Attention Apex™ Owners The MGA card in your computer includes a game port, such as the one shown below. You can easily connect a joystick, track ball, or other pointing device to this port. Apex is a trademark of Epson America, Inc. Copyright © 1989 by Epson America, inc.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS 1. Read all of these instructions and save them for lacer reference. 2. Follow all warnings and instructions marked on the product. 3. Unplug this product from the wall outlet before cleaning. Do not use liquid cleaners or aerosol cleaners. Use a damp cloth for cleaning. 4. Do not use this product near water. 5. Do not place this product on an unstable cart, stand, or table. The product may fall, causing serious damage to the product. 6.
11. Never push objects of any kind into this product through cabinet slots, as they may touch dangerous voltage points or short out parts that could result in a risk of fire or electric shock. Never spill liquid of any kind on the product. 12. Except as specifically explained in the User’s Manual, do not attempt to service this product yourself. Opening or removing those covers that are marked "Do Not Remove" may expose you to dangerous voltage points or other risks.
IMPORTANT NOTICE DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY Epson America makes no representations or warranties, either express or implied, by or with respect to anything in this manual, and shall not be liable for any implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose or for any indirect, special, or consequential damages. Some states do not allow the exclusion of incidental or consequential damages, so this exclusion may not apply to you. COPYRIGHT NOTICE All rights reserved.
FCC COMPLIANCE STATEMENT FOR AMERICAN USERS This equipment generates and uses radio frequency energy and if not installed and used properly, hat is, in strict accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, may cause interference co radio and television reception.
Contents Introduction.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to Use This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Where to Get Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chapter 1 Setting Up Your System 1 Unpacking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Removing the Diskette Drive Protector Card . . . . . . . . . 2 Choosing a Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using Disks and Disk Drives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How Disks Store Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Choosing Diskettes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Caring for Diskettes and Diskette Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inserting and Removing Diskettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Write-protecting Diskettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Making Backup Copies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Formatting Diskettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Formatting Diskettes on the Apex 100 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Formatting Diskettes on the Apex 100\20 . . . . . . . . . . . Formatting Diskettes With One Diskette Drive (No Hard Disk) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Backing Up Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using the DISKCOPY Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using the BACKUP Command. . .
Software Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Printer Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Option Card Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Appendix A Changing DIP Switches and Using Setup Changing the DIP Switches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DIP Switch Set 1 (Internal Operations) . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Appendix C Power-on Diagnostics C-1 Timer and CMOS RAM Check. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-2 RAM Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-3 Keyboard Controller and Keyboard Check. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-3 Floppy Disk Drive Seek Check. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-4 System Device Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Floppy Disk Drives and Controller Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Formatting a Diskette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Starting the Floppy Disk Drive Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sequential Seek Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Random Seek Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Write, Read Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Speed Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Appendix F Preparing a Hard Disk for Use Creating the MS-DOS Partition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Formatting the MS-DOS Partition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Copying the Remaining Files to the Hard Disk . . . . . . . . . . . . Creating the AUTOEXEC.BAT File .......................... Booting From the Hard Disk. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Introduction Your Apex” personal computer is powerful, versatile, and easy to use. After setting up your system with the simple instructions in this manual, you’ll soon be using your favorite software programs. The Apex computer is available in these configurations: The Apex 100 provides two 360KB (kilobyte) diskette drives The Apex 100\20 provides one 20MB (megabyte) hard disk drive and one 360KB diskette drive.
As your needs grow, so can your computer; you can expand your system by adding a wide variety of options. You can install most option cards compatible with the IBM” Personal Computer. For example, you can add an internal modem card to provide data communications. If you use software that executes lengthy mathematical calculations, you may want to install an 8087-1, 10 MHz math coprocessor to speed up processing. How to Use This Manual This manual explains how to set up and care for your computer.
Appendix C provides information on the power-on diagnostics. Appendix D outlines the system diagnostic checks you can perform on your computer. If you are having trouble with any part of the hardware, you may want to run some of these diagnostic checks. Appendix E describes how to perform a hardware-level format on the hard disk.
Chapter 1 Setting Up Your System Setting up your Apex personal computer is easy. Just follow the nine steps in this chapter. You may want to leave the back cover foldout open so you can refer to the two illustrations identifying the different parts of the computer. Note: If you have experience setting up computers, you may prefer to follow the brief instruction on the Read This First card included with this manual.
Besides this manual, you should have the following: The computer and power cord The keyboard with attached cable Four diskettes: three that contain the MS-DOS operating system (Startup, Operating 1, and Operating 2), and a Reference diskette An MS-DOS Reference Manual. In addition to these items, you need a compatible video monitor to use with the computer. With the MGA (multigraphics adapter) card in the computer, you can use a monochrome or color graphics monitor.
Save the protector card and reinsert it whenever you move the computer. If you don’t plan to use your computer for a week or more, reinsert the card to help prevent dust from entering the disk drive. 2 Choosing a Location Before you set up your computer, it is important to choose the right location. Select a spot that provides the following: A large, sturdy desk or table that can easily support the weight of your system, including all its components. Make sure the surface is hard and flat.
Moderate environmental conditions. Protect your computer from extremes in temperature, direct sunlight, or any other source of heat. High humidity also hinders operation, so select a cool, dry area. Avoid dust and smoke, which can damage disks and disk drives and cause you to lose valuable data. Appropriate power sources. To prevent static charges, connect all your equipment to three-prong, 120-volt grounded outlets.
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 these general guidelines: 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-such as the Apex-come with permanently attached cables.) 3.
5. Plug the other end of the power cord into an electrical outlet. Note If the monitor has the proper type of plug, you can plug at into the auxiliary power outlet next to the AC power inlet on the back of the computer. 6. If you connected the monitor to the MGA card in the computer, set the color/mono monitor switch on the card to match the type of monitor you are using, either color or monochrome. 7. The Apex computer is set up to use an 80-column, color monitor.
4 Connecting a Peripheral Device The computer has a parallel interface and a serial interface on the back panel; so you can easily connect a printer or other device with either type of interface. For example, you can use the parallel port to connect a parallel printer; most printers have a parallel interface. You can use the serial port to connect a serial printer, a serial mouse, or an external modem.
3. Connect the other end of the cable to the printer as shown below. If the printer has retaining clips on each side of the printer port, squeeze them together to secure the cable. 4. 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. The Apex uses a 25-pin male connector, so be sure you have the proper cable. If you are not sure, check with the store where you bought the computer and printer. To connect a serial device, follow the same steps outlined above for a parallel device, but connect the cable to the serial port.
The Setup program on your Reference diskette lets you define the baud rate, parity, data length, and number of stop bits for a primary and a secondary serial port. See “Running the Setup Program” in Appendix A for instructions. To redirect the printer data you can use either the MS-DOS MODE command or the Epson MENU utility. (MENU provides an easy way to use MODE. For instructions, see the description of the Mode Settings option of the MENU program in your MS-DOS Reference Manual.
6 Connecting the Keyboard Follow these steps to connect the keyboard: 1. Facing the front of the computer, open the cover on the lower right comer; use the tip of your finger to pull it open from the right side.
2. Plug the keyboard cable into the socket, as shown below. Do not force the connector, but be sure to insert it all the way. 3. Push the cable into the notch at the right side of the computer, as shown below, so the cable leads away to the right side of the computer. 4. Close the keyboard cable cover.
Adjusting the Keyboard Angle You can change the angle of the keyboard by adjusting the legs on the bottom. Follow these steps: 1. Turn the keyboard over. 2. Press down on the front part of each leg, as shown below, and then use your thumbs to lift up the legs until they lock into place. 3. Turn the keyboard right-side up.
7 Turning On the Computer Before you turn on your computer, read the following safety rules to avoid accidentally damaging the computer or injuring yourself: Never turn the computer on with a protector card in the diskette drive. Do not unplug cables from the computer when the power switch is on. Never turn off or reset your computer while a disk drive light is on. This can destroy data stored on disk or make a whole disk unusable.
2. To turn on the computer, press the power switch. The power indicator on the front panel lights up. After a few seconds, the computer starts to perform an internal self test. This is a series of checks the computer completes each time you turn it on to make sure everything is working correctly. If anything is wrong, an error message appears on the screen.
If you have the Apex 100 (no hard disk), the computer does not load MS-DOS, but instead displays the following: Non-system disk or disk error Insert system diskette in drive A and strike any key when ready These messages tell you that you need to insert the MS-DOS Startup (system) diskette in the top drive, drive A, so the computer can load the operating system. Follow the instructions below. Note You can turn on the computer with Startup diskette in the drive.
2. When the diskette is in all the way, turn the latch down (clockwise) to lock the diskette in place. (For detailed instructions on inserting diskettes, see Chapter 2.) 3. Press any key. The computer loads MS-DOS into its memory where it will remain until you turn off the computer. Once MS-DOS is loaded, you see a date prompt, such as the following, which appears every time you load MS-DOS: Current date is Mon 7-24-1989 Enter new date (mm-dd-yy): 4.
You need to set the date and time this way only once; the computer’s real-time clock keeps track of the date and time even when the computer is off. The next time you load MS-DOS, you can just press Enter when you see each of these prompts to accept the displayed date and time. MS-DOS updates months and years correctly-whether the month has 31, 30, 29, or 28 days—and even accounts for leap years. You may need to change the time later, however, to accommodate a change such as daylight savings time.
If you load MS-DOS from the hard disk, the command prompt looks like this: C:\> The hard disk prompt is different because the Apex 100\20 has been set up with a special command that changes the command prompt to show the current directory. (A directory consists of a group of files stored together under an identifying name. See Chapter 3 for a complete description of directories.) The command that changes the command prompt is called PROMPT and it is stored in a file called AUTOEXEC.BAT. The AUTOEXEC.
2. If the date is correct, press Enter to leave it unchanged. To change the date, type the appropriate numbers for the month, day, and year, as shown. For example, to set the date for August 30, 1989, type the following and press Enter: 8-30-89 3. Next type TIME and press Enter. The screen displays the following: Current time is 09:32:21.0 Enter new time: If the time is correct, press Enter to leave it unchanged. To change it, enter the time in the format shown using a 24-hour clock.
