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The Equity 386 offers a shadow RAM feature which lets you speed up
processing by moving the ROM BIOS and VIDEO ROM into the

RAM area of memory. When the ROM data is in RAM, the
computer can access information and display text and graphics on the

screen faster.

Your computer comes with version 3.3 of MS-DOS®-the operating
system by Microsoft@-and version 3.2 of the GW-BASIC®
programming language. You’ll find reference manuals for both
MS-DOS and GW-BASIC 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, and
386 machines on your Equity 386.

As a supplement to MS-DOS, Epson has included several time-saving
utilities that make MS-DOS easier to use: HELP MENU, and
XTREE®. The HELP program lets you display information on the
screen about any MS-DOS command. MENU provides an easier way
to run many of the most common MS-DOS commands. XTREE is a
file management utility that simplifies all file and directory operations.

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 386; 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 386. It

also describes how to use your computer and run diagnostic checks.
You probably do not need to read everything in this book; see the

following chapter summaries.

2 Introduction

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Summary of Contents for 386

Page 1: ...EPSON E Q U I T Y 3 8 6 2 0 User s Guide Y18499100101 ...

Page 2: ...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...

Page 3: ...onal suggestions The user may find the following booklet prepared by the Federal Communications Commission helpful Television Interference Handbook This booklet is available from the U S Government Printing Office Washington DC 20402 Stock No 004 000 00450 7 Note If the interference stops it was probably caused by the computer or its peripheral devices To further isolate the problem Disconnect the...

Page 4: ......

Page 5: ... 1 12 9 Loading MS DOS 1 14 10 Copying System Diskettes 1 15 2 Running the Setup Program 2 1 Starting the Setup Program 2 2 Setting the Amount of Memory 2 3 Setting the Display Type 2 5 Setting the Auto Speed Function 2 6 Setting the Shadow RAM Function 2 8 Setting the Coprocessor Function 2 9 Setting the Mass Storage 2 9 Setting the Real time Clock 2 11 Leaving the Setup Menu 2 13 3 Preparing a H...

Page 6: ...s of Diskette Drives 4 10 Caring for Diskettes and Diskette Drives 4 12 Inserting and Removing Diskettes 4 13 Write protecting Diskettes 4 15 Making Backup Copies 4 16 Using a Single Diskette Drive 4 17 Using Two Diskette Drives 4 18 Using a Hard Disk Drive 4 18 Turning Off the Computer 4 21 5 Using MS DOS with Your Equity 386 5 1 Starting and Exiting MS DOS 5 1 Drive Designators 5 2 The Default D...

Page 7: ...ard Disk 5 19 Backing Up 5 20 Using the DISKCOPY Command 5 20 Using the BACKUP Command 5 23 Using the Epson HELP Program 5 23 Using the Epson MENU Program 5 25 MENU Program Options 5 26 Using the XTREE Utility 5 27 Running XTREE 5 28 Cautions 5 29 Using an AUTOEXEC BAT File 5 30 Creating an AUTOEXEC BAT File 5 30 Using Memory Beyond 640KB 5 32 About EEMM386 EXE 5 33 Using HDCACHE and EEMM386 EXE 5...

Page 8: ...oller and Keyboard Check B 3 Display Card Check B 4 Optional RAM Check B 4 Floppy Disk Drive Seek Check B 4 Hard Disk Controller and Hard Disk Check B 5 C Performing System Diagnostics C 1 Starting System Diagnostics C 1 Modifying the DEVICE LIST C 3 Selecting a Test C 5 Resuming From an Error C 6 System Board Check C 7 Memory Check C 7 Keyboard Check C 8 Monochrome Display Adapter and CRT Check C...

Page 9: ...k C 21 Run All Above Checks C 22 Math Coprocessor Check C 22 Parallel Port Printer Interface Check C 22 Alternate Parallel Port Check C 23 Parallel Port on Video Adapter Check C 23 Serial Port RS 232C Check C 23 Alternate Serial Port Check C 25 Dox matrix Printer Check C 25 Hard Disk Drives and Controller Check C 26 Seek Check C 27 Write Read Check C 27 Read Verify Check C 28 Run All Above Tests C...

Page 10: ...rive Types E 1 F Specifications F 1 CPU and Memory F 1 Controllers F 1 Interfaces F 1 Power Supply F 2 Mass Storage F 2 Keyboard F 3 Environmental Requirements F 3 Physical Characteristics F 3 Glossary 1 X Contents ...

Page 11: ...f internal memory nine option slots and built in serial and parallel interfaces You can expand the computer s memory up to 16MB by adding memory modules to the main system memory card Specific memory configurations allow the computer to access the memory 32 bits at a time making it twice as fast as systems that use a 16bit address Because of its industry standard architecture the Equity 386 is ful...

Page 12: ...rmation on the screen about any MS DOS command MENU provides an easier way to run many of the most common MS DOS commands XTREE is a file management utility that simplifies all file and directory operations 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 pr...

Page 13: ...Chapter 5 provides basic instructions for using MS DOS with your computer Chapter 6 describes some of the options you can use in your Equity 386 and contains instructions for installing option cards 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 diagn...

Page 14: ...ca provides product information and toll free support to its dealers and service 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 Epson s toll free dealer support program Epson is confident that this policy will provide you with the assistance yo...

Page 15: ...o you can refer to the two illustrations identifying the different parts of the computer When you finish setting up the computer go on to Chapter 2 and follow the instructions there to run the Setup program If you have a hard disk you ll then need to perform the procedures in Chapter 3 to prepare your hard disk for use 1 Unpacking As you remove your system components from their cartons be sure to ...

Page 16: ...ou ll also find a registration card with the computer Fill this card out 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 Removing the Diskette Drive Protector Card A diskette drive protector card occupies the slot in the disk...

Page 17: ...ocation where it can run properly Select a location that provides the following l A large sturdy desk or table that can easily support the weight of your system including all its components l 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 ...

Page 18: ...g the number of wall outlets you need l No electromagnetic interference Locate your system away from any electrical device such as a telephone that generates an electromagnetic field 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 The...

Page 19: ... analog output 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 3 Connect the appropriate end of the monitor cable to the video card connector on the back of the computer as shown below ...

Page 20: ...cal outlet 4 Connecting a Printer The Equity 386 has a parallel interface and a serial interface You can easily connect a printer or other device that has either type of interface just follow the instructions below Epson of course offers a full range of printers check with your dealer for more information 1 6 Setting Up Your System ...

Page 21: ...e follow these steps to connect your printer to the parallel interface on the computer 1 Place the printer next to your computer 2 Before you connect the printer be sure the power switches on the computer monitor and printer are off 3 One end of the printer cable has a 25 pin D shell male connector this is the smaller connector Connect this end to the parallel port on the back panel of the compute...

Page 22: ... the printer port and push them into place 5 Plug the printer s power cord into an electrical outlet Using the Serial Interface If you have a printer modem mouse or any other peripheral with a serial interface you can connect it to the serial RS 232C port on the back of the computer serial port 1 8 Setting Up Your System ...

Page 23: ...the serial port instead of the parallel port You can do this in MS DOS using the MODE or SETMODE command or the MENU program See your MS DOS Reference Manual for instructions 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 Insert the power cord into the AC power inlet on the back panel as shown below To avoid an ...

Page 24: ... facing the front 2 Pull open the cover on the lower left corner of the computer s front panel You need to push down slightly on the tab as you open the cover 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 1 10 Setting Up Your System ...

