many more tracks per side than a diskette. (The number of tracks depends on the capacity of the hard disk. You do not need to know how many sides and tracks your hard disk has.)
A disk is further divided by sectors. To understand what a sector is, picture the spokes on a bicycle wheel radiating from the center of the wheel to the tire. The space between one spoke and the next is like a sector on a diskette; the lines dividing the sectors cut across the tracks. (See the figure below.) A diskette can have 8, 9, 15, or 18 sectors per track. The number of sectors on a hard disk depends on the type of hard disk.
sector
Using the Equity IIe 3-11
Your computer uses the read/write heads in a disk drive to store and retrieve data on a disk. To write to a disk, the computer spins it in the drive to position the area on the disk where the data is to be written under the read/write head. A diskette has an exposed area where the read/write head can access it.
Because data is stored magnetically, you can retrieve it, record over it, and erase it-just as you play, record, and erase music on a cassette tape.
Types of Diskette Drives
The Equity IIe comes with one 1.2MB diskette drive (for
5 ‘/+inch diskettes) or one 1.44MB diskette drive (for 3 ‘/l-inch diskettes). You may also have a second diskette drive, and it may be the same type or it may be different. The following list describes the types of diskette drives you can use in the
Equity IIe and which diskettes to use with them: cl 360KB drive-With this drive, use 5 l/4-inch, double-sided, double-density, 48 TPI (tracks per inch), 360KB diskettes.
(You can also use single-sided, 160KB or 180KB diskettes.)
These diskettes contain 40 tracks per side, 8 or 9 sectors per track, and hold up to 360KB of information, which is approximately 150 pages of text. (With 8 sectors per track, a diskette holds up to 320KB.) KB stands for kilobyte; each kilobyte equals 1024 bytes. Each byte represents a single character, such as A, $, or 3.
Cl 1.2MB drive-With this drive, use 5 l/4-inch, double-sided, high-density, 96 TPI, 1.2MB diskettes. These diskettes contain 80 tracks per side, 15 sectors per track, and hold up to 1.2MB of information, which is approximately 500 pages of text. MB stands for megabyte; each megabyte equals
1,048,576 bytes or 1024KB.
3-12 Using the Equity IIe
LI 720KB drive-With this drive, use 3 ‘/z-inch, double-sided, double-density, 135 TPI, 720KB diskettes. These diskettes contain 80 tracks per side, 9 sectors per track, and hold up to 720KB of information, which is approximately 300 pages of text.
D 1.44MB drive-With this drive, use 3 i/z-inch, double-sided, high-density, 135 TPI, 1.44MB diskettes. These diskettes contain 80 tracks per side, 18 sectors per track, and hold up to 1.44MB of information, which is approximately 600 pages of text.
If your computer has more than one type of diskette drive, or if you use diskettes from other computers with other types of diskette drives, you need to be aware of certain incompatibilities between the diskette drives and the diskettes they use.
Drive and diskette incompatibilities
Because of the size difference, you cannot use 3 i/z-inch diskettes in a 5 i/4-inch drive or vice versa. There are also certain limitations on using diskettes that are the same size as the drive but have different capacities. The tables below summarize the possibilities and limitations.
Using the Equity IIe 3-13
5 ‘/&nch drive/diskette compatibility
Drive type Diskette types it can read from and write to
160KB, 180KB, 320KB, 360KB
160KB, 180KB, 320KB, 360KB, 1.2MB
WARNING
If you write to a 360KB (or 160KB, 180KB, or 320KB) diskette in a 1.2MB drive, you may not be able to read it or write to it in a 360KB drive later.
3 ‘/L-inch drive/diskette compatibility
Drive type Diskette types it can read from and write to
720KB
720KB, 1.44MB
I
Because of these incompatibilities, always indicate the diskette type and density when you label your diskettes. (Usually this information appears on the manufacturer’s label.)
If you have any combination of the above drives (360KB,
1.2MB, 720KB, or 1.44MB), you can copy files from one drive to another-using the COPY or XCOPY command-as long as the correct diskette type is in each drive. You can also use these commands to copy files between a hard disk and any type of diskette. However, you cannot use the DISKCOPY command to copy from one diskette drive to another if the two diskette drives are not the same type. For more information on the
MS-DOS COPY, XCOPY, and DISKCOPY commands, see
Chapter 4.
I
3-14 Using the Equity IIe
Caring for Diskettes and Diskette Drives
Follow these basic precautions to protect your diskettes and avoid losing data: cl Do not remove a diskette from the diskette drive or turn off the computer while the drive light is on. This light indicates that the computer is copying data to or from a diskette. If you interrupt this process, you can destroy data.
Remove all diskettes before you turn off the computer.
Keep diskettes away from dust and dirt. Small particles of dust or dirt can scratch the magnetic surface and destroy data. Dust can also ruin the read/write heads in a diskette drive.
Never wipe, brush, or try to clean diskettes in any way.
Keep diskettes in a moderate environment. They work best at normal room temperature and in normal humidity. Don’t leave diskettes sitting in the sun, or in extreme cold or heat.
Keep diskettes away from magnetic fields. (Remember that diskettes store information magnetically.) There are many magnetic sources in your home or office, such as electrical appliances, telephones, and loudspeakers.
0 Do not place diskettes on top of your monitor or near an external hard disk drive.
cl Never touch a diskette’s magnetic surface. The oils on your fingertips can damage it. Always hold a diskette
‘by its protective jacket. When using a 3 ‘/z-inch diskette, do not slide the metal shutter; this exposes the diskette’s surface.
Li Do not place anything on top of your diskettes, and be sure they do not get bent. A diskette does not rotate properly in the drive if it has been damaged.
Using the Equity IIe 3-15
Cl Carefully label your diskettes and be sure to indicate the diskette type and density. Attach labels firmly but gently, and only along the top of a diskette (next to the manufacturer’s label). Do not stick several labels on top of one another; too many labels can make it difficult to insert and remove the diskette in the drive.
Cl It is best to write on a label before you attach it to a diskette. If you need to write on a label that is already on a
5 i/q-inch diskette, use only a soft-tip pen-not a ballpoint pen or a pencil.
0 Store diskettes in a proper location, such as a diskette container. Do not store diskettes flat or stack them on top of each other. When you are not using them, be sure to keep your 5 i/q-inch diskettes in their protective envelopes.
Inserting and Removing Diskettes
To insert a diskette into a 5 ‘/q-inch drive, hold it with the label facing up and and the read/write slot leading into the drive.
3-16 Using the Equity IIe
Slide the diskette into the slot until it is in all the way. Then turn the latch down to lock it in a vertical position. This keeps the diskette in place and enables the read/write heads in the diskette drive to access the diskette.
To remove the diskette, turn the latch up until it is horizontal and the edge of the diskette pops out. Carefully pull out the diskette, place it in its protective envelope, and store it in a proper location, such as a diskette container.
If you have a 3 ‘/?-inch diskette drive, insert the diskette with the label facing up and the metal shutter leading into the drive, as shown below. Slide the diskette into the drive until it clicks into place.
To remove a 3 ‘/z-inch diskette, press the release button. The diskette pops out of the drive. Pull out the diskette and store it properly.
Using the Equity IIe 3-17
WARNING
Never remove a diskette or, turn off the computer while the diskette drive light is on. You could lose data. Also, be sure to remove ail diskettes before you turn off the computer.
Write-protecting Diskettes
You can write-protect a diskette to prevent its data from being altered. When a diskette is write-protected, you can read it and copy data from it, but you cannot store new data on the diskette or delete any files it contains. If you try to change data stored on a write-protected diskette, MS-DOS displays an error message.
To write-protect a 5 l/4-inch diskette, cover the small, rectangular notch (shown below) with an adhesive writeprotect tab. Write-protect tabs usually come with new 5 i/4-inch diskettes when you buy them.
00
\ write-protect notch’
To remove the write protection, peel off the write-protect tab.
3-18 Using the Equity IIe
-
N o t e
Some program diskettes, such as your MS-DOS diskettes
and
your Reference diskette, have no notch or no switch so they are permanently write-protected. This protects
them from
being accidentally erased or altered.
On a 3 ‘/z-inch diskette, the write-protect device is a small switch on the back of the diskette in the lower right corner, shown below. To write-protect a 3 ‘/z-inch diskette, slide the switch toward the edge of the diskette until it clicks into position, exposing a hole in the corner.
/ write-protect switch
To remove the write protection, slide the switch toward the center of the diskette until it clicks into position so the hole is covered.
Note
It
is
a good idea to write-protect your backup copies of your
MS-DOS and Reference diskettes.
Using the Equity IIe 3-19
Making Backup Copies
It is important to make copies of all your data and system diskettes. Make backup (or working) copies of all diskettes that contain programs, such as the original MS-DOS and Reference diskettes that come with the Equity IIe, and use only the copies.
Store the original diskettes in a safe place away from your working diskettes.
Copy your data diskettes regularly, whenever you revise them, to keep them up-to-date, and store them away from your originals.
To make backup copies of your diskettes, use the DISKCOPY command, the MS-DOS Shell, or the MENU program. See
Chapter 4, your Shell User’s Guide, or your MS-DOS Reference
Manual for instructions.
If you have a hard disk, it is best to store the programs and data files you use regularly on the hard disk. Keep backup copies of all your program files on diskettes, and regularly copy important data files to diskettes as well. See “Backing up the hard disk” in this chapter for more information.
3-20 Using the Equity IIe
Using a Single Diskette Drive
MS-DOS expects the computer to have at least two diskette drives, and it displays prompts and messages accordingly. If your system has a single diskette drive, MS-DOS treats your one drive like two logical drives. This helps you perform operations that normally require two diskette drives.
Usually, MS-DOS recognizes the first diskette drive (the top drive on the Equity IIe) as drive A and a second diskette drive as B. If you have only one diskette drive, MS-DOS can treat it as both A and B.
For example, if you enter a command to copy from A to B,
MS-DOS copies from the first diskette you place in the drive
(A) to the computer’s memory. Then MS-DOS prompts you to insert another diskette (for drive B) and copies from memory to the new diskette. When copying is complete, you see a prompt to insert the original diskette (for drive A).
Because you may often swap diskettes this way, it is important to remember which diskette is which. It is also a good idea to write-protect your original diskette.
If you have only one diskette drive and no hard disk, you need to use that drive to load the operating system as well as the application programs you are using. First load the operating system; this copies it to the computer’s memory (RAM) so you do not need to leave the system diskette in the drive. Then you can remove that diskette and insert the program diskette you want to use, and load that into memory too. See your application program manual for detailed instructions.
If you have a hard disk and one diskette drive, you can load the operating system and application programs from the hard disk, create and store your data there, and use the diskette drive just for copying data to or from diskettes.
Using the Equity IIe 3-21
Using Two Diskette Drives
If you have two diskette drives, you can use the top drive (A) for loading the operating system and application programs and the second drive (B) for creating data. If you have a hard disk, you will probably need the diskette drives just to copy files to and from the hard disk and to copy diskettes.
Note
You can lead MS-DOS from an application program diskette if that diskette contains the MS-DOS system files.
Using a Hard Disk Drive
Working with a hard disk is similar to working with a diskette.
However, the hard disk provides several advantages:
Cl A 40MB hard disk can store as much data as approximately
33 1.2MB diskettes, and a 100MB hard disk can store as much data as approximately 82 1.2MB diskettes.
Li Your computer can perform all disk-related operations faster.
LI You can store frequently used programs and data files on the hard disk, eliminating the inconvenience of swapping diskettes to access different files.
The added storage capacity makes it easy to move back and forth between different programs and data files. However, because it is so easy to add programs and files to your hard disk, you may find yourself trying to organize hundreds of files.
MS-DOS lets you keep related files together in directories and subdirectories so they are easy to find and use. See Chapter 4 for instructions on how to use directories.
--
--
3-22
Using
the Equity IIe
The MS-DOS Shell program is a menu-driven program which makes it easy for you to move, create, delete, and rename files and directories, as well as view files and execute commands, See your
MS-DOS
Shell User’s Guide for instructions.
If your Equity IIe has a hard disk drive, follow these precautions to protect it from damage and to avoid losing data:
LI Never turn off the computer when the hard disk drive light is on. This light indicates that the computer is copying data to or from the hard disk. If you interrupt this process, you can lose data.
tl Never attempt to open the hard disk drive. The disk itself is enclosed in a sealed container to protect it from dust.
Ci Before you move your computer (even to another part of the room), you need to prepare the hard disk for moving.
See “Preparing the hard disk for moving,” below, for instructions.
A hard disk must be partitioned and formatted before you can use it. Be sure you have performed the procedures in your
MS-DOS Installation Guide to prepare your hard disk for use.
You can enhance the performance of your hard disk by using the SMARTDRV.SYS device driver and the FASTOPEN command. See your MS-DOS Reference Manual for instructions.
Using the Equity IIe 3-23
Backing up the hard disk
While the hard disk is very reliable, it is essential to back up your hard disk files to diskettes in case you lose some data accidentally. Make copies of all your system and application diskettes before copying the programs to the hard disk. After you create data files on the hard disk, be sure to copy them to diskettes whenever you revise them to keep your backup diskettes up-to-date.
To make copies of your program diskettes before copying them to the hard disk, use the DISKCOPY command, the MS-DOS
Shell, or the MENU program. To copy your hard disk files onto diskettes, use the BACKUP, COPY, or XCOPY command; the
MS-DOS Shell; or the MENU program. See Chapter 4, your
Shell User’s Guide, or your MS-DOS Reference Manual for instructions.
Preparing the hard disk for moving
If you need to move your computer to a new location-whether it is across the country or just across the room-you should run the HDSIT program to protect the hard disk during the move.
The HDSIT program moves the disk drive’s read/write heads to a region on the disk surface that does not contain data, and locks them securely in position. This protects the hard disk from being damaged if the computer is bumped accidentally.
Follow these steps to run HDSIT:
1. Exit any program you are using and display the MS-DOS command prompt on the screen.
2. Insert the Reference diskette in drive A.
3. Type the following and press
Enter:
A:HDSIT
3-24 Using the Equity IIe
You see a message on the screen that tells you the disk drive’s read/write heads will remain locked until you reset the computer or turn the power off and on again. The computer locks the heads and disables the keyboard. You can now turn off the computer and prepare to move it to the new location.
Turning Off the Computer
Before you turn off your computer, save your data, exit the program you are using, and remove any diskettes from the diskette drives. Turn off the computer first, then turn off the monitor and any peripherals.
Using the Equity IIe 3-25
Chapter 4
Using MS-DOS with Your Equity IIe
Your Equity IIe comes with version 4.01 of MS-DOS. This operating system manages your computer by organizing the computer’s memory, controlling the monitor display, receiving keyboard input, and accessing data.
How much you need to know about MS-DOS depends on how you will be using your computer. If you plan to use it just to run application programs, the few MS-DOS commands you’ll need are introduced in this chapter. If you plan to use advanced features, refer to your MS-DOS Reference Manual for complete descriptions of MS-DOS commands and features.
This chapter covers the following topics:
Cl Starting and exiting MS-DOS c3 Using drive designators
0 Types of MS-DOS commands
Q Entering an MS-DOS command
‘Q Setting the date and time tl Creating and managing files
Q Using directories
Cl Formatting diskettes
Cl Backing up data
Q The MS-DOS Shell program
0 Using the Epson HELP program
Using MS-DOS with Your Equity IIe 4-1
LI Using the Epson MENU program
LI Using an AUTOEXEC.BAT file
LI Using memory beyond 640KB.
Starting and Exiting MS-DOS
Before you can run an MS-DOS application program, MS-DOS must be loaded in the computer’s memory. If you have a hard disk and you installed MS-DOS according to the instructions in your MS-DOS Installation Guide, the computer loads MS-DOS automatically after you turn on the power (provided no diskette is in the diskette drive).
If you do not have a hard disk, you need to load MS-DOS when you turn on the computer. To do this, insert the MS-DOS
Startup diskette in drive A and then turn on the computer.
(The Startup diskette is one of the working diskettes MS-DOS generates during the installation process. See your MS-DOS
Installation Guide for instructions on how to install the operating system.)
If you set a power-on password when you ran the Setup program, the computer displays the key prompt (% ) before loading MS-DOS. At the key prompt, type your power-on password and press
Enter.
(See “Using a Power-on Password” in
Chapter 3 for more information.) After you enter your password, the computer loads MS-DOS.
When MS-DOS is loaded, the screen displays the Shell Start
Programs Menu if you installed the Shell program when you installed MS-DOS. If you did not install the Shell program, the screen displays the MS-DOS command prompt, usually
A>
or
C>.
The MS-DOS command prompt identifies the current drive.
4-2 Using MS-DOS with Your Equity IIe
Before you turn off the computer, make sure the screen displays the Shell Start Programs Menu or the MS-DOS command prompt. Then remove your diskettes, turn off the computer, and turn off any peripherals.
Using Drive Designators
MS-DOS uses letters known as drive designators to identify the disk drives in your computer. If you have one diskette drive, it is known as drive A. If you have two diskette drives, the top drive is A and the bottom drive is B.
If you have one hard disk drive, MS-DOS identifies its primary partition as drive C (even if you have only one diskette drive).
If you have a second hard disk drive, MS-DOS identifies its primary partition as drive D.
If you created one or more extended partitions on your hard disk when you installed MS-DOS, the logical drives that make up the extended partition(s) are identified by drive letters. For example, if you have one hard disk (one physical drive) partitioned into three logical drives, the logical drives are C, D, and E. If you have two hard disk drives partitioned into a total of five logical drives (three on the first physical drive and two on the second), the first physical drive is divided into logical drives C, E, and F, and the second physical drive is divided into logical drives D and G, as shown here: drive 1
C: (primary)
E:
F: drive 2
D: (primary)
G:
Using MS-DOS with Your Equity IIe 4-3
The Current Drive
At any given time, MS-DOS considers one disk drive to be the current (or default) drive. The current drive is the drive on which MS-DOS executes your next command, unless you tell it to do otherwise. For example, if the current drive is C, and you enter the DIR (directory) command, MS-DOS lists the files stored on drive C. If the current drive is A and you type
WP
and press
Enter,
MS-DOS looks on drive A for a file called WP and executes the instructions in that file. The current drive is the drive you are logged onto at the time.
The MS-DOS command prompt tells you which drive is the current drive. The MS-DOS command prompt includes the current drive’s letter followed by a greater-than symbol.
(Depending on how you installed MS-DOS, it may also include additional information.) Thus, when you see
C>
on the screen, you know the current drive is C. The MS-DOS command prompt also lets you know that MS-DOS is ready to receive a command from you.
If you need to access a file or program on another drive, you can either change the current drive or specify the other drive when you give the command.
Changing the current drive
To change the current drive, type the letter of the drive you want to change to, followed by a colon. Then press
Enter.
For example, to change the current drive from A to C, type
C
: at the
A>
prompt and press
Enter.
MS-DOS acknowledges the change by displaying the command prompt
C>.
Changing to a new drive is also known as logging onto that drive.
4-4 Using MS-DOS with Your Equity IIe
Specifying the drive designator
If you want to access a program or file on another drive without first changing the current drive, type the drive designator along with the filename. For example, if you are logged onto drive A and want to use a file named PROGRAM on drive B, type
B : PROGRAM
and press
Enter.
MS-DOS loads and executes the file named PROGRAM from drive B but stays logged onto drive A.
Types of MS-DOS Commands
Each MS-DOS command is either internal or external. Internal commands are built into MS-DOS; so you can use them any time after MS-DOS has been loaded into memory. External commands are separate files which MS-DOS must be able to find before it can execute the command. If it cannot find the file, MS-DOS displays an error message.
If you have a hard disk and you installed MS-DOS according to the instructions in your MS-DOS Installation Guide, most external commands are stored in a subdirectory named DOS on the hard disk (unless you specified a different name when you installed MS-DOS). T he external commands CONFIG.SYS,
AUTOEXEC.BAT, and COMMAND.COM are stored in the root directory. (For information on directories, see “Using
Directories,” later in this chapter.) MS-DOS automatically finds any external commands you use in the DOS subdirectory or the root directory because the installation process has set a path to them. (For information on setting paths, see “Using
Pathnames,” later in this chapter.)
Using MS-DOS with Your Equity IIe 4-5
If you do not have a hard disk, external commands are stored on the set of working diskettes generated when you installed
MS-DOS. To use an external MS-DOS command, you must insert the diskette containing that command into a diskette drive. To find out which external commands are on which diskettes, see the list of working diskette contents in your
MS-DOS Installation Guide.
For example, if you want to use the FORMAT command, you must insert the Working 1 (5 l/4-inch) or Startup (3 ‘/z-inch) diskette into a diskette drive. Then you can either log onto that drive and enter the FORMAT command or specify the appropriate drive when you enter the command.
For example, if you have two diskette drives and you want to format a diskette that is in drive B, you need to insert the
Working 1 (5 ‘/4-inch) or Startup (3 ‘/z-inch) diskette into drive A, and log onto drive A. Then type the following and press
Enter:
FORMAT B:
MS-DOS finds the file named FORMAT.COM on the current drive.
If you are logged onto drive B, you need to type the following and press
Enter:
A:FORMAT B:
This tells MS-DOS to look on drive A for FORMAT.COM
because the current drive is drive B.
4-6 Using MS-DOS with Your Equity IIe
Entering an MS-DOS Command
To enter an MS-DOS command, you need to type the command in the correct format. The command format provides
MS-DOS with the information needed to perform a task.
The MS-DOS command format consists of the command name, parameters, and
delimiters.
The command name tells MS-DOS the task you want the computer to perform. Parameters specify information such as what data you want to process and where to locate or store a file. Delimiters are characters such as spaces or commas that separate command names and parameters.
For example, the command to format a diskette in drive A is:
FORMAT A:
FORMAT
is the name of the command that tells MS-DOS to execute the file FORMAT.COM. The
A
: is a parameter that tells MS-DOS what to format-in this case, the diskette in drive A. The space between
FORMAT
and
A
: is the delimiter that allows MS-DOS to distinguish the command name
(FORMAT)
from the parameter
(A :).