9 Copying System Diskettes Now that you have set up your system and loaded MS-DOS, it is important that you make copies of your MS-DOS and Reference diskettes right away. Use only the copies (usually called “working copies”) for daily use and store the originals in a safe place. The procedure for copying diskettes depends on the number of diskette drives you have. Follow the instructions below for your model. You’ll need four blank, 360KB, double-sided, doubledensity, 5 1/4-inch diskettes.
3. Insert a blank 5 1/4-inch 360KB diskette in drive B (the bottom drive) and turn the latch down to secure the diskette. 4. Type the following and press Enter. DISKCOPY A: B: The screen displays these prompts: Insert SOURCE diskette in drive A: Insert TARGET diskette in drive B: Press any key when ready ... 5. Drive A (the top drive) already contains a diskette you want to copy (the source diskette) and drive B contains the blank target diskette, so just press any key.
8. Repeat the procedure for the Startup diskette and the Reference diskette. 9. When you finish copying the last system diskette and the Copy another diskette (Y/N)? prompt appears, press N to return to the MS-DOS command prompt. Copying Diskettes on the Apex l00\20 1. The C> prompt should be on the screen; if it is not, type C : and press Enter. 2. Type the following and press Enter: DISKCOPY A: A: The screen displays these messages: Insert SOURCE diskette in drive A: Press any key when ready . . . 3.
Then press any key. The DISKCOPY program copies the contents of the Startup diskette to the computer’s memory, and then you see the following: Insert TARGET diskette in drive A: Press any key when ready . . . 4. Remove the Startup diskette and insert a blank diskette (which is to be the target) in the drive. Then press any key. If the diskette is not formatted, the DISKCOPY program formats it. (Formatting prepares a diskette to store data and is described in Chapter 3.
Chapter 2 Using Your Computer This chapter covers the following basic procedures for using your computer: Changing the operating speed Using special keys on the keyboard Interrupting a command or program Resetting and turning off the computer Using disks and disk drives. Changing the Operating Speed Your computer can operate at two speeds: 4.77 MHz or 10 MHz. At 10 MHz, the computer performs all tasks faster, and you will probably use this speed for almost everything you do.
WARNING You can change the speed while the computer is on, but do not change it while you are running a program. Complete your current operation, exit the program to the MS-DOS command prompt, and then change the speed. Using Special Keys Certain keys on your keyboard serve special functions when your computer is running application programs. The following illustration shows the keyboard, and the table that follows describes the special keys.
Key Purpose Backspace Moves the cursor back one space, deleting the character to the left of the cursor. Enter Ends a line of keyboard input or executes a command (may be called the Return key in some application program manuals). Caps Lock Changes the letter keys from lower- to uppercase; changes back to lowercase when pressed again. The numeric/symbol keys on the top row of the keyboard are not affected. Esc Cancels the current command line or operation.
Stopping a Command or Program You may sometimes need to stop a command or program while it is running. Many application programs provide a command you can use to cancel or even undo an operation. If you have entered an MS-DOS command that you want to stop, try one of the following commands: Hold down the Ctrl key and press C Hold down the Ctrl key and press Break. These methods may also work in your application program.
WARNING Do not reset the computer to extra Do not the program unless you have to Same application progress classify and store new data when you exit the program. If you reset the computer without properly exiting the program, you may lose data To reset the computer, MS-DOS must be either on the hard disk or on a diskette in drive A; so if you have the Apex 100, insert the Startup diskette in drive A. There are three ways to reset.
Using Disks and Disk Drives The disk drives in your computer allow you to store data on disk, and then retrieve and use it when you like. The Apex 100 has two 360KB diskette drives and the Apex 100\20 has one 360KB diskette drive and one 20MB hard disk.
stored. Double-density diskettes have either 40 or 80 tracks, and high-density diskettes have 80 tracks. The double-density, 360KB diskettes you use in your Apex have 40 tracks. A hard disk consists of two or more platters stacked on top of one another; so it has four or more sides with many more tracks per side than a diskette. A disk is further divided by sectors. To understand what a sector is, picture the spokes on a bicycle wheel radiating from the center of the wheel to the tire.
Your computer uses the read/write heads in a disk drive to store and retrieve data on a disk. There is one head above the diskette and one below, so the drive can write to both sides of the diskette. To write to a disk, the computer spins it in the drive to a position where one of the read/write heads can access the diskette through the read/write slot. The read/write slot on a diskette exposes the diskette’s magnetic surface so the read/ write head can write on the appropriate area.
If you have an optional 720KB drive, use 3 l/2-inch, doublesided, double-density, 135 TPI, 720KB diskettes with this drive. These diskettes contain 80 tracks per side, 9 sectors per track, and hold up to 720KB of information-approximately 300 pages of text. Note You cannot use 3 1/2-inch diskettes that have been formed for 1.44MB in a 720KB diskette drive. You need to format new diskettes before you can use them with MS-DOS.
Keep diskettes away from magnetic fields. (Remember that diskettes store information magnetically.) There are many sources of magnetism in your home or office, such as electrical appliances, telephones, and loudspeakers. Do not place diskettes on top of your monitor or near an external disk drive. Never touch a diskette’s magnetic surface. The oils on your fingertips can damage it. Always hold a diskette by its protective jacket.
If you have the Apex 100\20, follow these additional precautions to protect your hard disk drive and its data: 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. Never attempt to open the hard disk drive. The disk itself is enclosed in a sealed container to protect it from dust.
If a diskette is in the drive but the latch is up (horizontal) and you enter a command for that drive, the computer cannot tell there is a diskette in the drive and displays an error message such as this: Drive A: not ready Make sure a diskette is inserted into the drive and the door is closed Press any key when ready . . . Close the latch and press any key to continue. To remove a diskette, turn the latch up until it is horizontal and the edge of the diskette pops out.
To remove a 3 1/2-inch diskette, press the release button to release it. When the edge pops out of the drive, pull out the diskette and store it properly. WARNING Never remove a diskette or num off the computer while the drive indicator light is on. You could lose data. Also, be sure to remove all diskettes before you turn off the computer. Write-protecting Diskettes You can write-protect a diskette to prevent its data from being altered.
Note Some program diskettes, such as your MS-DOS diskettes, have no notch so they are permanently write-protected. This protects them from being accidentally erased or altered. On a 3 1/2-inch diskette, the write-protect device is a small switch on the lower right comer on the back, shown below. To write-protect a 3 1/2-inch diskette, slide the switch toward the edge of the diskette until it clicks into position, exposing a hole in the comer.
Chapter 1 describes how to use DISKCOPY to copy your MS-DOS and Reference diskettes. To make backups of other diskettes, use the DISKCOPY command or the MENU program. See Chapter 3 for more instructions on using DISKCOPY and MENU. If you have the Apex 100\20, it is best to put most of the programs and data files you use regularly on the hard disk. Keep backup copies of all your program files on diskettes, however, and regularly copy important data files to diskettes as well.
On the Apex 100\20, you can load the operating system and application programs from the hard disk, create and store your data there, and use the diskette drive just for copying data to or from diskettes. Note If you have only one diskette drive and no hard disk, you need to use that drive to load the operating system as well as the application programs you are using.
MS-DOS lets you keep related files together in directories and subdirectories so they are easier to find and use. See Chapter 3 for instructions on how to use directories. Epson also includes the XTREE utility with MS-DOS. XTREE provides simple menus that allow you to move, create, delete, and rename files and directories. This program is especially useful on the hard disk drive because of the large number of files the disk can hold.
Preparing the hard disk for moving If you need to move your Apex 100\20 to a new locationwhether it is across the country or just across the room-there is a program you should run to protect the hard disk before you turn off the computer. The HDSIT program moves the disk drive’s read/write heads to a region on the disk surface that does not contain data, and locks them securely in position. This protects the hard disk from being damaged if the computer is bumped accidentally.
Chapter 3 Using MS-DOS With Your Computer Your computer comes with version 3.3 of MS-DOS. This operating system manages your computer by organizing the computer’s memory, controlling the monitor display, receiving keyboard input, and accessing data. To communicate with the operating system, you use MS-DOS commands. How much you need to know about MS-DOS depends on how you plan to use your computer.
Starting and Exiting MS-DOS Before you can run an MS-DOS application program, MS-DOS must be running in memory. Chapter 1 describes how to load MS-DOS on your computer. If you have the Apex 100\20, the computer loads MS-DOS from the hard disk automatically when you turn on the computer. If you do not have a hard disk, you need to insert your working copy of the MS-DOS Startup diskette in drive A and then turn on the computer to load MS-DOS.
Using Drive Designators MS-DOS uses letters to identify the disk drives in your system. If you have one diskette drive, it is known as drive A. If you have two diskette drives, the top one is called drive A and the bottom drive is B. If you have a hard disk drive, MS-DOS identifies it as drive C, even if you have only one diskette drive. The Default Drive At any given time, MS-DOS considers one disk drive to be the default drive.
Changing the default drive To change the default drive, type the letter of the drive you want to change to, followed by a colon. Then press Enter. For example, to change the default from A to C, type the following and press Enter: C: MS-DOS acknowledges the change by displaying the command prompt C>. Changing to a new drive is also called logging onto that drive.
Startup diskette ANSI.SYS COMMAND.COM COUNTRY.SYS DISPLAY.SYS DRIVER.SYS EGA.CPI FASTOPEN.EXE FDISK.COM FORMAT.COM KEYB.COM KEYBOARD.SYS MODE.COM NLSFUNC.EXE PRINTER.SYS REPLACE.EXE SELECT.COM SYS.COM VDISK.SYS XCOPY.EXE 4201.CPI EDLIN.COM FC.EXE FIND.EXE FORMAT.COM GRAFTABL.COM GRAPHICS.COM JOIN.EXE LABEL.COM MORE.COM PRINT.COM RECOVER.COM RESTORE.COM SHARE.EXE SORT.EXE SUBST.EXE TREE.COM XTREE.EXE XTREEINS.DAT XTREEINS.EXE TESTBUG.COM MENU.EXE SETATTR.EXE SETBCKUP.EXE SETFC.EXE SETMODE.EXE SETPRINT.