Page 25: ...ide of the computer 5 Close the keyboard cable cover 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 Setting Up Your System 1 11 ...

Page 26: ...et 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 l Never turn the computer on or off with a protector card in the diskette drive l Do not dismantle any part of the computer Only remove the cover to install and remove optional devices If there is a hardware problem you cannot solve after r...

Page 27: ... 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 power inlet on the back panel of the computer and into a 3 prong 120 svolt 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 tur...

Page 28: ... 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 9 Loading MS DOS After the computer completes its self test it displays how much RAM random access memory is available and then loads MS DOS the operating system You see a prompt similar to this Current date is Mon 02 13 ...

Page 29: ... system diskettes right away Use only the copies usually called working copies for daily use and store the originals in a safe place To copy your system diskettes you need four blank 360KB double sided double density 5 inch diskettes Although you will probably be using 1 2MB diskettes in your Equity 386 the system diskettes have a capacity of 360KB There ore you must use 360KB diskettes to f make ...

Page 30: ...atted diskette When the copy is complete you see this prompt Copy another diskette Y N 5 Press Y so you can make a copy of the Operating 2 diskette Again you see the prompt to insert the source diskette 6 Remove the copy of the Operating 1 diskette which you just made and insert the Operating 2 diskette Then follow the instructions above and the prompts on the screen to make a copy of this diskett...

Page 31: ...y installed l Type of video display adapter installed l Auto speed function l Shadow RAM function l Math coprocessor function l Number and type of disk drives installed l Real time clock s time and date The information 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 th...

Page 32: ...ts self test it loads the setup and diagnostics programs automatically from the diskette and displays this menu OPERATIONMENU __ 1 Setup 2 Format hard disk 3 System diagnostics 4 Prepare hard disk for moving 0 Exitto DOS for more utilities Enter selection number This is the menu for the setup and diagnostics programs on the Reference diskette The first option Setup is the only one you need at this...

Page 33: ...Setting the Amount of Memory Your computer has two types of memory base memory and extended memory The base or main memory in the Equity 386 is set at 640KB which is the maximum value and is recommended for most applications You may however need to reduce the main memory usually to 512KB to run certain software applications that require a smaller main memory size The value you set for the extended...

Page 34: ...nge the Expansion memory setting press J to highlight the Expansion option To increase the memory one megabyte at a time press until the value matches the amount of memory in your computer To decrease it one megabyte at a time press For example to increase the expansion memory to 3MB added to the 1MB of main memory press three times The screen displays the following 1 If you prefer you can increas...

Page 35: ...type of monitor which may be called something different 1 Highlight Display and press Enter The following box appears beneath the main menu Special opt ions is the display adapter type currently selected If you have installed an EGA or VGA card in your computer this is the correct setting Press t to return to the main menu 2 To change the setting press Enter Another box appears with these options ...

Page 36: ... run Setup again and select Color graph 40 col l If you have any other combination of monitor and video card consult the documentation supplied with your video card 4 Once you have highlighted the monitor type press Enter You see your new selection as the display type 5 Highlight SAVE SETTINGS and press Enter Setting the Auto Speed Function The Equity 386 can operate at 20 MHz or 8 MHz and you can...

Page 37: ...at does not require a key disk but requires a special procedure to install the program on the hard disk set the speed switch on the front panel to 8 MHz while you are installing the program Once it is installed set the switch to 20 MHz where you should be able to leave it while you load and run the program If this does not work try loading the program at 8 MHz and then switch to 20 MHz to use it D...

Page 38: ...cifically there are two ROM areas that can be copied to EXAM the system ROM BIOS and the video ROM Enable both of these to improve system performance and increase the speed with which your screen displays text and graphics Follow these steps to enable or disable shadow RAM 1 Highlight Shadow RAM and press Enter You see this box If the displayed settings are correct press t to return to the main me...

Page 39: ...ou need to change the coprocessor option as follows 1 Highlight Coprocessor and press Enter This box appears 1 2 Press Enter The option changes to 80387 installed 3 Highlight SAVE SETTINGS and press Enter to save the setting and return to the main menu If you later remove the coprocessor and need to change the setting in the Setup program follow the same procedure to change it back to 80387 not in...

Page 40: ...s the new setting 4 To change the value for drive C the hard disk highlight that option Then use the or key to increase or decrease the value until the number matches the type of drive installed in your computer If you have the 40MB hard disk supplied with the Equity 386 the number is 17 If you have the 90MB hard disk the number is 42 For other types of drives see Appendix E for a list of hard dis...

Page 41: ...ges the date for leap years Follow these steps to set the real time clock 1 Highlight the Real time clock option and press Enter You see the current setting for the time and date 17 1 54 Time j 21 1988 Date 2 To change the time highlight Time and press Enter This box appears 3 Using a 24 hour time period enter the time in the exact format shown in the box Use two digits for each part you can omit ...

Page 42: ...ng two digits for the month and day and four digits for the year the program automatically inserts the dashes For example to set the date for April 30 1989 you would type the following 04301989 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 ...

Page 43: ...ve A Drive B Drive C Drive D Special options 80387 not installed 1 2 MB 360 KB Type 17 None Change settings Exit without saving EXIT AND SAVE There is a second screen of information you need to check To display that screen press PgDn You see the following Real time clock Time 13 35 31 Date la4 3 J 89 Auto speed disabled Shadow RAM BIOS enabled VIDEO enabled To go back to the previous screen press ...

Page 44: ...me or date however the new setting will be in effect If you want to save the settings you made remove the Reference diskette and insert the Startup diskette in the drive Highlight EXIT AND SAVE and press Enter The program stores the new settings and resets the computer using the new configuration The computer loads MS DOS and displays the date prompt Press Enter once to accept the displayed date a...

Page 45: ...ormat the primary partition and to copy the MS DOS operating system files to the hard disk Use the COPY command to copy the remaining MS DOS files to the hard disk Use the FORMAT command to format the extended partition These instructions describe how to prepare the entire hard disk for use by MS DOS If MS DOS is the only operating system you plan to use follow the instructions in this chapter to ...

Page 46: ... is the first time you have used an operating system you may want to first read Chapter 5 for basic information about MS DOS or see your MS DOS Reference Manual for complete information on the operating system Checking the Hard Disk Your Epson dealer may have already partitioned your hard disk and formatted it so it automatically loads MS DOS when you turn it on If this is the case you do not need...

Page 47: ...r to log onto the hard disk Type DIR and press Enter to display a list of the files and directories on the hard disk If DIR is successful it lists the files and directories in the current directory the hard disk is formatted If necessary go on to Copying the Remaining Files to the Hard Disk in this chapter for information on using the COPY command to copy your MS DOS system and reference files to ...

Page 48: ...e C the second will be drive D and so on The first logical drive drive C is also called the primary partition All remaining logical drives together make up what MS DOS calls the extended partition The instructions in this chapter tell you how to create a primary partition of 32MB and to divide the extended partition into maximum sized logical drives Thus on a 40MB physical drive these instructions...

Page 49: ... use the maximum size for a DOS partition and make the DOS partition active Y N Y 6 Press Y to create a maximum sized partition and press Enter The screen displays the following message and prompts System will now restart Insert DOS diskette in drive A Press any key when ready 7 Press any key to restart the system the MS DOS Startup diskette is already in drive A Your computer begins reloading MS ...

Page 50: ...message similar to this Total disk space is 1021 cylinders Maximum space available for partition is 252 cylinders Enter partition size 252 Press Enter to accept the partition size The screen displays the following message Extended DOS partition created and shows you information about the partitions you have created Press ESC to return to the FDISK Options menu FDISK automatically displays the Crea...