Some commands also have optional switches you can use. A switch is a type of parameter that changes the effects of a command. A forward slash usually precedes a switch. For example, suppose you want to format a 360KB diskette in a
1.2MB diskette drive. To do this, you add the following switch to the FORMAT command:
FORMAT A: /4
If you do not add the /4 switch, MS-DOS tries to format the
360KB diskette as a 1.2MB diskette.
Using MS-DOS with Your Equity IIe 4-7
See your MS-DOS Reference Manual for more information on the command format and for command descriptions that explain which parameters and delimiters are required and which parameters and switches are optional for each command.
You can enter an MS-DOS command whenever you see the
MS-DOS command prompt. Type the command name and any parameters and delimiters. You can type command names and parameters in either uppercase or lowercase letters. Then press
Enter
to execute the command.
If you make a mistake when typing a command and you notice it before you press
Enter,
you can do either of two things:
LI Use the backspace key to delete the error
D Press
E
SC and then
Enter
to cancel the current command line and move to a new one.
Then reenter the command correctly.
If you press
Enter
when a command line has an error in it, the screen displays an error message. Usually, the MS-DOS command prompt reappears so you can try again. Type the correct command and press
Enter.
Setting the Date and Time
The real-time clock in your Equity IIe constantly tracks the correct time and date-even when the computer is turned off.
To adjust the time for daylight savings time, you can use the
MS-DOS TIME and DATE commands. See your MS-DOS
Reference Manual for instructions. The Equity IIe automatically changes the date for leap years.
4-8 Using MS-DOS with Your Equity IIe
You can also use the Setup program on your Reference diskette
to set
the
correct time and date. See “‘Setting
the
Real-time Clock” in Chapter 2 for instructions.
Creating and Managing Files
All your data and programs are stored in files on disk. A data file contains information, such as words, numbers, or pictures. A program file contains coded instructions that the computer can understand and execute.
The kind of file you create depends on the MS-DOS command or application program you use to create it. In general, a data file that you create using an application program is stored in a special format. If you use a different application program to read that file, you may encounter problems.
When you create a file, you need to give it a name. The name must be in the format MS-DOS requires.
Naming Files
Each file must have a unique name so that you can retrieve it when you need to. The name consists of two parts: the filename and the extension (which is optional).
The filename can be up to eight characters long. Create a filename that identifies the information the file contains. You can use any characters or numbers except for blank spaces and the following symbols:
*\/I?[]:;<>-,+=
Using MS-DOS with Your Equity IIe 4-9
The extension is optional and can be up to three characters long. You can use the extension to further identify a file or to describe what type of file it is, such as a text file or program file.
When you use an extension, separate it from the filename with a period, like this:
DATA.TXT
Do not use uppercase and lowercase letters to distinguish between files. MS-DOS does not recognize the difference and displays all filenames in uppercase.
Some application programs automatically add extensions to the files you create. These programs use the extension to determine whether a data file is compatible. Avoid using the same extensions that your application programs use.
MS-DOS reserves certain filenames for its own use. The reserved filenames are:
AUX
CLOCK$
COM1
COM2
COM3
COM4
CON
LPT1
LPT2
LPT3
LST
NUL
PRN
MS-DOS also reserves certain extensions for program files. The reserved extensions are .COM, .EXE, and .BAT, and files with these extensions are also sometimes called executable files. Do not use these reserved filenames and extensions for your data files.
The extension .BAT denotes a type of executable file called a batch file. You can use batch files to automate sequences of
MS-DOS commands. Even if you are not a programmer, you may want to create some batch files to save time. See “Creating an AUTOEXEC.BAT File” in this chapter for a description of a particularly useful kind of batch file, an autoexecute batch file.
4-10 Using MS-DOS with Your Equity IIe
Copying Files
You can use the COPY command to copy individual files or groups of files. COPY is an internal command; you can use it any time you see the MS-DOS command prompt.
You can use the COPY command to copy files in several ways:
Ci You can copy individual files from one disk to another
Ci You can copy a group of files using wildcard characters
Ci You can copy one or more files and give them new names
Ll You can combine or merge files into one file.
To use the COPY command, type
COPY
at the MS-DOS command prompt, followed by the drive designators and necessary filenames. Then press
Enter
to execute the command.
For example, to copy the file named REPORT from the diskette in drive A to the diskette in drive B (using the same name for the copy as for the original file), type the following and press
Enter:
COPY A:REPORT B:
You now have two files named REPORT, one on the diskette in drive A and one on the diskette in drive B.
To copy the file named REPORT from the diskette in drive A to the diskette in drive B using a new name, FACTS, for the copy, type the following and press
Enter:
COPY A:REPORT B:FACTS
The file REPORT remains unchanged on drive A and a new file named FACTS now exists on drive B.
Using MS-DOS with
Your Equity IIe 4-11
To copy the file named REPORT to the same drive or directory and name the copy FACTS, type the following and press
Enter:
COPY REPORT FACTS
Now you have two files on the current drive that have the same contents but different names. In this example, you can omit the drive designators because the original file and the copy are both on the current drive.
You can use wildcard characters to copy a group of files. There are two wildcard characters: * and ?. The asterisk represents any group of characters and the question mark represents any single character.
For example, to copy all the files on the diskette in drive A to the diskette in drive B, type the following and press
Enter:
COPY A:*.* B:
To copy all files with names that begin with the four letters
MEMO and end with any single character (such as MEMO1), type the following and press
Enter:
COPY A:MEMO? B:
You can also use the COPY command to combine several files into one file. For example, to create a new file called DATA that consists of the files REPORT, FACTS, and MEMO, type the following and press
Enter:
COPY REPORT + FACTS + MEMO DATA
Now the file DATA consists of REPORT followed by FACTS followed by MEMO.
--
4-12 Using MS-DOS with Your Equity IIe
To copy REPORT, FACTS, and MEMO from drive A to a file named DATA on drive B, type the following and press
Enter:
COPY A:REPORT + A:FACTS + A:MEMO B:DATA
Remember these rules when using the COPY command:
LI MS-DOS must be able to find the original file and know where to store the copy; that is, you may need to specify the drive (and directory, if necessary) for one or both.
Li You cannot create a new file with the same name and in the same directory as an existing file.
0 If there is a file on the destination diskette or directory that has the same name as the file you are copying, the copy automatically replaces the existing file. There is no warning that the existing file is being replaced; so be careful that you do not accidentally erase a file you want to keep.
LI If you are copying to a diskette, the diskette must already be formatted.
Using MS-DOS with Your Equity IIe 4-13
Renaming Files
You can use the RENAME command to change the name of a file or group of files on the same disk and directory. For example, to rename a file named PROSPECT (in the current directory) to CLIENT, type the following and press
Enter:
RENAME PROSPECT CLIENT
You can shorten the RENAME command to REN. For example, to change the name of a file from HAMMERS to WRENCHES, you can type the following and press
Enter:
REN HAMMERS WRENCHES
You can use wildcards to rename groups of files. For example, to change the extensions of all files on drive C with the extension
.NEW from .NEW to .OLD, type the following and press
Enter:
REN C:*.NEW *.OLD
To add the extension .OLD to all files that begin with the same four characters, MEMO, but end with one varying character, type the following and press
Enter:
REN MEMO? MEMO?.OLD
This command renames files such as MEMO1 and MEMO2 to
MEMO1 .OLD and MEM02.0LD.
See your MS-DOS Reference Manual for more information on the RENAME command.
4-14 Using MS-DOS with Your Equity IIe
Deleting Files
You can delete files you no longer need with the DEL (delete) command. For example, to delete REPORT.AUG from drive C, type the following and press
Enter:
DEL C:REPORT.AUG
To delete the file WRENCHES from drive C, type the following and press
Enter:
DEL C:WRENCHES
To display a prompt asking you to confirm that you want to delete the file before MS-DOS deletes it, use the /P switch.
Type the following and press
Enter:
DEL C:WRENCHES /P
You see this prompt:
C:\WRENCHES, Delete (Y/N)?
Press Y and
Enter
for yes or
N
and
Enter
for no.
You can use wildcards to delete groups of files. For example, to delete all files on the diskette in drive A (in the current directory), you could type the following and press
Enter:
DEL A:*.*
Because deleting all files is a serious procedure, MS-DOS prompts you to confirm the command when you use the *.* wildcard combination with the DEL command. Press Y and
Enter
to confirm the command and delete all files on the diskette in drive A or
N
and
Enter
to cancel the command.
You may substitute ERASE for DEL in the examples above.
ERASE is a synonym for DEL.
Using MS-DOS with Your Equity IIe 4-15
Printing Text Files
If you have a printer attached to your computer, you can print text files with the PRINT command. In general, you will probably use application programs to print files, but if you need to print a text file from the MS-DOS command prompt, follow the steps below.
To print a text file named STATS.NBA on drive A:
1. Make sure your printer is on and ready to print.
2. At the MS-DOS command prompt, type the following and press
Enter:
PRINT A:STATS.NBA
MS-DOS prompts you for the name of the printing device connected to your computer. (This is usually the name of the communications port that the printer cable is connected to, such as LPT1.)
3. Type the name of the device, such as
LPT1,
and press
Enter.
MS-DOS prints the file on your printer.
See your MS-DOS Reference Manual for more information on the PRINT command.
Using Directories
You can store many files on a diskette, and a hard disk can store many more. To help you organize this much information,
MS-DOS lets you subdivide a disk into logical units called directories. Directories allow you to arrange your disk so that files of similar type or purpose are kept together.
4-16 Using MS-DOS with Your Equity IIe
While you may not need to create directories on a 360KB diskette-especially if it contains only a few large filesdirectories are essential for organizing files on a hard disk.
Whenever you format a disk, MS-DOS automatically creates one main directory. This directory is called the
root
directory.
Any directories you later create are logically subordinate to the root directory; that is, they are subdirectories of the root directory. Here is an example of a simple directory structure:
Root directory
WORDPROC DOS SPDSHEET
In this example, you keep your word processing programs and data files in a directory called WORDPROC, your spreadsheet programs and data files in a directory called SPDSHEET, and
MS-DOS files in a directory called DOS. The few files that
MS-DOS needs to find as soon as you turn on your computer
(such as COMMAND.COM, CONFIG.SYS, and
AUTOEXEC.BAT) remain in the root directory at the top level of the structure.
As the number of files in your WORDPROC and SPDSHEET directories grows, you can create additional directories subordinate to those two-like this:
Root directory
I
WORDPROC
I I
BUSINESS PERSONAL
DOS SPDSHEET
I I
SALES PROJ
Using MS-DOS with Your Equity IIe 4-17
This directory tree lets you separate business word processing files from personal word processing files, and sales spreadsheets from spreadsheet files used for financial projections.
Your directory structure may be as simple as this example or much more complex. Organize your disk(s) to suit your needs.
As your needs change, you can modify the structure by deleting old directories and creating new ones.
Here are some additional points about directories:
Name subdirectories the same way you name files. The name can include up to eight characters (letters or numbers), and you can add an extension of up to three characters.
The root directory does not have a name. It is identified by the backslash character: \ .
The total number of files and subdirectories in the root directory must not exceed 512 on a hard disk or 112 on a
360KB diskette.
All directories other than the root directory can have any number of files and subdirectories.
Like hard disks, diskettes have root directories, and you can create subdirectories on diskettes the same way as you create subdirectories on a hard disk.
The following sections describe how to create, use, and delete directories.
The MS-DOS Shell program provides an easy way to see and
organize your
directories. See The MS-DOS Shell Program,”
later in
this
chapter,
and your MS-DOS Shell User's Guide.
4-18
Using
MS-DOS with Your Equity IIe
The Current Directory
MS-DOS always recognizes one directory as the current (or default) directory, just as it always recognizes one drive as the current drive. The current directory is the directory you are logged onto at the time and the one in which MS-DOS performs your commands, unless you tell it to do otherwise. If you installed MS-DOS according to the instructions in your
MS-DOS Installation Guide, the MS-DOS command prompt displays the current directory.
If you want to run a program or access a data file that is not stored in the current directory, you can either change directories (making a different directory the current directory) or include a pathname in your command.
Changing the Current Directory
To change from one directory to another, use the CHDIR command, or its shorthand equivalent, CD. For example, to change to the root directory of the current drive from anywhere in the directory tree, type the following and press
Enter:
CHDIR \
If you are in the WORDPROC directory and you want to change to PERSONAL, a subdirectory of WORDPROC, type the following and press
Enter:
CD PERSONAL
To change from PERSONAL back to WORDPROC, you can use the special symbol . . (two periods). The . . symbol always designates the parent directory, which is the directory one level above the current directory. You can type:
CD . .
Using MS-DOS with Your Equity IIe 4-19
Using Pathnames
You use pathnames with MS-DOS commands to tell MS-DOS how to find its way to the directory you want to access.
Backslashes separate the directories in a pathname. There are two types of pathnames: absolute and relative. An absolute pathname begins with a backslash and tells MS-DOS how to find its way to the desired directory from the root directory. A relative pathname does not begin with a backslash and tells
MS-DOS how to find its way to the desired directory from the current directory.
Here is an example of an absolute pathname:
The pathname above tells MS-DOS to start at the root directory, go down the directory tree to the WORDPROC directory, and then continue down the tree to the PERSONAL directory.
Here is an example of a relative pathname:
SALES
The pathname above tells MS-DOS to find a directory named
SALES that is one level below the current directory. Using the example above, this pathname is valid only if you are logged onto the SPDSHEET directory.
Relative pathnames can tell MS-DOS to move upward in the directory tree as well as downward. The symbol . . (two periods) in a pathname tells MS-DOS to move upward one level in the tree. For example, if the current directory is
WORDPROC, the pathname . .
\DOS
tells MS-DOS to move up one level from WORDPROC (in the example above, to the root directory) and then find a subdirectory called DOS.
4-20 Using MS-DOS with Your Equity IIe
You can use either relative or absolute pathnames at any time, as long as you give MS-DOS enough information to find the directory or file at the end of the pathname.
Including Filenames With Pathnames
You can use a pathname when you want to access a file that is not in the current directory. You specify the name of the file you want to access at the end of the pathname, like this:
TYPE \WORDPROC\PERSONAL\JEANl204.DOC
This command tells MS-DOS to list on screen (TYPE) the contents of the text file JEAN1204.DOC, which is stored in the directory \ WORDPROC \ PERSONAL. You separate the name of a file from the name of a directory with a backslash.
Including Drive Letters With Pathnames and Filenames
To access a file stored on a drive other than the current drive, you need to include a drive designator
(A
: , for example) as well as a filename. If the file you want is not stored in the current directory of that drive, you also need to include a pathname.
For example, if you are logged onto the root directory of drive A and you want to delete the file JEAN1204.DOC stored in the directory \ WORDPROC \ PERSONAL of drive C, type the following and press
Enter:
DEL C:\WORDPROC\PERSONAL\JEANl204.DOC
If you change drives and then try to access a file on the previous drive, MS-DOS remembers which directory was the current directory the last time you were logged onto that drive. For example, suppose that the last time you were logged onto
Using MS-DOS with Your Equity IIe 4 - 2 1
drive C, the root directory was the current directory. Now you are logged onto drive A and you enter the following command to delete the file JEAN1204.DOC:
DEL C:JEAN1204.DOC
MS-DOS tries to find the file you want in the root directory of drive C. Because the file is not there, an error message appears on the screen. You need to enter the complete pathname in such a case.
If you do not know which is the current directory on another drive, it is best to include the full pathname whether or not you need it. You can never give MS-DOS too much information.
To change to another directory on another drive, include the drive designator in the command-like this:
CD B:\WORDPROC\PERSONAL
4-22 Using MS-DOS with Your Equity IIe
Creating Directories
You use the MKDIR command to create directories. For example, to create a LEDGER directory under the root directory of the current drive, type the following and press
Enter:
MKDIR
\
LED
G
ER
You can abbreviate the name of this command to MD. For example, to create a SALES directory under the LEDGER directory, type the following and press
Enter:
MD \LEDGER\SALES
If the current directory is the LEDGER directory, you can create the SALES subdirectory with this command:
MD SALES
Listing the Contents of a Directory
You can use the DIR command to list the contents of a directory. To list the files in the current directory, type the following and press
Enter:
DIR
MS-DOS lists the names of the files in the current directory on the current drive, like this:
Volume in drive C is APPLICANTS
Volume Serial Number is 354C-12E9
Directory of C:\WORDPROC\PERSONAL
<DIR> 11-09-89 10:16a
. .
LETTERS
<DIR>
<DIR>
11-09-89
12-13-89
10:16a
1:48p
RESUME.713
8293 12-29-89 9:07a
BOOKRPRT
5 File(s)
10866 11-18-89 11:43p
15013560 bytes free
Using MS-DOS with Your Equity IIe 4-23
A directory listing includes the following information about each file in the directory:
Li Name and extension
Ci Size of the file in bytes
Ll Date and time the file was created or last modified
(whichever is later).
The directory listing also shows any subdirectories in the directory; they are identified by the letters <DIR>. At the top of the listing, MS-DOS reports any name (volume label) you have given to the hard disk partition or diskette you are using, the volume serial number (an identifying code assigned by the
MS-DOS FORMAT command), and the drive and name of the directory you are viewing. At the bottom of the listing,
MS-DOS indicates the the total number of files (including subdirectories) in the directory and the number of bytes on the disk that are still available for use.
If the directory listing is too long to fit on one screen, add the /P switch to the command, like this:
DIR /P
This switch causes MS-DOS to pause after displaying each screenful of information. To see the next screenful, press any key.
You can also use the /W switch to view a long directory listing:
DIR /W
4-24 Using MS-DOS with Your Equity IIe
This switch displays a wide-format directory listing, like this:
Volume in drive C is APPLICANTS
Volume Serial Number is 354C-12E9
Directory of C:\WORDPROC\PERSONAL
. .
LETTERS
5 File(s)
RESUME.713
15013560
BOOKRPRT bytes free
This type of listing does not show the size of a file or the time and date it was last modified.
To list the contents of a different drive or directory, include the appropriate drive designator and/or pathname in the command.
For example, to see what is in the root directory of the diskette in drive A, type the following and press
Enter:
DIR A:\
To display the contents of the WORDPROC \ PERSONAL directory (on drive C), type the following and press
Enter:
DIR C:\WORDPROC\PERSONAL
Displaying a List of Directories
The TREE command displays a tree diagram of all the subdirectories of the directory you specify. For example, to see the names of all the subdirectories of the current directory, type the following and press
Enter:
TREE
Using
MS-DOS with Your Equity IIe
4-25
The screen displays a tree diagram of the subdirectories of the current directory, for example:
C:\LEDGER
RECEIV
PAYABL
SALES
SALE1989 t
SALE1990
To see a list of all the files in the subdirectories, add the /F switch, like this:
TREE /F
The screen displays the directory information shown above and the names of all the files in each subdirectory:
C:\LEDGER
RECEIV
NOVRECV
DECRECV
PAYABL
ISALES
SALE1989
NOVSALES
DECSALES
SALE1990
JANSALES
FEBSALES
MARSALES
4-26 Using MS-DOS with Your Equity IIe
To see the list of subdirectories of another directory, include the pathname:
TREE C:\WORDPROC
Removing Directories
You may sometimes want to remove directories you no longer need. However, before you can delete a directory, it must be empty. If it contains any files or subdirectories, MS-DOS displays an error message and does not delete the directory.
(Use the DEL command to delete the files in a directory or the
COPY command to move them to another directory.)
To delete an empty directory from a disk, use the RMDIR command, or its shorthand equivalent, RD. For example, to remove the directory ACCOUNTS, which is a subdirectory in the LEDGER directory on the C drive, type the following and press
Enter:
RD C:\LEDGER\ACCOUNTS
If you are in the LEDGER directory, you can type the following and press
Enter:
RD ACCOUNTS
Formatting Diskettes
Before you can store data on a new diskette, you must format it.
Formatting prepares the diskette so that MS-DOS can write to it. You need to do this only once, before you use the diskette for the first time.
Using MS-DOS with Your Equity IIe 4-27
You can reformat previously used diskettes. This process erases all data on the diskette, so be sure you do not want to save any of the data on a used diskette before you format it.
If you plan to use a new diskette to make a backup copy of another diskette, you do not need to use the FORMAT command to format it first. The DISKCOPY command automatically formats a blank diskette if it has never been formatted. (See “Using the DISKCOPY Command,” later in this chapter.)
The formatting procedure you use depends on whether your computer has one or two diskette drives and whether it has a hard disk. Follow the instructions below for your configuration.
Also see your MS-DOS Reference Manual for information about the optional switches you can use with the FORMAT command to format various diskette types in different types of drives.
You can also
format
diskettes using the MS-DOS Shell or the
Epson MENU
program. These programs are easy to use because they let you select options from menus instead of using commands. See your MS-DOS Shell User’s Guide and
“Using the
Epson MENU Program,” later in this chapter.
Formatting Diskettes With a Hard Disk
1. If necessary, type
C
: and press
Enter
to log onto drive C.
2. At the C> prompt, type
FORMAT A:
and press
Enter.
You see this prompt:
Insert new diskette for drive A: and press ENTER when ready...
4-28 Using MS-DOS with Your Equity IIe
3. Insert the diskette you want to format in drive A and press
Enter
to start formatting.
4. When the diskette is formatted, you see this message:
F o r m a t c o m p l e t e
Volume label (11 characters, ENTER for none)?
5.
At the Volume label prompt, you can enter a name to describe the information the diskette will contain. The name (the volume label) will appear whenever you view the contents of a directory on the diskette using the DIR command. The volume label can be up to 11 characters long and can consist of any characters or numbers, except for blank spaces and the following symbols:
*\/I?[]:;<>.,+=
After you name the diskette, press
Enter.
(If you do not want to name the diskette, simply press
Enter.)
Then you see messages such as the following:
1213952 bytes total disk space
1213952 bytes available on disk
512 bytes in each allocation unit
2371 allocation units available on disk
Volume Serial Number is 3915-16EE
Format another (Y/N)?