To run an external command, MS-DOS must be able to locate the file containing the command’s instructions. If it cannot find the file, MS-DOS gives you an error message. If you have the Apex 100\20, all the external files are on your hard disk (drive C) in a directory named \DOS; so MS-DOS can find any external command you need. If you have the Apex 100 (with no hard disk), you must insert the proper diskette to access an MS-DOS command.
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 co process and where to locate or store a file. Delimiters are characters such as spaces or commas that separate command names and parameters. For example, the command to format a diskette in drive A is: FORMAT is the command name to execute the file FORMAT.COM.
You can enter an MS-DOS command whenever you see the MS-DOS command prompt. Type the command name and any necessary parameters and delimiters and then press Enter to execute the command. MS-DOS does not execute your command until you press Enter. You can type command names and parameters in either uppercase or lowercase letters.
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 (which is optional). You can choose a name up to eight characters long. Create a name that identifies the information the file contains. The name can contain any characters or numbers except for blank spaces and the following symbols: * \ / { } : I < > + = ; . ? The extension is optional and can be up to three characters long.
Copying Files You can use the COPY command to copy individual files or groups of files. COPY is an internal command; you can use it any time you see the MS-DOS command prompt. You can use the COPY command to copy files in several ways: You can copy individual files from one disk to another You can copy a group of files using wildcard characters You can copy one or more files and give them new names You can combine or merge files into one file.
To copy the file named REPORT to the same diskette and name the copy FACTS, type the following and press Enter: COPY REPORT FACTS Now you have two files on the default drive that have the same contents but different names. In this example, you can omit the drive designators because the original file and the copy are both on the current drive. Using wildcards An easy way to copy a group of files is by using wildcard characters in the filenames. You can use two wildcards: * and ?.
To copy REPORT, FACTS, and MEMO from drive A to a file named DATA on drive B, type the following and press Enter: COPY A:REPORT + A:FACTS + A:MEMO B:DATA Remember these rules when copying files: You must tell MS-DOS where to find the original file and where to store the copy; that is, you need to specify the drive (and directory, if necessary) for Both. You cannot create a new file with the same name and in the same directory as an existing file.
You can shorten the RENAME command to REN. To change the name of a file from HAMMERS to WRENCHES, therefore, you can type the following and press Enter: REN HAMMERS WRENCHES You can use wildcards to rename groups of files. For example, to change just the extensions of all files on drive B with the extension .NEW to .OLD, type the following and press Enter: REN B:*.NEW *.OLD To add the extension .
You can use wildcards to delete groups of files. For example, to delete all files on the diskette in drive A (in the current directory), you could type the following and press Enter: DEL A:*.* Because deleting all files is a serious procedure, MS-DOS prompts you to confirm the command when you use the *.* wildcard combination with the DEL command. You see this prompt: ARE YOU SURE (Y/N)? Press Y for yes or N for no. A synonym for DEL is ERASE.
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 disk can store thousands of files. To help you organize this much information, MS-DOS lets you subdivide a disk into logical units called directories.
As the number of files in your WORDPROC and SPDSHEET directories grows, you can create additional directories subordinate to those two-like this, for example: This structure would let you segregate your business word processing files from your personal word processing files, and your sales spreadsheets from spreadsheet files used for financial projections. Your directory structure may be as simple as this example or it could be much more complex.
The following sections discuss the basics of creating and using directories. Note: The XTREE utility provides a simple way to see and organize your directories. See the description of XTREE later in this chapter. The Default Directory MS-DOS always recognizes one directory as the &fault 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.
To change from PERSONAL back to WORDPROC, you can use the special symbol . . (two periods) or you can use an absolute pathname. (The . . symbol always designates the parent directory, which is the level above the current directory.) In other words, you can type: CD . . or CD \WORDPROC Using Pathnames A pathname tells MS-DOS how to find its way to the directory you want to access. There are two types of pathnames: relative and absolute.
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 above example), the pathname . . \ DOS would tell MS-DOS to move up one level from WORDPROC (in this case to the root directory) and then find a subdirectory called DOS.
For example, suppose you are logged onto the root directory of drive A, and you want to delete the file JEAN1204.DOC, which is stored in the directory \ WORDPROC\ PERSONAL of drive C. Enter the command as follows: DEL C : \WORDPROC\PERSONAL\JEAN1204.DOC Note that if you change from one drive to another and then try to access a file on the previous drive, MS-DOS remembers which was the default directory when you were last logged onto that drive.
Note MS-DOS provides several commands that make using pathnames easy: APPEND lets you set a search path for date files and executable files so MS-DOS known where to find them even if you don' specify the drive and directory. PATH lets you specify a search path for commands and programs files; so you don't have to type a full pathname every time you want to run an application program or an MS-DOS command.
In this case, you do not need to specify the path to the LEDGER directory because it is the default directory. Listing the Contents of a Directory You can use the DIR command to list all the files in a particular directory.
This switch causes MS-DOS to pause after displaying each screenful of information. To see the next screenful, press any key. Another way to view a long directory listing is to use the /W switch: DIR /W This displays the directory listing in a wide format, as follows: Directory of C:\WORDPROC\PERSONAL . . . LETTER.713 RESUME BOOKRPRT 5 File(s) 16013560 bytes free As you can see, this type of listing does not show the size of the file or the time and date it was last modified.
The screen displays a report for every directory on the drive, for example: Path: C:\LEDGER Sub-directories:RECEIV PAYABL SALES If you would also like to see a list of all the files in the directories, add the /F switch to the command: TREE /F The screen displays the directory information shown above plus the names of all files in each subdirectory, for example: Path: C:LEDGER\SALES Sub-directories:None Files : DECSALES FORECAST.
To delete an empty directory from a disk, use the RMDIR command, or its shorthand equivalent, RD. For example, to remove the directory ACCOUNTS, which is a subdirectory in the LEDGER directory, type the following and press Enter: RD \LEDGER\ACCOUNTS If you are currently in the LEDGER directory, you can enter the command as follows: RD ACCOUNTS Formatting Diskettes Before you can store data on a new diskette, you must format it. Formatting prepares the diskette so that MS-DOS can write to it.
Note Besides the method described below, you can also format diskettes using the Epson MENU utility. This program is easy to use because it lets you select options from a Menu. For more information, see the section on MENU later in this chapter or see your MS-DOS Reference Manual. Formatting Diskettes on the Apex 100 1. Make sure you are logged onto drive A, with your working copy of the MS-DOS Startup diskette in the drive. 2.
The formatted diskette is now ready to store data. See the MS-DOS Reference Manual for information about options you can use with the FORMAT command. Formatting Diskettes on the Apex 100\20 1. If necessary, type C : to log onto drive C. 2. When you see the C> 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. insert the diskette you want to format in drive A and press Enter to start formatting. 4.
Formatting Diskettes With One Diskette Drive (No Hard Disk) If your computer has only one diskette drive and no hard disk, follow this procedure to format a diskette: 1. Insert the working copy of your MS-DOS Startup diskette in drive 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.
Backing Up Data It is very important to keep backup diskettes containing copies of the files you create. You can copy data and program files several ways: You can use the COPY or XCOPY command to copy individual files or groups of files. You can use the DISKCOPY command to make an exact duplicate of a diskette. You can use the BACKUP command to back up hard disk files to diskettes.
If the diskette you are copying to has not been formatted, DISKCOPY formats it automatically before copying the data. The procedure for copying diskettes depends on whether you have one or two diskette drives. Follow the instructions below for your model. Using DISKCOPY with the Apex 100 1. Make sure the diskette you want to copy is write-protected. (See Chapter 2 for instructions.) 2. Insert the Operating 1 diskette in drive A. 3.
Using DISKCOPY with the Apex 100\20 1. Make sure the diskette you want to copy is write-protected. (See Chapter 2 for instructions.) 2. If necessary, type C : to log onto drive C. 3. At the C> prompt, type the following and press Enter: DISKCOPY A: A: MS-DOS displays this message: Insert SOURCE diskette in drive A: Press any key when ready . . . 4. Insert the diskette you want to copy from (the source) in the diskette drive and press any key.
Using DISKCOPY with one drive only If your computer has only one diskette drive and no hard disk, follow these steps to copy a diskette: 1. Make sure the diskette you want to copy is write-protected. (See Chapter 2 for instructions.) 2. Insert the Operating 1 diskette in the diskette drive. 3. At A> prompt, type the following and press Enter: DISKCOPY A: A: MS-DOS displays this message: Insert SOURCE diskette in drive A: Press any key when ready . . . 4.
Using the BACKUP Command Use the BACKUP command to back up the data on your hard disk. It provides a convenient and efficient way to copy the files on your hard disk.
Special Epson Utilities Epson has included several time-saving utilities to make MS-DOS easier for you to use: HELP 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, and it is especially useful for managing data on a hard disk. Each of these programs is described below.
To use the HELP menu, follow these steps: 1. Type HELP at the MS-DOS command prompt and press Enter. 2. The screen displays a menu of MS-DOS commands. Use the cursor keys to highlight the command you want information about and press Enter. 3. If there is more than one screen of information about the command you selected, you see the prompt PgUp at the top of the screen. Press the PgUp key to display the rest of the text. 4. To return to the HELP menu, press the ESC key.
You can also request help information for more than one command. Follow these steps: 1. At the command prompt, type HELP followed by the names of the commands you want information about. Then press Enter. Separate each command name with a space. For example, to see help information for the DISKCOPY, FORMAT, and COPY commands, type the following and press Enter: HELP DISKCOPY FORMAT COPY 2. The help information for the first command is displayed first.
2. Type MENU at the command prompt and press Enter. You see this main menu: EXIT File Utilities Disk Utilities Mode Settings Help Enter DOS Command 3. To select an option, use the arrow keys to highlight your selection and then press Enter. Most options contain submenus; keep highlighting your selection and pressing Enter until you have selected the desired operation.