Page 51: ...ne separately Follow the instructions later in this chapter Creating the Extended Partition on a 90MB Disk If you have a 90MB hard disk follow these steps to create a 58MB extended partition and divide it into a 32MB drive D and a 26MB drive E 1 Insert the working copy of the MS DOS Startup diskette in drive A if it is not there already 2 At the A prompt type FDISK and press Enter The screen displ...

Page 52: ...is 364 cylinders Enter logical drive size 364 7 Press Enter to accept the logical drive size A message appears similar to this Total partition size is 657 cylinders Maximum space available for logical drive is 293 cylinders Enter logical drive size 293 8 Press Enter to accept the logical drive size The following message appears All available space in the Extended DOS Partition is assigned to logic...

Page 53: ... below Formatting the Primary Partition Use the SELECT command to format the primary partition drive C SELECT automatically does the following l Formats the partition l Labels the partition l Copies the MS DOS system files to the hard disk After you have done this MS DOS boots automatically from this partition on the hard disk every time you turn on or reset your computer as long as there is no di...

Page 54: ...operating system files to the hard disk When the procedure is complete the screen displays the following Format complete System transferred Volume label 11 characters ENTER for none 5 It is a good idea to enter a name label for the partition to protect it from being accidentally formatted later If you want to name the partition type up to 11 characters and press Enter If you do not want to name it...

Page 55: ...y on the hard disk The file names appear on the screen as they are copied 4 When the A prompt reappears remove the Operating I diskette and repeat the procedure for the Operating 2 and Reference diskettes Store all your diskettes in a safe place The procedures described above copy all the files on the MS DOS and Reference diskettes to the DOS subdirectory on drive C You may however want to store s...

Page 56: ... and cylinder numbers When the procedure is complete the screen displays the following message Format complete Volume label 11 characters ENTER for none 5 It is a good idea to enter a name volume label for drive D to protect it from being accidentally reformatted later If you want to name this drive type up to 11 characters and press Enter If you do not want to name it just press Enter The screen ...

Page 57: ...the disk in drive A If drive A is empty or the latch is up MS DOS is booted from drive C Turn off the computer wait at least five seconds and then turn it back on After the computer completes the power on self test the screen displays the date prompt Press Enter twice to accept the date and time shown The C prompt appears indicating that the computer has successfully loaded MS DOS from your hard d...

Page 58: ...he keyboard and the RESET button for security This provides a safeguard against someone accessing confidential information or altering your computer s internal hardware For example you may want to lock the computer while you are running an application program that features a screen demonstration that should not be interrupted When the computer is locked it ignores anything typed on the keyboard Yo...

Page 59: ...unlocked before you try to use the keyboard otherwise it will not respond to anything you enter Selecting Execution Speed The Equity 386 can operate at two speeds 8 MHz or 20 MHz At 20 MHz the computer performs all tasks faster and you will probably use this speed for almost everything you do Certain application programs however have specific timing requirements for diskette access and can run onl...

Page 60: ... you used the switch on the front panel to select the type of monitor you are using with your Equity 386 either monochrome or color If you sometimes use an alternate monitor that is the other type or if you later get a new monitor don t forget to change the switch to match the monitor Move the switch left for a monochrome monitor or right for a color monitor Using the Equity 386 4 3 ...

Page 61: ...e if an error occurs and the computer does not respond to your keyboard commands you can reset the computer and try again However resetting erases all data in the computer s temporary memory RAM that you have not stored so reset your computer only when necessary You can stop the operation of an MS DOS command and some application programs by holding down Ctrl and pressing either C or Break Both ke...

Page 62: ...od 2 Press the RESET button on the front panel This method works even when the keyboard does not respond to your commands If this does not correct the problem try the third method 3 Remove any diskette from the diskette drive s Turn off the computer using the power switch on the right side Wait five seconds and then turn the power back on Reload the operating system Special Keys on the Equity 386 ...

Page 63: ...e keys when used with the main character keys Produces lowercase characters when Caps Lock is on Ctrl Alt Works with other keys to perform special control functions such as editing operations in MS DOS and GW BASIC Works with other keys to enter alternate character codes or functions Backspace I Enter Moves the cursor back one space deleting the character to the left of the cursor Ends a line of k...

Page 64: ...nctions within application programs Prints the screen display on a line printer Generates the System Request function In some applications controls scrolling Suspends the current operation Break Terminates the current operation The Num Lock Scroll Lock and Caps 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...

Page 65: ...kette 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 inch diskettes or hard 3 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...

Page 66: ...heel 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 track Your computer uses the read write heads in a disk drive to store and retrieve data on a disk To write to a dis...

Page 67: ...s 1024 bytes Each byte represents a single character such as A or 3 l 1 2MB drive With this drive use 5 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 approximately 500 pages of text MB stands for megabyte each megabyte equals 1 048 576 bytes 1024KB l 720KB drive With this drive use 3 inch do...

Page 68: ...t have different capacities The tables below summarize the possibilities and limitations 5 inch drive diskette compatibility Drive type Diskette types it can read from and write to 360KB 160KB 180KB 320KB or 360KB 1 2MB 160KB 180KB 320KB 360KB or 1 2MB WARNING If you write to a 360KB or 160KB 180KB or 320KB diskette while it is in a 1 2MB drive you may not be able to read it or write to it in a 36...

Page 69: ...u 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 your diskettes sitting ...

Page 70: ... is best to write on the label before you attach it to the diskette If you need to write on a label that is already on a diskette use only a soft tip pen not a ballpoint pen or a pencil Always indicate the drive and density type on the label 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 k...

Page 71: ...ette 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 inch diskette press the release butt...

Page 72: ...lete 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 inch diskette cover the small rectangular notch shown below with an adhesive write protect tab Write protect tabs usually come with new 5 inch diskettes when you buy them 00 write protect notch To remove the write protection peel off the write protect tab ...

Page 73: ... of the diskette until it clicks into position so the hole is covered Making Backup Copies It is important to make copies of all your data and system diskettes Copy all diskettes that contain programs such as the original MS DOS and Reference diskettes that come with the Equity 386 and use only the copies Store your original MS DOS diskettes in a safe place away from your working diskettes Back up...

Page 74: ...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 386 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 give a command to copy from A to B MS DOS copies from...

Page 75: ...o or from diskettes 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 Using a Hard Disk Drive Working with a hard disk is similar t...

Page 76: ...se precautions to protect it from damage and to avoid losing data l 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 l Never attempt to open the hard disk drive The disk itself is enclosed in a sealed container to protect it from dust l If you are going to...

Page 77: ...a safe region when you turn off the computer This prevents the heads from altering any of the data on the disk if the computer is bumped accidentally in its current place or while being moved to a new location If you are using another type of hard disk however and you need to move your computer across the room or across the country you should run the HDSIT program just before turning off the compu...

Page 78: ...ves 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 turning off your computer save your data exit the program you are using and remove any diskettes from the disk drives Turn off the computer first then turn off the monitor and any peripherals Using the Equity 386 4 21 ...

Page 79: ...description of MS DOS Starting and Exiting MS DOS Before you can run an MS DOS application program MS DOS must be running in memory If you have a hard disk that you prepared according to the procedures in Chapter 3 MS DOS is loaded automatically when you turn on the computer If you do not have a hard disk insert your working copy of the MS DOS Startup diskette in drive A and then turn on or reset ...

