How to get files off a really old computer?

[Illusio]

So we have this old computer that belonged to my wife's grandfather. There are a bunch of word docs we want to get off, but I am not sure how.

I originally thought about putting the hard drive in my desktop and just transferring the stuff over. But after opening it up, I realized the hard drive was not IDE. It is apparently MFM/RLL or something like that. Since I don't think a direct connection through the parallel port would work, the best I can come up with would be to find a USB 5.25" floppy drive and transfer things to disks back and forth. Although that could take quite a while.

Do those even exist? Is there an cable that would allow the hard drive to work in a current desktop? Any help would be appreciated.

 

[robisbell]

you'd have to locate a used PCI card to connect that old drive to and hope the new system doesn't overload it, or you could try a link cable like serial or parallel if the newish system has those still.

 

[Illusio]

the computer does have a parallel and serial port. If i were to connect it to one of my serial or parallel ports, would XP be able to see it as a drive? Never tried that before

 

[Illusio]

FYI, this is the computer (the hard drive model)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leading_Edge_Model_D

 

[robisbell]

well, does the machine boot that has this old drive? I'm going to assume Windows 3.1, WFW 3.11 is the OS on that machine, correct?

 

[Illusio]

It boots just fine. However it boots into an old version of DOS.

 

[robisbell]

yikes. thought it had MS Word docs on it?

 

[Illusio]

It does. Must have been a version of word released for DOS way back then

 

[Modelworks]

Download:
http://www.simtel.net/product....%5BSiteID%5Dsimtel.net
Then either make a laplink cable or buy one from here:
http://www.monoprice.com/produ..._id=508&seq=1&format=2

Then just transfer the files with the program.

Problem is going to be getting the file transfer program onto the older pc.
Check the drive, hopefully there is a terminal program on there somewhere.
If not, load up Gwbasic and type in the program below.
http://www.garypeek.com/basic/scp.bas

Note: the above Gwbasic program requires a null modem serial cable. Not the parallel version that the laplink uses.

 

[jackschmittusa]

robisbell

MFM/RLL far predates PCI and I can't imagine there is a card for it.

Word for DOS dates to '83.

Dark Jedi

Have you found an app that will work on your current rig that will read the old files? Various versions of Word have a history of having problems with the files from other versions.

 

[robisbell]

jack, I've been around longer than you imagine. I never saw a actual MS Word for dos, I remember a wordprocessors and others they supported, they did release it back in 83, just the people I worked with used other tried and true WP, and as for PCI controller cards, extremely hard to locate but I have seen them off and on available.

DJ, I'd say plug the drive into power and see if it spins up 1st, and doesn't make any weird noises, the other option is to locate a P3 system with a ISA slot and get a MFM/RLL controller card and install it and see if you can access it that way as well.

 

[Illusio]

The drive spins up with no problems. I was able to run word and read some of the docs. I'm trying not to use it too much incase something decides to conk out before I can get the files off.

 

[robisbell]

either the option Model works mentioned or maybe loacting a MFM/RLL controller card and a old P3 system with ISA, and moving the documents to a IDE drive