MENU program options Following is a description of each option. For step-by-step instructions on using each MENU option, see your MS-DOS Reference Manual. File Utilities Lets you back up and restore files, replace files, compare files, change file attributes, copy files, and copy directories. This option does the work of the MS-DOS commands BACKUP, RESTORE, REPLACE, FC, ATTRIB, and XCOPY. Disk Utilities Lets you check, copy, compare, and format diskettes.
Using XTREE Epson has included the XTREE program with MS-DOS to make it easier for you to manage files and run other MS-DOS programs. XTREE is especially useful for managing the data on a hard disk, where you may have hundreds of files. XTREE lets you do the work of many MS-DOS commands through a convenient menu, and provides several features not available elsewhere in MS-DOS.
This menu provides the following information: Path: Shows the pathname for the current directory. A single backslash identifies the root directory. The directory structure illustrated under this backslash reflects the organization of the directories on the disk. In this case, there is one subdirectory called DOS. If there are no directories listed under the backslash, the disk contains no subdirectories under the root directory. 3-40 PILE Shows the files XTREE is set to display.
DISK Statistics Summarizes information about the files on the disk. Files window Lists the names of all the files in the current directory. DIR COMMANDS Displays all the key commands you can use while this display is on the screen. Just press the uppercase letter in the command name to perform the function. You use the cursor keys, letter keys, function keys, the Ctrl key, and the Alt key to perform various functions in XTREE. Use the cursor keys to move the highlighted bar.
Function keys control XTREE itself. Press F1 to quit XTREE, F2 to display a screen of help information, or F3 to cancel a command. XTREE displays the available commands and the key that executes each command on the lower right comer of your screen. There are many ways you can put XTREE to work. All disk setup and maintenance functions can benefit from this utility. You can add XTREE to batch files like any other MS-DOS command-you could even put it in an AUTOEXEC.
Using an AUTOEXEC.BAT File You may find that there are some commands you want to run every time you turn on your computer. To run a command or a series of commands automatically upon startup, you can type the commands in a special file called AUTOEXEC.BAT. When you load MS-DOS, it always looks for this file. If MS-DOS finds an AUTOEXEC.BAT file in the root directory, it executes the commands in that file. Here are some tasks you can perform using an AUTOEXEC.
Creating an AUTOEXEC.BAT File You can create an AUTOEXEC.BAT file using any command or program that lets you create a text-only file. If you have a word processing program that can save a file as a text-only file (sometimes called an ASCII text file), you can use that program to create your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. Here’s an example of an AUTOEXEC.BAT file: PATH C:\; C:\DOS PROMPT $P The first line tells MS-DOS to look for programs or batch files in the root directory and the DOS directory.
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 last command, press Enter to move the cursor to the next blank line. 4. Now press F6 and then Enter. MS-DOS copies everything you typed to the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. From now on, MS-DOS runs the commands in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file every time you turn on or reset the computer.
Chapter 4 Installing Option Cards Option cards are accessories you can add to your computer to provide extra system capabilities. For example, you may want to install an auto-dial modem or a different display adapter card. You can install up to five 8-bit option cards in the computer at one time, but one slot is occupied by the video card that operates your monitor. If you have the Apex 100\20, another slot contains the hard disk drive controller card.
Removing the Cover Before you install an option card in your computer, you need to remove the cover. WARNING Never open the case of the computer while it is plugged into an electrical outlet. Turn off the power switch of the computer and any other peripheral devices connected to it; then unplug the power cable before removing the case. 1 If the monitor is on top of the computer, disconnect it and move it to one side. Disconnect the keyboard and any peripherals and set them out of the way too.
3. The top cover is secured by two screws on each side of the computer. The two screws on the left side of the unit are covered by small plastic inserts, as shown below. Gently remove the inserts with a small screwdriver; then remove the screws on both sides of the computer. Put the screws and inserts safely aside. 4. Tilt the cover up slightly from the back and pull it toward you and away from the computer, as shown below. Set the cover aside for now.
Inserting an Option Card Most option cards can be placed into any of the option slots. Some cards, however, must be installed in a specific slot. Check the option card manual to see if your option card must go in a specific slot. If you are installing a new video card, you must remove the MGA card that comes installed in your computer. Even though option cards are designed to fit only one way, it is a good idea to examine the card first and follow the instructions closely. 1.
2. Put the option slot cover in a safe place in case you later remove the option card. Keep the screw and washer. You will use them to secure the option card to the computer. If you select one of the two slots that has a grounding tab attached, be sure to replace it in step 6. 3. Unpack the option card and read all instructions that come with it. If necessary, adjust switches or jumper connections on the card.
4. Grip the card firmly by the top comers. Hold it so the connector pins are pointing down and the components are facing the inside of the computer, as shown below. 5. Insert the card straight down into the slot. Once the connector pins are in the connector slot, push down firmly (but carefully) to fully insert the card. If the connector pins do not seem to be going in smoothly, do not force the card; pull it all the way out and try again. Be sure to keep the card straight. 6.
Removing an Access Slot Cover Some option cards, such as the video card, have an outlet for connecting an external device. If you install an option card that has an external connector for other equipment (such as a monitor), you need to remove the plastic access slot cover on the computer’s back panel that corresponds to the option card slot. Follow these steps: 1. Lay the back panel down as shown below. Each individual access slot cover is held in position by a tab at the bottom and a clip at the top. 2.
Removing an Option Card If you later need to remove an option card, simply reverse the steps you followed to install it. Remove the screw securing the card to the back of the computer and pull the card straight up and out of the slot. Then carefully wrap the card, preferably in the original packing materials, and place it inside its box for safe storage. Cover the end of the empty option slot with the original metal cover and secure it with the retaining screw.
3. Secure the cover by replacing the screws on both sides of the computer. Snap the plastic inserts into the side feet. 4. Replace the back panel and the three screws along the top edge. 5. Return the computer to its original position and reconnect it to the monitor, the keyboard, and any peripherals you have. 6. Check to make sure the power switch is off. Reconnect the power cable to the back of the computer and to an electrical outlet.
When you finish installing an option card and reconfiguring the system, you should test the option if possible. Some option cards come with their own diagnostics programs, and you can test others with the diagnostics programs on your Reference diskette. The options you can test with the Reference diskette include the following: Expansion memory 8087-1 math coprocessor Serial and parallel ports Monitors and display adapters Disk drives. See Appendix D for instructions.
Installing the Optional Controller First remove the cover of the computer as described earlier in this chapter. Then see the documentation supplied with the optional disk drive controller card for detailed instructions on how to connect the drives to the option card. The drive cables for drives A and B are normally connected to connector CN5 on the system board (shown in the following illustration).
Changing the Jumper Setting To disable the built-in diskette drive controller, you need to change the setting of Jumper J1 on the main system board. See the illustration above for the location of this jumper, near the option slots. If an option card is installed in slot number five, you may need to remove the card to reach the jumper. A jumper is a small electrical connector that controls one of the computer’s functions.
Chapter 5 Troubleshooting You should not encounter any difficulties as you set up and use your computer, but if anything out of the ordinary happens, refer to this chapter. You can correct most problems by adjusting a cable connection, repeating a software procedure, or resetting the computer. If you still have a problem after trying the solution recommended here, consult your Epson Customer Care Center.
Replace the system (Startup) diskette, if necessary, and turn the computer on again. 2. If the computer’s power light still does not come on, check the electrical outlet for power. Turn off your computer and unplug the power cord from the wall outlet. Plug a lamp into the wall outlet, and turn it on to see if the outlet supplies power. 3. If the electrical outlet is working and all the connections are secure but your computer still won’t start, call your Customer Care Center.
4. If your computer still does not respond, you can reset it with the RESET button. Follow the instructions in Chapter 2. 5. If resetting the computer does not work, turn off the computer, wait at least five seconds, and turn it on again. If you have the Apex 100, insert the Startup diskette in drive A. The computer should load MS-DOS and display the MS-DOS command prompt on the screen. Keyboard Problems If you are having trouble with the keyboard, check the following: 1.
2. If the power switch is on but the power light is not, turn off the monitor’s power, wait five seconds, and turn the power back on. Wait a few seconds to see if the screen displays any text. 3. If the monitor’s power light still does not come on, check the electrical outlet for power. Turn off your monitor and unplug it from the wall outlet. Plug a lamp into the wall outlet, and turn it on to see if the outlet supplies power. 4.
Note If your application program requires a monitor that supports graphics but you have a monochrome monitor, the results will be unpredictable. 7. If you are still having difficulty with your monitor, try running either the Monochrome Display Adapter and CRT Check or the Color Graphics Display Adapter and CRT Check, both of which are described in Appendix D of this manual. If the diagnostics program indicates an error, contact the place where you bought the monitor.
If you have the optional 720KB drive, use 3 1/2-inch double-sided, double-density diskettes. You cannot use 3 1/2-inch diskettes that were formatted for 1.44MB in this drive. 4. If your diskette is the right type for your drive, check to see if the diskette is write-protected. There may be a writeprotect tab over the notch on the side of the diskette (5 1/4-inch) or the write-protect switch may be set (on a 3 1/2-inch diskette). You cannot store or revise data on a write-protected diskette.
If you are not able to copy all the files from the defective diskette, copy as many as you can and then use the MS-DOS program RECOVER. This program recovers all the data that it can read on the diskette. It is specifically designed to work on disks that may be defective. Consult your MS-DOS Reference Manual for instructions on using RECOVER. Note RECOVER renames all files on the diskette, so use it only after you have copied as many files as possible with the MS-DOS COPY command. 6.
The CHKDSK program can recover data that has been inadvertently lost on the diskette. It makes changes to the diskette if you use the /F switch in the command like this: CHKDSK A: /F See the description of CHKDSK in your MS-DOS Reference Manual before making corrections to the diskette. Diskette Drive Problems Follow these steps if you are having difficulty with a diskette drive: 1. If the diskette is not turning or the diskette drive is making loud noises, do not attempt any further examination of it.