Page 80: ...gical drives three on the first physical drive and two on the second the first physical drive is divided into logical drives C E and E while the second physical drive is divided into logical drives D and G The Default Drive At any given time MS DOS considers one disk drive to be the default drive The default drive is the one on which MS DOS executes your next command unless you tell it to do other...

Page 81: ...mand 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 details such as what data you want to process and where to locate or store a file Delimiter...

Page 82: ...e file containing the command s instructions If it cannot find the file MS DOS gives you an error message See your MS DOS Reference Manual for more information on the command format Also see your MS DOS Reference Manual for command descriptions that tell you which parameters and delimiters are required for each command and which optional parameters and switches you can use Entering MS DOS Commands...

Page 83: ...file you may encounter problems When you create a file you need to give it a name You must name your files in a certain format required by MS DOS Naming Files Each file must have a unique filename so you can retrieve it when you need to The filename consists of two parts the name and the extension You can choose a name up to eight characters long Create a name that identifies the information the f...

Page 84: ...tions Even if you are not a programmer you may want to create some batch files to assist you in your work A particularly useful kind of batch file called an autoexecute batch file or AUTOEXEC file is discussed later in this chapter 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 pr...

Page 85: ... COPY at the command prompt followed by the drive identifiers 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 If you want to copy the file named REPORT from the diskette in driv...

Page 86: ... DATA that consists of the files REPORT FACTS and MEMO type the following and press Enter COPY REPORT FACTS MEMO DATA In the above example the files are located on the current drive so no drive identifiers are necessary To copy REPORT FACTS and MEMO from drive A to the DATA file on drive B type the following and press Enter COPY A REPORT A FACTS A MEMO B DATA Renaming Files You can use the RENAME ...

Page 87: ...ed with the DEL delete command For example to delete REPORT AUG from drive B type the following and press Enter DEL B REPORT AUG To delete the file WRENCHES from drive B type the following and press Enter DEL B WRENCHES You can use wildcards to delete groups of files For example to delete all files on the diskette in drive A you could type the following and press Enter DEL A Because deleting all f...

Page 88: ... 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 create many files on a diskette and a hard dis...

Page 89: ...skettes in a directory called DOS The few files that MS DOS needs to find as soon as you boot your system COMMAND COM CONFIG SYS and perhaps AUTOEXEC BAT could remain at the top level of the structure in the root directory As the number of files in your WORDPROC and SPRDSHT directories grow you can create additional directories subordinate to those two like this perhaps Root directory WORDPROC SPR...

Page 90: ...tories The Default Directory MS DOS always recognizes one directory as the default or current directory just as it always recognizes one drive as the default drive The default directory is the one in which MS DOS performs your commands unless you tell it to do otherwise If you want to run a program or access a data file that is not stored in the default directory you can either change directories ...

Page 91: ...n order for this pathname to be valid 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 Thus if the default directory were WORDPROC in the foregoing example the pathname DOS would tell MS DOS to move up one level from WORDPROC in this case to the root directory and then ...

Page 92: ...athname as well as the drive designator For example suppose you are logged onto the root directory of drive C and you want to list the contents of the file JEAN1204 DOC which is stored in the directory WORDPROC PERSONAL of drive D The last time you were logged onto drive D the default directory on that drive was drive D s root directory If you issue the command TYPE D JEAN1204 DOC MS DOS attempts ...

Page 93: ...ing To list the contents of a different drive or a different 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 Directory listings include the following information about each file the name and extension the size in bytes and the date and time the file...

Page 94: ... which is subordinate to the directory LEDGER you could log onto the LEDGER directory type the following and press Enter RD ACCOUNTS A directory must be empty before it can be deleted If it contains any files or subdirectories attempting to delete it will produce an error message Changing the Default Directory To change from one directory to another use the CHDIR command or its shorthand equivalen...

Page 95: ...ette so that MS DOS can write to it You need to do this only once before you use the diskette for the first time You can reformat previously used diskettes This process erases all data on the diskette Always be sure you do not want to save any of the data on a used diskette before you format it The formatting procedure you use depends on whether your computer has one or two diskette drives and whe...

Page 96: ...to this Format complete 1213952 bytes total disk space 1213952 bytes available on disk Format another Y N At this point you can either format another diskette by pressing Y and Enter or return to the MS DOS command prompt by pressing N and Enter Formatting Diskettes With Two Diskette Drives 1 Make sure you are logged onto drive A with your working copy of the MS DOS Startup diskette in the drive 2...

Page 97: ...ve A 2 When you see the A prompt type the following and press Enter FORMAT A You see this prompt Insert new diskette for drive A and strike ENTER when ready 3 Remove the MS DOS Startup diskette from the diskette drive Insert the diskette you want to format into drive A and press Enter 4 When the diskette is formatted you see a message similar to this Format complete 1213952 bytes total disk space ...

Page 98: ...you a way to back up files that are larger than the capacity of your diskettes DISKCOPY and BACKUP are described below The COPY command is described in the previous section Copying Files See your MS DOS Reference Manual for information on XCOPY Using the DISKCOPY Command The DISKCOPY command lets you copy all the files on one diskette to another diskette You cannot use DISKCOPY to copy to or from ...

Page 99: ...s message Insert TARGET diskette in drive A Press any key when ready 5 Remove the diskette from drive A and insert the blank diskette the target in the drive Press any key DISKCOPY checks to see if the new diskette is formatted If it is not DISKCOPY formats the diskette The copy operation begins when the format is complete 6 When DISKCOPY has copied the data from memory to the copy diskette the sc...

Page 100: ...the directory where the file DISKCOPY COM is stored Otherwise insert your working copy of the MS DOS Operating 1 diskette in drive A 3 At the 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 when ready 4 Insert the diskette you want to copy from the source int...

Page 101: ... that cannot be accessed directly To return files copied with the BACKUP command to their original locations on the hard disk you must use the RESTORE command Make sure you have enough diskettes to back up the data on your hard disk drive 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 ...

Page 102: ...to the HELP menu press the ESC key Press ESC again to exit the HELP program To bypass the HELP menu and get information about one command follow these steps 1 At the command prompt type HELP followed by the name of the MS DOS command you want information about and press Enter For example to see help information for the COPY command type the following and press Enter HELP COPY 2 If there is more th...

Page 103: ...splay the rest of the text 3 Press ESC to see the help information for the next command 4 To exit the HELP program press ESC after viewing the information for the last command Using the Epson MENU Program Your Equity 386 comes with a program provided by Epson called MENU With this program you can display a menu of commands and select the one you need MENU is easy to use because it lets you execute...

Page 104: ...e command exists on the same disk or the same directory as MENU EXE or enter a PATH command to search the directory containing the command If you have a hard disk it is best to store all the programs required by MENU in the same directory as MENU EXE MENU Program Options Following is a description of each option Step by step instructions for using each option are provided in your MS DOS Reference ...

Page 105: ...asy to use It lets you do the work of many MS DOS commands using a convenient menu format and provides several features not available elsewhere in MS DOS XTREE displays a window that shows your directories and subdirectories in a tree structured diagram so you can quickly see the organization of your files When you highlight a filename XTREE displays the file s statistics in another window to the ...

Page 106: ...n keys the Ctrl key and the Alt key to perform various functions in XTREE You use cursor keys to select files and directories To select a file or directory use the arrow keys to highlight the name of the file or directory Press Enter to move the cursor from the directory top window to the file bottom window Press Enter to expand the file window and then press it again to return to the directory wi...

