Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!pyrdc!grebyn!vrdxhq!tom
From: tom@vrdxhq.UUCP (Tom Welsh)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: My Compaq 8086 is finicky ...
Keywords: no boot from hard disk
Message-ID: <10269@vrdxhq.UUCP>
Date: 28 Sep 88 14:15:25 GMT
Organization: Verdix Corporation, Chantilly,  VA
Lines: 32

I am still having problems with my compaq ...


I tried a later version of dos (MS-DOS 3.2) and it still won't boot
from hard disk -- only floppy.  I would like to hear from someone
who has the following configuration and boots from the hard disk
with no problem --

   Compaq Deskpro (8086 NOT 8088)   (Actually, I have a NEC V30)
   1 5.25 360K drive
   1 20 MB hard disk
   1 3.5 720K drive
   640K memory
      (the memory is:   256k on mother board
                        256k on DAVONG memory board (bought in 1982 and
                                                     NO memory errors ever!)
                        128k on AST 6-pack plus)

THe Compaq was originally purchased in Aug 85 (Davong board was inherited
from my vintage IBM-PC)

To support the 3.5 drive, I use device = driver.sys.  Bizarrely, both
B: and D: point to the 3.5 drive (B is 360k, D is 720k).

Anyway -- I need help.  (And thanks to the people who suggested I
check FDISK to make sure I had an active partition...that would be a 
pretty brainless mistake -- but one I am certainly capable of.  Alas,
that WAS NOT the problem.)

I am not desperate, but I did resort to writing to Jerry Pournelle.    

Thanks in advance ...   Tom Welsh