6. To format another diskette, press Y and
Enter.
To return to the MS-DOS command prompt, press
N
and
Enter.
Using MS-DOS with Your Equity IIe 4-29
Formatting Diskettes with Two Diskette Drives
(No Hard Disk)
1. Insert your Working 1 (5 ‘/+-inch) or Startup (3 ‘/z-inch) diskette in drive A.
2. If necessary, type
A
: and press
Enter
to log onto that drive.
3. At the
A>
prompt, type
FORMAT B
: and press
Enter.
You see this message:
Insert new diskette for drive B: and press ENTER when ready...
4. Insert the diskette you want to format into drive B and press
Enter
to start formatting.
5. When the diskette is formatted, you see this message:
Format complete
Volume label (11 characters, ENTER for none)?
6. At the
Volume label
prompt, you can enter a name to describe the information the diskette will contain. The name (the volume label) will appear whenever you view the contents of a directory on the diskette using the DIR command. The volume label can be up to 11 characters long and can consist of any characters or numbers, except for blank spaces and the following symbols:
*\/I?[]:;<>.,+=
__
4-30 Using MS-DOS with Your Equity IIe
After you name the diskette, press
Enter.
(If you do not want to name the diskette, simply press
Enter.)
Then you see messages such as the following:
1213952
bytes total disk space
1213952
bytes available on disk
512
bytes in each allocation unit
2371
allocation units available on disk
Volume Serial Number is
3915-16EE
Format another (Y/N)?
7. To format another diskette, press Y and
Enter.
To return to the MS-DOS command prompt, press
N
and
Enter.
Formatting Diskettes With One Diskette Drive
(No Hard Disk)
1. Insert your Working 1 (5 l/4-inch) or Startup (3 ‘/I-inch) diskette into drive A.
2. At the
A>
prompt, type
FORMAT A:
and press
Enter.
You see this prompt:
Insert new diskette for drive A: and press ENTER when ready...
3. Remove the diskette from the drive, replace it with the diskette you want to format, and press
Enter.
4. When the diskette is formatted, you see this message:
Format complete
Volume label (11 characters, ENTER for none)?
Using
MS-DOS
with
Your Equity IIe
4-31
5. At the
Volume label
prompt, you can enter a name to describe the information the diskette will contain. The name (the volume label) will appear whenever you view the contents of a directory on the diskette using the DIR command. The volume label can be up to 11 characters long and can consist of any characters or numbers, except for blank spaces and the following symbols:
“ \ / I ? [ ] : ; < > . , + =
After you name the diskette, press
Enter.
(If you do not want to name the diskette, simply press
Enter.)
Then you see messages such as the following:
1213952 bytes total disk space
1213952 bytes available on disk
512 bytes in each allocation unit
2371 allocation units available on disk
Volume Serial Number is 3915-16EE
Format another (Y/N)?
6. To format another diskette, press Y and
Enter.
To return to the MS-DOS command prompt, press
N
and
Enter.
--
Backing Up Data
It is very important to keep backup diskettes containing copies of the files you create. You can copy your data (text and program files) in several ways:
0 You can use the COPY or XCOPY command to copy individual files or groups of files.
Ll You can use the DISKCOPY command to make an exact duplicate of a diskette.
4-32 Using MS-DOS with Your Equity IIe
tl You can use the BACKUP command to back up hard disk files to diskettes. Because BACKUP can split large files across two or more diskettes, it makes more efficient use of diskette space than COPY or XCOPY. It also allows you to back up files that are larger than the capacity of your diskettes. To access files created with BACKUP, you use the RESTORE command.
DISKCOPY, BACKUP, and RESTORE are described below.
“Copying Files,” earlier in this chapter, describes the COPY command. See your MS-DOS Reference Manual for information on XCOPY.
Note
The MS-DOS Shell and the Epson MENU program provide an easy way to perform the functions listed above. See your
MS-DOS Shell User’s Guide
and
“Using the Epson MENU
Program,”
later in
this chapter.
Using the DISKCOPY Command
The DISKCOPY command lets you make an exact copy of a diskette. (You cannot use DISKCOPY to copy to or from a hard disk.) Because this procedure copies the data byte by byte, the two diskettes must be of the same type. For example, you cannot use DISKCOPY to copy a 360KB diskette to a 1.2MB
diskette or a 720KB diskette to a 1.44MB diskette. (Use the
COPY command to copy files between different types of diskettes and to copy files to or from a hard disk.)
If the diskette you are copying to has never been formatted,
DISKCOPY formats it automatically before copying the data.
The procedure for copying diskettes depends on whether you have one or two diskette drives. Follow the instructions below for your configuration.
Using MS-DOS with Your Equity IIe 4-33
Using DISKCOPY with two diskette drives
1. Make sure the diskette you want to copy is write-protected.
(See Chapter 3 for instructions.)
2. If you don’t have a hard disk, insert your Working 1
(5 l/4-inch) or Startup (3 ‘/z-inch) diskette into drive A.
3. At the MS-DOS command prompt, type the following and press
Enter:
DISKCOPY A: B:
MS-DOS prompts you to insert your diskettes:
Insert SOURCE diskette in drive A:
Insert TARGET diskette in drive B:
Press any key to continue . . .
4. Remove the diskette in drive A, if necessary, and insert the diskette you want to copy from (the source diskette) into drive A and the diskette you want to copy to (the target diskette) into drive B. Then press any key to begin copying.
If the target diskette is not formatted, DISKCOPY formats it before copying data to it.
5. When the copy is complete, you see this message:
Copy another diskette (Y/N)?
Press Y and
Enter
to copy another diskette or
N
and
Enter
to return to the MS-DOS command prompt.
Using DISKCOPY with one diskette drive
1. Make sure the diskette you want to copy is write-protected.
(See Chapter 3 for instructions.)
4-34
Using MS-DOS with Your Equity IIe
2. If you don’t have a hard disk, insert your Working 1
(5 ‘/.+-inch) or Startup (3 ‘/z-inch) diskette into drive A.
3. If you have a hard disk, type
C
: and press
Enter
to log onto drive C. If you do not have a hard disk, type
A
: and press
Enter
to log onto drive A.
4. At the MS-DOS command prompt, type the following and press
Enter:
DISKCOPY A: A:
MS-DOS displays these messages:
Insert SOURCE diskette in drive A:
Press any key to continue . . .
5. Remove the diskette in drive A, if necessary, and insert the diskette you want to copy from (the source diskette) into the drive. Then press any key. DISKCOPY starts to copy the contents of the diskette to the computer’s memory.
When the computer’s memory is full, the screen displays these messages:
Insert TARGET diskette in drive A:
Press any key to continue . . .
6. Remove the source diskette from drive A and insert the diskette you want to copy to (the target diskette). Then press any key. If the target diskette is not formatted,
DISKCOPY formats it before copying data to it.
7. After DISKCOPY copies the data from memory to the target diskette, the screen prompts you to insert the source diskette again to copy the remaining data to the computer’s memory (if necessary). Insert the source diskette into drive A and press any key.
Using MS-DOS with Your Equity IIe 4-35
8. After DISKCOPY copies the rest of the source diskette’s data to the computer’s memory, the screen prompts you to insert the target diskette again to copy the remaining data from memory to it. Insert the target diskette and press any key. When the copy is complete, you see this message:
Copy another diskette (Y/N)?
9. Press Y and
Enter
to copy another diskette or
N
and
Enter
to return to the MS-DOS command prompt.
Using the BACKUP Command
Use the BACKUP command to back up the data on your hard disk. It provides a convenient and efficient way to copy the files on the hard disk to diskettes. BACKUP allows you to do the following:
Li Split large files across two or more diskettes
Ll Copy only those files that have been modified since the most recent backup (with the /M switch)
0 Copy only those files that have been created (or modified) after a specified date (with the /D switch)
Cl Copy files in the current directory together with files in all subdirectories of the current directory (with the /S switch)
CL Automatically format diskettes before copying files.
Unlike COPY, XCOPY, and DISKCOPY, which make readable copies of files, BACKUP creates files that you cannot access directly. To return files copied with the BACKUP command to the hard disk, you need to use the RESTORE command.
4-36 Using MS-DOS with Your Equity IIe
Make sure you have enough diskettes to back up the data on your hard disk drive. For example, it takes about 27 1.2MB
diskettes to copy a 32MB hard disk partition that is completely full.
See your MS-DOS Reference Manual for complete instructions on using BACKUP and RESTORE.
The MS-DOS Shell Program
The MS-DOS Shell program allows you to execute many
MS-DOS commands and programs by selecting options from menus. Using the MS-DOS Shell, you can run commands without having to remember their exact syntax. MS-DOS Shell makes it easy for you to manage files and directories. It is especially useful for managing the data on a hard disk, where you may have hundreds of files. For example, you can easily view, create, move, rename, and delete files and directories using MS-DOS Shell.
See your MS-DOS Installation Guide for instructions on how to install the Shell program and see your MS-DOS Shell User’s
Guide for information on how to use it.
Using the Epson HELP Program
The Epson HELP program lets you display information on the screen about MS-DOS commands and programs. You can use
HELP in either of two ways:
Cl At the MS-DOS command prompt, you can type
HELP
and press
Enter
to display the HELP menu
Ci To bypass the HELP menu you can type
HELP
followed by the name of the command you want information about.
Using MS-DOS with Your Equity IIe 4-37
To use the HELP menu, follow these steps:
1. If you don’t have a hard disk, make sure your Working 3
(5 l/4-inch) or Working (3 ‘/l-inch) diskette is in drive A.
2. If necessary, type
A
: and press
Enter
to log onto drive A.
3. At the MS-DOS command prompt, type
HELP
and press
Enter.
4. The screen displays a menu of MS-DOS commands. Use the cursor keys to highlight the command you want information about and press
Enter.
5. If there is more than one screen of information about the command you selected, you see the prompt
PgUp
at the top of the screen. Press the
PgUp
key to display the rest of the text.
6. To return to the HELP menu, press
E
SC
.
Press
E
SC again to exit the program.
To bypass the HELP menu and see information about one command, follow these steps:
1. At the MS-DOS command prompt, type
HELP
followed by the name of the MS-DOS command you want information about. Then press
Enter.
For example, to see help information about the COPY command, type the following and press
Enter:
HELP COPY
2. If there is more than one screen of information about the command you selected, you see the prompt
PgUp
at the top of the screen. Press the
PgUp
key to display the rest of the text.
3. Press
E
SC to exit the HELP program.
4-38 Using MS-DOS with Your Equity IIe
You can also request help information for more than one command. Follow these steps:
1. At the MS-DOS command prompt, type
HELP
and the names of the commands you want information about.
Separate each command name with a space. Then press
Enter.
For example, to see help information about the
DISKCOPY, FORMAT, and COPY commands, type the following and press
Enter:
HELP DISKCOPY FORMAT COPY
2. The help information for the first command displays first.
If there is more than one screen of information about the command, you see the prompt PgUp at the top of the screen. Press the
PgUp
key to display the rest of the text.
3. Press
E
SC to see the help information for the next command.
4. To exit the HELP program after viewing the information for the last command, press
E
SC
.
-
Using the Epson MENU Program
The Epson MENU program lets you display a menu of commonly used MS-DOS commands and select the one you need. It provides an easier way to run MS-DOS commands because you can execute commands without having to remember their exact syntax.
To access MENU, follow these steps:
1. If you do not have a hard disk, insert your Working 3
(5 ‘/q-inch) or Working (3 ‘/z-inch) diskette into drive A and log onto that drive.
Using MS-DOS with Your Equity IIe 4-39
2. At the MS-DOS command prompt, type
MENU
and press
Enter.
You see this main menu:
EXIT
File Utilities
Disk Utilities
Mode Settings
Help
Enter DOS Command
3. To select an option, use the arrow keys to highlight the option you want and press
Enter.
Most options contain submenus; keep highlighting your selection and pressing
Enter
until you select the desired operation.
Because MENU works by calling external commands, you may see an error message similar to this when you select an option:
BACKUP.COM is not on the current disk or path.
Press any key to continue...
The message appears if you do not have a hard disk and the diskette in the current drive does not contain the command called by MENU-in this case, BACKUP.COM. Insert the diskette that contains the command you selected into drive A and try again. (To see which commands are on which MS-DOS diskettes, refer to the list of your working diskette contents in the MS-DOS Installation Guide.)
If you find that you often have to swap diskettes when you use MENU, see the description of MENU in your MS-DOS
Reference
Manual for some recommended solutions.
4-40
Using MS-DOS with Your
Equity IIe
MENU Program Options
Following is a description of each MENU option. Your
MS-DOS Reference Manual provides step-by-step instructions for using each option.
File Utilities
Disk Utilities
Lets you back up and restore files, replace files, compare files, change file attributes, and copy files and directories. This option does the work of the MS-DOS commands
BACKUP, RESTORE, REPLACE, FC,
ATTRIB, and XCOPY.
Lets you check, copy, compare, and format diskettes. This option provides an easy-touse alternative to the MS-DOS CHKDSK,
DISKCOPY, DISKCOMP, and FORMAT commands.
Mode Settings Lets you change your configuration settings. Also lets you select alternate code pages (character sets) and redirect data from the parallel port to the serial port.
Because you can perform so many tasks from the Mode Settings submenus, this option is a simpler alternative to the
MS-DOS MODE command.
Help
Enter DOS
Lets you access the Epson HELP program.
Lets you run other MS-DOS commands without leaving the MENU program.
See your MS-DOS Reference Manual for a complete description of the MENU program.
Using
MS-DOS with Your Equity IIe 4-41
Using an AUTOEXEC.BAT File
You may want to run some commands every time you turn on your computer. To run a command or a series of commands automatically upon startup, you can type the commands in a special file called AUTOEXEC.BAT. When you load MS-DOS, it always looks for this file. If MS-DOS finds an
AUTOEXEC.BAT file in the root directory, it executes the commands in that file.
Here are some tasks you can perform using an
AUTOEXEC.BAT file:
D
Modify the PATH command to include the directories containing other software programs you commonly use.
This reduces the number of times you need to change directories or specify pathnames.
0
Add the command to start your most commonly used application program (such as a word processing or spreadsheet program) so that it loads automatically when you turn on or reset the computer.
ci
Change the information the MS-DOS command prompt includes.
See your MS-DOS Reference Manual for instructions on using the PATH command, the PROMPT command, and any other commands you want to include in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
Also see the chapter on batch processing commands in your
MS-DOS Reference Manual for detailed information about
AUTOEXEC.BAT files.
4-42 Using MS-DOS with Your Equity IIe
Creating an AUTOEXEC.BAT File
Here is an example of an AUTOEXEC.BAT file:
PATH C:\;C:\DOS;C:\WP
PROMPT $P$G
The first line tells MS-DOS to look for programs or batch files in the root directory, the DOS directory, and your word processing directory. This way you can run programs in those directories without having to specify pathnames in the commands. The second line changes the MS-DOS command prompt so that it displays your current directory.
To create an AUTOEXEC.BAT file, you can use any command or program that lets you create a text-only file. If you have a word processing program that can save a file as a text-only file
(sometimes called an ASCII text file), you can use that program to create your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. Name the file
AUTOEXEC.BAT and store it in the root directory of the hard disk or diskette from which you load MS-DOS.
Using MS-DOS with Your Equity IIe 4-43
You can also use the MS-DOS COPY or EDLIN command to create an AUTOEXEC.BAT file. Follow these steps to create an AUTOEXEC.BAT file with the COPY command:
1. If you are creating an AUTOEXEC.BAT file on your
Startup diskette, insert the Startup diskette into drive A and log onto that drive. If you are creating an
AUTOEXEC.BAT file on your hard disk, log onto the root directory of your hard disk. (Type
CD C
: \ and press
Enter.)
2. At the MS-DOS command prompt, type the following and press
Enter:
COPY CON: d:\AUTOEXEC.BAT
where d is the drive that will contain the
AUTOEXEC.BAT file you are creating. This drive must be the drive from which your computer loads MS-DOS. For example, if you load MS-DOS from drive A using your
Startup diskette, type the following and press
Enter:
COPY CON: A:\AUTOEXEC.BAT
3. Now enter the commands you want to include in the file.
Type them exactly as you want MS-DOS to execute them, and in the order you want MS-DOS to perform them. Press
Enter
at the end of each line. After you type the last command, press
Enter
to move the cursor to the next blank line.
4. Press
F6
and then
Enter.
MS-DOS copies everything you typed to the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. From now on,
MS-DOS runs the commands in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file every time you turn on or reset the computer.
If you need to change anything in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file later, you can use the same procedure to modify the commands.
See your MS-DOS Reference Manual for more information.
4-44 Using MS-DOS with Your Equity IIe
Using Memory Beyond 640KB
The Equity IIe comes with 1MB of random access memory.
MS-DOS and your application programs that run under
MS-DOS use the first 640KB of memory. You can use the memory between 640KB and 1MB as extended or expanded memory. If your computer has more than 1MB of random access memory on SIMMS, you can also use this additional memory as extended or expanded memory.
Expanded memory can be used by certain application programs
(such as Lotus 1-2-3®) that support the Lotus/Intel/Microsoft
Expanded Memory Specification (LIM EMS). To use expanded memory, you must do the following:
U Copy the files EEMM286.SYS and STARTEMM.EXE from your Reference diskette to the root directory of the hard disk or the Startup diskette from which you load MS-DOS.
You may put EEMM286.SYS and STARTEMM.EXE in a directory other than the root directory by adding the appropriate pathname to the DEVICE= line. (For more information on adding a pathname, see “Using
EEMM286SYS” below.)
Cl Modify the file CONFIG.SYS, which is stored in the root directory of the hard disk or diskette from which you load
MS-DOS.
If you have a word processing program that can save a file as a text-only file (also called an ASCII text file), you can use that program to modify the CONFIG.SYS file. Start your word processing program, load the file CONFIG.SYS, and then add the following line to the file:
DEVICE=EEMM286.SYS
Using MS-DOS
with
Your Equity IIe 4-45
You can add one or more of the optional switches explained in the next section to this command line. Then save the file as an
ASCII text file and reset the computer.
If you do not have a word processing program capable of saving an ASCII text file, you can modify CONFIG.SYS using the
MS-DOS COPY or EDLIN command. To modify
CONFIG.SYS using the COPY command, follow these steps:
1. Log onto the root directory of the hard disk or diskette from which you boot MS-DOS.
2. Type COPY CONFIG.SYS + CON: and press
Enter.
3. Type DEVICE=EEMM286.SYS and press
Enter. You
can add one or more of the optional switches explained in the next section to this command line.
4. Press F6 and then
Enter.
5. Reset the computer.
Using EEMM286.SYS
EEMM286.SYS is an Epson expanded memory manager that makes the Equity IIe’s expanded memory available or lets you use extended memory to emulate expanded memory, so that you can use application programs that support LIM EMS.
Do not use EEMM286.SYS if you installed an expanded memory option card. Use the device driver that came with the memory card.
4-46 Using MS-DOS with Your Equity IIe
The full syntax for the command line that activates
EEMM286.SYS is:
D E V I C E = [ d : ] [ p a t h ] E E M M 2 8 6 . S Y S [ s i z e ]
[ / K ]
[ / P n ] [ / F ] [ / T ] [ / W ]
The items in brackets are optional. (You do not type any brackets when you enter this command.) The following table summarizes the EEMM286.SYS options you can use with the
Equity IIe. In the table, an X indicates you can use the option in that row under the condition described in that column.
ri
EEMM286.SYS options
3ption Description cI d:par/~ Specifies the pathname.
size Specifies the expanded memory size.
‘K
/Pn
Specifies the expanded memory size in KB.
Specifies the input/output ports (n: 0 - f).
IF
T
W
Provides compatibility with earlier LIM Expanded Memory
Specification 3.2.
Tests expanded memory each time you start or reset your computer.
With the STARTEMM command, provides compatibility with
Microsoft Windows and
Microsoft Excel.
To use the To use
Equity Ile’s extended on-board memory memory on card or modules as Equity IIe’s the expanded memory on-board memory as expanded memory
X X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
-
Using MS-DOS with Your Equity IIe 4-47
The following paragraphs describe the options in the table.
The d:path parameter specifies the pathname. You specify the pathname if the file EEMM286.SYS is not in the root directory of the hard disk or diskette from which you load MS-DOS. For example, if EEMM286.SYS is in a directory called \DOS on drive C, include the pathname, like this:
DEVICE=C:\DOS\EEMM286.SYS
The size parameter allows you to specify in pages the amount of extended memory to be used as expanded memory. (One page equals 16KB.)
This example tells the computer to use 128 pages of extended memory as expanded memory:
D E V I C E = E E M M 2 8 6 . S Y S 1 2 8
--
The /K switch specifies that the size parameter is expressed in
KB. This example tells the computer to use 256KB of extended memory as expanded memory:
D E V I C E = E E M M 2 8 6 . S Y S 2 5 6 / K
4-48 Using MS-DOS with Your Equity IIe
The /Pn switch specifies input/output ports the Equity IIe uses.
Use this switch only if you experience a conflict with an option card installed in your computer. On the Equity IIe, the input/ output ports EEMM286.SYS uses are 2n8, 12n8, 42n8, 52n8,
82n8, 92n8, C2n8, D2n8. The n represents a hexadecimal value between 0 and f. The default value of n is 0. For example,
DEVICE=EEMM286.SYS
/Pa specifies the following ports:
2a8,12a8,42a8,52a8,82a8,92a8, C2a8, D2a8.
Note
Do not use the /Pn switch if you are using extended memory as expanded memory.
(EEMM286.SYS ignores
the /Pn
switch if you
include the size parameter,)
The /F switch provides compatibility with programs that support
LIM Expanded Memory Specification version 3.2 but not version 4.0. If an application program you are using displays an error message related to expanded memory, try adding the /F switch, like this:
D E V I C E = E E M M 2 8 6 . S Y S / F
The /T switch tells EEMM286.SYS to test all allocated memory each time you turn on or reset your computer. You do not need to use this option if you are using on-board memory modules as expanded memory. The Equity IIe automatically tests any expanded memory on memory modules.