Page 107: ...he danger of accidentally erasing important files Follow these guidelines to protect your files l You can cancel commands even commands in progress by pressing F3 This stops any function l Use Ctrl A the attributes command to give read only status to all the files in the directories Then in order to erase a file you must first remove its protection See your MS DOS Reference Manual for details l XT...

Page 108: ...commonly used application program such as a word processor or spreadsheet program so that it loads automatically when you turn on or reset the computer l Change the MS DOS command prompt so that it displays the current directory or your name or anything you want See your MS DOS Reference Manual for instructions on using the PATH command the PROMPT command and any other commands you want to include...

Page 109: ...ectory of your hard disk 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 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 to perform them Press Enter at the end of each line After you type the ...

Page 110: ... DOS You may put EEMM386 EXE in a directory other than the root directory if you add the path parameter to the DEVICE line the path parameter is explained below 2 Modify the file CONFIG SYS which is stored in the root directory of the hard disk from which you boot 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 p...

Page 111: ...follows path is a pathname specification You need to add the pathname if the file EEMM386 EXE is not in the root directory of the disk from which you boot MS DOS For example if you keep EEMM386 EXE in a directory called DOS on drive C be sure to include the pathname like this DEVICE C DOS EEMM386 EXE size allows you to specify the number of kilobytes of memory above 1MB that EEMM386 EXE uses as ex...

Page 112: ...ended memory you want to allocate to HDCACHE Then use the size parameter to convert the remainder of your extended memory to expanded memory For example if your computer has 2MB of memory then it has 1MB of extended memory If you want to split this amount of memory between EEMM386 EXE and HDCACHE modify the DEVICE line to read DEVICE EEMM386 EXE 512 512KB of your extended memory will be converted ...

Page 113: ...tall 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 It usually contains a device such as a modem or provides an interface such as a connector to which you connect a monitor This chapter describes how to install option cards and adjust jumper settings for certain configuration changes Addin...

Page 114: ...k 0 then 1 then 2 and 3 l If you use two or four memory banks they must be configured in pairs 0 and 1 2 and 3 For example if you want to have 8MB of memory and you use four 1MB SIMMs in bank 0 you must use four 1MB SIMMs in bank 1 You cannot install 1MB SIMMs in the first bank and 256KB SIMMs in the second If you are using all four banks you could install 1MB SIMMs in banks 0 and 1 and 256KB SIMM...

Page 115: ... controls your monitor occupies another slot If you have a hard disk its controller card occupies a third slot This leaves either six or seven slots in which you can install option cards You can buy option cards from authorized Epson dealers as well as other vendors This section explains how to remove the computer s cover install an option card and then replace the cover Removing the Cover To inst...

Page 116: ... lift it off and set it to one side 6 As shown below the top cover is secured by five screws on the back panel Remove the screws and set them safely to one side where you will not lose them 7 Facing the front panel grasp the two sides of the cover and carefully pull it straight toward you as shown in the following illustration away from the back of the computer until it is a few inches away from t...

Page 117: ...cover has cleared the power switch you can lift off the cover Separate the sides from the bottom ledge of the computer by pulling them outward slightly as shown below Then lift off the cover and set it aside Installing Options 6 5 ...

Page 118: ...he Equity 386 Slot number 9 is occupied by the SPF card SPF card Slots 1 2 and 9 are designed for 8 bit option cards and slots 3 through 8 are designed for 16 bit cards As you can see below a 16 bit card has a second connector 16 bit option card 8 bit option card 6 6 Installing Options ...

Page 119: ...e to the disk drive it is controlling 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 Option cards fit in the slots only one way but be sure to examine the card first and follow these instructions closely 1 Decide which slot you want to use Then remove the retaining screw from the top of the metal option slot cover ...

Page 120: ...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 by the top corners 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 4 Insert the card in the slot gu...

Page 121: ...e way out and try again keeping it straight as you insert it 5 Secure the end of the card to the back of the computer with the retaining screw If there was a grounding tab underneath the screw when you removed the metal slot cover replace it now Installing Options 6 9 ...

Page 122: ...el port to be the primary port you need to change the jumper settings so the port on the SPF card becomes secondary COM2 or LPT2 or is disabled if the card you install provides two additional ports A jumper is a small connector device that joins two pins on a circuit board to activate a particular function A jumper s setting is determined by where the jumper is placed either between pin A and the ...

Page 123: ...y printer adapter B B Disable built in port default setting the setting of jumper 10 does not matter To access the SPF card jumpers you need to remove the card from the computer If you have a hard disk drive controller card in slot 7 or 8 you must remove it before you can remove the SPF card because of the cables Follow the instructions below in the order listed here as necessary for your system l...

Page 124: ...Disconnect the wire leading from the drive light on the front panel to the hard disk drive controller card 2 Remove the retaining screw that secures the card at the back panel of the computer taking care not to drop the screw 6 12 Installing Options ...

Page 125: ...he card straight up out of the slot and then turn it over and lay it on the power supply Removing the SPF card 1 Unplug the disk drive cable from the SPF card as shown below Pull it straight up and out then lay it to one side Installing Options 6 13 ...

Page 126: ...res the SPF card at the back panel of the computer Be careful not to drop the screw 3 Remove the card from the slot by pulling it straight up as shown below and set it on a soft surface with the components facing up 6 14 Installing Options ...

Page 127: ...ck the tables above to see which one s you need to change I 1 J I I II I III MFi II IO III L B A B A I To move a jumper from an A position to a B position or vice versa 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 Installing Options 6 15 ...

Page 128: ...placing the SPF card 1 Reinstall the SPF card in slot 9 as shown below and secure it to the back of the computer with the retaining screw 2 Reconnect the disk drive cable to the card 6 16 hulling Options ...

Page 129: ... 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 ...

Page 130: ...the computer 2 3 4 5 Slide the cover straight back until the front panel is flush with the diskette drive and key lock Replace the five screws on the back panel to secure the cover 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 Check to be sure the p...

Page 131: ... commands in your configuration files See the MS DOS Reference Manual and the instructions that came with the option card for the procedure You may also want to test a newly installed option Some options come with their own diagnostic test programs and you can test others with the diagnostic programs on your Reference diskette You can use the Reference diskette to test the following l Expansion me...

Page 132: ...not he or she can refer you to an Authorized Epson Customer Care Center for service If necessary call the Epson Customer Information number 1 800 922 891 1 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 o...

Page 133: ...ly connected to both the AC inlet on the back panel and an electrical outlet Then turn the power back on 3 If the computer still does not start up check that your electrical outlet is working by plugging a lamp into the outlet and turning it on 4 If the electrical outlet is working and all the connections are secure but your computer still won t start see your Epson dealer The Computer Locks Up If...

Page 134: ...r is on but the indicator 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 If the display still doesn t appear on the screen use the controls on the monitor to adjust the display s brightness and contrast Remove any diskettes from your disk drives and turn off the computer and the monitor Check that the...

Page 135: ...orage capacity of 1 2MB use 5 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 If you have a second diskette drive that is also 1 2MB follow the same guidelines as above If you have a second diskette drive that has a storage capacity of 360...

Page 136: ...om your hard disk you may be missing one of the MS DOS system files Turn off your computer and insert your working copy of the Startup Operating 1 diskette into drive A Then turn on your computer and log onto your hard disk drive If this procedure works make sure the file COMMAND COM is in the root directory of your hard disk If the file is not in the root directory use the COPY command to copy CO...

