Quick & Dirty Model 25 Setup

So, you just walked in the door with some PS/2 Model 25s? Want to get them up and running quickly? This is the page you're looking for.

The first thing to do--and this is an absolute MUST--is to let the machine acclimate to the room temperature BEFORE you power it on. Otherwise (and my own personal experience verifies this) you will be sad and sorry, and your Model 25 will be dead. Don't hurry things either. Give the machine a minimum of two hours to warm up or cool down to the room's temperature. It might be better to let it sit in a "normal room temperature" environment for the night.

I would also highly recommend cleaning the machine soon after or just before you power it up. Chances are very good that it's never been opened and that 10 or more years of heavy dust are inside heating things up and causing failures.

If you're setting up an EduQuest, skip looking at the starter disk section. Your machine does not use a starter diskette.

Next thing to do here is to determine what Model 25 you have. Have a look over in the Common Information Section to find out how to ID your system. Once you know what you have, the very next thing to do is to get your machine's starter diskette. The starter diskette is almost exactly like "system setup" on other computers and you may need it! Go here to get it. Make the diskette and read that page so you understand the "what" and "why" of what you are doing.

Check the voltage setting on the back of the machine BEFORE you plug it in. The visible number indicates the voltage that your 25 is set to operate on. Change it as needed. Otherwise you may ruin the power supply when you plug it in and turn it on.

Attach a keyboard and a mouse if you desire. Insert the starter diskette, and power the machine on. Give the monitor a few moments to warm up and adjust the brightness and contrast controls until you get a good display up. When the starter diskette comes up, the first thing to do is run diagnostics on your 25. Have a "scratch" diskette handy--low density for 25XTs and high density for all others. You will need it to test the system. Don't be surprised in some tests like the memory tests take a long time to complete. Make a note of the exact wording of any errors you get...you will see why in a moment.

If diagnostics passes, your 25 should be ready to go. Follow the directions to exit diagnostics. Take the diskette out and let the machine reboot. It may ask for a boot disk, boot from an internal hard disk, or display a numerical error along with a "time clock" style counter. If it asks for a boot disk, give it one with MS-DOS. If it boots from an internal hard disk, play around and see what's on there. For the network error, make a note of it and mail me.

If diagnostics fail, make a detailed note of what the machine complains about...and any codes that appeared when you first turned it on. Send me an e-mail about the problem.

If your system has sent out an error such as "162", you may need a new clock battery. Look at this page to see what you need. Before replacing the battery though, configure the system and set the clock using the programs on the starter diskette. It is highly possible that the system simply became "confused" after having sat around unused.

That's all there is to quick and dirty Model 25 setup. If you're looking for somewhere to go now, you can go back to the index and read up on other things concerning your model 25, or you can send me a message with any questions or problems you might be experiencing.
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