Hard Disk Problems If you are having problems with the hard disk in your Apex 100\20, try the following steps: 1. If this is the first time you have used the computer after setting it up and the hard disk does not load MS-DOS when you turn it on, it may be missing one of the MS-DOS system files. Turn off your computer and insert your working copy of the Startup diskette into drive A. Then turn your computer on again. Press Enter twice to accept the date and time prompts.
3. If you can boot from a diskette but cannot access data stored on your hard disk, you may have accidentally repartitioned or reformatted part or all of the disk. Use the Display Partition Information option of the FDlSK program to see if your hard disk has an active (bootable) DOS partition on it. If it does not, back up all your files and then use FDISK to create an MS-DOS partition. See your MS-DOS Reference Manual for instructions on using FDISK.
Follow the instructions in Appendix E to perform a low-level (Conditional) format. Follow the instructions in Appendix F to prepare the hard disk for use. 6. If you have installed a hard disk drive made by another company in your computer, it may need to be partitioned and formatted. If this is the case, see Appendix F for instructions. If it needs a low-level (physical) format, do that before you partition the disk. (See Appendix E for instructions.
To interrupt an MS-DOS command while it is executing, try one of the following commands: Hold down the Ctrl key and press C Hold down the Ctrl key and press Break. 4. An application program can occasionally lock the computer, making it unresponsive to the keyboard. If your computer does not respond when you type on the keyboard, you can reset it. Follow the instructions in Chapter 2. Printer Problems Below are some general steps to follow if you are having difficulty with your printer.
4. If your printer is properly set up but is still not functioning, test it from the MS-DOS level. When the MS-DOS command prompt (such as A> or C>) is showing on the screen, press Shift PrtSc. This should print the contents of the screen on your printer. If it does not, you may need to change the internal setting of the computer’s parallel port (or serial port for a serial printer). To make this change, use the MS-DOS MODE command or the MENU utility.
3. If you changed the configuration of your computer-for example, if you added a disk drive, serial or parallel port, or display adapter card-did you change the necessary DIP switches on the computer? See Appendix A for more information. 4. If you used the option card to add an external device to your computer, did you use the proper cable to connect the device to the option card connector on the back panel? 5.
Appendix A Changing DIP Switches and Using Setup This Appendix describes how to change the DIP switches on the front panel of your computer and how to run the Setup program on your Reference diskette. You may need this information if you have changed the physical configuration of your computer or you want to set the parameters for a serial port. Changing the DIP Switches The DIP switches on your computer are set to provide the computer with information about its configuration.
Note Set the DIP switches only while your computer is off. Because software programs check the settings each time you cum on the system, do not change the settings while a program is running. Your computer has two sets of DIP switches; set 1 contains eight switches which control the computer’s internal operations, and set 2 contains four switches which control the parallel and serial ports. The label inside the DIP switch cover shows the function and factory setting of each DIP switch.
Switch 1 (keyboard type)—tells your computer what kind of keyboard you are using. If you are using the keyboard chat came with your computer, this switch should be ON to select the standard keyboard. If you have purchased an enhanced (101 key) keyboard co use with the computer, set this switch OFF. Switch 2 (coprocessor&cells your computer whether or not an optional math coprocessor is installed. The factory setting is ON to tell the system chat this option has not been installed.
DIP Switch Set 2 (Parallel and Serial Port Operations) The following cable lists the parallel and serial port functions controlled by DIP switch set 2. DIP switch set 2. 1 Parallel Primary Secondary Disable Serial Primary Secondary Disable 2 3 4 OFF ON Off OFF ON ON OFF OFF ON OFF ON These switches cell the computer how to access the built-in parallel and serial ports. You do not need co change the factory settings unless you install an option card with an additional parallel or serial port.
If you install two option cards with parallel ports, designate one as the primary port and the other as the secondary port. In this ease, you need co set switches 1 and 2 ON to disable the built-in port. Note If MS-DOS searches the system for a parallel port and finds only one, it names it LPT1. If there are two parallel ports, it names the primary port LPT1 and the secondary LPT2. Switches 3 and 4 (serial port)—tell the computer how co access the built-in serial port.
Running the Setup Program You can use the Setup program on your Reference diskette to set (or change) the following for your computer: Time and date stored in the real-time clock Primary serial port settings Secondary serial port settings. The information you define with the Setup program is scored in the computer’s CMOS RAM, which is a permanent area of the computer’s memory because it is backed up by a battery. Whenever you cum on the computer, it searches the CMOS RAM for the setup information.
2. Turn on or reset the computer. You see the following Operation menu: OPERATIONMENU 1 - Setup 2 - Format hard disk 3 - Format diskette 4 - System diagnostics 5 - Prepare hard disk formoving 0 - Exit to DOS for more utilities Enter selection number:_ This is the menu for the setup and diagnostics programs on the Reference diskette. 3. Press 1 and Enter to select the set up option.
If you do not want to change anything in the Setup menu or if you have finished making changes, press to highlight the E x i t option. See “Leaving the Setup Program,” below, for instructions. See the appropriate section below for the Setup option you want to use. Setting the Real-time Clock The real-time clock in your computer keeps track of the time and date at all times-even when the computer is turned off. Use the Real-time clock option to set the time and date for your computer.
If you enter an invalid time-for example, a number greater than 23 for the hours or greater than 59 for the minutes or seconds-the computer keeps and ignores your entry. Try again. You can use the backspace key, if necessary, to correct mistakes. When the time is correct, press Enter. 4. To set the date, highlight Date and press Enter. You see this box: mm-dd-yy — S.
Note Another way to change the real-time clock's time and date is with the MS-DOS (version 3.3 or later) TIME and DATE commands. See your MS-DOS Reference Manual for instructions. Changing Serial Port Settings The primary and secondary serial port settings let you change the default values for the serial port(s) in your computer.
To verify or change the primary serial port parameters, highlight Primary serial port and press Enter. To change the secondary serial port parameters, highlight Secondary serial port and press Enter. Foreither option, you see a menu similar to this: 1200 bps Baud rate None Parity Data length 7 bits 1 bit(s) Stop bits *** SAVE SETTINGS *** The procedure for changing the default settings is identical for the primary and secondary serial ports.
Use the arrow keys to highlight the desired communication speed and then press Enter. Parity To set the type of parity check, highlight Parity and press Enter. You see the following choices: None Odd Even Highlight the desired type of parity check and press Enter. Data length To change the data length value, highlight Data length and press Enter. The number changes from 8 to 7, or from 7 to 8. Press Enter again if you want to change back to the other number.
Leaving the Setup Program When you finish setting the options in the Setup menu, highlight the Exit option and press Enter. You see a summary such as this: Real-timeclock Time Date 13:35:31 08-30-1989 Primary serial port Baud rate 1200 bps Data length 7 bits Parity None Stop bits 1 bit(s) Secondary serial port Baud rate 1200 bps Data length 7 bits Parity None Stop bits 1 bit(s) Change settings Exit without saving ** EXIT AND SAVE ** Check the list to see if all the information is correct.
2. If you have the Apex 100, insert the Startup diskette in drive A. If you have the Apex 100\20, leave the diskette drive empty. 3. Highlight ** EXIT AND SAVE ** and press Enter. The program stores the new settings and resets the computer using the new configuration. 4. If you have the Apex 100\20, the C> prompt appears on the screen. If you have the Apex 100, the computer loads MS-DOS from the Startup diskette and displays the date prompt.
Appendix B Specifications Main Unit 16-bit CPU 8088-1 microprocessor; 4.
Speaker interface Option slots Internal, controlled by timer/ counter Five, B-bit IBM-compatible inputoutput expansion slots; one slot is occupied by a display adapter card and on the Apex 100\20, another contains the hard disk drive controller card Keyboard Detachable, three positions, 84 sculpted keys Layout 56-key QWERTY main keyboard, l&key numeric pad, 10 function keys (user-definable) Function keys Three levels (normal/shift/alternate) user-definable Mass Storage Two internal drives maximum Sta
Power Supply Switching type, fan-cooled Output voltage:-5 VDC, +5 VDC, -12 VDC, +12 VDC Auxiliary AC Power Requirements: 115/230 VAC (switch selectable) Power Rating: 83W average, 102W peak Environmental Requirements Temperature Operating range: 40° to 95°F (5” to 35°C) Non-operating range: 5° to 140°F (-15” to 60°C) Humidity Operating range: 20% to 80%, non-condensing Non-operating range: 10% to 90%, non-condensing Physical Characteristics Width 14.4” (365 mm) Depth 14.8” (377 mm) Height 5.
Video and Display Options Standard Multi-graphics adapter card; color or monochrome, switch-selectable; installed in option slot Supports Epson- and IBMcompatible monochrome monitor: monochrome text, 80-character x 25-line display, 9 x 14 character ® block; Hercules monochrome text/ graphics, 720 x 348 Supports Epson- and IBMcompatible color monitor: color graphics, 40-character x 25-line display (low-resolution text), 80character x 25-line display (highresolution text), 640 x 200 (highresolution graphics)
™ ActionPrinters by Epson T-1000 9-pin, 80-column, dot-matrix printer; 180 cps draft/30 cps near letter quality (CO1 8011) Black ribbon (8750) Single bin cut sheet feeder (7341A) T-750 9-pin, 136-column, dot-matrix printer; 240 cps draft/48 cps near letter quality (C020011) Black ribbon (8755) Single bin cut sheet feeder (8348) L-1000 24-pin, 80-column, dot-matrix printer; 180 cps draft/60 cps letter quality (C019011) Black ribbon (7753) Single bin cut sheet feeder (7341A) Optional letter quality font
ActionPrinter accessories L-1000/L-750 Replacement ribbon (7753) T-1000/T-750 Replacement ribbon (8758) Universal printer stand (CPD-552-B) Printer cable (C1-9E-B) Serial interface board (8143) Intelligent serial interface board (8148) Intelligent IEEE-488 interface board (8165) Computer accessories Internal 300/1200 baud modem card (C203A-B) External 300/1200 baud modem (C202A-B) B-6 Specifications
Parallel Port Pin Assignments Pin no.