Page 137: ...consideration and after trying the preceding steps 5 If you are still having problems you can try using the Format Hard Disk option of the OPERATION MENU on the Reference diskette This procedure performs a hardware check and format of a hard disk See Appendix D for details You may want to contact your dealer before using this option 6 If none of the above procedures work contact your Epson dealer ...

Page 138: ...the printer has power and is properly connected to the computer Your printer manual provides detailed instructions on how to connect your printer to the computer Also see your software manual to make sure your software is set up correctly for your printer If you have problems during printing check the printer manual for the printer s correct DIP switch or control panel settings These settings help...

Page 139: ... connector on the back panel 4 Did you run the Setup program to redefine your computer s configuration after installing the option card See Chapter 2 5 Did you perform the necessary setup procedures for the software you are using If necessary see your software manual for instructions on running the software setup procedure A 8 Troubleshooting ...

Page 140: ...creen but the computer is inoperable If the error is not serious the computer displays an error message and 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 resume Report the error message and code number to your dealer when requesting repairs When the self test finds a problem the system checks all the har...

Page 141: ...stem device check is completed successfully the computer checks the timer and CMOS RAM If the information contained in the RAM does not match the actual system installation you see one of these messages 161 System options not set Run SETUP in DIAGNOSTICS 162 System options not set Run SETUP in DIAGNOSTICS The information stored in the CMOS RAM must be corrected Run the Setup program provided on th...

Page 142: ...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 Keyboard Controller and Keyboard Check The computer checks the keyboard controller and keyboard for problems such as failure of one of the k...

Page 143: ...ror in the color display adapter The messages are 401 CRT error 501 CRT error Optional RAM Check If any additional memory expansion RAM is installed the computer then checks that RAM for any malfunction Floppy Disk Drive Seek Check The computer checks its floppy disk drives by searching the read write heads for any malfunction If any seek errors are found you see this message 601 Diskette error If...

Page 144: ...disk controller card you see this error number and message 1782 Disk controller failure If an error is found in the hard disk drive unit one of these error messages appears 178x Disk x failure 179x Disk x error where x 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 ...

Page 145: ...s 1 System 2 Memory 3 Keyboard 4 Monochrome display adapter and CRT 5 Color graphics adapter and CRT 6 Floppy disk 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 Starting System Diagnostics To run the ...

Page 146: ...es that are installed in the system such as the following for example The following devices have been installed DEVICE LIST 1 System board 2 Memory 3 Keyboard 5 Color graphics adapter and CRT 6 Floppy disk drives and controller 9 Parallel port printer interface 11 Serial port RS 232C port 14 Dot matrix printer 17 Hard disk drives and controller Is the DEVICE LIST correct Y N If the list correctly ...

Page 147: ...iagnostics Modifying the DEVICE LIST If an installed device is missing from the DEVICE LIST it is important that you add it to the list and test it carefully In response to this prompt Is the DEVICE LIST correct Y N press N followed by Enter You see a new menu Modify DEVICE LIST l Add devices 2 Delete devices 0 Exit Enter selection number Performing System Diagnostics C 3 ...

Page 148: ...lel port on video adapter 0 Exit Enter the number of the item to add Type the number of the item you wish to add and press Enter You can add as many devices as necessary When the DEVICE LIST is complete press 8 followed by Enter To remove a device from the list press 2 and Enter The screen displays the current DEVICE LIST and the prompt Enter the number of the item to delete Type the number of the...

Page 149: ...to test device 1 Run test one time 2 Run test multiple times 0 Exit Enter selection number 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 To perform the test once press 1 and Enter The program then dis...

Page 150: ...ssage press N and Enter Before you request a printout be sure your printer is turned on and online and the paper is installed correctly Then press Y and Enter If the printer is not ready the following message and prompt appear Printer is not installed correctly Install correctly and enter Y or Enter N to cancel printing Correct the problem and press Y and Enter to continue printing or press N and ...

Page 151: ...ade on the 80386 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...

Page 152: ... 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 your system then press Enter ...

Page 153: ...oard layout You can find diagrams of all the international keyboard layouts in the MS DOS 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 attached to a monchrome mon...

Page 154: ...r by writing certain data to memory then reading it back and comparing it to the written data The computer also tests the video enable signal of the display controller chip Attribute Check To check the display attributes of the adapter card press 2 and then Enter A series of messages appear showing examples of all the possible display attributes normal intensity high intensity blinking reverse and...

Page 155: ...ters on the screen press N and then Enter to display the error message Video Check To check the video output of your monochrome adapter press 4 and Enter 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 displa...

Page 156: ...aphics adapter or EGA or VGA and display This test includes several checks that allow you to identify particular problems related to the color display To run this check the monitor switch on the front panel must be set for a color monitor You can select the individual checks from this menu COLOR GRAPHICS ADAPTER AND CRT CHECK MENU 1 Color graphics adapter check Attribute check Character set check ...

Page 157: ... the color graphics adapter card press 2 and Enter 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 Press Y and then Enter if the display is correct If the colors are not correct adjust the controls on your monitor If they are still incorrect press N and Enter Contact...

Page 158: ...ind a problem with the characters on the screen press N and Enter to display the error message 40 column Character Set Check To check your 40 column character set press 4 and then Enter The character fonts that are included in the internal character generator display on your screen Compare the characters on your screen to the following illustration C 14 Performing System Diagnostics ...

Page 159: ...ays three colored squares light green brown and red against a cyan background These four colors are Color Set 0 If they are correct press Y and then Enter 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 press Y and then Enter to end the test If any colors display incorrectly firs...

Page 160: ...djustment of your monitor and then make sure that both ends of the cable are plugged in firmly If a problem still exists press N and Enter to display the error message Screen Paging Check To check the screen paging of your monitor press 7 and Enter The video RAM on the color graphics adapter is divided into eight independent display pages This test checks the eight pages by first filling all eight...

Page 161: ...any page is filled with an incorrect number press N and Enter to display the error message Light Pen Check To check the function of a light pen connected to the color graphics adapter card press 8 and then Enter 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 Enter Y to start light pen check Enter N...

Page 162: ...splays 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 9 Gray 2 Blue 10 Light blue 3 Green 11 Light green 4 Cyan 12 Light cyan 5 Red 13 Light red 6 Magenta 14 Light magenta 7 Brown 15 Yellow 8 White 16 White high intensity To start this test press 9 and Enter Press any key to display each scre...

Page 163: ...py disk 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 di...

Page 164: ...ervice 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 Select option I from the me...

Page 165: ... see a prompt to remove the diagnostics diskette the Reference diskette and insert a blank diskette before running the test You see these messages Use only a formatted blank diskette for this test Any data present may be erased If using drive A remove your Diagnostics Disk Enter Y to start this check Enter N to return to the menu Make sure the blank diskette you prepared is in drive A then press Y...

Page 166: ... or if you have not changed the setting in CMOS RAM with the Setup program an error occurs and the test ends 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 y...

Page 167: ...nter 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 descriptio...

Page 168: ...arious baud rates Current baud rate is 75 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 e...

Page 169: ...aracter set your computer uses 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 Press Y and then Enter to continue or press N and Enter to retu...

Page 170: ...n is printed correctly you can use the MS DOS GRAPHICS command to print out copies of graphics screens Hard Disk Drives 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 A...

Page 171: ...arting from the center 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...

Page 172: ...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 Re format the disk using option 2 Format hard disk on the OPERATION MENU 3 Recreate the MS DOS partition with FDISK and format it with SELECT See Chapter 3 4 Restore your files Read Verify Check This test reads and verifies data from all trac...

