Advent 7100 PC

Motherboard Information

Processor

The processor can be upgraded to 166MHz Pentium Processor. Ensure Board speed is set correctly via SWITCH 1.

O = Off
S = On

** = For use with future processors

Memory

8MB (2 x 4MB Fast Page RAM in Banks 3&4) supplied with machine. To upgrade memory on this machine you must insert 72 pin PARITY SIMMs IN EQUAL SIZE PAIRS into spare 72 pin SIMM sockets. The chips must have an access time of 70 nanoseconds or less. RAM can be upgraded to 128MB using 4MB, 8MB, 16MB & 32MB Fast Page Mode or EDO SIMMS, in identical pairs, in either Bank0 (SIMM 3&4) or Bank 1 (SIMM 1&2). Each bank is 2 SIMM sockets.

Cache

Not upgradeable. The sockets have been removed from the board.

Video RAM

Video RAM is allocated from DRAM installed on machine using an on board chip, SIS 6205, which not only provides the VIDEO output but accesses the amount of RAM memory allocated through the BIOS setup. RAM memory allocated can be either 1 or 2 MB.

It should be noted that during POST memory count takes the form XXXX + 1024 (or 2048) where XXXX is the amount of RAM installed less the amount allocated to video.

In the Box

Disks Supplied

• DOS,Windows,NT,Netware and OS/2 IDE Driver (HD)
• CD ROM device driver (DD)
• Pointing Device Driver and Popup Menus v 7.1 (DD)
• SIS 6205 PCI VGA driver Win/Applications Disk 1 (HD)
• SIS 6205 PCI VGA driver Windows 95 OS/2 Disk 2 (HD)
• SIS 6205 PCI VGA driver Windows 3.1x (1 of 2) Disk 3 (HD)
• SIS 6205 PCI VGA driver Windows 3.1x (2 of 2) Disk 4 (HD)
• CyberWorks Disk 1 (HD)
• CyberWorks Disk 2 (HD)
• Windows 95 CD

Items Supplied

• 7100 Base unit
• Speakers (Passive) and Cables
• Mouse
• Power cable MAINS to PSU
• Power Cable PSU to MONITOR
• Keyboard
• Monitor
• Microphone
• Modem Line Cord

Documentation Supplied

• Advent Personal Computer User Manual
• Pentium S16 Mainboard UserManual
• Microsoft Windows 95 Manual
• ADI ProVista 14" Colour Monitor Quick Reference Guide
• PC Comms Office User,s Manual
• CD ROM Drive Instruction Manual
• Microsoft Registration Card
• Set of preprinted labels for Windows 95 backup disks
• 51/71/72/79 series Keyboard User's Guide

Known Issues

Virus Check

The Advent 7000 series have Award Bios with inbuilt Virus checker, which of course can cause trouble with Windows 95 setups. This will manifest itself as the CD locking up with the CD and HDD light permanently on for ages doing nothing. Resetting will give you the Windows startup screen and a message that Windows could not update your files because a Virus checker may be running. It is in BIOS FEATURES SETUP. Disable it.

Disabling Onboard Video

As we know, the 7000 series Advent uses 1MB of system RAM, if you wish to disable this 'feature' and fit another card, then follow the procedure outlined below -

Fit PCI card as normal, move jumper off from JP27 on mainboard (this disables the onboard video controller), reboot, and install card software.

Reinstalling Windows 95

If you are reinstalling Win95 and get a black "hole" in the middle of the screen, then you need to go into the BIOS, go into BIOS Features Setup and disable the video BIOS shadow.

Weird Graphics Message

When reinstalling the SIS 6205 drivers you get the following message:

"The settings is Fault! Maybe an invalid is using!"

Go to Control Panel / Display / Click Settings / Click Change Display Type. On ADAPTER TYPE - Click on CHANGE, then Click on Have Disk.

Put "SIS 6205 PCI VGA driver Windows 95 OS/2 Disk" in. Clicking on OK will give you "Specified location does not contain information about your hardware..."

Click on Browse and select A:\Win95 directory Click OK and a list with "SIS 6205" on it should come up. Click OK Files are copied. Close Display Properties down and Restart PC.