Serial Port Pin Assignments Pin no.
Keyboard Connector Pin Assignments Pin no. Signal name Direction Description 1 2 3 4 5 6-8 KBD CLK KBD DATA -KBD RESET GND +5V NC I/O l/O O — — — Keyboard clock Keyboard data -Keyboard reset Ground Power No connection Parallel Port Loop-back Connector Pin Assignments Signal name Pin no. Strobe Data bit 0 Auto feed Init. printer Select input 1 2 14 16 17 Pin no. — — — — — 13 15 12 10 11 Signal name Select Error P.
Appendix C Power-on Diagnostics The built-in memory (ROM) of your computer contains a series of diagnostics programs, which your computer runs automatically every time you turn on the power. These programs check internal devices such as ROM, RAM, the timer, the keyboard controller, and the diskette drives. When you turn on the power, the computer performs the tests described in this appendix. If it finds an error, it displays a specific error number and error message on the screen.
If the computer finds a fault in the main board, it stops and displays an error message such as this: 10n-System board error where n is a number from 1 to 8 that represents the specific LSI circuit causing the error. Give this error number and message to your Customer Care Center. If an I/O ROM checksum error occurs, you see this message: nnnn0 ROM error where nnnn is the number of the segment of the bad I/O ROM on an option card. Give the error message and number to your Customer Care Center.
RAM Check The computer now begins to check the RAM installed on the main system board and any option cards. During the check, you see this message: nnn KB OK where nnn indicates the amount of memory in which no malfunction is found. This value increases continuously by 64KB up to the amount of RAM installed on the main board, which is 640KB. If the computer detects an error in the first 64KB area, it displays an error message and halts with no further information.
Floppy Disk Drive Seek Check Finally, the computer checks its diskette drive(s) by searching the read/write heads for any malfunction. If it finds any seek errors, you see this message: 601-Diskette error If this error occurs, make sure you have inserted the system diskette into drive A. If this message still appears after you insert the diskette, run the System diagnostics (described in Appendix D) and select option 6 from the DEVICE LIST.
Appendix D Performing System Diagnostics This appendix describes how to check the operation of the main unit and peripheral devices of your computer. You check these devices using the diagnostics program on your Reference diskette. Run the diagnostics program if you are not sure whether a device is performing correctly. The table at the end of this appendix lists the error messages you may see during testing.
To start the system diagnostics program, follow these steps: 1. Insert the Reference diskette in drive A. 2. Turn on or reset the computer. The OPERATION MENU appears. 3. Press 4 to select Systemdiagnostics and then press Enter. When you start the system diagnostics, the computer checks the following: The setting of the DIP switches on the front panel The positions of the internal jumpers Any peripheral devices that are connected to the system.
If the list correctly describes your system, press Y and then Enter. If a device is missing from this list, or if you wish to change the list, press N and Enter. Note If your system uses an EGA or VGA with a color monitor, your device list should include item 5, "Color graphics adapter and CRT." If your system uses an EGA or VGA with a monocrhome display, your device list should include item 4, "Monochrome display adapter and CRT." Once you confirm the DEVICE LIST, you can test only those items.
To add a device to the list, press 1 and then Enter. The program displays a list of other devices that are not currently included in the DEVICE LIST. You see a menu similar to this: Additional DEVICE LIST 4 - Monochrome display adapter and CRT 7 - Math coprocessor (8087) 12 - Alternate serial port 0 - Exit Enter the number of the item to add: Type the number of the item you wish to add and press Enter. That item then disappears from the Additional DEVICE LIST on the screen.
When you have finished adding or deleting devices and are back to the Modify DEVICE LIST menu, press 0 and then Enter again. The screen displays the modified DEVICE LIST for a final check. If the list is correct, press Y and Enter. Do not press 0 to exit to the OPERATION MENU. You are now ready to select a test. Selecting a Test Prom the DEVICE LIST, select the device you wish to test. Type the number of the device; then press Enter. Before the test begins, you are asked how many times to perform the test.
To perform the test multiple times, press 2 and Enter. You see this prompt: Terminate checking if an error detected (Y/N)? Press Y and Enter to terminate checking if the device produces an error, or press N and Enter to repeat the test regardless of an error. You see this prompt: How many times (1-9999): Type the number of times you wish to repeat the test, then press Enter. The test for the device now starts.
After printing the error message, the program displays this prompt: Printout is finished. Press ENTER to return to the menu. The program continues after an error in one of the following ways: It returns to the DEVICE LIST, or If you are running multiple tests and are not terminating on an error, the program repeats the test that caused the error. The remainder of this appendix describes the tests you can run on the system’s internal devices and on the optional devices installed on your computer.
The checks made on the 8088 CPU chip are extremely comprehensive. They ensure that the CPU instruction set is functioning correctly. If an error is reported, write down the error code and message, or print them out, and contact your Customer Care Center. Attempting to correct system board errors yourself may violate your warranty agreement. Memory Check Use this option to check the computer’s built-in memory. The program checks the DIP switches to determine the amount of main memory.
Keyboard Check Use this option to check the operation of the keyboard. The program first checks the keyboard controller; during this check, you see the green indicator lights on the keyboard flash. If no errors are detected, you can then choose the correct keyboard layout. If you run the keyboard check multiple times, the KEYBOARD SELECT MENU does not appear. Before checking the operation of the keys, you must select the appropriate keyboard layout so that the test display matches the keys on your keyboard.
The status of the Num Lock, Caps Lock, and Scroll Lock indicators is shown on the upper right side of the keyboard layout. These messages appear on the screen: KEYBOARD CHECK Press Y followed by ENTER to exit. Press N followed by ENTER if screen and keyboard do not match. If all the keys function correctly and match the characters displayed, press Y and then Enter. If all the keys function, but the characters displayed do not match the keys, press Y and then Enter.
You can select the individual checks from this menu: MONOCHROME ADAPTER AND CRT CHECK MENU 1 - Monochrome adapter check Attribute check Character set check Video check Sync check Run all above checks 2 3 4 5 6 0 - Exit Enter selection number: If you run the monochrome adapter check multiple times, this menu of checks does not appear and only the first test (option 1) is performed. If an error occurs during any of these tests, record the error code and message, or print them out.
Attribute Check To check the display attributes of the adapter card, press 2 and then Enter. A series of messages are displayed showing examples of all the possible display attributes (normal intensity, high intensity, blinking, reversed characters, and underlining). Check the information displayed on your screen, and then respond to the prompt: Is the display correct (Y/N)? Press Y and then Enter if the display is correct.
After checking the characters, respond to the prompt: Is the display correct (Y/N) ? If the characters displayed match the illustration, press Y and Enter. If they do not match the illustration, press N and then Enter to display the error message. Video Check To check the video output of your monochrome adapter, press 4 followed by 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.
Color Graphics Adapter and CRT Check Use this option to check the operation of a color graphics display adapter and monitor. This test includes several checks that allow you to identify particular problems related to the color display. To run this check, DIP switches 1-5 and 1-6 must be set correctly for a color monitor.
Color Graphics Adapter Check To check the color graphics adapter, press 1 and then Enter. The computer checks the video RAM (display memory) on the display adapter by writing test data to memory, and then reading it back and comparing it to the written data. It also tests the video enable signal of the display controller chip. Attribute Check To check the display attributes of the color graphics adapter card, press 2 and Enter.
Character Set Check To check your 80-column character set, press 3 and Enter. The characters that are included in the internal character generator are displayed. Check the characters displayed on your screen against this illustration: After checking the characters, respond to the prompt: Is the display correct (Y/N) ? If the characters displayed match the illustration, press Y and then Enter. If they do not match, 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 are displayed. Check the characters displayed on your screen against this illustration: After checking the characters, respond to the prompt: Is the display correct (Y/N)? If the characters displayed match the illustration, press Y and Enter. If they do not match the illustration, press N and Enter to display the error message.
The same pattern is displayed 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 are displayed incorrectly, check the adjustment of your monitor and 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.
If any pattern is not displayed clearly, check the adjustment of your monitor and make sure it is connected properly. 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 with a number corresponding to the page and then displaying each page in rum.
If all eight pages are correct, press Y and Enter. If any page is filled with an incorrect number, press N and Enter co 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 to return to the menu.
Color Video Check Option 9, Color video check, displays 16 different screens, each a different color, and a message indicating the color. The screens show the following colors in the order specified below: 1 - Black 2 - Blue 3 - Green 4 - C y a n 5 - Red 6 - Magenta 7 - Brown 8 - White 9 - Gray 10 - Light blue 11 - Light green 12 - Light cyan 13 - Light red 14 - Light magenta 15 - Yellow 16 - White (high intensity) To start this test, select option 9 from the menu; the first screen appears.
Floppy Disk Drives and Controller Check Use this option to test the performance of the diskette (floppy disk) drives inside or connected to your computer. This test includes several checks that allow you to identify particular problems related to your diskette drives. To run these tests, you need a formatted diskette so the tests can write data on the disk in the drive. In a 360KB drive, you can use only a 360KB diskette. In a 720KB drive, use only a 720KB diskette.
4. Insert the diskette to be formatted in the drive you selected and press Enter. The screen displays the head and cylinder numbers as the diskette is formatted. When the format is complete, you see these messages (for a 360KB diskette): Format complete 362496 bytes total disk space 362496 bytes available on disk Format another (Y/N)? You can format another diskette or return co the OPER4TION MENU. Then press 3 and Enter to select Systemdiagnostics.
Before it performs any checks, the program determines the number of diskette drives installed in your computer. If you have more than one drive, you see this prompt each time you select a test: Check which drive (A/B)? Press A or B and then Enter. If any errors occur, record the error code and message and contact your Customer Care 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.