Page 173: ...tions there Run All Above Tests To run all the tests on the menu in sequence press 4 and then Enter When you choose this option all checks for the hard disk drives 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...

Page 174: ...2 TIMEOUT ERROR 108 8042 SELF DIAGNOSTIC ERROR 108 8042 WRITE COMMAND ERROR 109 8259 INTERRUPT CONTROLLER ERROR 110 146818 CMOS SHUTDOWN BYTE ERROR 111 146818 CMOS BATTERY ERROR 112 146818 CMOS CHECKSUM ERROR 113 80386 INSTRUCTION ERROR 114 80386 PROTECT MODE ERROR 1 115 80386 PROTECT MODE ERROR 2 Memory 201 MEMORY PARITY ERROR Keyboard 301 8042 ERROR 301 KEYBOARD ERROR 302 KEYBOARD IS NON STANDAR...

Page 175: ...ERROR 605 READ ERROR 606 DISK CHANGE CHECK REMOVE ERROR 607 DISK CHANGE CHECK INSERT ERROR Math coprocessor 80387 701 NOT INSTALLED 702 COPROCESSOR INITIALIZE ERROR 703 COPROCESSOR INVALID OPERATION MASK ERROR 704 COPROCESSOR ST FIELD ERROR 705 COPROCESSOR COMPARISON ERROR 706 COPROCESSOR ZERO DIVIDE MASK ERROR 707 COPROCESSOR ADDITION ERROR 708 COPROCESSOR SUBTRACTION ERROR 709 COPROCESSOR MULTIP...

Page 176: ...rol signal ALWAYS HIGH 1202 TIMEOUT ERROR 1203 VERIFY ERROR Dot matrix printer 1401 status Hard disk drives and controller 1701 SEEK ERROR 1702 WRITE ERROR 1703 READ ERROR 1704 HEAD ERROR 1705 ERROR DETECTION ERROR 1706 ERROR CORRECTION ERROR Alternate parallel port 2101 ERROR PIN p C 32 Performing System Diagnostics ...

Page 177: ...nal disk has not already been physically formatted You may also need to repeat the physical formatting process if you experience serious problems with a hard disk However before reformatting a disk that appears to be damaged use the Non destructive surface analysis test to determine if formatting is necessary If errors occur during this test back up your disk Then run the Conditional format option...

Page 178: ...o options format a hard disk Normally you use option 1 Conditional format Normal This option automatically locates any tracks that are flagged by the manufacturer and marks them so that they are never used Option 2 Unconditional format requires you to enter tracks that are to be flagged as bad and then allows you to edit the list of bad tracks The other two options test a hard disk for problems Us...

Page 179: ...ption to flag those tracks manually When you select an option from the HARD DISK FORMAT MENU the program determines the number of hard disk drives installed in your computer If you have more than one drive then each time you select a test you see this prompt Enter drive letter C D Press C or D and then press Enter If you have only one hard disk drive the option you select starts immediately Condit...

Page 180: ... start formatting Y N If there are no tracks with other errors and you are absolutely sure that you want to format the hard disk press Y and Enter The program then asks you once more if you want to continue You see this message and prompt DOUBLE CHECK THAT YOU HAVE BACKUP DISKETTE COPIES OF ALL YOUR FILES Do you want to exit and check your file copies Y N When you are certain no valuable data will...

Page 181: ... return to the menu Press Enter This may mean that the drive has never been formatted or that an error was not flagged If you see this message it is best to consult your dealer If you want to format the disk after receiving this error message do the following 1 If the drive is not formatted perform the Unconditional format Option 2 and enter any tracks you know are bad in the Bad Track Table See U...

Page 182: ... documentation with your hard disk recommends a different value You see this prompt Do you want default interleave of 1 Y N To accept the default press Y and Enter To change the value press N and Enter You see this prompt Enter interleave factor l n where n is equal to the maximum sector number For the ST 506 hard disk n is 16 for the ESDI hard disk n is either 33 or 35 Type the recommended value ...

Page 183: ... 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 complete a valid entry it appears in the table and you can select another command If you make a mistake move the cursor block to the incorrect track and press C to alter the track data Or you can press D to remove the track from the table Change the track data ju...

Page 184: ...e Read Restore Read check for all tracks Current cylinder is xxxx As each track is checked the cylinder number xxxx counts down to zero When the analysis is complete the program displays a complete report on the status of the disk including a table of unflagged tracks that produced write read errors For a hard disk with no unflagged bad tracks a display like this appears Analysis finished Count of...

Page 185: ...acks Cylinder is 237 head is 2 Press ENTER to return to the menu Press Enter to return to the HARD DISK FORMAT MENU Non destructive Surface Analysis The Non destructive surface analysis is slightly simpler than the Destructive surface analysis described in the previous section This option does not destroy any data and can safely be used to check the condition of your hard disk drives However this ...

Page 186: ...acks If no errors occur you see this message No read verify error was detected If errors are found the program displays a table of the tracks that gave errors similar to the one displayed by the destructive analysis After the status reports you see this message Press ENTER to return to the menu Check the information displayed then press Enter D 10 Physically Formatting a Hard Disk ...

Page 187: ... 940 8 ST 506 940 6 ST506 615 4 ST 506 462 8 ST 506 733 5 ST 506 900 15 ST 506 820 3 ST 506 855 5 ST 506 855 7 ST 506 306 8 ST 506 733 7 ST506 612 4 ST 506 977 5 ST506 977 7 ST 506 1024 7 ST 506 733 5 ST 506 733 7 ST 506 733 5 ST 506 306 4 ST 506 612 4 ST 5O6 306 4 ST 506 612 4 Sectors 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 Precomp 128 300 300 512 512 256 128 0 ...

Page 188: ......

Page 189: ...ss and 32 bit data bus 1MB RAM on memory card expandable using 256KB or 1MB SIMMs to 2MB 4MB 8MB 10MB or 16MB maximum 64KB 80387 support coprocessor is optional Supports up to two drives in any of four formats double density 360KB high density 1 2MB double density 720KB or high density 1 44MB controller on SPF card Supports up to two drives available in 40MB or 90MB ST506 or ESDI controller RS 232...

Page 190: ...ur drives maximum configurable using three 5 inch half height drives and one 5 inch full height drive Standard Optional Optional Optional Optional Optional Optional 5 inch half height floppy disk drive 1 2MB high density storage capacity 5 inch half height floppy disk drive 1 2MB high density storage capacity 5 inch half height floppy disk drive 360KB double density storage capacity 3 inch half he...

Page 191: ...ents Temperature Humidity Operating range 41 to 104 F 5 to 35 C Storage range 22 to 158 F 20 to 60 C Operating range 20 to 80 non condensing Storage range 20 to 90 non condensing Physical Characteristics Width Depth Height Weight without keyboard 19 6 inches 498 5 mm 17 4 inches 442 3 mm 6 7 inches 170 6 mm Single diskette drive model 29 9 lb 13 6 kg 40MB hard disk drive model 33 9 lb 15 4 kg 90MB...

Page 192: ...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 S...

Page 193: ...M 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 or a program into the computer s memory Byte A sequence or group of eight bits that represents one character CGA Color Graphics Adapter A type of ci...

Page 194: ... also Prompt 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 your computer to perform a specific function Coprocessor An option...

Page 195: ...tore data files as opposed to program files 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 where MS DOS executes your next command unle...

Page 196: ...g 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 pro...

Page 197: ... 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 Execution speed The speed at which the central processing unit can execute commands Also called operating speed The Equi...

