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Old 286 or 486 Computer

  • 07-10-2009 7:56pm
    #1
    Bird Man
    Closed Accounts Posts: 24 ✭


    Hi

    I am looking for an old 286 or 486 Computer. I need the computer to run a program for a CNC Milling Machine. We have tried to run the program on Windows 1998 but since the machine was manufactured in 1994. We even got on to the CNC Milling Machine manufacturers which is Hurco but they told us that the program will only run on an old computer. So can anyone help me please???


Comments

  • #2
    jhegarty
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,441 ✭✭✭jhegarty


    Did you try running the PC in dos mode ?


  • #3
    MacGyver
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 573 ✭✭✭MacGyver


    ive got a couple lying around if u want to come to waterford to collect them,


  • #4
    Random
    Closed Accounts Posts: 19,080 ✭✭✭✭Random


    Try www.adverts.ie


  • #5
    LoGiE
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 2,975 Mod ✭✭✭✭LoGiE


    Use a virtual machine? or maybe even a program called Dos box on a modern PC? If it runs on a standard 286 or 486 without any funny hardware it can defo be emulated.


  • #6
    Khannie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 37,485 ✭✭✭✭Khannie


    Just want to reiterate that there should be no reason to require old hardware. It can all be emulated now.


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  • #7
    Amalgam
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,026 ✭✭✭Amalgam


    What if it is communicating using COM ports or Parallel port? Some old software used to call on some very odd assets and tricks to keep ticking over.

    Also, 286/386/486's are hardy little buggers in a warehouse\machine shop environment.


  • #8
    Khannie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 37,485 ✭✭✭✭Khannie


    Amalgam wrote: »
    What if it is communicating using COM ports or Parallel port? Some old software used to call on some very odd assets and tricks to keep ticking over.

    I take your point, but it should all be possible in a virtual machine. Com ports were a horrible nuisance as I recall alright, but I don't think they're specific to a 286. Even my first pentium 2 had an ISA port.


  • #9
    Bird Man
    Closed Accounts Posts: 24 ✭Bird Man


    We tried dos mode but it didn't work. We also need a com port as we have use a dongle to run the program with the machine.


  • #10
    Anti
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,401 ✭✭✭✭Anti


    Can the company that make this software not source you some hardware too? Or could you not using someware a bit newer?


  • #11
    Maints
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 63 ✭✭Maints


    Came across a similar situation recently where the software would only run on a 486 (could have been a PI, can't remember) and only with a specific chipset. Get the model of the PC you have and I'll root around and see if I have one.

    Paul.


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  • #12
    Bird Man
    Closed Accounts Posts: 24 ✭Bird Man


    Great Thanks. Well at the moment I have a dell computer with Windows XP which I have the software on it. Just to let you know I am not an expert on computers.


  • #13
    Maints
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 63 ✭✭Maints


    Great Thanks. Well at the moment I have a dell computer with Windows XP which I have the software on it. Just to let you know I am not an expert on computers.


    Not sure what you mean here, but if you get the PC that is running on the CNC machine and get the make and model number off it, I may be able to help.

    Paul.


  • #14
    Bird Man
    Closed Accounts Posts: 24 ✭Bird Man


    Sorry but that pc is gone (dumped) so we need to get a new 486 pc to run the machine. I managed to get the software from the machine manufacturer but they told us the software will only run on an old computer. See we haven't used the machine for some time and we have a job that we need to run on the machine.


  • #15
    Alun
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,487 ✭✭✭✭Alun


    Khannie wrote: »
    I take your point, but it should all be possible in a virtual machine. Com ports were a horrible nuisance as I recall alright, but I don't think they're specific to a 286. Even my first pentium 2 had an ISA port.
    Quite a bit of, admittedly badly written, ancient software built in the 8086/286 era relied on software loops for timing purposes which won't stand a cat in hell's chance of running correctly on a modern dual core CPU however much you virtualize it. Heck, even when the 386 came out it broke a lot of that kind of software for the same reason.


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