The /W switch is required if you want to use extended memory as expanded memory with Microsoft Windows or Microsoft
Excel. Also use the STARTEMM command before running
Windows or Excel. One way to do this is to use a batch file to run Windows or Excel and include the STARTEMM command at the beginning of the batch file. (Be sure the
STARTEMM.EXE file is in the current directory or a directory specified in a PATH or APPEND command.)
Using
MS-DOS with Your Equity IIe 4-49
For more information on using EEMM286.SYS, see your
MS-DOS Reference Manual.
4-50
Using MS-DOS with Your Equity Ile
Chapter 5
Installing Options
You can enhance the performance of your Equity IIe by adding a variety of options, including the following:
Cl An 80287 math coprocessor
Ll Memory modules
Cl A memory card
0 Other option cards.
A math coprocessor speeds up the numeric calculations your computer performs when using certain application software. If you want to install a math coprocessor in your computer, ask your authorized Epson dealer to do it for you.
Memory modules allow you to increase the amount of on-board memory in your computer. This chapter briefly describes the types and amounts of memory modules you can use in the
Equity IIe. If you want to install memory modules in your computer, however, ask your dealer for help.
An option card is a circuit board you install in your computer to add a particular function. A memory card is a type of option card that increases the total amount of memory in your computer, over and above any installed memory modules. Other types of option cards contain a device, such as a modem, or provide an interface, such as a connector to which you connect a monitor. This chapter describes how to install option cards and configure the computer for use with them.
Installing
Options 5-1
Adding Memory Modules
The standard Equity IIe system comes with 1MB of on-board memory. You can add SIMMs (single inline memory modules) to increase the amount of on-board memory in the computer.
With added SIMMs, the total amount of on-board memory in your computer must be one of the following: 2MB, 3MB, or
5MB.
There are four SIMM sockets inside the Equity IIe. Each socket can contain one 256KB or one 1MB SIMM. The following table shows the possible SIMM configurations for the Equity IIe.
Possible Equity Ile SIMM configurations
Total on-board Socket 1 Socket 2 Socket 3 Socket 4 memory
1MB
2MB
3MB
256KB
1MB
256KB
1MB
256KB 256KB
5MB 1MB 1MB 1MB 1MB
After SIMMs have been installed in your computer, you need to run the Setup program on your Reference diskette to set the computer’s on-board memory configuration, as described in
Chapter 2. Also see “Post-installation Setup,” later in this chapter.
N o t e
If you
want to use extended memory as expanded memory, you can use the EEMM286.SYS utility. See "Using Memory
Beyond 640KB" in Chapter 4 and your MS-DOS Reference
Manual for more information,
5-2 Installing Options
Installing Option Cards
The Equity IIe has five standard option slots and one special option slot occupied by the card that controls the serial and parallel interfaces (known as the SP card). The video card that controls your monitor occupies one standard slot. You can buy additional option cards from authorized Epson dealers as well as other vendors.
If you want additional memory, you can install a memory card in your computer. (You can install a memory card whether or not you have already added SIMMs.) With added SIMMs and a memory card, the Equity IIe can have up to a total of 16MB of memory. Most popular memory cards are compatible with the
Equity IIe.
This section explains how to:
Q Remove the computer’s cover
Cl Install an option card
D Change jumper settings
CI Remove an option card
Ci Replace the cover.
Note
After you install or remove an option card, see "Postinstallation Setup” at the end of this chapter to configure your computer to operate with an option card, If you install a memory card, also see “Post-installation
Setup
for Memory
Cards" in this chapter.
-
Installing Options 5-3
Removing the Cover
To install an option card, you need to remove the cover from your Equity IIe. Follow these steps:
1. Turn off the computer and then any peripherals (including the monitor and printer) that are attached to it.
2. Disconnect the computer’s power cable from the electrical outlet and from the back panel. Then disconnect any peripheral cables that are connected to the computer.
3. Disconnect the keyboard.
4. If the monitor is on top of the computer, lift it off and set it to one side.
5. As shown below, the top cover is secured by five screws on the back panel and four screws on the side panels (two on each side). Remove the screws and set them safely to one side so you do not lose them.
screws
5-4 Installing Options
6. Facing the front panel, grasp the two sides of the cover and carefully pull it straight toward you and away from the back of the computer (as shown in the following illustration), until it is a few inches away from the back panel.
Installing Options 5-5
7. After the cover’s front panel clears the power button and the diskette drive, you can lift off the cover. Separate the cover’s sides from the inside of the computer by pulling them outward slightly, as shown below. Then lift off the cover and set it aside.
-
--
5-6 Installing
Options
Installing an Option Card
The illustration below shows the five standard option slots inside the Equity IIe. (The video card occupies one standard slot and the SP card occupies a special additional slot, number 6.)
Installing Options 5-7
Slot 1 is designed for an 8-bit option card, and slots 2 through 5 are designed for 16-bit cards. As you can see below, a 16-bit card has a second connector.
--
8-bit option card 16-bit option card
Usually, it does not matter which slot an option card occupies as long as the card fits in the slot. For example, you can place some 8-bit cards in a 16-bit slot. However, you must follow these guidelines when deciding which slot to use:
Li An 8-bit card with an additional connector along the bottom must go in the 8-bit slot.
Ci If you install an additional disk drive, place its controller card as close as possible to the disk drive it is controlling.
0 Some option cards must be installed in a specific slot.
Consult the instructions that come with the card to see if this is the case.
5-8 Installing Options
Follow these steps to install an option card:
1. Decide which slot you want to use. Then remove the retaining screw from the top of the metal option slot cover; hold on to the screw as you remove it so it doesn’t fall into the computer. Lift out the slot cover.
Keep the screw to secure the option card to the computer.
Store the slot cover in a safe place in case you remove the option card later.
Installing Options 5-9
2. Unpack the option card and adjust any switches or jumpers on it if necessary. (Check the option card instructions to see if this is necessary.) When you handle the card, be careful not to touch any of the contacts on the circuit board, especially the gold-edged connector pins. If you need to set it down before you install it, place it gently on top of its original packing material with the component side facing up. Keep the packing materials in case you remove the card later.
3. Grip the card firmly by the top comers and position it at the top of the slot, as shown below. Make sure the connector pins point down and the component side faces the power supply inside the computer.
--
__
--
5-10 Installing Options
4. Insert the card in the slot, guiding it straight down. Once the connector pins reach the connector slot, push the card downward firmly (but carefully) to fully insert it, as shown in the following illustration. You should feel the card fit into place.
If the card does not go in smoothly, do not force it-pull it all the way out and try again, keeping it straight as you insert it.
Installing Options 5-11
5. Secure the end of the card to the back of the computer with the retaining screw.
Changing Jumper Settings
If you change your computer’s configuration, you may need to change a jumper setting in the computer.
5-12 Installing Options
A jumper is a small electrical connector that controls one of the computer’s functions. A jumper’s setting is determined by where the jumper is placed: either between pin A and the middle pin
(position A) or between pin B and the middle pin (position B), as shown below.
position A position B
The jumpers you may need to change are on the hard disk drive interface card (the HI card) and the main system board. The following tables list the jumper settings and their functions.
Hard disk drive interface curd jumper settings
Jumper number Jumper setting
4 A*
4
5
5
B
A*
B
Function
Built-in hard disk controller input/output port is primary
Built-in hard disk controller input/output port is secondary
Enables the built-in hard disk controller
Disables the built-in hard disk controller
* Factory setting
Installing
Options 5-13
Main system board jumper settings
Jumper number Jumper setting
1 A*
1 B
2 A*
2 B
3 A*
3 B
Function
Enables the power-on password
Disables the power-on password
Sets the P-ROM type to 256KB
Sets the P-ROM type to 128KB
Sets up the built-in mouse connector for use with a mouse which uses the IRQ 12 signal
Disables the built-in mouse connector so you can use a mouse or other pointing device connected to a port on an option
card in your computer; the device must use the IRQ 12 signal
* Factory setting
If you need to change any jumper settings, perform the following procedures in the order listed here, as necessary for your system:
LI Follow the instructions in “Removing the Cover” earlier in this chapter to remove the computer’s cover.
D Change the HI card jumper setting(s) as necessary. See
“Changing the HI card jumper settings” below.
Cl If you want to change a jumper setting on the main system board, remove any option cards (such as the SP card) which may be blocking your access to those jumpers. See
“Removing option cards to clear the main system board” below.
D Change the main system board jumper settings as necessary.
See “Changing the main system board jumper settings” below.
5-14 Installing Options
D Replace any option cards you removed. See “Replacing the option cards” below.
D Follow the instructions in “Replacing the Cover” later in this chapter to replace the computer’s cover.
Changing the HI card jumper settings
The illustration below shows the location of the HI card, in the computer.
HI ‘card
Installing Options
5-15
The following illustration shows the location of jumpers J4 and
J5 on the HI card. Check the table above to see which one(s) you need to change.
- - 111 /il I
To move a jumper from one position to the other, use your fingers or needle-nose pliers or tweezers to pull it off its current pins and gently move it to the other position. Be careful not to lose the jumper or leave it out of the computer.
5-16 Installing Options
Removing option cards to clear the main system board
To easily reach the jumpers on the main system board, you may want to remove an option card. For example, the SP card may block your access to jumper number 1. To remove the SP card, follow these steps:
1. Remove the retaining screw that secures the SP card at the back panel of the computer. Be careful not to drop the screw.
Installing Options 5-17
2. Remove the card from the slot by pulling it straight up, as shown below. Then set it on a soft surface with the components facing up.
If there is an option card in slot 5, you may want to remove it to access jumper number 2. Remove the screw securing the card to the back of the computer and pull the card straight up and out of the slot. Set the card on a soft surface with the component side facing up.
5-18 Installing Options
Changing the main system board jumper settings
The illustration below shows the locations of jumpers J1, J2, and
J3 on the main system board. Check the table above to see which one(s) you need to change.
To move a jumper from one position to the other, use your fingers or needle-nose pliers or tweezers to pull it off its current pins and gently move it to the other position.
Be
careful not to lose the jumper or leave it out of the computer. Also take care not to damage any surrounding components on the main system board.
Replacing option cards
To replace any option cards you may have removed to access the main system board, reinstall the card in the appropriate slot and secure it to the back of the computer with the retaining screw.
Installing
Options
5-19
To replace the SP card, reinstall it in slot 6, as shown below.
Secure it to the back of the computer with the retaining screw.
Removing an Option Card
If you later need to remove an option card, simply reverse the steps you followed to install it. Remove the screw securing the card to the back of the computer and pull the card straight up and out of the slot. Then carefully wrap the card, preferably with the original packing materials, and place it inside its box for safe storage. Cover the end of the empty option slot with the original metal cover and secure it with the retaining screw.
5-20 Installing Options
Replacing the Cover
After you install (or remove) an option card, follow these steps to replace the computer’s cover:
1. Facing the front of the computer, position the cover on the computer as shown below. Pull the cover’s sides outward slightly.
2.
Lower the cover and slide it toward the back of the computer until it fits into place. The diskette drive fits through the opening in the front panel and the power button fits into its cover.
3.
To secure the cover, replace the five screws on the back panel and the two screws on each side panel.
4.
Return the computer to its original position and place the monitor on top, if that is where you use it. Then reconnect the computer to the monitor, printer, keyboard, and any other peripherals you have.
Installing
Options 5-21
5. Check to be sure the power button on the computer is off.
Then reconnect the power cable to the back of the computer and to an electrical outlet.
Post-installation Setup for Memory Cards
After you install a memory card in your computer, you need to configure your computer to use it. Follow these guidelines: cl
Use the Equity IIe’s Setup program to set the amount of extended memory on your installed memory card. See
“Setting the Memory Configuration” in Chapter 2.
ci
Use the setup program that comes with your memory card to configure the computer for use with the installed memory card. See your memory card manual for instructions.
c3 If you installed an extended memory card and you want to use it as expanded memory, use the EEMM286.SYS utility.
See “Using Memory Beyond 640KB” in Chapter 4 and your
MS-DOS Reference Manual for more information.
Also see “Post-installation Setup,” at the end of this chapter, for more information on setting up your computer for use with an option card.
To configure your computer for use with the RampagePlus® 286 memory card, you need to use CORFIX, an Epson utility on your Reference diskette, and SMART, the RampagePlus 286 setup program. You must use CORFIX before you use SMART.
Follow these steps:
1. Make sure that the computer is on and that MS-DOS is loaded. (See “Loading MS-DOS” in Chapter 4 for instructions.)
5-22 Installing
Options
2. Insert the working copy of your Reference diskette into drive A.
3. If necessary, type
A:
and press
Enter
to log onto drive A.
4. At the
A>
prompt, type
CORFIX
and press
Enter.
The following messages appear:
This program will configure the system to work with the SMART utility when installing the
RampagePlus 286.
SMART can only be executed immediately after this configuration program.
Continue ? (Y/N)
5. To configure your computer for use with RampagePlus 286, press Y. (If you want to exit to MS-DOS without configuring your computer, press
N.)
If you press Y, you see the MS-DOS
A>
prompt and this message:
Configuration completed. The
SMART installation utility may now be used.
6. Use the SMART setup program now. See your
RampagePlus 286 manual for instructions.
Note
You can also execute CORFIX from your hard disk if you copied the CORFIX
utility
from the Reference diskette to
your
hard disk.
Installing Options 5-23
Post-installation Setup
After you install or remove a math coprocessor, memory modules, or an option card, you need to run the Setup program on your Reference diskette to update the computer’s configuration information. For some option cards that you can install, you will not need to change any configuration information in the Setup program. However, it is important to run the Setup program after you install or remove any option card to check if you need to change any configuration information. For example, if you add a hard disk, you need to let the computer know that it has the additional drive. See
Chapter 2 for instructions.
You may also need to add some commands in your configuration files. See the MS-DOS Reference Manual and the manual that comes with the option card for instructions.
You may want to test a newly-installed option. Some options come with their own diagnostics test programs, and you can test others with the diagnostics programs on your Reference diskette. You can use the System diagnostics program on your
Reference diskette to test the following:
Ci Expansion memory
0 80287 math coprocessor
Ll Serial and parallel ports
LI Disk drives
Cl Monitors and display adapters
0 Dot-matrix printers.
See Appendix C for instructions.
5-24 Installing Options
Appendix A
Troubleshooting
You should not encounter any difficulties as you set up and use your computer, but if anything out of the ordinary happens, refer to this appendix. You can correct most problems by adjusting a cable connection, repeating a software procedure, or resetting the computer.
Besides trying the suggestions in this chapter, you can run diagnostics checks on the various components of your computer system. See Appendix C for instructions.
If the suggestions in this appendix or Appendix C do not solve the problem, contact your authorized Epson dealer. Your dealer may be able to solve the problem; if not, he or she can refer you to an Authorized Epson Customer Care Center for service.
If necessary, call the Epson Customer Information number
(1-800-922-8911) for the location of your nearest Authorized
Epson Customer Care Center.
When you contact your dealer or Customer Care Center, be ready to provide the serial number of your computer, its configuration (including the type of disk drives, monitor, and option cards), and the names and version numbers of any software you are using.
Error Messages
If the screen displays an error message when you turn on the computer, see Appendix B, “Power-on Diagnostics.” If the screen displays an error message while you are running system diagnostics, described in Appendix C, check the error message table at the end of that appendix for the cause. Then give this information to your Epson dealer.
Troubleshooting A-1
The Computer Won’t Start
If your computer does not start when you turn on the power, check the following:
1. Is the power light on the computer’s front panel on? If not, remove any diskettes and turn off the power. Check that the power cord is securely connected to both the AC inlet on the back panel and an electrical outlet.
WARNING
If you
need to turn off the computer for any reason, always wait at least five seconds before turning it back on again. You can damage the computer if you turn it off and on rapidly*
Replace the Startup diskette, if necessary, and turn the computer on again.
2. If the computer’s power light still does not come on, check the electrical outlet for power. Turn off your computer and unplug the power cord from the wall outlet. Plug a lamp into the wall outlet, and turn it on to see if the outlet supplies power.
3. If the electrical outlet is working and all the connections are secure but your computer still won’t start, call your
Epson dealer.
Note
If the computer
starts but you can’t see anything on
the screen, see "Monitor Problems," later in this appendix+
A-2 Troubleshooting
The Computer Locks Up
If your computer locks up and does not respond when you type on the keyboard, follow these steps:
1.
Some computer operations take longer than others to complete. For example, the computer takes longer to sort a database than to accept a single typed character. If your computer is still locked after a reasonable length of time, proceed to the next step.
2.
If you are running an application program, see “Software
Problems,” later in this appendix. This section covers certain problems caused by application programs.
3.
Did you enter the correct password? See “Password
Problems,” below.
4.
If you want to stop whatever the computer is doing and return to the MS-DOS command prompt, hold down the
Ctrl
key and press
Break.
In most cases, this solves the problem. See Chapter 3 for more information on stopping a command or program.
5.
If your computer still does not respond, you can reset it with the
RESET
button. Follow the instructions in Chapter 3.
6.
If resetting the computer does not work, turn off the computer, wait at least five seconds, and turn it on again.
If you do not have a hard disk drive, insert the Startup diskette in drive A. The computer should load MS-DOS.
Troubleshooting A-3
Password Problems
If you set a power-on password using the Setup program, you must enter this password after you turn on your computer before you can use the system. When you turn on the computer, the screen displays a key prompt ( 9rn ). If you do not enter the correct password, you see an x on the screen to indicate it is incorrect. The computer gives you a second and third chance to enter it correctly.
If after three tries you have not entered the correct password, the computer locks up and does not respond to your keyboard entries. Try the following:
1. If you think you know the correct password, reset the computer and try again. (You’ll get three chances, as before, to enter the correct password.) See Chapter 3 for instructions on using the password.
2.
If you do not know the power-on password and cannot access your computer, you need to disable the password function by setting jumper number 1 (J1) on the main system board inside the computer to position B. See
“Changing Jumper Settings” in Chapter 5 for instructions.
If you disable the password function, the computer loads
MS-DOS and does not request a power-on password when you turn it on.
3. If you do not know the current power-on password and you want to set a new one, perform the following procedures in the order listed here:
Cl Follow the instructions in “Changing Jumper Settings” in Chapter 5 to disable the password function by setting jumper J1 to position B.
Cl Turn on the computer, wait at least five seconds, and then turn it off.
A-4 Troubleshooting
Follow the instructions in “Changing Jumper Settings” in Chapter 5 to enable the password function by setting jumper J1 to position A.
Insert your Reference diskette in drive A and turn on the computer. When the screen displays the Operation
Menu, highlight
Setup
and press
Enter.
Follow the instructions in “Setting the Power-on
Password” in Chapter 2 to enter a new power-on password.
Note
If you know the power-cm password but you want to
change or delete
it, see
Chapter 3 for instructions.
Keyboard Problems
If you are having trouble with the keyboard, check the following:
1. If the screen displays a keyboard error when you turn on or reset the computer, make sure the keyboard is securely connected to the computer. See “Connecting the
Keyboard” in Chapter 1 for instructions.
2. If nothing happens when you type on the keyboard, see
“The Computer Locks Up,” earlier in this appendix.
3. If the cursor keys do not work properly, the Num Lock function may be on. When Num Lock is on, the numeric/ arrow keys on the numeric keypad work only as numbers.
Check if the
Num Lock
indicator in the upper right corner of the keyboard is lit; if it is, press the
Num Lock
key to turn off the function.
Troubleshooting A-5
Monitor Problems
If the monitor is causing problems, check the following:
1. If there is no display on the screen, check that the monitor’s power switch is on and that the power light on the monitor is lit. If the power light is on but you still do not see anything on the screen, check the monitor’s brightness and contrast controls.
2. If the power switch is on but the power light is not, turn off the monitor’s power, wait five seconds, and turn the power back on. Wait a few seconds to see if the screen displays any text.
3. If the monitor’s power light still does not come on, check the electrical outlet for power. Turn off your monitor and unplug it from the wall outlet. Plug a lamp into the wall outlet and turn it on to see if the outlet supplies power.
4. If you still do not see anything on the screen, make sure your monitor is connected to the computer properly. See
“Connecting the Monitor” in Chapter 1 for more details.
Also check the monitor manual for instructions on how to connect it to the computer.
5. Make sure your monitor and display adapter card match, and, if your display adapter card has any switches or jumpers, be sure they are set properly. See “Connecting a
Monitor” in Chapter 1 and the documentation that came with your monitor and display adapter card for instructions.
6. If you are running an application program, see if you need to set up the program for the type of monitor and display adapter card you have. Also make sure you are using the appropriate monitor and display adapter card for your software.
A-6 Troubleshooting
Note
If your application program requires a monitor that supports graphics but you have a monochrome monitor, the results will be unpredictable.
7. If you are still having difficulty with your monitor, try running either the Monochrome
Display
Adapter and CRT
Check or the Color Graphics Display Adapter and CRT
Check, as described in Appendix C. If the diagnostics program indicates an error, contact the place where you bought the monitor.
Diskette Problems
If you have trouble accessing data on a diskette, try the following steps:
Is the diskette inserted properly? You may have inserted it upside-down or it may not be inserted all the way. Remove the diskette from the drive and reinsert it with the label facing up. (See Chapter 3 for detailed instructions on inserting and removing diskettes.)
If reinserting the diskette does not solve the problem and you have access to another diskette drive of the same type,
place
the diskette in the other drive and repeat the operation. If you can successfully repeat the operation in the new drive, the trouble may be in your diskette drive. See
“Diskette Drive Problems,” below.
Troubleshooting A-7
3. Have you inserted the right type of diskette? The diskette type normally appears on the manufacturer’s label. Here are the guidelines:
Ci In a drive that has a storage capacity of 1.2MB, use
5 ‘/J-inch, double-sided, high-density, 96 TPI diskettes.
You can also use 360KB diskettes in this drive, but if you write to a 360KB diskette in this drive, you may have trouble using the diskette in a 360KB drive later.