Write, Read Check This test checks the ability of the selected disk drive to read and write data from a diskette. The test writes to and reads from each cylinder on the diskette, starting at the center. Select option 3 from the menu to start this test. If you have only one diskette drive, you are prompted to exchange the Diagnostics (Reference) Disk for 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.
The computer spins the diskette for a few seconds then displays a message like this: The disk rotation speed is now 300.0 rpm. Note The speed for a 360KB or 720KB drive should be 300 rpm. This check permits a tolerance of ±2%. The diskette continues to spin, and the display is updated every few seconds. To stop the test, press any key; the program returns to the menu.
Before running any tests, the computer checks DIP switch 1-Z on the front panel to ensure that a coprocessor is installed. If the coprocessor is missing, or if you have not set DIP switch 1-2 correctly, an error occurs and the test ends. The program then runs a series of checks to test the precision with which the coprocessor performs calculations and to detect whether it correctly handles exceptions. The program reports any errors that occur.
The computer checks the port by writing and reading data and control information, and reports errors for any pins that are faulty. Note that if you connect a printer cable instead of a loop-back connector, you get errors. Parallel Port (on Video Adapter) Check Use the Parallel port (on video adapter) check to test the functions of the primary port.
Insert the loop-back connector. Then press Y and Enter to start the check. First, the computer checks the serial port control lines to see that they are able to change from high to low and vice versa. No messages are displayed during this part of the test unless an error occurs. The second test is an echo back check during which the port sends data to itself in a fixed data format, at all the possible baud rates.
Alternate Serial Port Check Use this option to test the functions of an additional serial communications (RS-232C) port. To perform the test you must insert a special loop-back connector into the alternate serial port so that the computer can check the individual pins of the port. This test is identical to the check for the primary serial port. For more details, see the description of the Serial port (RS-232C) check above.
When you continue the test, the computer checks that the printer is responding correctly. This test detects whether the printer is off-line or whether an interface error exists. If no errors occur, the computer sends a repeating sequence of characters and bit-image data to the printer until you press any key. The pattern looks like this: The text data includes all the characters commonly used by programs that require foreign languages or graphic characters.
When you select option 17 from the DEVICE LIST, you see this menu: HARD DISK DRIVE(S) AND CONTROLLER CHECK MENU 1 2 3 4 5 - Seek check Write, read check Error detection and correction check Read, verify check Run all above checks 0 - Exit Enter selection number: If you specify to run the hard disk drive check multiple times, this menu does not appear and only the first three tests are performed.
Write, Read Check This check tests the ability of the hard disk drive to read and write data. The test writes to and reads from each sector of the innermost cylinder of the disk, using each head. Note This test destroys all data on the innermost cylinder of the selected hard disk drive. This cylinder is reserved for diagnostics, and is never used for storage by MS-DOS. Therefore, data created by MS-DOS is not destroyed. Select option 2 from the menu to start this test.
Error Detection and Correction Check This test checks the ability of the hard disk drive to detect a read/write error and to correct the data accordingly. Note This test destroys some data on the innermost cylinder of the selected hard disk drive. This cylinder is reserved for diagnostics, and is never used for storage by MS-DOS. Therefore, data created by MS-DOS is not destroyed. Select option 3 from the menu to start this test.
At the end of the test, you see a table of the results of the test. For example, for a 20MB hard disk with no bad tracks, you see: 0 BAD TRACKS .............. 0 READ ERROR TRACKS ....... GOOD TRACKS ............. 2460 Press ENTER to return to the menu Press Enter when you have viewed the table. If the results show BAD TRACKS on your disk, it is all right because those tracks will not be used.
Error Codes and Messages This table lists all the error codes and messages that may appear during diagnostics checks.
Error code Message Floppy disk drives and controller 601 602 603 604 605 FLOPPY DISK CONTROLLER ERROR SEOUENTIAL SEEK ERROR RANDOM SEEK ERROR WRITE ERROR READ ERROR Math coprocessor (8087-1) 701 702 703 704 705 706 707 708 709 710 COPROCESSOR NOT INSTALLED COPROCESSOR INITIALIZE ERROR COPROCESSOR INVALID OPERATION MASK ERROR COPROCESSOR ST FIELD ERROR COPROCESSOR COMPARISON ERROR COPROCESSOR ZERO DIVIDE MASK ERROR COPROCESSOR ADDITION ERROR COPROCESSOR SUBTRACTION ERROR COPROCESSOR MULTIPLICATION ERRO
Error code Message Hard disk drives and controller 1701 1702 1703 1705 1706 D-38 SEEK ERROR WRITE ERROR READ ERROR ERROR DETECTION ERROR ERROR CORRECTION ERROR Performing System Diagnostics
Appendix E Physically Formatting a Hard Disk This appendix describes how to physically format a hard disk. Sometimes called a low-level or hard format, this procedure should not be confused with the logical format performed by the MS-DOS FORMAT command. The physical formatting of a hard disk is a separate step that is usually done at the factory by the disk manufacturer. If you have the Apex 100/20, the hard disk has already been physically formatted,.
new disk or reformatting a used disk, after physically formatting it, you need to run FDISK and SELECT to prepare the hard disk for use. Follow the instructions in Appendix F. Formatting and Checking Options To perform a physical format or to determine if a hard disk needs to be physically reformatted, follow these steps: 1. Insert the Reference diskette in drive A. 2. Turn on or reset the computer. The OPERATION MENU appears. 3. Press 2 to select Format hard disk, and then press Enter.
Destructive surface analysis tests a formatted hard disk for bad tracks and updates the bad track table. Because this option writes and reads data on the disk, it destroys all data on any track that produces an error. You cannot run the Destructive surface analysis on a disk that has never been formatted. Non-destructive surface analysis checks a formatted hard disk for unflagged bad tracks without destroying data. You cannot run the Non-destructive surface analysis on a disk that has never been formatted.
Formatting a New Disk Many hard disk drives are supplied with a list of bad tracks but without the bad tracks flagged on the disk. Other hard disks are supplied with the bad tracks already flagged. If you are formatting a new hard disk that may not have been formatted, follow these steps: 1. Run the Conditional format to see if the disk has been formatted. if you see the message “This drive has unflagged error(s) or is unformatted,” you need to run the Unconditional format; go on to step 2.
Note If you have more than one hard disk drive, you see this prompt: Enter drive letter (C/D)? Press C or D and then Enter. Conditional Format (Normal) Use this option to format the hard disk. All flagged tracks are marked so that they are never used. To start the Conditional format, press 1 and then Enter. The program starts to scan the disk to find all tracks flagged as bad, starting from the innermost cylinder of the disk.
The program then displays a warning about the consequences of proceeding with formatting: WARNING! ALL DATA WILL BE DESTROYED IN ALL PARTITIONS OF HARD DISK, NOT JUST IN MS-DOS PARTITION! Do you want to start formatting (Y/N)? if 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.
Flagged tracks are identified by xxxx and yy. At this point, press Enter to return to the HARD DISK FORMAT MENU. If there are any tracks with other errors, scanning stops and you see this message: Scanning cancelled. Warning: This drive has an unflagged error(s), or is unformatted. Press ENTER to 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 want to format the disk after receiving this message, do the following: 1.
If you are formatting a disk that has never been formatted, check the list of bad tracks that came with the disk. This list identifies each defect by the head and cylinder number, which are required for the Unconditional format. To start the Unconditional format routine, press 2 and then Enter. You are first given the option to change the interleave factor for formatting from the default value of three. Only do this if the documentation with your hard disk recommends a different value.
Some of the messages change if the table is full or empty. However, the way that you add a bad track or make a correction is the same. To add a bad track, follow these steps: 1. Press A. You see this prompt: Enter cylinder number (1 - xxxx): 2. Type the number of the cylinder containing the bad track you want to enter, and press Enter. You see this prompt: Enter head number (0 - yy): 3. Type the head number for the bad track, and press Enter.
Destructive Surface Analysis Use this option to accurately locate any bad tracks on a hard disk, and to flag any bad tracks that are not flagged. WARNING If any errors occur during this check, all data on the track that produces the error is destroyed. For this reason, if you think that an unflagged bad track is causing trouble, first run option 4, Non-destructive surface analysis, to check the disk surface.
If the program finds one bad track that is not flagged, the summary would show one track with a write, read error. The report is then followed by a table like this: To flag the error tracks as bad, press Y and Enter. You then see a list of the tracks as they are flagged and then these messages: Flagging bad tracks... Cylinder is 237, head is 2 Press ENTER to return to the menu. Press Enter to return to the HARD DISK FORMAT MENU.
When ‘the analysis is complete, the program displays a summary of the status of the disk. This summary lists the following: Flagged bad tracks Tracks with read, verify errors Good tracks. 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.
A p p e n d i x F Preparing a Hard Disk for Use If you have the Apex 100\20, your hard disk has already been physically formatted, partitioned, and formatted for MS-DOS; so you should not need to do anything to prepare it for use. However, if you have installed a new hard disk in your computer or you need to repartition or reformat the disk you have been using, you may need to perform part or all of the procedures described here.
The hard disk you are using has been producing numerous read/write errors. See Appendix E for instructions on performing a low-level format. If you need to format the disk, be sure to do it before completing the steps in this appendix. WARNING The procedures described in this appendix destroy any data on the hard disk. If your disk contains data, use the BACKUP command to copy all the data before completing the steps described here. See your MS-DOS Reference Manual for instructions on using BACKUP.
3. Type A : and press Enter to log onto drive A. 4. At the A> prompt, type FD I SK and press Enter. The screen displays the FDISK options menu. 5. Press 1 to select the Create DOS partition option and press Enter. 6. Press 1 to select the Create Primary DOS partition option and press Enter. The screen displays the following prompt: Do you wish to use the maximum size for a DOS partition and make the DOS partition active (Y/N).........? 7. Press Y to use the entire hard disk for MS-DOS and press Enter.
Formatting the MS-DOS Partition Once you have created the MS-DOS partition, you must format it for MS-DOS. Use the MS-DOS SELECT command to format the new partition, drive C. SELECT automatically does the following: Formats the partition Labels the partition 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 diskette in drive A).