Page 198: ...tored together on a disk Text files consist of words and sentences Program files consist of code and are used by computers to interpret and carry out instructions Filename A name of up to eight characters that MS DOS uses to identify a file Floppy disk See Diskette 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 an...

Page 199: ...B of data A 3 inch high density diskette can store 1 44MB of data Input output I O port See Port Interface A physical or software connection used to transmit data between equipment or programs Internal command An MS DOS command that is stored in the command processor of the operating system it is not a separate program file This means that you can execute an internal command without specifying a p...

Page 200: ...on of a physical disk drive treated by MS DOS as though it were a separate physical component of the computer A physical disk drive may be divided into several logical drives Main memory The amount of memory in the computer up to 1MB that is available to MS DOS and application programs Also called base memory Math coprocessor An optional device that enables the computer to process certain mathemat...

Page 201: ... module MGA Monochrome Graphics Adapter The type of display adapter that can display monochrome text or 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...

Page 202: ...vises all input and output Option card A circuit board you install inside the computer to provide additional capabilities such as a modem a hard disk controller or a mouse 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 the computer what particular conditions to look for Parent directory The directory...

Page 203: ...omputer 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 Primary partition The MS DOS partition from which the operating system starts Program A disk file that contains coded instructions and tells a computer what to do and how to do it Prompt A message displayed on the compu...

Page 204: ... to a given directory starting at the current default 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 reta...

Page 205: ...OM to RAM to speed up processing 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 SPF card The card that controls the serial parallel and floppy disk drive interfaces The SPF card occupies option slot number 9 in the Equity 386 Stop bit A signal se...

Page 206: ...a disk resembling the grooves on a record which help to divide the diskette into separate accessible areas There are 80 tracks on each side of a double sided 720KB 1 2MB and 1 44MB diskette and 40 tracks on each side of a double sided 360KB 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 that can display ...

Page 207: ...ion 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 inch diskette or by setting the write protect switch on a 3 inch diskette When a diskette is write protected you cannot erase change or record over its contents 16 Glossary ...

Page 208: ...T 5 30 31 Booting MS DOS 3 13 Break signal 4 4 C Cards display adapter see Video cards memory 6 3 serial parallel floppy SPF see SPF card video see Video cards CGA card see Video cards Changing directories 5 16 17 CHDIR CD 5 16 17 Clock and CMOS RAM check B 2 Clock real time 2 11 12 Clock calendar RAM C 7 F 2 CMOS RAM 2 1 B 2 C 7 Color graphics adapter CGA card see Video cards Color graphics adapt...

Page 209: ...ttes 4 12 4 16 17 files 4 12 system diskettes 1 15 16 Copy protected programs 2 6 7 Cover removing 6 3 5 replacing 6 18 19 CPU speed 2 6 7 4 2 3 CPU speed switch 4 3 CTRL ALT DEL 4 5 CTRL C 4 4 Current directory see Default directory Current drive see Default drive D Date setting 2 11 12 Default directory 5 12 changing 5 16 17 Default drive 5 2 changing 5 3 DEL command 5 9 Delimiters 5 3 Destructi...

Page 210: ...1 configuring 2 9 10 drive and controller check C 19 22 drive protector cards 1 2 3 drive seek check B 4 how they work 4 8 9 inserting diskettes 4 13 15 removing diskettes 4 13 15 types 4 8 12 using 4 8 18 Diskettes backing up 4 16 17 caring for 4 12 13 compatibility 4 11 copying 4 16 17 directories on 5 12 formatting 5 17 19 inserting 4 13 15 labeling 4 13 problems A 4 5 read write slot 4 13 remo...

Page 211: ...s Environmental requirements F 3 ERASE 5 9 Error codes and messages A 1 C 30 32 Expanded memory 5 32 34 Expansion memory option see Extended memory Expansion slots F 2 Extended memory 2 3 5 34 Extended partition 3 4 3 6 9 External command 5 4 F FDISK 3 1 3 5 9 D 1 Files MS DOS AUTOEXEC BAT 5 6 5 30 31 backing up 5 20 23 batch 5 6 5 30 31 COMMAND COM 5 11 A 5 CONFIG SYS 5 11 5 32 copying 5 6 8 crea...

Page 212: ...ing performance 4 19 how they work 4 8 9 parking the heads 4 20 21 partitioning 3 1 3 4 8 precautions 4 19 preparing for moving 4 20 21 preparing for use 3 1 13 problems A 5 6 removing controller card 6 12 13 replacing controller card 6 17 types E 1 2 using operating systems on 3 1 2 HDCACHE 4 19 5 34 HDSIT 4 20 21 HELP program 5 23 25 Help where to get Intro 4 Hercules display adapter see Video c...

Page 213: ...ns F 2 Math coprocessor 2 9 6 1 F 1 check C 22 Memory above 640K 5 32 34 C 8 base 2 3 cards 6 3 check C 7 8 extended 2 3 main 2 3 modules Intro l 6 1 3 setting 2 3 5 MENU program 5 17 5 20 5 25 27 MGA card see Video cards MKDIR MD 5 16 MODE 1 9 Modems connecting 1 8 9 Monitor connecting 1 4 6 problems A 3 selecting type 1 4 5 1 12 2 5 6 4 3 type select switch 1 12 Monochrome graphics adapter card ...

Page 214: ...ng files 5 8 9 starting 5 1 starting from hard disk 3 13 MS OS 2 Intro 2 3 2 N Non destructive surface analysis D 2 D 9 10 0 Optional RAM check B 4 Option cards 6 1 6 3 20 configuring 6 19 installing 6 6 17 memory 6 3 problems A 7 8 removing 6 17 19 testing 6 19 Option slots 6 3 6 6 7 F 2 Options installing 6 1 20 memory modules 6 1 3 P Parallel see also SPF card cable 1 7 8 interface 1 7 8 port 1...

Page 215: ...ource 1 4 supply F 2 Power on diagnostics B 1 5 Precautions computer 1 12 13 hard disk 4 19 Primary partition 3 4 5 PRINT 5 10 Printer connecting 1 6 9 interface check C 22 23 parallel interface 1 7 8 problems A 7 serial interface 1 8 9 Processor speed 2 6 7 4 2 3 R RAM check B 3 Random access memory RAM 2 8 9 Read only memory ROM B 1 C 7 F 1 BIOS 2 8 video 2 8 Read write heads 4 9 Real time clock...

Page 216: ...Setup program 2 1 14 E 1 auto speed function 2 6 7 display adapter type 2 5 6 mass storage 2 9 10 math coprocessor 2 9 memory 2 3 5 quitting the program 2 13 14 real time clock 2 11 12 shadow RAM 2 8 9 starting the program 2 2 3 Shadow RAM function 2 8 9 SIMMs grouping restrictions 6 2 installing 6 1 3 Software problems A 6 7 Speaker F 2 volume 4 4 Special keys 4 5 7 Specifications F 1 F 3 SPF car...

Page 217: ...packing the system 1 1 3 V Video cards color graphics adapter and CRT check B 4 compatibility 1 5 configuring 2 5 6 enhancing EGA VGA performance 2 8 monochrome display adapter and CRT check C 9 12 Video graphics array VGA card see Video cards Video monitors 2 5 6 VOLUME control knob 4 4 w Wildcard characters 5 8 Write protect notch 4 15 16 Write protect switch 4 16 Write protect tab 4 15 Write pr...

Page 218: ...hard disk indicator light release latch control knob switch drive slot voltage switch I option card slots I I power outlet I power inlet serial port parallel port ...

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