0 In a drive that has a storage capacity of 360KB, use
5 ‘/+inch, double-sided, double-density, 48 TPI diskettes. You cannot use 1.2MB diskettes in this drive.
Ll In a drive that has a storage capacity of 720KB, use
3 ‘/z-inch, double-sided, double-density, 135 TPI diskettes. You cannot use 1.44MB diskettes in this drive.
CJ In a drive that has a storage capacity of 1.44MB, use
3 ‘/l-inch, double-sided, high-density, 135 TPI diskettes.
This type of drive can also read and write to 720KB diskettes.
See “Types of Diskette Drives” in Chapter 3 for more information.
4. If your diskette is the right type for your drive, check to see if the diskette is write-protected. On a 5 ‘/+-inch diskette, there may be a write-protect tab over the notch on the side of the diskette or there may be no notch at all. On a
3 ‘/I-inch diskette, the write-protect switch may be set to the write-protect position or there may be no switch. You cannot store or revise data on a write-protected diskette.
See Chapter 3 for information on write-protecting diskettes.
Some application programs do not function properly if the diskette is write-protected. Check the program manual.
A-8 Troubleshooting
5. If MS-DOS displays errors when you try to access data, your diskette may be defective. MS-DOS error messages that may indicate a defective diskette include:
Cl Disk Drive Error: Abort, Ignore, Retry?
Ci Disk error reading drive d:
Ci Disk error writing drive d:
If you see one of these messages, make sure the diskette is properly inserted in the diskette drive. For a 5 ‘/d-inch diskette, make sure the diskette drive latch is closed. Try the operation again. If the problem persists, try removing the diskette and reinserting it. This may solve the problem if the diskette was not seated properly in the drive.
Is the diskette formatted? A new diskette must be formatted before you can store data on it. See Chapter 4 for instructions on formatting diskettes.
If the error message still occurs, you probably have a defective diskette. Use the MS-DOS COPY command to copy the files from the diskette onto another diskette. (See
“Copying Files” in Chapter 4 for instructions.)
If you are not able to copy all the files from the defective diskette, copy as many as you can and then use the
MS-DOS program RECOVER. This program recovers all the data that it can read on the diskette. It is specifically designed to work on disks that may be defective. See your
MS-DOS Reference Manual for instructions on using
RECOVER.
Troubleshooting A-9
6. If you see no error messages but there is something wrong with the data in a file, MS-DOS or an application program may have updated the storage information on the diskette incorrectly. This is probably the case if you have one of these problems:
Cl Part of a file is missing
Cl A file includes parts of other files
L! An expected output file is missing.
To make the necessary repairs, use the MS-DOS program
CHKDSK. See your MS-DOS Reference Manual for instructions.
Diskette Drive Problems
Follow these steps if you are having difficulty with a diskette drive:
1. If the diskette is not turning or the diskette drive is making loud noises, do not attempt any further examination of it.
Contact your Epson dealer.
Note
Diskette drives may make different sounds with different
diskettes.
2. If your diskette drive read/write heads are dirty, you may occasionally see this MS-DOS error message:
Error Reading Drive
d: Abort,
Retry, or
Fail?
To clean the read/write heads, use a diskette drive head cleaning kit, available in most computer stores.
A-10 Troubleshooting
3. If you are still having problems with your diskette drive, try running the Diskette Drives and Controller Check described in Appendix C. If the diagnostics program indicates an error, consult your Epson dealer.
Hard Disk Problems
If you are having problems with the hard disk in your computer, try the following steps:
1. Be sure you have installed MS-DOS on the hard disk according to the instructions in the MS-DOS Installation
Guide.
2. If you have installed MS-DOS on the hard disk but it does not load MS-DOS when you turn on the computer, it may be missing one of the MS-DOS system files. Turn off your computer and insert your Startup diskette into drive A.
Then turn on your computer again.
Type
C
: and press
Enter
to log onto the hard disk. If this works, the next step is to make sure the file
COMMAND.COM is in the root directory of the hard disk.
Type
DIR
and press
Enter.
If COMMAND.COM is in the root directory, use the
MS-DOS COMPARE command to compare the
COMMAND.COM file on your diskette with the
COMMAND.COM file on the hard disk. (See your
MS-DOS Reference Manual for instructions on using
COMPARE.) If the files do not match, use the COPY command to replace COMMAND.COM on the hard disk with the COMMAND.COM file on your diskette. Type the following and press
Enter:
COPY A:COMMAND.COM C:
Troubleshooting A-11
3. If the hard disk still does not work, the root directory of your hard disk may be missing some hidden system files.
(Hidden files are not displayed when you list files using the
DIR command.)
To copy the hidden system files from your Startup diskette to the root directory of the hard disk, type A : to log onto drive A. Then type the following and press
Enter:
SYS c:
4. If you can load MS-DOS from your Startup diskette but you cannot access data stored on your hard disk, you may have accidentally repartitioned or reformatted part or all of the disk.
Use the Display Partition Information option of the FDISK program to see if your hard disk has an active (bootable)
DOS partition on it. (See the MS-DOS Reference Manual for instructions on using FDISK.) If it does not, back up all your hard disk files and then reinstall MS-DOS on the hard disk. See your MS-DOS Installation Guide for instructions.
If your hard disk does have an active DOS partition, back up all your hard disk files and then try reformatting your hard disk using SELECT. See your MS-DOS Installation
Guide for instructions.
Reformatting destroys all the data currently on your hard disk, so do this only after careful consideration and after trying the preceding steps.
A-12 Troubleshooting
5. If your hard disk is producing a lot of read/write errors or you are having other serious problems with it, try running the Hard Disk Drive and Controller diagnostics check, described in Appendix C. If the diagnostics program indicates an error, contact your Epson dealer. Never open the sealed unit that encloses the hard disk.
6. If you have been using your hard disk for a long time and begin to see numerous read/write errors, the magnetic signals on the disk may be getting weak. If this is the case, you may need to reformat the hard disk. If you decide to do this, follow these steps: tl Back up all the data on the disk using the BACKUP command (described in the MS-DOS Reference
Manual).
Cl Follow the instructions in Appendix D to perform a low-level (physical) format.
CI Follow the instructions in the MS-DOS Installation
Guide to install MS-DOS on the hard disk.
7. If you have installed a hard disk drive made by another company in your computer, you need to install MS-DOS.
See the MS-DOS Installation Guide for instructions. If the hard disk needs a low-level format, do that before you install MS-DOS. (See Appendix D for instructions.)
Troubleshooting A-13
Software Problems
If you are having trouble with an application program, try the following solutions:
1. If the application program does not start, check that you are following the correct procedure for starting the program, and that it is installed correctly. If you have a hard disk and the program is stored in a directory on that drive, make sure you are logged onto or specifying the correct directory. If you don’t have a hard disk, make sure you have inserted the application program diskette in the top drive (drive A).
2. Your computer can run at either 8 or 12 MHz. While almost all programs work properly at the faster speed, some must run at the slower speed. Check your software manual to see if your application program must run at the slower speed, and change the CPU operating speed if necessary. (See
Chapter 3 for instructions on changing the operating speed.) Also see the description of the Auto speed function in Chapter 2 for information on accommodating copyprotected programs.
3. If you have entered an MS-DOS command that you want to stop, there are special key combinations you can type to tell
MS-DOS to stop what it is doing. These methods may also work in your application programs.
To interrupt an MS-DOS command while it is executing, try one of the following commands:
Ll Hold down the
Ctrl
key and press C
Cl Hold down the
Ctrl
key and press
Break.
4. An application program can occasionally lock the computer, making it unresponsive to the keyboard. If your computer does not respond when you type on the keyboard, you can reset it. Follow the instructions in Chapter 3.
A-14 Troubleshooting
Printer Problems
Below are some general steps to follow if you are having difficulty with your printer. If the problem persists and you need more detailed information, check your printer manual.
1. If your printer does not work correctly immediately after you install it, check that the printer has power and is properly connected to the computer. See Chapter 1 or your printer manual for instructions on how to connect your printer to the computer.
Also make sure your printer has paper in it, since many printers cannot operate without paper.
2. Check the printer manual for the printer’s correct DIP switch or control panel settings. These settings help a printer communicate properly with the computer.
3. If you are using more than one parallel port or more than one serial port, the computer must be set properly so
MS-DOS knows which port is the primary port and which is the secondary port. See Chapter 2 for instructions on how to set the serial and parallel ports using the Setup program.
4. If your printer is properly set up but is still not functioning, test it from the MS-DOS level. When the screen displays the MS-DOS command prompt (such as
A>
or
C>),
hold down
Shift
and press
PrtSc.
This should print the contents of the screen on your printer.
If it does not, you may need to change the internal setting of the computer’s parallel port for a parallel printer (or serial port for a serial printer). To do this, use the MS-DOS
MODE command or the MENU program. See your printer manual and the MS-DOS Reference Manual for more details.
Troubleshooting A-15
5. Many application programs (such as word processors) must be set up properly before they can use a printer. Check your program manual to see what customization is required.
6. Try running the Parallel Port (Printer Interface) Check if you have a parallel printer, or the Serial Port (RS-232C)
Check if you have a serial printer. Appendix C describes these diagnostics checks. If the diagnostics test indicates an error, contact the place where you bought the printer.
Option Card Problems
If you install an option card and it is not functioning properly, check the following:
1. Is the option card installed correctly? Check the installation procedure described in Chapter 5 and also see the instructions that come with the option card. The most common problem with option cards is a loose connection.
Make sure the option card is well-seated in its slot.
2. Did you set the necessary DIP switches or jumpers on the option card? See your option card manual for instructions.
3. Did you run the Setup program to redefine your computer’s configuration after installing the card? See Chapter 2.
4. If you installed a memory card in your computer, see “Postinstallation Setup for Memory Cards” in Chapter 5.
5. If you used the option card to add an external device to your computer, did you use the proper cable to connect the device to the option card connector on the back panel?
6. Did you perform the correct setup procedures for the software you are using with the option card? If necessary, see your software manual for instructions on running the software setup procedure.
A-16 Troubleshooting
Appendix B
Power-on Diagnostics
Your computer’s built-in memory (ROM) contains a series of diagnostics programs, which your computer runs automatically every time you turn on the power. These programs check internal devices such as ROM, RAM, the timer, the keyboard controller, and the diskette drives.
When you turn on the power, the computer performs the tests described in this appendix. If it finds an error, it displays a specific error number and error message on the screen.
If the error is serious, the computer cancels further checking and halts system initialization. The error message remains on the screen, and the computer locks up. If this happens, contact your dealer as soon as possible. Report both the error message and code number.
If the error is not serious, the computer waits for you to resume further checking. You see this prompt:
(Resume = "F1" key)
Write down the error message and code number, and then press
F1
to continue. Report the error message and code number to your dealer when requesting repairs.
System Device Check
The computer first checks its internal devices, such as ROM. If it finds a malfunction, it displays an error message. In some cases, the computer may halt with no further information.
Power-on Diagnostics B-1
If the computer finds a fault in the main system board, it stops and displays an error message such as this:
10n-System board error
where n is a number from 1 to 8 that represents the specific LSI circuit causing the error.
If an I/OROM checksum error occurs, you see this message:
nnnn0 ROM error
where nnnn is the number of the segment of the bad I/O ROM on an option card.
Timer and CMOS RAM Check
After the computer successfully completes the system device check, it checks the timer and CMOS RAM. If the information contained in the RAM does not match the actual system installation, it displays this message:
161-System options not set
(Run SETUP in REFERENCE DISK)
If the system clock has not been set, you see this message:
163-Time & Date not set
(Run SETUP in REFERENCE DISK)
If the memory allocation has not been set, you see this message:
164-Memory size error
(Run SETUP in REFERENCE DISK)
B-2 Power-on Diagnostics
You must correct the information stored in the CMOS RAM.
To do this, run the Setup program on your Reference diskette.
See Chapter 2 for instructions.
RAM Check
The computer next begins to check the RAM installed on the main system board and any option cards. During the check, you see this message: nnnnnn
KB 0K
where nnnnnn indicates the amount of memory in which no malfunction is found. This value increases continuously by
64KB up to the amount of RAM installed on the main system board, which is 640KB. If the computer detects an error in the first 64KB area, it displays an error message and halts with no further information.
If there are faulty RAM chips in your system, you see one of these messages:
202-Memory address error
203-Memory address error
If an I/O or parity error occurs, you see one of these messages:
Parity check 1
Parity check 2
The program also displays the number of the segment causing the problem.
Power-on Diagnostics B-3
Keyboard Controller and Keyboard Check
Next, the computer checks the keyboard controller and keyboard for problems, such as failure of one of the keys to release. If there are any errors in the connection between the keyboard and the computer, you see this error message:
301-Keyboard error
When a number precedes this message, the number represents the key (in hexadecimal) that is causing the error. This message may occur after you use
Ctrl Alt Del
to reset the computer, and does not necessarily indicate a problem. If the computer finds another failure, you see one of these messages:
303-Keyboard or system unit error
304-Keyboard or system unit error
Display Adapter Card Check
The computer checks the color or monochrome display adapter card in your computer. If the computer finds any faults, an error number and message appear. Number 401 represents an error in the monochrome display adapter card, and 501 represents an error in the color display adapter card. The messages are:
401-CRT error
501-CRT error
Optional RAM Check
If you have installed any additional memory (expansion RAM), the computer checks that RAM for any malfunction.
B-4 Power-on Diagnostics
Diskette Drive Seek Check
The computer checks its diskette drives by searching the read/ write heads for any malfunction. If it finds any seek errors, you see this message:
601-Diskette error
If this error occurs, check that you have inserted the Startup diskette in drive A (if you are loading MS-DOS from a diskette). If this number still appears after you insert the diskette, run the System diagnostics program on your
Reference diskette and select option 6 from the Device List.
See Appendix C for instructions.
Hard Disk Controller and Hard Disk Check
The computer next checks the hard disk controller card and drive unit. If it finds a malfunction in the hard disk controller card, you see this error number and message:
1782-Disk controller failure
If the computer finds an error in the hard disk drive unit, one of these error messages appears:
178n-Disk
n
failure
179n-Disk
n
error
where n is 0 or 1, and represents the drive number of the hard disk. Drive C is number 0 and drive D is number 1.
Power-on Diagnostics B-5
Appendix C
Performing System Diagnostics
This appendix describes how to check the operation of the main unit and peripheral devices of your Equity IIe. You check these devices using the diagnostics program on your Reference diskette.
Run the diagnostics program if you are not sure whether a device is performing correctly. The table at the end of this appendix lists the error messages you may see during testing.
You can test the following devices, each of which is identified by specific reference numbers:
1 - System board
2 - M e m o r y
3 - Keyboard
4 - Monochrome display adapter and CRT
5 - Color graphics adapter and CRT
6 - Diskette drives and controller
7 - Math coprocessor
9 - Parallel port (printer interface)
11 - Serial port (RS-232C port)
12 - Alternate serial port
14 - Dot-matrix printer
17 - Hard disk drives and controller
21 - Alternate parallel port
81 - Parallel port (on video adapter)
Performing System Diagnostics C-1
Starting System Diagnostics
To run the System diagnostics program, you must turn on your computer with the Reference diskette in drive A. If you start this program in any other way, some tests may produce strange results.
To start the System diagnostics program, follow these steps:
1. Insert the Reference diskette in drive A.
2. Turn on or reset the computer. The Operation Menu appears.
3.
If
the
Num Lock
indicator is illuminated, press
Num Lock
to turn off the function.
4.
Press 3 or use
L
to select
System diagnostics
and then press
Enter.
When you start the System diagnostics program, the computer checks any peripheral devices that are connected to the system.
Then you see a list of the devices available for testing. This list includes only the devices that are part of your system, such as the following, for example:
DEVICE LIST
1 - System board
2 - Memory
3 - Keyboard
5 - Color graphics adapter and CRT
6 - Diskette drives and controller
9 - Parallel port (printer interface)
11 - Serial port (RS-232C port)
14 - Dot-matrix printer
17 - Hard disk drives and controller
DEVICE LIST is correct ? (Y/N)
C-2 Performing System Diagnostics
If the list correctly describes your system, press
Enter.
If a device is missing from this list, or if you wish to change the list, press
N
or + and
Enter.
Then see “Modifying the Device List,” below.
Note
If your system uses an EGA or VGA card with a color
monitor, your device list should
include item 5, Color graphics adapter and CRT. If your system uses an EGA or
VGA card with a monochrome display, your device list should include item 4, Monochrome display adapter and
CRT.
After you confirm the Device List, you can test only those items. If you decide later that you need to add a device, you must return to the Operation Menu and reselect
S
y s t em
diagnostics.
Selecting an Option
When you are using the System diagnostics program, you often need to select an option from a menu. There are two ways to do this:
Ll You can use the arrow keys (1‘ L t +) to move the highlighted cursor block to the option you want and then press
Enter
to select it.
Cl You can type the number of the desired option and press
Enter
to select it.
Performing System Diagnostics C-3
For example, you may see this menu:
1 - Run test one time
2 - Run test multiple times
0
-Exit
Suppose the first option is highlighted. If you want to select that option, just press
Enter
(because it is already highlighted). If you want to select option 2, you can either press 1 or 2; this causes the cursor block to move to that option. Then press
Enter
to select it.
Therefore, when the instructions in this appendix tell you to select an option, you can either use T, J, t, or + to highlight the option or you can type the number of the option. Then press
Enter.
(You must press
Enter
to start the operation.)
Note
You can press E
SC
any time you want to leave the
menu
currently displayed and return to the previous one.
Modifying the Device List
If an installed device is missing from the Device List, you must add it to the list and test it carefully. At the following prompt, select
N.
DEVICE LIST is correct ? (Y/N)
C-4 Performing System Diagnostics
You see this menu:
To add a device to the list, select 1. The program displays a list of other devices that are not currently included in the Device
List. You see a menu similar to this:
Additional DEVICE LIST
4 - Monochrome display adapter and CRT
7 - Math coprocessor
12 - Alternate serial port
21 - Alternate parallel port
81 - Parallel port (on video adapter)
0 - Exit to DEVICE LIST
Select the item you wish to add.
Note
If you want to type
the
number for an option
that has two digits (such as 12 or 81) you must hold down the Alt
key
while you type the number,
You can add as many devices as necessary. When the Device
List is complete, select 0 (Exit).
To remove a device from the list, select 2 (Delete device). The screen displays the current Device List.
Performing System Diagnostics C-5
Select the item you wish to delete. You can delete as many devices as necessary.
When the Device List is correct, select 0. The screen displays the modified Device List for a final check and these options:
1 - Add device
2 - Delete device
0 - Finish modification
If the list is correct, select 0.
You are now ready to select a test.
Selecting a Test
From the Device List, select the device you wish to test. Before the test begins, you are asked how many times to perform the test. You see this menu:
Number of times to test device
You can specify that the test be performed one time only or any number of times in the range from 1 to 9999. Running a test multiple times is for reliability testing of essential functions only; in most cases, running a test only once is sufficient.
C-6 Performing
System
Diagnostics
To
perform the test once, select 1. The program then displays a submenu of more detailed tests for the device you are checking.
To perform the test multiple times, select 2. You see this prompt:
Terminate
checking if an error detected ? (Y/N)
Select Y to terminate checking if the device produces an error, or
N
to repeat the tests regardless of an error. You see this prompt:
Repeat times (1-9999) ? 1
To perform the test once, press
Enter.
If you wish to repeat the test more than once, type the number of times and press
Enter.
The tests repeat and you see this message on the screen during the tests:
On errors, press any key to stop
If you see an error while one of the tests is running, press any key to terminate the tests.
Resuming From an Error
If an error occurs during a test, the test stops at that point, and an error code and error message appear. If you want to record the problem, you can print out the message on your printer. You see this prompt:
Do you want a printout of the error message(s) ? (Y/N)
To continue without printing the error message, select
N.
Performing
System
Diagnostics C-7
Before you request a printout, be sure your printer is ready and contains paper. Then select
Y.
If the printer is not ready, the following message and prompt appear:
Printer is not installed correctly.
Install correctly before entering.
Continue ? (Y/N)
Correct the problem and select
Y
to continue printing, or select
N
to cancel printing.
After printing the error message, the program displays this prompt:
Printout is finished. Press ENTER to return to the menu.
The program continues after an error in one of the following ways:
Q It returns to the Device List, or
Cl If you are running multiple tests and are not terminating on an error, the program repeats the test that caused the error.
The remainder of this appendix describes the tests you can run on the system’s internal devices and on the optional devices installed on your computer. The program displays the title of each check on the screen.
For a complete list of the error codes and messages these tests may display, see the table at the end of this appendix.
C-8 Performing System Diagnostics
System Board Check
Use this option to check the operation of each major component on the system board, including:
Cl The 80286 CPU chip tl The system ROM
0 The real-time clock, CMOS RAM, and battery tl The main integrated circuits.
The checks made on the 80286 CPU chip are extremely comprehensive and ensure that the CPU instruction set, including protected-mode operation, is functioning correctly.
If an error occurs, make a copy or a printout of the error code and message, and contact your Epson dealer or service center for assistance. Attempting to correct system board errors yourself may violate your warranty agreement.
Memory Check
Use
this option to check the memory installed in your computer, including expansion memory. The program reads the
CMOS RAM to find the total amount of memory. If any settings are incorrect,
use
the Setup program (described in
Chapter 2) to define the correct amount in CMOS RAM. If you installed an optional memory card, you may need to adjust some
DIP switch settings on the card.
Performing System Diagnostics C-9
For this check, the program writes specific data into memory and then reads it back in blocks of 64KB. It also makes a parity check on each block. A memory count is displayed after each block is tested without error. After the program checks the last block, you see a message such as the following:
000640
KB 0K
If an error occurs, make a copy or a printout of the error code and message, and contact your Epson dealer or service center.
Attempting to correct memory errors yourself may violate your warranty agreement.
Nate
Extended memory, which is normally not available to
MS-DOS, is checked using the protected mode of the 80286
CPU chip.
