My reply - Boot Disk Needed for Kaypro 2X

Larry, You need a "CP / M boot disk", not an MS-DOS boot disk for the Kaypro 2X - either 2.2H or 2.2G. CP / M. Your mainboard shoud be an 81-294 [underneath board usually under serial port] and the ROM version should be 81-292-A - white label on the about 1" size chip at U47. But since you have a Turbo upgrade, the chip may have just a Turbo designation. Any manufacturer designation and revision / year, etc. could also be important. Also check what the U43 chip label is - usually again a white label on a 1" size chip. There is also a Kaypro 2X / MTC version. How do you really know it is a 2X - cover designation, back plate designation, etc.? These are all common questions many ask and many of us answer as best we can All the best and keep us informed of your progress. We like to keep "vintage" computers running and in "good homes!" ========================================================================== In a message dated 2/11/2009 9:42:16 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, laptoplarry at gmail.com writes: Frank, Thank you for the information! My original plan is/was to retrieve my Compaq Portable (my wife buried it in a closet) to create a boot disk...only to find that I could not locate the MS-DOS boot disk for the Compaq?!?! While in the closet, I also retrieved a MacPlus that booted A-OK from a removable hard drive...except I could not find the mouse! Mac no mouse = no go... So, I have no 5.25 360K drive available to create a boot disk for either the Compaq or the Kaypro :-( I'm now wondering if I can find a SCSI 5.25 low density drive to attach to the portable hard drive of the MAC to create a boot disk for the Compaq. using the usual tools. Of course, I'd have to locate a mouse appropriate for the MAC... I guess the ideal thing would be to find a drive and controller for my "modern" machine. I'll check out the leads you gave me. Hopefully some kind soul will send me a bootable Kaypro disk and/or a MS-DOS disk on 5.25 360K media. Hey! Ain't this fun! -Larry ... -- This is not an automated signature. I type this in to the bottom of every message. Larry, Go to _www.vintage-computer.com_ (http://www.vintage-computer.com) and do a search on that topic. Also, contact "Sharkonwheels" there - again do a search - he posts a lot. He is into the Kaypros "after" 1983 versions - i.e. the "2X's", I am into the 1983 versions. Looks like it may have been upgraded with the Turbo. I believe such upgrades are still available for the post 1983 versions - Advent might be a search word to use. Shark will know. He even sells modified Kaypros of that era. Getting the right boot disk for the specific Kaypro you have is critical - many do not understand this - today you need Windows - there are not very many main options. Kaypro had about 15 - 20 different versions before they went bankrupt. Also, in those hectic times, many "unofficial' modifications were made that may not have been documented, by Kaypro and previous owners of such computers. Modifications and upgrades were very common in order to try to keep them running efficiently, until the inevitable change to windows, after we all invested so much in those systems, especially our time! Sometimes you just have to take the top off and look around, especially at chips at U43 and U47. Please post your results on that site so others can benefit. You can check my site out - _www.kayprosts.org_ (http://www.kayprosts.org) - under the folder "special" for a draft of my book on computers of that era and a 2008 Kaypro calendar I did - lots of pictures of my 6 1983 Kaypros modified to Kaypro " 8 ' 's. All the best. Frank **************The year's hottest artists on the red carpet at the Grammy Awards. AOL Music takes you there. (http://music.aol.com/grammys?ncid=emlcntusmusi00000002)