Boot Disk

A lot of the Advent 4000/7000 series PCs are provided with a Windows 95 CD, BUT NO BOOT DISK. Therefore if you have formatted the hard drive, the only copy of MSCDEX that you have is on the Win 95 CD.

The answer to this is to create a Boot Disk before you format.

1. Create a Windows 95 Startup Disk using Create System Disks
2. Copy onto this Disk Mscdex.exe from the C:\Windows\Command directory, Himem.sys from the C:\Windows directory and Ecscdide.sys from either the c:\Ecs directory or from the Ecs CDRom device driver disk provided with the machine.
3. On the disk create the following Config.sys &Autoexec.bat files:-

CONFIG.SYS

Device=a:\himem.sys
Dos=high,umb
Device=a:\ecscdide.sys /d:ecscd003

AUTOEXEC.BAT

@echo off
prompt $p$g
path=a:\
a:\mscdex.exe /d:ecscd003

This will give you the basics to work with. At least you will be able to access the CDRom drive and re-partition and re-format the hard drive.

Certain Advents have CDRom drivers called CDDRV.SYS that you will find in the C:\CDROM Directory, or on the floppy of course.

Installing an Opti Soundcard

• You should have the latest drivers on a floppy diskette ready for installation.
• Start Windows 95 and proceed to the Control Panel folder and select (double click) the SYSTEM icon.
• Select the Device Manager tab to display the list of devices currently present on your system.
• Check to see if you have previously installed the device. Usually, the device name starts with "OPTi .. SoundSystem." If a previous instance of the device does not exist, exit the System Properties dialog box and skip the next section.
• If the device has been installed previously, double click on the device name to expand the list of sub-devices and select "OPTi .. Sound System:..." to remove the set devices plus this parent device. You will not be able to remove child devices which are controlled by this parent device unless this parent device is removed. Check also to see if you have previously installed any Windows Sound System or Sound Blaster audio devices or their compatibles, and if so, please remove them from the list. Once the devices has been removed, you must restart Windows 95.
• Select (double click) the Add New Hardware icon located in the Control Panel folder to add/update the new device and it's associated drivers.
• When prompted by Windows 95 for the Auto-Scan option for detecting new devices on your System - select NO and proceed to the next page.
• Windows 95 will display a list of known devices that you currently wish to install. Select "Other Devices" even though the name of the device is included in the list. This forces Windows 95 to perform a fresh install for your device. Select Next to proceed.
• Windows 95 will again display a list containing manufacturer names and at which point you should ignore the list and select the "Have Disk..." button. This tells Windows 95 to read special installation instructions from your diskette to correctly install the drivers for your OPTi Sound device. You will have to direct Windows 95 to the proper location of the floppy diskette.
• Once information from the floppy diskette has been read by Windows 95, a list of devices available for installation will be displayed. Just select the basic option which includes only the Sound/Game support.
• Select Next and Windows 95 will proceed to install the drivers needed for your device and configure your device accordingly. Once your device has been successfully configured, Windows 95 will prompt you to restart your system - select No to skip this restart process since you should have your Sound Card properly plugged in and installed. If however your Sound Card has not been correctly installed, you will have to select Yes to restart Windows 95.
• Install REAL MODE DOS Support: If you prefer to use your Sound Card in Real Mode DOS environment, you have to select "Yes" at the "Restart System" prompt in the previous section. During the reboot process the DOS Installer will be invoked automatically. Please follow the instruction of DOS Installer and it will setup the sound card properly for your Real Mode DOS Games or Applications.

  The DOS drivers will add the following lines into the AUTOEXEC.BAT file (NB. Path names may be different, depending on version of Opti card) -

  SET SOUND16=C:\OPTI924
  SET BLASTER=A220 I5 DI T4
  LH C:\OPTI924\SNDINIT.COM /B

Dataflex Modems

This concerns Advent machines that came supplied with the Dataflex modem. It turns out that the modem must be installed in a precise manner.

The modem must be removed, the machine booted into windows. All references to the modem must be removed from the machine, ie removing the modem from the modem properties screen, and probably the COM ports to be on the safe side.

The machine must then be shut down, turned off and then the new modem can be inserted. After all this the CYBERWORKS software must be run from the backup disks.

If it isn't done correctly, you get registry/system.ini errors on boot and the computer refuses to accept there is a modem. Also Cyberworks cannot detect it or reset it.