Keyboard Check
Use this option to check the operation and the configuration of the keyboard. The program first checks the keyboard controller; during this check, you see the green indicator lights on the keyboard flash.
Before checking the operation of the keys, you must identify your keyboard layout so the test is appropriate for the keys on your keyboard. A display appears, asking you to identify the shape of your
Enter
key. Choose the shape that matches the one on your keyboard, then press
Enter.
C-10 Performing System Diagnostics
The program displays your keyboard layout on the screen.
When you press a key on the keyboard, an asterisk appears at the corresponding location on the keyboard layout. If you hold a key down, the asterisk begins to blink. If an asterisk does not appear at the correct location, there is a problem with your keyboard. Test each key.
You see these messages on the screen:
Press ESC followed by ENTER to exit.
Press END followed by ENTER if screen and keyboard do not match.
If all the keys function correctly and match the characters displayed, press
E
SC and then
Enter.
If all the keys function, but the characters displayed do not match the keys, press
E
SC and then
Enter.
Then reselect the keyboard test from the Device List, and check that you selected the correct keyboard layout. You can find diagrams of all the international keyboard layouts in the MS-DOS Reference
Manual.
If any key is incorrect, press
End
and
Enter.
Make a copy of the error code and message, or print them out, and contact your
Epson dealer or service center.
Monochrome Display Adapter and CRT Check
Use this option to verify the operation of a monochrome display adapter, VGA, or EGA card attached to a monochrome monitor. This test includes several checks that allow you to identify particular problems related to the monochrome display.
Performing System Diagnostics C-11
You can select the individual checks from this menu:
MONOCHROME DISPLAY ADAPTER AND CRT CHECK MENU
1 - Monochrome adapter check
2 - Attribute check
3 - Character set check
4 - Video check
5 - Sync check
6 - Run all above checks
0 - E x i t
If an error occurs during any of these tests, record the error code and message, or print them out. Then contact your Epson dealer or service center.
Monochrome Adapter Check
To check the monochrome adapter, select 1. The program checks the video RAM (display memory) on the display adapter by writing certain data to memory, then reading it back and comparing it to the written data. The program also tests the video enable signal of the display controller chip.
Attribute Check
To check the display attributes of the adapter card, select 2.
Several messages appear showing examples of all the possible display attributes (normal intensity, high intensity, blinking, reverse, and underlining). Check the information that appears on your screen, and then respond to the prompt:
Is the display correct ? (Y/N)
C-12 Performing System Diagnostics
Select
Y
if the display is correct. If the display attributes are not correct, adjust the brightness and contrast on your monitor. If they are still incorrect, select
N.
Character Set Check
To check your character set, select 3. The character fonts that are included in the internal character generator appear on your screen. Compare your screen display to this illustration:
MONOCHROME ADAPTER CHECK
CHARACTER SET CHECK
Is the display correct ? (Y/N)
After checking the character fonts, respond to the prompt:
IS the display correct ? (Y/N)
If the characters match the illustration, select
Y.
If you find a problem with the characters on the screen, select
N
to display the error message.
Performing System Diagnostics C-13
Video Check
To check the video output of your monochrome adapter, select
4. This check displays two different screens: black and intensified white. First you see the black screen; press any key to display the intensified white screen. Then press any key to end this check.
You can use this test to adjust the size of the screen display. The vertical and horizontal adjustments are located on your monitor.
--
Sync Check
This test is provided for service purposes only. If you accidentally select this option, press any key to end the test.
Run All Above Checks
To run all the tests on the menu in sequence, select 6. When you choose this option, all checks for the monochrome adapter and CRT are performed automatically in sequential order.
Although you do not start each test, you must still supply the appropriate responses to progress from one test to the next.
Press any key to return to the menu.
Color Graphics Adapter and CRT Check
Use this option to check the operation of a color graphics adapter (or MGA, EGA, or VGA) card and display. This test includes several checks that allow you to identify particular problems related to the color display.
C-14
Performing
System Diagnostics
You can select the individual checks from this menu:
COLOR GRAPHICS ADAPTER AND CRT CHECK MENU
1 - Color graphics adapter check
2 - Attribute check
3 - Character set check
4 - 40-column character set check
5 - 320X200 graphics mode check
6 - 640X200 graphics mode check
7 - Screen paging check
8 - Light pen check
9 - Color video check
10 - Sync check
11 - Run all above checks
0-Exit
If an error occurs during any of these tests, record the error code and message, or print them out. Then contact your Epson dealer or service center.
Color Graphics Adapter Check
To check the color graphics adapter, select 1. The program checks the video RAM (display memory) on the display adapter card by writing test data to memory, and then reading it back and comparing it to the written data. The program also tests the video enable signal of the display controller chip.
Performing System Diagnostics C-15
Attribute Check
To check the display attributes of the color graphics adapter card, select 2. Several messages appear showing examples of all the possible display attributes and colors. Check the information on your screen, and respond to the prompt:
Is the display correct ? (Y/N)
Select
Y
if the display is correct. If the colors are not correct, adjust the controls on your monitor. If they are still incorrect, select
N.
Contact your dealer to verify any monitor problems.
Character Set Check
To check your 80-column character set, select 3. The character fonts that are included in the internal character generator of the video adapter appear on your screen. Compare your screen display to the following illustration.
CHARACTER SET CHECK
Is the display correct ? (Y/N)
C-16 Performing System Diagnostics
After checking the character fonts, respond to the prompt:
Is the display correct ? (Y/N)
If the characters match the illustration, select
Y.
If you find a problem with the characters on the screen, select
N
to display the error message.
40-column Character Set Check
To check your 40-column character set, select
4.
The character fonts that are included in the internal character generator are displayed on your screen. Compare the characters on your screen to the following illustration.
I
40-COLUMN CHARACTER SET CHECK
~~~++C~O~QP~~~!!~-++~~~L*HI ? "W$x&'
C )-+, -. /0123456789: : C=>?QABCDEFGHIJKLHNO
Is
the display
correct ?
(Y/N)
After checking the character fonts, respond to the prompt:
IS the display correct ? (Y/N
Performing System Diagnostics C-17
If the characters match the illustration, select
Y.
If you find a problem with the characters on the screen, select
N
to display the error message.
320x200 Graphics Mode Check
To check your 320x200 graphics mode, select 5. The screen displays three colored squares-green, brown, and red-against a cyan background. These four colors are Color Set 0. If they are correct, select
Y.
The same pattern appears again; this time the squares are cyan, white, and magenta, and the background is red. These colors are called Color Set 1. If these are also correct, select
Y
to end the test.
If any colors are displayed incorrectly, first check the adjustment of your monitor, and make sure that both ends of the cable are plugged in firmly. If a problem still exists, select
N
to display the error message.
C-18 Performing System Diagnostics
640x200 Graphics Mode Check
To check your 640x200 graphics mode, select 6. The screen displays three patterned squares against a contrasting background, as shown below.
640X200 GRAPHICS MODE CHECK
Is the display correct ? (Y/N)
If the patterns on your screen are clear and distinct, select
Y.
If any pattern is not clear, first check the adjustment of your monitor, and then make sure that both ends of the cable are plugged in firmly. If a problem still exists, select
N
to display the error message.
Performing System Diagnostics C-19
Screen Paging Check
To check the screen paging of your monitor, select 7. The video
RAM on the color graphics adapter is divided into eight independent display pages (numbered 0 through 7). This test checks the eight pages by first filling all eight with a number corresponding to the page, and then displaying each page in turn. You see the following pattern for screen 0:
Once you examine this screen, press any key to display the next page. The eight pages are displayed sequentially.
After the eighth page appears, you see the prompt:
Is the display correct ? (Y/N)
If all eight pages are correct, select
Y.
If any page is filled with an incorrect number, select
N
to display the error message.
C-20 Performing System Diagnostics
Light Pen Check
To check the function of a light pen connected to the color graphics adapter card, select 8. This test checks that a light pen connected to the color graphics adapter is performing accurately. When you select this check, you see these prompts:
Confirm light pen is connected correctly before starting the check.
Start the check ? (Y/N)
After you verify that the light pen is connected properly, select
Y.
You see this prompt:
PLACE LIGHT PEN ON CENTER OF WHITE BLOCK
Touch the center of the white block on the screen with the light pen. When the light pen is correctly positioned, the block moves to another part of the screen for a second test. After three successful tests, the check ends.
An error occurs if one of the following is true:
0 The light pen is not connected properly
Cl The light pen is malfunctioning
CI You do not touch the square within 12 seconds.
Performing System Diagnostics C-21
Color Video Check
This test displays 16 different screens, each a different color, and a message indicating the color. The screens show the following colors in the order specified below:
1 - Black
2 - Blue
3 - Green
4 - Cyan
5 - - R e d
6 - Magenta
7 - Brown
8 - White
9 - Gray
10 - Light blue
11 - Light green
12 - Light cyan
13 - Light red
14 - Light magenta
15 - Yellow
16 - White (high intensity)
To start this test, select 9. Press any key to display each screen.
On the last screen, you see this prompt:
Is the display correct ? (Y/N)
If all the colors are correct, select
Y
to end the test. If any color is incorrect, first check the adjustment of your monitor, and then make sure that both ends of the cable are plugged in firmly. If a problem still exists, select
N
to display the error message.
Sync Check
This test is provided for service purposes only. If you accidentally select this option, press any key to end the test.
C-22 Performing System Diagnostics
Run All Above Checks
To run all the tests on the menu in sequence, select 11. When you choose this option, all checks for the color adapter and
CRT are performed automatically in sequential order. Although you do not start each test, you must still supply the appropriate responses to progress from one test to the next. Press
E
SC to return to the menu.
Diskette Drives and Controller Check
Use this option to test the performance of the diskette drive(s) installed in your computer. This test includes several checks that allow you to identify particular problems related to your diskette drives.
Before running these tests, format a diskette to use for the tests that write data on the disk in the drive. To test a 1.2MB drive, you can use a 1.2MB or a 360KB diskette. However, to test the full capacity of the drive, use only a 1.2MB diskette. In a 360KB drive, you can use only a 360KB diskette.
Likewise, to test a 1.44MB drive, you can use either a 1.44MB
diskette or a 720KB diskette; but it is better to use the higher capacity diskette. In a 720KB drive, you can use only a 720KB diskette.
Performing System Diagnostics
C-23
You can select the individual tests from the following menu.
DISKETTE DRIVE(S) AND CONTROLLER CHECK MENU
1 - Sequential seek check
2 - Random seek check
3 - Write, read check
4 - Disk change check
5 - Run all above checks
0 - E x i t
Before it performs any checks, the program determines the number of diskette drives installed in your computer. If you have more than one drive, you see this prompt each time you select a test:
Enter drive number ? (1/2)
Select 1 (for drive A) or 2 (for drive B). If any errors occur, record the error code and message and contact your dealer.
Always have the diskette drive serviced by your dealer or service center.
Sequential Seek Check
This test checks the ability of the read/write heads to locate any part of the diskette. This action by a read/write head is called a seek. During this test, each head seeks sequentially from the innermost track to the outermost track. The innermost track is track 39 for 360KB diskettes and track 79 for 1.2MB, 720KB, and 1.44MB diskettes.
C-24 Performing System Diagnostics
Select option 1 from the menu to start this test. The program displays the number of each track it finds. For example, with a
1.2MB diskette, the first message you see is:
Current track is 79
The track number counts down (from 39 or 79) to 0. The seek is performed by each head, so you see the count twice. If no errors occur, the menu is displayed.
Random Seek Check
This test is identical to the sequential seek check, except that the seek operation is performed on each track in random order instead of sequential order. Select option 2 from the menu to start this test.
Write, Read Check
This test checks the ability of the selected disk drive to read and write data on a diskette. The test writes to and reads from each track on the diskette, starting at the center.
WARNING
This test destroys all data on the diskette in the selected drive.
Select option 3 from the menu to start this test.
Performing System Diagnostics C-25
If you have only one diskette drive, you see a prompt to remove the the Reference diskette and insert a blank diskette before running the test. You see these messages:
If using drive 1, remove your Reference Disk.
Insert a formatted blank disk in the drive before
starting
the check.
Any data present may be erased.
Start the check ? (Y/N)
Make sure the blank diskette you prepared is in drive A (1), then select
Y.
The program displays the current track number as each cylinder is tested. For example, with a 1.2MB diskette, the first message you see is:
Current track
is 79
After the, test is over, be sure to replace the Reference diskette in drive A before you select another device from the Device
List.
Disk Change Check
This option tests the ability of a diskette drive to detect whether a diskette has been inserted or removed. Disk changes cannot be detected by a 360KB diskette drive.
Select option 4 from the menu to start this test. The program checks the selected drive type; if it is a 360KB drive, you see these messages:
Drive d is a
360
KB drive.
DISK CHANGE is not allowed with this type of drive.
Press ENTER to return to the menu.
C-26 Performing System Diagnostics
When you run the test for 1.2MB, 720KB, or 1.44MB drive, you see this prompt:
Remove the disk from drive 1.
Remove the diskette. The program displays the following prompt:
Re-insert the disk into drive 1.
Reinsert the diskette. If no errors occur, the menu reappears.
An error occurs if you do not remove or replace the diskette in time or if the drive is malfunctioning.
Run All Above Checks
To run all the tests on the menu in sequence, select 5. When you choose this option, all checks for the diskette drive(s) and controller are performed automatically in sequential order.
Although you do not start each test, you must still supply the appropriate responses to progress from one test to the next.
Press
E
SC to return to the menu.
Math Coprocessor Check
Use this option to check the operation of the 80287 math coprocessor if you have one installed in your computer. To check the math coprocessor, select option
7
from the Device
List.
Before running any tests, the computer checks the settings in
CMOS RAM to ensure that a coprocessor is installed. If the coprocessor is missing, or if you have not changed the setting in
CMOS RAM with the Setup program, an error occurs and the test ends.
Performing System Diagnostics C-27
If the coprocessor is installed, the program runs a series of checks on the precision with which the coprocessor performs calculations and handles exceptions.
Parallel Port (Printer Interface) Check
Use this option to test the operation of the primary parallel printer port. To perform the test, you must insert a special loopback connector into the parallel port so that the computer can check individual pins of the port. Contact your dealer if you need a loop-back connector. Note that a different connector is required to test the serial port.
When you select option 9 from the Device List, you see these prompts:
Attach loop-back connector to parallel port before starting the check.
Start the check ? (Y/N)
Insert the loop-back connector. Then select
Y
to start the check. The computer checks the port by writing and reading data and control information, and reports errors for any pins that are faulty. Note that if you connect a printer cable instead of a loop-back connector, you will get errors.
Alternate Parallel Port Check
Use this option to test the operation of an additional parallel port. To perform the test, you must insert the special loop-back connector into the alternate parallel port so that the computer can check individual pins of the port.
C-28 Performing System Diagnostics
This test is similar to the Parallel Port Check. For more details, see the description of the Parallel Port (Printer Interface)
Check.
Parallel Port (on Video Adapter) Check
Use this option to test the operation of an additional parallel port on a video adapter. To perform the test, you must insert the special loop-back connector into the parallel port on the video adapter so that the computer can check individual pins of the port.
This test is similar to the Parallel Port Check. For more details, see the description of the Parallel Port (Printer Interface)
Check.
Serial Port (RS-232C Port) Check
Use this option to test the functions of the primary serial communications (RS-232C) port. To perform the test, you must insert a special loop-back connector into the RS-232C port so that the computer can check individual pins of the port.
Contact your dealer if you need a loop-back connector. Note that a different connector is required to test the parallel port.
When you select option 11 from the Device List, you see these prompts:
Attach loop-back connector to serial port before starting the check.
Start the check ? (Y/N)
Performing System Diagnostics C-29
Insert the loop-back connector. Then select
Y
to start the check.
First, the program checks the serial port control lines to see that they are able to change from high to low and vice versa. No messages are displayed during this part of the test unless an error occurs.
The second test is an echo back check during which the port sends data to itself in a fixed data format, at all the possible baud rates. When this test begins, you see these messages:
RS232C echo back check - at various baud rates
Current baud rate is 15
Current test data is 00
Each baud rate is tested in turn, and the display informs you of the progress of the test. If the port does not become ready correctly, a timeout error occurs. If any data received does not match the data sent, a verify error occurs, and the computer reports the transmitted and received data at the time of the error.
The final test is an echo back check during which the port sends data to itself at 9600 baud, using various data formats. At the start of the test, you see these messages:
RS232C echo back check-with various data formats
Current data format: 5 data bits, 1 stop bit, parity - NONE
Current test data is 00
Once again, if any data received does not match the data sent, a verify error occurs, and the computer reports the transmitted and received data at the time of the error.
C-30 Performing
System Diagnostics
Alternate Serial Port Check
Use this option to test the functions of an additional serial communications (RS-232C) port. To perform the test you must insert a special loop-back connector into the alternate serial port so that the computer can check individual pins of the port.
This test is identical to the check for the primary serial port. For more details, see the description of the Serial Port (RS-232C
Port) Check.
Dot-matrix Printer Check
Use this option to check the following:
D The operation of your printer in IBM-compatibility mode
Cl The compatibility of your printer with the extended character set your computer uses
D The ability of your printer to produce bit-image graphics and print images of the graphics screen.
When you select option
14
from the Device List, you see this prompt:
Is dot-matrix printer on-line ? (Y/N)
Check that your printer is connected to the computer and that it is turned on, loaded with paper, and online. Select
Y
to continue, or
N
to return to the menu.
Performing System Diagnostics C-31
When you continue the test, the program checks that the printer is responding correctly. This test detects whether the printer is offline or whether an interface error exists. If no errors occur, the computer sends a repeating sequence of ASCII characters and bit-image data to the printer until you press any key. The pattern looks like this:
The text data includes all the characters commonly used by programs that require foreign languages or graphic characters.
If your printer prints different characters than you see in the illustration, you may need to be careful with certain software.
The bit-image data is sent to the printer using a command
(ESC K) compatible with Epson and IBM printers.
Note
Even
if the test runs only for a short time,
your printer may store many characters in
its buffer. To stop printing, turn the
printer offline.
C-32 Performing System Diagnostics
Hard Disk Drive(s) and Controller Check
Use this option to test the performance of the hard disk drive(s) installed in your computer. If any errors occur, have your dealer or service center check and service the drive. When you select option 17 from the Device List, you see this menu:
HARD DISK DRIVE(S) AND CONTROLLER CHECK MENU
1 - Seek check
2 - Write, read check
3 - Read, verify check
4 - Run all above checks
0 - Exit
When you select a check from this menu, the program determines the number of hard disk drives installed in your computer. If you have more than one physical drive, then each time you select a test you see this prompt:
Enter drive number ? (1/2)
Select 1 for the first hard disk or 2 for the second.
Seek Check
This test checks the ability of the read/write heads to locate any part of the hard disk. This action by a read/write head is called a seek. During this test, each head seeks each cylinder of the disk in sequence, starting from the center.
Performing
System
Diagnostics
C-33
Select option 1 from the menu to start this test. The program displays the number of each cylinder it finds. For example, with a hard disk, the first message you see is:
Current cylinder is nnn
where nnn is the largest cylinder number used on the drive. The cylinder number counts down to 0. The seek is performed by the read/write heads simultaneously, so you see the cylinder numbers only once. If no errors occur, the menu reappears.
-
Write, Read Check
This check tests the ability of the hard disk drive to read and write data. The test writes to and reads from each sector of the innermost cylinder of the disk, using each head.
This test destroys all data on the innermost cylinder of the selected hard disk drive, This cylinder is resewed for
diagnostics,
and is never used for storage by MS-DOS or any other operating system. Therefore, data created by application programs is not destroyed,
Select option 2 from the menu to start this test. You see these messages:
The data on the highest physical cylinder may be destroyed by the check.
Start the check ? (Y/N)
Select
Y
to continue with the test. You do not see a cylinder count during the test. If no errors occur, the program returns to the menu.
C-34 Performing System Diagnostics
If an error occurs, make a note of the code and message. Then use the Non-destructive surface analysis (option 3 on the Hard
Disk Format Menu) to check the condition of the hard disk.
If this analysis shows no other problems with the disk, follow these steps:
1. Back up all the files on your hard disk.
2. Reformat the disk using option 2, Format hard disk, on the
Operation Menu.
3. Install MS-DOS on the hard disk according to the instructions in the MS-DOS Installation Guide.
4. Restore your files.
Read, Verify Check
This test reads and verifies data from all tracks of the disk, checking each cylinder and using all read/write heads.
Select option 3 from the menu to start this test. The program displays the number of each cylinder it finds. For example, with a hard disk, the first message you see is:
Current cylinder is
nnn
The cylinder number counts down to 0. At the end of the test, you see a table of the results, as follows:
BAD TRACKS ...................
READ ERROR TRACKS ............
n n
GOOD TRACKS
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . n n n n
Press ENTER to return to the menu
Performing System Diagnostics C-35
Press
Enter
when you have viewed the table. If the results show any read error tracks, run the write/read test (described above), and follow the instructions there.
Run All Above Checks
To run all the tests on the menu in sequence, select 4.
When you choose this option, all checks for the hard disk drive(s) and controller are performed automatically in sequential order. Although you do not start each test, you must still supply the appropriate responses to progress from one test to the next. The first prompt you see is:
The data on the highest physical cylinder may be destroyed by the check.
Start the check ? (Y/N)
Select
Y
to continue with the test.
C-36 Performing System Diagnostics
Error Codes and Messages
The following table lists all the error codes and messages that may appear during diagnostics checks.