The screen displays this message and prompt: SELECT is used to install DOS the first time. SELECT erases everything on the specified target and then installs DOS. Do you want to continue (Y/N)? 3. Press Y. Formatting does not begin immediately. The screen displays the following message: WARNING, ALL DATA ON NON-REMOVABLE DISK DRIVE C: WILL BE LOST! Proceed with Format (Y/N)? 4. Press Y and Enter to begin formatting the partition. The screen continuously displays the changing head and cylinder numbers.
SELECT copies the rest of the files from the Startup diskette to the hard disk. When all the files are copied, the A> prompt reappears. The partition on the hard disk is now formatted. Note The SELECT procedure described above copies all the files from your Startup diskette to a directory it created on drive C named /DOS. This enables you to start MS-DOS from the hard disk. However, you should copy all the MS-DOS files to your hard disk as described in the following section.
Note The procedure described above copies all the files on the MS-DOS and Reference diskettes to the /DOS subdirectory on drive C. You may, however, prefer to store some of these commands in other subdirectories. For information of creating subdirectories, see Chapter 3 or see your MS-DOS Reference Manual. The file COMMAND.COM (which is included on the Stamp and Operating 1 diskettes) must remain in the root directory of drive C. Creating the AUTOEXEC.BAT File The following procedure creates an AUTOEXEC.
2. Type the following and press Enter: COPY CON AUTOEXEC.BAT 3. Type the following, pressing Enter after each line: ECHO OFF CLS PROMPT = SPSG PATH = C:\DOS 4. Then hold down the Ctrl key and press Z. Then press Enter. Booting From the Hard Disk Now you can load MS-DOS from drive C on your hard disk. Be sure there is no diskette in drive A when you turn on or reset your computer. Otherwise, the computer tries to load MS-DOS from the diskette in drive A.
Glossary Absolute pathname A pathname that begins with the backslash character. An absolute pathname tells MS-DOS how to find its way to a given directory, starting at the root directory. See also Relative pathname. Application program A software program designed to perform a specific task, such as a word processing or spreadsheet program. ASCII American Standard Code for Information Interchange. A standardized coding system for representing characters, such as numbers, letters, and graphic symbols.
Batch file A type of file that lets you execute a series of MS-DOS commands by typing one command. Batch files are text files with the filename extension .BAT. In a batch file, each command is entered on a separate line. When you type the filename, all the commands in that file are executed sequentially. Baud rate A measure of the speed of data transmission. Usually equivalent to bits per second. Bit A binary digit (0 or 1). The smallest unit of computer storage.
CMOS Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor. A method of making low power silicon chips. Command An instruction you enter (usually on a keyboard) to direct your computer to perform a specific function. Command prompt The symbol or message that tells you MS-DOS is loaded and ready to receive instructions. The default command prompt in MS-DOS also displays the current operating drive; if it is drive A, the command prompt looks like this: A>. See also Prompt.
Current directory The directory you are logged onto and working in. Also known as the default directory. Cursor The highlighted marker that shows your position on the screen. Cylinders See Tracks. Data Information such as text or graphics stored or processed by a computer. Data diskette A formatted diskette on which you store data files (as opposed to program files). Data length The number of bits per character in serial transmissions.
Default drive The disk drive from which MS-DOS executes your next command, unless you tell it to do otherwise (by including a drive designator with the command). Also known as the current drive. Delimiter A character or space used to separate different parts of an MS-DOS command. Device A piece of equipment that is part of a computer system and performs a specific task, such as a disk drive, a monitor, or a printer.
Disk drive The physical device that allows the computer to read from and write to a disk. A diskette drive has a disk slot into which you insert a diskette. A hard disk is sealed inside a protective unit. Diskette A flat piece of flexible plastic coated with magnetic material and used to store data permanently. Also called floppy disk. Display adapter The card that is installed in one of the computer’s option slots.
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 Apex can run at 4.77 MHz or 10 MHz. Extended partition An additional MS-DOS partition; you can create one primary MS-DOS partition and one extended partition.
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 and sectors and creates addressable locations on it. Graphics Lines, angles, curves, and other nonalphanumeric data. Hard disk The enclosed unit used to store data permanently. Unlike a diskette, it is fixed in place. It can process data more rapidly and store many more files than a diskette.
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 pathname. Examples include COPY, DEL, RENAME, and DIR. Unlike external commands, internal commands can be executed from any drive or directory. Jumper A small device that fits over two small pins on a circuit board to activate a particular function.
M e m o r y The area where your computer stores data. Memory contents can be permanent and inalterable (ROM) or temporary (RAM). MGA Multi-graphics Adapter. The type of display adapter that can display monochrome or color text and 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.
MS-DOS Microsoft Disk Operating System. The operating system that comes with your computer. See Operating system. Numeric keypad The number keys grouped to the right of the keyboard. Operating speed The speed at which the central processing unit can execute commands. Also called execution speed. The Apex can run at 4.77 MHz or 10 MHz. operating system A collection of programs (such as MS-DOS) that manages a computer’s operations.
Parity Data signals sent during communications to detect errors in transmitting or receiving data. Partition The area defined on a hard disk for use by an operating system; to divide a hard disk into separate sections or logical drives. Pathname The list of directories and subdirectories you need to specify to locate a file. For example, the pathname for the file SALES which is located in the subdirectory BUSINESS of the root directory (\) is \BUSINESS\SALES.
Prompt A message displayed on the screen that tells you what action you need to perform next. RAM Random Access Memory. The portion of the computer’s memory used to run programs and store data while you work. All data stored in RAM is erased when you turn off the computer; so you must store any data you want to keep on a diskette or hard disk. Read To move data from one area to another.
RGB Red Green Blue. A type of color monitor. ROM Read Only Memory. A portion of memory that can only be read and cannot be used for temporary storage. ROM retains its contents even when you turn off the power. Root directory The top level directory in MS-DOS, designated by a \ (backslash). All other directories are subdirectories of the root directory or of other subdirectories. RS-232C A widely-used, standard type of serial interface. You can easily connect an RS-232C-compatible device to the computer.
Source diskette The diskette that you are reading or copying data from during a copy or backup operation. Stop bit A signal sent in serial communications to mark the end of a character. Subdirectory A directory or group of files that branches down from another subdirectory or from the root directory. Switch An option added to an MS-DOS command that modifies the way the command works. Switches are usually preceded by a / (forward slash).
Tracks Addressable, concentric circles on a disk, resembling the grooves on a record, which help to divide the disk into separate accessible areas. There are 40 tracks on each side of a double-sided 360KB diskette and 80 tracks on each side of a double-sided 720KB diskette. The 20MB hard disk in the Apex 100\20 has 2460 data tracks. VGA Video Graphics Array.
Index A Absolute pathname, 3-18 Access slot cover, removing, 4-7 Alternate serial port check, D-30 APPEND, 3-21 Application program, starting, 3-2 AUTOEXEC.BAT, 3-43–45, F-7–8 B Backing up, 3-29–33 with BACKUP, 2-17, 3-33 with DISKCOPY, 3-29–32 BACKUP, 2-17, 3-33 Baud rate, A-11–12 Batch files, 3-9 AUTOEXEC.
DIP switches, A-1–5 coprocessor, A-3 keyboard, A-3 monitor and adapter, A-3 number of diskette drives, A-3 parallel port, A-4–5 RAM size, A-3 serial port, A-4–5 DIR, 3-22–23 Directories, 3-15–25 changing, 3-17–18 creating, 3-2–22 default, 3-17 displaying list of, 3-23–24 listing contents of, 3-22 naming, 3-16 on diskettes, 3-16 pathnames for, 3-18–21 removing, 3-24–25 root, 3-15–17 DISKCOPY, 1-21–24, 3-29–32 Diskette drive, assignments, 1-18 caring for, 2-9–10 compatibility, 2-8–9 controller, changing, 4-10
F I FDISK, F-1–3 Files, backing up, 3-29–33 batch, 3-9 COMMAND.
MGA card, Intro-1, 1-2, 1-4–6, 4-4, 4-8, 5-4 MKDIR (MD), 3-21 MODE, 1-10 Modem, connecting, 1-9–10 Monitor, connecting, 1-4–6 problems, 5-3–5 selecting type, 1-4–6, A-3 DIP switches, 1-6, A-3 Monochrome Display Adapter and CRT Check, D-10–13 Monochrome graphics adapter card, see MGA card Mouse, connecting, 1-9 MS-DOS, booting, F-8 command format, 3-7 command prompt, 1-17–19 copying files, 3-10–12 correcting commands, 3-8 default drive, 3-3–4 deleting files, 3-13–14 directories, 3-15–25 entering commands, 3-
Power, connecting, 1-10 Serial, cable, 1-9 interface, 1-9–10 port, 1-9–10 cord, 1-10 source, 1-4 supply, B-3 Power-on diagnostics, C-1–4 Primary partition, F-2–3 PRINT, 3-14–15 Printer, connecting, 1-7–8 interface check, D-27–28 options, B-5–6 parallel interface, 1-7–8 problems, 5-12–13 serial interface, 1-9–10, A-10–12 Processor speed, 2-1–2 R RAM check, C-3 Read only memory (ROM), BIOS, B-1 Read/write heads, 2-8 Real-time clock, 1-18–20, A-8 RECOVER, 5-7 Redirecting printer output, 1-9–10 Relative path
U Unconditional format, E-2, E-7–9 Unpacking the computer, 1-1–2 V Video cards, Color Graphics Adapter and CRT Check, D-14–21 compatibility, 1-4 DIP switches, A-3 EGA/VGA, 1-4, A-3, D-3 MGA, Intro-1, 1-2, 1-4–6, 4-4, 4-8, 5-4 Monochrome Display Adapter and CRT Check, D-10–13 Video graphics array (VGA) card, see Video cards Video monitors, B-4 Video options, B-4 W Wildcard characters, 3-11–12 Write-protect notch, 2-13 Write-protect switch, 2-14 Write-protect tab, 2-13 Write-protecting diskettes, 2-13–1