Error codes and messages
Error code
System board
101
102
103
104
105
105
106
107
108
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
Message
CPU ERROR
ROM CHECKSUM ERROR
TIMER COUNTER REGISTER ERROR
TIMER COUNTER ERROR
DMA CONTROLLER REGISTER ERROR
DMA REFRESH ERROR
DMA PAGE REGISTER ERROR
KEYBOARD CONTROLLER TIMEOUT ERROR
KEYBOARD CONTROLLER SELF DIAGNOSTIC
ERROR
KEYBOARD CONTROLLER WRITE COMMAND
ERROR
INTERRUPT CONTROLLER ERROR
CMOS SHUTDOWN BYTE ERROR
CMOS BATTERY ERROR
CMOS CHECKSUM ERROR
INSTRUCTION ERROR
PROTECT MODE ERROR 1
PROTECT MODE ERROR 2
Memory
201
Keyboard
301
302
MEMORY/PARITY ERROR
KEYBOARD ERROR
KEYBOARD IS NON-STANDARD, OR KEYBOARD
IS DEFECTIVE
Monochrome display adapter and CRT
401
402
403
404
V-RAM ERROR
VIDEO SIGNAL ERROR
ATTRIBUTE ERROR
CHARACTER SET ERROR
Perfoming System Diagnostics
C-37
Error
codes and messages
Error code Message
Color graphics adapter and CRT
501 V-RAM ERROR
503
504
505
ATTRIBUTE ERROR
CHARACTER SET ERROR
40-COLUMN CHARACTER SET ERROR
506
507
508
509
510
COLOR GRAPHICS ERROR
640 x 200 GRAPHICS MODE ERROR
SCREEN PAGING ERROR
LIGHT PEN ERROR
COLOR VIDEO ERROR
Diskette drive(s) and controller
601 DISKETTE DRIVE CONTROLLER ERROR
602 SEQUENTIAL SEEK ERROR
603
604
605
606
607
RANDOM SEEK ERROR
WRITE ERROR
READ ERROR
DISK CHANGE CHECK REMOVE ERROR
DISK CHANGE CHECK INSERT ERROR
Math coprocessor
701 COPROCESSOR NOT INSTALLED
702
703
COPROCESSOR INITIALIZE ERROR
COPROCESSOR INVALID OPERATION
MASK ERROR
704
705
706
COPROCESSOR ST FIELD ERROR
COPROCESSOR COMPARISON ERROR
COPROCESSOR ZERO DIVIDE MASK ERROR
707
708
709
710
COPROCESSOR ADDITION ERROR
COPROCESSOR SUBTRACTION ERROR
COPROCESSOR MULTIPLICATION ERROR
COPROCESSOR PRECISION ERROR
Parallel port (printer interface)
901 ERROR PIN p
Serial port (RS-232C port)
1101 control signal ALWAYS LOW
1101
1102
1103
control signal ALWAYS HIGH
TIMEOUT ERROR
VERIFY ERROR
C-38 Performing System Diagnostics
Error codes ad messages
Error code Message
Alternate serial port
1201 control signal ALWAYS LOW
1201 control signal ALWAYS HIGH
1202
1203
TIMEOUT ERROR
VERIFY ERROR
Dot-matrix printer
1401 status
Hard disk drive(s) and controller
1701 SEEK ERROR
1702 WRITE ERROR
1703
1704
1705
1706
READ ERROR
HEAD ERROR
ERROR DETECTION ERROR
ERROR CORRECTION ERROR
Alternate parallel port
2101 ERROR PIN p
Parallel port (on video adapter)
81nn ERROR PIN p
Performing System Diagnostics C-39
C-40 Performing System Diagnostics
-
-
-
Appendix D
Physically Formatting a Hard Disk
This appendix describes how to physically format a hard disk.
Sometimes called a low-level format, this procedure should not be confused with the logical format performed by the MS-DOS
FORMAT command. The physical formatting of a hard disk is a separate step that is usually done at the factory by the disk manufacturer.
If your Equity IIe came with a hard disk, that disk has already been physically formatted. You need only follow the instructions in the MS-DOS Installation Guide to prepare your hard disk for use.
You may need to physically format a hard disk, however, if either of the following is true:
Cl Your hard disk is producing numerous read/write errors or you are having other serious problems with the disk.
Sometimes, after a hard disk has been used for a long time, the disk’s data becomes fragmented, causing the disk to frequently produce errors. You may need to reformat the disk in this case.
0 You have installed a hard disk in your computer that has never received the low-level format.
Physically Formatting a Hard Disk
D-1
In addition to destroying all the data on the hard disk, formatting removes any partitions defined on the disk by
SELECT or FDISK and the logical formatting performed by
SELECT or FORMAT. After you physically format a new or used hard disk (using option 1 or 2 of the Hard Disk Format
Menu), you need to install MS-DOS. Follow the instructions in your MS-DOS Installation Guide. The installation process automatically partitions and formats the hard disk to prepare it for use.
Choosing the Type of Format
Follow these steps to display the formatting options:
1. Insert the Reference diskette in drive A.
2. Turn on or reset the computer. The computer automatically loads MS-DOS and displays the Operation Menu.
3. Press 2 to highlight
Format hard disk
and press
Enter.
The Hard Disk Format Menu appears on the screen:
HARD DISK FORMAT MENU
2 - Destructive surface analysis
D-Z Physically Formatting a Hard Disk
The formatting options work as follows:
Format
first scans the disk (if it has no defective track table) for defective (bad) tracks and lets you decide which tracks to mark as bad. Then the program formats the disk and marks those bad tracks so they are never used to store data.
Destructive surface analysis
tests the entire disk for read/write errors or unflagged bad tracks and updates the defective track table. Because this option writes and reads data on the disk, it destroys all data on any track that produces an error. You cannot run the Destructive surface analysis on a disk that has never been formatted.
Non-destructive surface analysis checks
the disk for unflagged bad tracks without destroying data.
You cannot run the Non-destructive surface analysis on a disk that has never been formatted.
The type of format you choose depends on whether you are reformatting a disk that has been used or formatting a new disk for the first time. See the recommendations below.
Reformatting a Used Disk
If you are reformatting a disk you have been using that appears to be damaged, follow these steps:
1.
Use the Non-destructive surface analysis test to check for unflagged bad tracks.
2. If errors occur during the Non-destructive analysis, use
BACKUP to back up the data on your disk. (See your
MS-DOS Reference Manual for instructions on how to use
BACKUP.)
3. Run the Destructive surface analysis.
Physically Formatting a Hard
Disk D-3
Formatting a New Disk
Many hard disk drives come with a printed list of bad tracks but without the bad tracks flagged on the disk. Other hard disks
(such as those supplied by Epson) come with the bad tracks already flagged. If you are formatting a new hard disk that has never been formatted, select option 1, Format, to format the disk.
Selecting an Option
When using this program, you often need to select an option from a menu. There are two ways to do this:
Cl You can use the arrow keys (? 1 t +) to move the highlighted cursor block to the option and press
Enter.
0 You can type the number of the option and press
Enter.
You can select almost any option that appears on the screen while you are formatting the disk using either of these two methods. Therefore, when the instructions in this appendix tell you to select an option, you can either use the arrow keys (? 1 t 3) to highlight the option or you can type the number of the option. Then press
Enter.
(You must press
Enter
to start the operation.)
Starting the Formatting Process
If you have more than one hard disk drive, you see this prompt:
Enter
drive number ? (1/2)
Select 1 for the first hard disk or 2 for the second hard disk.
Then see the instructions below for the Hard Disk Format
Menu option you want to use.
D-4 Physically Formatting a Hard Disk
Option 1, Format
If you select 1
-Format
from the Hard Disk Format Menu, you see the following (for a disk that does not have a defective track table):
Format Hard Disk < Drive 1: >
Scan hard disk to get defective track information ? (Y/N)
(If the disk already has a defective track table, you do not see the message because the disk does not need to be scanned for bad tracks.)
Select
Y
to scan the disk or
N
to skip the scanning process.
If you select
Y,
the program scans the disk and displays these messages during the process:
Scanning for flagged bad tracks...
Head
: n n n
Cylinder
: n n n n n
You see the head and cylinder numbers decrease as the program progresses. After scanning the disk, the program displays the results, such as the following:
Scanning finished.
Count of tracks flagged bad
Count of tracks with other errors
Count of good tracks
Next you see the following prompt:
=
=
=
1
0
4884
Accept recommended skewed sectors in format : 1 ? (Y/N)
Physically Formatting a Hard Disk D-5
For the hard disk in the Equity IIe, it is best to accept the recommended skewed sector (also called the interleave factor) of 1. For other hard disk drives, you may need to change this value if the documentation that came with the hard disk recommends a different number.
To accept the default, select
Y.
To enter a new value, select
N.
You see the following prompt:
Enter new skewed sectors in format
( 1 - 1 6 ) :
Enter a number from 1 through 16 which equals the maximum sector number for the drive minus 1. The maximum sector number varies, depending on the drive type. Then press
Enter.
Next you see this prompt:
Accept recommended skewed sectors per head in format : 0 ? (Y/N)
For an Epson hard disk drive, accept the recommended value of 0. For another type of drive, use the value recommended in the documentation for the drive.
To accept the default, select
Y.
To enter a new value, select
N.
You see the following prompt:
Enter new skewed sectors per head in format (0-16):
Enter a number from 0 through 16 which equals the maximum sector number for the drive minus 1. The maximum sector number varies, depending on the drive type. Then press
Enter.
D-6 Physically
Formatting
a Hard Disk
The program now allows you to edit the table of defective tracks:
Cylinder Head Cylinder Head Cylinder Head Cylinder Head Cylinder Head
Defective Track Table:
Modify defective track table ? (Y/N)
At the bottom of the table is this prompt:
Modify defective track table ? (Y/N)
Select
N
to leave the table as it is. Then skip the following section and go on to “Formatting the Disk,” below.
To modify the defective track entries, select
Y.
Modifying the Defective Track Table
If you select
Y
to modify the table, you see the following options at the bottom of the table:
Defective Track Table : Move box cursor to desired track with cursor key
A = Add track.
C = Change track, D = Delete track, F = Finish editing
Enter command :
To add a bad track, follow these steps:
1. Press A. You see this prompt:
Enter cylinder number (1
-nnnn):
Physically Formatting a Hard Disk D-7
2. Type the number of the cylinder containing the bad track and press
Enter.
You see this prompt:
Enter head number (0 - nn):
3. Type the head number for the bad track and press
Enter.
To cancel the operation, press
Enter
without typing a value.
When you complete a valid entry, it appears in the table and you can add the next bad track, if necessary.
If you make a mistake, move the cursor block to the incorrect track and press C to alter the track data or press
D
to remove the track from the table. Change the track data just as you add a track.
The maximum valid cylinder number and head number (nnnn and
nn)
vary according to the capacity of the hard disk. If you enter an invalid cylinder or head number, a reminder of the range of values appears and the program asks you to enter the value again.
When you finish adding all the bad tracks, press
Enter
without typing a value. After you complete editing, check the entries in the defective track table. When you are sure the table is correct, press
F.
The program displays a warning about the consequences of proceeding with formatting.
D-8
Physically Formatting
a Hard Disk
Formatting the Disk
When you are ready to start formatting the disk, you see the following warning:
WARNING?
ALL DATA WILL BE DESTROYED IN
ALL PARTITIONS OF HARD DISK, NOT JUST IN
MS-DOS PARTITION!
Do you want to start formatting ? (Y/N)
If you are not sure you want to format the hard disk, select
N.
If you are sure, select
Y;
the program gives you one more chance to cancel:
DOUBLE CHECK THAT YOU HAVE BACKUP
DISKETTE COPIES OF ALL YOUR FILES.
Do you want to exit and check your file copies ? (Y/N)
Select
Y
continue.
to cancel formatting (and check your backups) or
N
to
If you continue with formatting, you see:
Format started.
Head
: n n n
Cylinder
: n n n n n
Physically Formatting a Hard Disk D-9
You see the head and cylinder numbers decrease as the program progresses. When formatting is complete, the program flags any bad tracks and you see a series of messages like these:
Format finished.
Flagging bad tracks...
Cylinder is
nnnn,
head is
nn
Format completed.
Press ENTER to return to the menu.
Press
Enter
to return to the Hard Disk Format Menu.
Option 2, Destructive Surface Analysis
You can perform a Destructive surface analysis of your hard disk to accurately locate any bad tracks, and flag any bad tracks that are not flagged.
WARNING
If any errors occur during this check, all data on the track that produces the error is destroyed. For this reason, if you think that an unfflagged bad track is causing trouble, first run option 3, Non-destructive
surface analysis, to
check the
disk
surface.
The Destructive surface analysis operates by a complex process of writing, reading, and verifying information on every track of the hard disk, except for tracks that are already flagged as bad tracks.
D-10 Physically Formatting a Hard Disk
To start this test, select
2-Destructive surface analysis
from the Hard Disk Format Menu. You see these messages:
Analyze Hard Disk <Drive 1:>
Read/Save/Write/Read/Restore/Read check for all tracks...
Current cylinder is
nnnn
As the program checks each track, it counts the cylinder numbers (nnnn) down to zero. When the test is complete, the program displays a report on the status of the disk, including a table of unflagged tracks that produced write, read errors-such as the following:
Analysis finished.
Count of tracks flagged bad
Count of tracks with write, read errors
Count of good tracks
No write, read error was detected.
No data was destroyed.
Press ENTER to return to the menu.
=
=
= nnnn n n
If the program finds one bad track that is not flagged, the summary would show one track with a write, read error. The report is followed by a table like this: write,
Read Error Tracks
Cylinder Head Cylinder Head Cylinder Head Cylinder Head
237 2
Confirm to register the tracks in the
Write,
Read Error Track Table as bad tracks.
I
DO you want to register the error tracks as bad tracks? (Y/N)
Physically Formatting a Hard Disk D-11
To flag the error tracks as bad, select
Y.
You see a list of the tracks as they are flagged and these messages:
Flagging bad tracks...
Cylinder is 237, head is 2
Press ENTER to return to the menu.
Press
Enter
to return to the Hard Disk Format Menu.
Option 3, Non-destructive Surface Analysis
The Non-destructive surface analysis does not destroy any data, and you can use it to safely check the condition of your hard disk drive. However, this test does not flag any bad tracks it detects.
To start the test, select
3-Non-destructive surface analysis
from the Hard Disk Format Menu.
You see these messages:
Analyze Hard Disk <Drive 1:>
Read/Verify check for all tracks...
Current cylinder is
nnnn
As the program checks each track, it counts the cylinder numbers down to zero. When the test is complete, the program displays a report on the status of the disk, such as the following:
Analysis finished.
Count of tracks flagged bad
= n
Count of tracks with read, verify errors =
Count of good tracks n
= nnnn
No read, verify error was detected.
D-12 Physically Formatting
a
Hard Disk
If the program finds errors, the screen displays a table of the tracks that gave errors, similar to the one the Destructive surface analysis displays.
After the status reports, you see this message:
Press ENTER to return to the menu.
Check the information displayed. Then press
Enter
to return to the Hard Disk Format Menu.
Exiting the Hard Disk Format Menu
To leave the Hard Disk Format Menu, select 0
-Exit. The
screen displays the Operation Menu. At the Operation Menu, select
O-Exit to DOS for more utilities
If you formatted the hard disk with option 1 or 2, you must now install MS-DOS on the hard disk to prepare it for use. Follow the instructions in your MS-DOS Installation Guide. (The installation process automatically partitions and formats the hard disk.)
Physically Formatting a Hard Disk D-13
D-14 Physically Formatting a Hard Disk
Appendix E
Hard Disk Drive Types
This appendix lists the types of hard disk drives you can use in your Equity IIe. Check this table and the documentation supplied with your hard disk to find the correct number for the type of hard disk drive installed in your computer. You need to enter this number when you set the hard disk drive parameters in the Setup program. See Chapter 2 for instructions.
Hard disk drive types
Hard Disk Drive Types E-1
E-2 Hard Disk Drive Types
Notes:
1, Miniscribe 8425F, Seagate ST125
2. Conner CP-344 or Miniscribe 8051A can be used as type 17
3. for Western Digital ESDI HDC or Drive Maker default setting
4. Micropolls 1325, Ataal 3085, Lanstor Lan64. Maxlor XT1085, Newbury NDR1085
5 Micropolls 1323A, Miniscribe 3035, Microscrence HH1050. Seagate ST4053
6. The landing zone value is 964
Types 1 through 47 are allocated at 0FE401h. IBM new AT-compatible area.
Types 48 through 58 are allocated at 0FD2F1 h to 0FDFF0h. extended Hard Drive Parameter area.
The factory-installed hard disk drive types for the Equity IIe are number 59 (40.7MB) and number 60 (1OOMB).
The settings for types 59,60.61, and 63 are stored in the computers BIOS, so you do not need to enter the parameters for these drives in the Setup program
Hard Disk Drive Types E-3
E-4 Hard Disk Drive Types
Appendix F
Specifications
CPU and Memory
16-bit CPU
On-board memory
ROM
Math coprocessor
80286 microprocessor, 8 or 12 MHz clockrate, switch-selectable
Real and protected modes
24-bit address and 16-bit data bus
1MB RAM on main system board; expandable using 256KB or 1MB SIMMs to 2MB, 3MB, or 5MB (maximum)
64KB
80287 (8 MHz) support; coprocessor is optional
Controllers
Diskette
Hard disk
Supports up to two drives in any of four formats: double-density, 360KB; highdensity, 1.2MB; double-density, 720KB; or high-density, 1.44MB; controller on main system board
Supports up to two drives available in
40MB or 100MB; embedded controller
Specifications
F-1
Interfaces
Serial
Parallel
Auxiliary
Option slots
Speaker
Clock/calendar
RAM
RS-232C, programmable, asynchronous;
DB-9P male connector
Standard 8-bit parallel; DB-25S female connector
Mini DIN (6-pin) connector for IRQ 12 mouse or other device
Five standard input/output expansion slots
(one with 8-bit bus and four with 16-bit bus); one special slot occupied by a serial/ parallel interface card
Internal
Real-time clock, calendar, and 64-byte
CMOS RAM for configuration; battery backup
Power Supply
Switching type, fan-cooled, 115/230 VAC,
140 w; +5 VDC, + 12 VDC, -5 VDC,
-12
VDC; 50/60 Hz
Mass Storage
Standard
Three half-height drives maximum
5 l/4-inch diskette drive, 1.2MB (highdensity) storage capacity; or 3 i/z-inch diskette drive, 1.44MB (high-density) storage capacity
F-2
Specifications
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
5 l/4-inch diskette drive, 1.2MB (highdensity) storage capacity
5 l/4-inch diskette drive, 360KB (doubledensity) storage capacity
3 ‘/l-inch diskette drive, 1.44MB (highdensity) storage capacity
3 ‘/l-inch diskette drive, 720KB (doubledensity) storage capacity
5 l/4-inch hard disk drive, 40MB storage capacity
5 l/q-inch hard disk drive, 100MB storage capacity
Keyboard
Layout
Function keys
Detachable, three positions,
101 sculpted keys
58-key QWERTY main keyboard;
17-key numeric/cursor pad; 10 cursor keys;
16 function keys (user-definable)
Four levels (normal, shift, control, alternate); user-definable
Environmental Requirements
Temperature Operating range: 41° to 104° F
(5° to 35° C)
Storage range: -40° to 158° F
(40° to 60° C)
Specifications F-3
Humidity Operating range: 20% to 80%, non-condensing
Storage range: 5% to 95%, non-condensing
Physical Characteristics
Width 15.7 inches (400 mm)
Depth 16.4 inches (416.5 mm)
Height 6.2 inches (157 mm)
Weight
(without keyboard)
Single diskette drive model: 23.2 lb
(10.5 kg)
40MB hard disk drive model: 24.9 lb
(11.3 kg)
F-4 Specifications
Glossary
Absolute pathname
A pathname that begins with the backslash character. An absolute pathname tells MS-DOS how to find its way to a given directory, starting at the root directory. See also Relative pathname.
Application program
A software program designed to perform a specific task, such as a word processing or spreadsheet program.
ASCII
American Standard Code for Information Interchange. A standardized coding system for representing characters, such as numbers, letters, and graphic symbols. An ASCII character occupies one byte of storage. Files transmitted in ASCII code can be used by many different computers, printers, and programs.
Asynchronous
A method of data transmission in which one machine sends data one character at a time to another, without either machine preparing for the transmission.
AUTOEXEC.BAT file
The batch file that is executed automatically when you load
MS-DOS. See also Batch file.
G l o s s a r y 1
Auto speed
The Equity IIe feature that enables it to automatically switch from 12 MHz to 8 MHz when accessing the diskette drive (for copy-protected programs).
Backup
An extra copy of a program, data file, or disk, kept in case your working copy is damaged or lost.
Batch file
A type of file that lets you execute a series of MS-DOS commands by typing one command. Batch files are text files with the filename extension .BAT. In a batch file, each command is entered on a separate line. When you type the filename, MS-DOS executes all the commands in that file sequentially.
Baud rate
A measure of the speed of data transmission. Usually equivalent to bits per second.
BIOS
Basic Input/Output System. Routines in ROM (Read Only
Memory) that handle basic input/output functions of the operating system.
Bit
A binary digit (0 or 1). The smallest unit of computer storage.
The value of a bit represents the presence (1) or absence (0) of an electric charge.
Boot
To load the operating system into the computer’s memory.
2 Glossary
Byte
A sequence or group of eight bits that represents one character.
CGA
Color Graphics Adapter. A type of display adapter card that can generate up to 25 lines of text with 80 characters on each line, monochrome graphics at 640 x 200 resolution, or four-color graphics at 320 x 200 resolution.
Character
Anything that can be printed in a single space on the page or the screen; includes numbers, letters, punctuation marks, and graphic symbols.
CMOS
Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor. A method of making low-power silicon chips.
Code
A system of symbols for representing data or instructions. Also any software program or part of a program.
Code page
A table that defines the country-specific or language-specific character set you are using.
Command
An instruction you enter (usually on a keyboard) to direct your computer to perform a specific function.
Glossary 3
Command prompt
The symbol or message that tells you MS-DOS is loaded and ready to receive instructions. The default command prompt displays the current drive and directory. If you are logged onto drive A, the command prompt looks like this:
A>.
Configuration
The particular setup of a group of components. For example, a typical system configuration consists of a computer with one diskette drive and one hard disk drive and a monitor, connected to a printer.
Control code
A command (generated when you hold down
Ctrl
and press another key on the keyboard) that instructs the computer to perform a specific function.
Conventional memory
The memory on the main system board (up to 640KB) used by
MS-DOS and application programs.
Coprocessor
An optional device that enables the computer to process certain mathematical calculations faster.
Copy-protected program
A type of program that cannot be copied. Some copy-protected programs require you to leave the program diskette in the diskette drive while you are using it. Some also require the computer to be running at 8 MHz instead of 12 MHz. See also
Auto speed.
4 Glossary
C P U
Central Processing Unit. The primary unit of the computer that interprets instructions, performs the tasks you indicate, keeps track of stored data, and controls all input and output operations.
Current directory
The directory where MS-DOS executes your next command, unless you tell it to do otherwise (by including a pathname with the command). Also known as the default or working directory.
Current drive
The disk drive from which MS-DOS executes your next command, unless you tell it to do otherwise (by including a drive designator with the command). Also known as the default drive.
Cursor
The highlighted marker that shows your position on the screen.
Cylinders
See Tracks.
Data
Information such as text or graphics stored or processed by a computer.
Data diskette
A formatted diskette on which you store data files (as opposed to program files).
G l o s s a r y 5
Data length
The number of bits per character in serial transmissions.
Default
Values or settings that take effect when the computer is turned on or reset. A default value stays in effect unless you override it temporarily by changing a setting or you reset the default value itself.
Default directory
The directory you are logged onto and working in. Also known as the current directory.
Default drive
The disk drive from which MS-DOS executes your next command, unless you tell it to do otherwise (by including a drive designator with the command). Also known as the current drive.
Delimiter
A character or space used to separate different parts of an
MS-DOS command.
Device
A piece of equipment that is part of a computer system and performs a specific task, such as a disk drive, a monitor, or a printer.
Diagnostics
The tests and procedures the computer performs to check its internal circuitry and set up its configuration.
6 Glossary
DIP switch
A small switch on a computer, option card, or printer that controls a particular function. DIP stands for Dual In-line
Package.
Directory
A list of files stored in a particular area on a disk; part of a structure for organizing files into groups. A directory listing shows the name, location, and size of the files in the directory.
A directory can contain both files and subdirectories.
Disk
The collective term for diskettes and hard disks.
Disk drive
The physical device that allows the computer to read from and write to a disk. A diskette drive has a disk slot into which you insert a diskette. A hard disk is sealed inside a protective unit.
Diskette
A flat piece of flexible plastic coated with magnetic material and used to store data permanently.
Display adapter card
The circuit board installed in one of the computer’s option slots that provides the interface to which you connect the monitor.
The display adapter card controls the way the monitor displays text and graphics. Also known as
Video card.
DOS
The Disk Operating System that controls the computer’s input and output functions. See Operating system.
Glossary 7
Double-density
A type of diskette format that allows you to store twice as much data as the standard-density format. A 5 ‘/q-inch double-density diskette can store 360KB of data. A 3 ‘/z-inch double-density diskette can store 720KB of data.
Drive designator
The letter name of a disk drive, followed by a colon-for example, C : .
EGA
Enhanced Graphics Adapter. A type of display adapter card that allows you to display high-resolution graphics on a color monitor. It can display up to 43 lines of text with 80 characters on each line, or it can display monochrome or 16-color graphics at up to 640 x 350 resolution.
Executable file
A file containing program instructions, as opposed to data created with an application program. An executable file has the extension .BAT, .COM, or .EXE.
Expanded memory
Memory that specially-written MS-DOS application programs can use with an Expanded Memory Specification (EMS) device driver such as EEMM286.SYS. Expanded memory does not fill a certain range of memory like conventional and extended memory; expanded memory can be mapped from the memory area between 640KB and 1MB.
Extended Memory
Memory above 1MB that is accessed by the protected mode of the 80286 microprocessor and available to some application programs and operating systems.
8 Glossary
Extended partition
An additional MS-DOS partition; you can create one primary
MS-DOS partition and one extended partition.
Extension
A suffix of up to three characters that you can add to a filename to better identify it.
External command
An MS-DOS command stored in a program file. MS-DOS must be able to find the program file to execute the command. See also Internal command.
File
A group of related pieces of information called records, or entries, stored together on a disk. Text files consist of words and sentences. Program files consist of codes and are used by computers to interpret and carry out instructions.
Filename
A name up to eight characters long that MS-DOS uses to identify a file.
Fixed disk
See Hard disk.
Format
To prepare a new disk (or an old one you want to reuse) so that it can store information. Formatting divides a disk into tracks and sectors and creates addressable locations on it.
Glossary 9
Graphics
Lines, angles, curves, and other nonalphanumeric data.
Hard disk
The enclosed unit used to store data permanently. Unlike a diskette, it is fixed in place. It can process data more rapidly and store many more files than a diskette. Also called fixed disk.
Hardware
Any physical component of a computer system, such as a monitor, printer, keyboard, or CPU.
Hexadecimal
A base-16 numbering system frequently used by programmers.
Any decimal number between 0 and 255 can be represented by a two-digit hexadecimal number.
High-density
A type of format that allows you to store more data than normal. A 5 ‘/.+-inch high-density diskette can store 1.2 MB of data. A 3 ‘/z-inch high-density diskette can store 1.44 MB of data.
Input/output (I/O) port
See Port.
Interface
A physical or software connection used to transmit data between equipment or programs.
10 Glossary
Internal command
An MS-DOS command that is stored in the command processor of the operating system; it is not a separate program file. Examples include COPY, DEL, RENAME, and DIR.
Jumper
A small device that connects two pins on an option card or the main system board to activate a particular function.
Key disk
A diskette containing a copy-protected program that must remain in the diskette drive while you are using the program.
Kilobyte (KB)
A unit used to measure storage space in a computer’s memory or on a disk. One kilobyte equals 1024 bytes.
LIM EMS 4.0
Version 4.0 of the Lotus/Intel/Microsoft Expanded Memory
Specification-a protocol that allows certain application programs to use memory that MS-DOS cannot use.
Logical disk drive
A subdivision of a physical disk drive, which MS-DOS treats as though it were a separate physical component of the computer.
A physical disk drive may be divided into several logical disk drives.
Glossary 11
Main system board
The board built into your computer which contains 1MB of memory and the circuitry the computer requires to operate.
Math coprocessor
An optional device that enables the computer to process certain mathematical calculations faster.
Megabyte (MB)
A unit used to measure storage space in a computer’s memory or on a disk. One megabyte equals 1024KB.
Megahertz (MHz)
A unit used to measure oscillation frequency (of a computer’s internal timing clock). A megahertz is one million cycles per second. The Equity IIe operates at 8 MHz or 12 MHz.
Memory
The area where your computer stores data. Memory contents can be permanent and inalterable (ROM) or temporary
(RAM).
Memory on card
The additional memory on an option card installed in the computer.
Memory module
A small circuit board with an edge connector that contains memory chips. You can add 256KB or 1MB memory modules to the main system board inside the Equity IIe to expand the computer’s memory. A memory module is commonly called a
SIMM (single inline memory module).
12 Glossary
MGA
Multi-graphics Adapter. A type of display adapter card that can display monochrome text and color graphics on the screen.
Microprocessor
A small version of a CPU contained on one semiconductor chip.
Modem
A device that allows a computer to transmit signals over telephone lines so it can send and receive data. Modem stands for MOdulator/DEModulator.
Monitor
The piece of hardware that contains the screen and displays information.
Monochrome monitor
A monitor that displays in only one color, such as green or amber, as opposed to a color monitor which can display in several colors.
Mouse
A hand-held pointing device with one or more buttons. When you slide the mouse over a flat surface in a certain direction, the cursor moves in the same direction on the screen.
MS-DOS
Microsoft Disk Operating System. The operating system that comes with your computer. See Operating system.
Glossary 13
Network server
The master computer in a network which provides storage space for the other computers connected to it. The network server can write files to and read files from the other computers in the network.
Network server mode
The condition of a computer that is working as a network server.
Numeric keypad
The number keys grouped to the right of the keyboard.
On-board memory
The memory contained on SIMMs (single inline memory modules) that are installed in the memory banks on the computer’s main system board. The Equity IIe comes with 1MB of on-board memory.
Operating speed
The speed at which the central processing unit can execute commands. The Equity IIe can run at 8 MHz or 12 MHz.
Operating system
A collection of programs (such as MS-DOS or MS OS/2) that manages a computer’s operations. The operating system determines how programs run on the computer and supervises all input and output.
Option card
A circuit board you install inside the computer to provide additional capabilities, such as more memory or a modem.
14 Glossary
Parallel
The type of interface that transmits data in groups of bits. See
Interface and Serial.
Parameter
A qualifier added to a command that tells MS-DOS what particular conditions to look for and specifies information such as what data you want to process and where to locate or store a file.
Parent directory
The directory immediately above a given directory in the directory tree. In pathnames, the parent directory is represented by the symbol . . (two periods).
Parity
Data signals sent during communications to detect errors in transmitting or receiving data.
Partition
The area defined on a hard disk for use by an operating system; to divide a hard disk into separate sections or logical drives.
Pathname
The list of directories and subdirectories you specify to locate a file. For example, the pathname for the file SALES which is located in the subdirectory BUSINESS of the root directory (\) is \ BUSINESS \ SALES.
Peripheral
A device (such as a printer or a modem) connected to a computer that depends on the computer for its operation.
G l o s s a r y 1 5
Port
A physical input/output socket on a computer where you can connect a peripheral device.
Power-on diagnostics
The system tests the computer runs to check its internal circuitry and configuration each time you turn it on.
Power-on password
The sequence of characters you type after you turn on the computer in order to access and use your system. A power-on password can be up to seven characters long and can include letters, numbers, and blank spaces.
Primary partition
The hard disk partition where the operating system is stored and from which the computer loads the operating system.
Program
A disk file that contains coded instructions and tells a computer what to do and how to do it.
Prompt
A message the screen displays that tells you what action you need to perform next. See also Command prompt.
RAM
Random Access Memory. The portion of the computer’s memory used to run programs and store data while you work.
All data stored in RAM is erased when you turn off the computer; so you must store any data you want to keep on a diskette or hard disk.
1 6 G l o s s a r y
Read
To move data from one area to another. For example, when you open a text file stored on disk, the computer reads the data from the disk and displays it on the screen.
Read/write head
The physical device inside a disk drive that reads and records data on the magnetic surface of a disk.
Real-time clock
A battery-powered clock inside the computer that keeps track of the time and date, even when the computer is turned off.
Relative pathname
A pathname that does not begin with the backslash character.
A relative pathname tells MS-DOS how to find its way to a subdirectory of the current directory, starting at the current directory. See also Absolute pathname.
Reset
To reload a computer’s operating system so you can retry a task or begin using a different operating system. Resetting erases all information in RAM.
RGB
Red Green Blue. A type of color monitor.
ROM
Read Only Memory. A portion of memory that can only be read and cannot be used for temporary storage. ROM retains its contents even when you turn off the power.
G l o s s a r y 1 7
Root directory
The top-level directory in MS-DOS, designated by a \
(backslash). All other directories are subdirectories of the root directory or of other subdirectories.
RS-232C
A widely-used, standard type of serial interface. You can easily connect an RS-232C-compatible device to the computer.
Sector
A contiguous section of a disk track that provides an address at which the computer can access data.
Self test
The initial diagnostics procedures a system performs to check its hardware.
--
Serial
The type of interface that transmits data one bit at a time. See
Interface and Parallel.
SIMM
See Memory module.
Software
The programs that enable your computer to perform the tasks and functions you indicate.
Source diskette
The diskette that you are reading or copying data from during a copy or backup operation.
18 Glossary
SP card
The circuit board inside the computer that provides the serial and parallel interfaces.
Stop bit
A signal sent in serial communications to mark the end of a character.
Subdirectory
A directory or group of files that branches down from another subdirectory or from the root directory.
Switch
An option added to an MS-DOS command that modifies the way the command works. Switches are usually preceded by a /
(forward slash). For example, if you add the /S switch to a
FORMAT command, MS-DOS installs the operating system on the diskette as it formats it. See Parameter.
System diagnostics
A series of checks you can perform on the computer to make sure the hardware is functioning correctly.
System diskette
A diskette that contains the operating system.
Target diskette
The diskette to which you are writing or copying data during a copy or backup operation.
G l o s s a r y 1 9
Tracks
Addressable, concentric circles on a disk, resembling the grooves on a record, which help to divide the disk into separate accessible areas. There are 40 tracks on each side of a doublesided 360KB diskette and 80 tracks on each side of a doublesided 720KB diskette. The number of tracks on a hard disk depends on its capacity.
VGA
Video Graphics Array. A type of high-resolution color display adapter card that can display monochrome text and graphics at up to 720 x 400 resolution, 16-color graphics at up to 640 x 480 resolution, or 256-color graphics at 320 x 200 resolution.
Video card
The display adapter card installed in one of the computer’s option slots. The video card provides the interface to which you connect the monitor and controls the way the monitor displays text and graphics. Also known as Display adapter card.
Wildcard
A character that represents any character or group of characters.
The wildcard character * (asterisk) represents a group of characters, and the wildcard character ? (question mark) represents a single character.
Write
To store data on a disk.
Write-protect
To protect the data on a diskette from being changed by placing a write-protect tab over the notch on the side of a 5 l/4-inch diskette or by setting the write-protect switch on a 3 ‘/l-inch diskette. When a diskette is write-protected, you cannot erase, change, or record over its contents.
20 Glossary
Index
A
Absolute pathname, 4-20 -21
Alternate parallel port check,
C-28 -29
Alternate serial port check, C-31
Auto speed function, 2-14 -15,3-5
B
Backing up data, 3-20 -22, 3-24,
C
Cards, display adapter, see Video cards
serial/parallel (SP), see SP card video, see Video cards
CGA card, see Video cards
Changing directories, 4-19 -21
Clock, real-time, 2-16-18, F-2
Color graphics adapter (CGA) card, see Video cards
Color graphics adapter and CRT check, C-14 -23
Command, entering 4-7 -8
Command format, 4-7-8
Command prompt, 4-2, 4-4, 4-19,
Configuring the system, 2-1 -29
Consumer Information Center
Number, Intro-4
Connecting, keyboard, 1-14-16
monitor, 1-5 -7
printer, 1-8 -11
Control codes,
Conventional memory, 2-5-8
Copying,
diskettes, 3-14, 3-20, 4-32 -36
files, 4-11 -13 hard disk files, 4-36 -37
Coprocessor, see Math coprocessor
Copy-protected programs, 2-14 -15
Cover, removing, 5-4-6 replacing, 5-21-22
Index 1
CPU, F-l
CPU SPEED switch, 2-14 -15, 3-5
Current directory, 4-19, 4-43 changing, 4-19
changing, 4-4 -5
D
Default directory, see Current directory
Default drive, see Current drive
Destructive surface analysis, D-2 -3,
D-10 -12
Diagnostics, power-on, B-1 -6 system, C-1 -39
DIR, 4-23 -25
Directories, 4-16-27
listing contents of, 4-23-25
naming, 4-18 on diskettes, 4-18
pathnames for, 4-20-22
root, 4-17-19 tree diagram of, 4-25-27
4-32 -36
Diskette drive, caring for, 3-15 -16 compatibility, 3-12 -14 configuring, 2-23 -24 drive and controller check,
C-23 -27 how they work, 3-10 -12 inserting diskettes, 3-16 -18 problems, A-10 -11
removingdiskettes, 3-16 -18
setting types, 2-23-24
single, 3-21, 4-31 -32, 4-34 -36
types, 3-12 -14 using, 3-9 -25
Diskettes,
caring for, 3-15-16 choosing, 3-12-14 compatibility, 3-12-14
inserting, 3-16 -18
naming, 4-29-32 problems, A-7 -10
removing, 3-16 -18
types, 3-12 -14 volume label, 4-29 -32 write-protecting, 3-18 -19
Display adapter card check, B-4
Display adapter cards, see Video cards
Display screen, see Monitors
2 Index
Dot-matrix printer check,
C-31 -32
Double-density diskettes, 3-12 -13
Double-sided diskettes, 3-12 -13
Drive designator, 4-3 -5
Drives, see Diskette drives see Hard disks
E
EEMM286.EXE, 4-45 -50
EGA card, see Video cards
Enhanced graphics adapter, see
Video cards
Environmental requirements,
F-3 -4
Epson Consumer Information
Center number, Intro-4
Error codes and messages, 2-3-4,
Expanded memory, 2-5-8,
Extended memory, 2-5 -9, 4-45 -50
Extension, 4-9-10
External commands, 4-5-6
F
Files,
AUTOEXEC.BAT, 2-14 -15,
backing up, 4-11 -13
copying, 4-11 -13 creating and managing, 4-9 -16
EEMM286.EXE, 4-45-50
naming, 4-9-10
Floppy disk drives, see Diskette drives
Floppy disks, see Diskettes
Formatting,
physical, D-1 -13
H
Hard disks, see also Diskette drives
controller and hard disk check,
drive and controller check, C-33
how theywork, 3-10-12 installing MS-DOS on, 3-1 -2
parking the heads, 3-24-25
physically formatting, D-1 -13
preparing for moving, 3-24 -25
setting configuration, 2-19 -23 types, E-1 -3
HDSIT, 3-24 -25
HELP program, 4-37-39
Help, where to get, Intro-4
Hercules graphics card, see Video cards
High-density diskette, 3-12 -13
Index 3
I
Interfaces,
settingserial and parallel, 2-25 -26
J
Jumper settings, changing, 5-12 -20
K
Keyboard,
check, C-10 -11 connecting, 1-14 -16 controller and keyboard check,
special keys, 3-6-7
L
Loading MS-DOS, 4-2-3
Location, choosing for computer, 1-4
M
Mass storage, F-2 -3
Math coprocessor, check, C-27 -28
setting, 2-15-16 specification, F-l
Memory, above 640K, 2-5 -9, 4-45 -50
cards, Intro-l, 2-5, 2-8 -9, 5-1, 5-3,
check, C-9 -10 configuration, 2-5-9 conventional, 2-5-8
e x p a n d e d , 2 - 5 - 8 , 4 - 4 5 - 5 0
extended, 2-5-9
setting, 2-5 -9, 4-45 -50
MGA card, see Video cards
Monitor, connecting, 1-5 -7 problems, A-6 -7
Monochrome display adapter and
CRT check, C-11 -14
Monochrome graphics adapter card, see Video cards
Mouse,
MS-DOS, command format, 4-7-8
copying files, 4-11 -13
directories, 4-16 -27
entering commands, 4-7-8
external commands, 4-5-6
installing, 3-1 -2
--
4 Index
loading, 4-2-3 pathnames, 4-20-22
Shell, 3-20, 3-23, 4-13, 4-18,
N
Networkserver mode, 2-11 -13
Non-destructive surface analysis,
D-2 -3, D-12 -13
On-board memory, 2-5 -8
Operating speed, 2-14 -15, 3-5
installing, 5-3-12
serial/parallel, see SP card
video, see Video cards
Options, installing, 5-1 -24
P
Parallel, see also SP card cable, 1-8 -10
port, 1-8 -10
port on video adapter check,
setting, 2-25-26
Parameters, 4-7-8
Partitions on harddisk, 4-3, D-2,
Password, see Power-on password
Pathnames, 4-20-22 absolute, 4-20-22 including drive letters in, 4-21-22 including filenames in, 4-21 -22 relative, 4-20-22
Physical formatting, D-1 -13
Port,
parallel, 1-8 -10
setting serial and parallel, 2-25-26
Power,
Power-on diagnostics, B-1 -5
Power-on password, changing, 3-3-4
problems, A-4 -5 setting, 2-11 -13
Precautions, computer, 1-16 -17
Printer, connecting, 1-8-11
parallel interface, 1-8 -10, 2-25 -26 problems, A-15 -16
serial interface, 1-11, 2-25 -26
Index 5
R
Random access memory (RAM),
Read only memory (ROM), B-1, C-9,
F-l
Redirecting printer output, 1-11
Relative pathname, 4-20-22
Resetting the computer, 3-8-9
ROM, see Read Only Memory
Root directory, 4-17 -19
S
SELECT, D-2
Serial, see also SP card
port (RS-232C port) check,
setting, 2-25-26
Setting up, 1-1-18
Setup menu, 2-34
Setup program, 2-1 -29, 4-48, E-1
auto-speed function, 2-14-15 clock, real-time, 2-16-18
diskette drive types, 2-23 -24 display adapter type, 2-9 -11 error message, continuing from,
hard disk drive configuration,
interfaces, serial and parallel,
math coprocessor, 2-15-16 memory, 2-5-9 password, 2-11 -13 ports, serial and parallel,
2-25 -26 real-timeclock, 2-16 -18 running, 2-1 -30 starting the program, 2-2 -5 summary, 2-26 -29
Shellprogram, 3-20, 3-23, 4-13,
SIMMs, 5-1 -2
Special keys, 3-6-7
Specifications, F-14
Speed, changing, 2-14 -15, 3-5
removing, 5-17-18
Subdirectories, see Directories
Switches, 4-7-8
System,
device check, B-1 -2 diagnostics, C-1 -39
T
Timer and CMOS RAM check,
B-2 -3
Toll-free number, Intro-4
TREE, 4-25-27
Troubleshooting, A-1 -16
Turning off computer, 3-25, 4-3
Turning on computer, 1-16 -18
6 Index
U
Unpacking the system, 1-1 -3
V
Video cards,
color graphics adapter and
CRT check, C- 14-23
installing, 5-7 -12, 5-21 -22,
monochrome display adapter and CRT check, C-11 -14 parallel port (on video adapter)
setting display adapter card type, 2-9 -11
Video graphics array (VGA) card, see Video cards
Video monitors, see Monitor
Volume label, 4-29-32
W
Wildcard characters, 4-11 -12
Write-protect notch, 3-18-19
Write-protectingdiskettes,
X
Index 7
power light diskette drive light hard disk light
/ diskette drive
I \ power button
I
I key board cable socket
I \
\ I
CPU SPEED switch
RESET button
I
I hard disk or diskette drive slot power outlet mouse port parallel port
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