Y2K and the Accel 386SX-16

Hello all...

I've got a Packard Bell Accel 386SX-16. It is in good working order apart
from a dead hard drive. Even the onboard NiCad clock battery took a charge.

But that's the problem. Try as I might, the system BIOS will simply not
accept a date past 2000. You can enter one, but it won't be saved.

I'm wondering if a fix exists for this, be it a newer revision BIOS chip
(since this system predates flash ROM by a long time), an interesting
workaround, or one of those "Y2K" cards that were being sold almost
everywhere when the new millenium was coming.

William
--
Brought to you by an IBM PS/2 9585-0XF, "Defiant"
AMD 486-133/64MB/2GB S/N 23HN457

You've uncovered an unfixed Y2K problem. ;>) It's extremely unlikely that
there was a BIOS fix. Was Packard Bell still in business in 2000? My mind
loses details. Too much to remember. A Y2K card would be the only fix.

.... Ben Myers

On Wed, 23 Jan 2008 03:14:36 GMT, "William R. Walsh"
< m> wrote:

>Hello all...
>
>I've got a Packard Bell Accel 386SX-16. It is in good working order apart
>from a dead hard drive. Even the onboard NiCad clock battery took a charge.
>
>But that's the problem. Try as I might, the system BIOS will simply not
>accept a date past 2000. You can enter one, but it won't be saved.
>
>I'm wondering if a fix exists for this, be it a newer revision BIOS chip
>(since this system predates flash ROM by a long time), an interesting
>workaround, or one of those "Y2K" cards that were being sold almost
>everywhere when the new millenium was coming.
>
>William

Hi William !

Good to see you here, Welcome !

Not nearly as much action as csiph, but there are some good experts. I don't
have any advice. I'm kind of surprised actually. I've seen many an old
motherboard work OK past 2000 ( that wasn't supposed to :-) )

Did your P60 PB accept the 2000 thing ?

Check out comp.sys.ibm.classic also. You will fit in there also. :-)

See you

bob


--
boBWatts®©
EartH
Watts Carburetion Service
Whizzbang Computers
Official collector of: transfat asian plastic junk trinkets !



"William R. Walsh" < m>
wrote in message news:wiylj.311945$Fc.197090@attbi_s21...
> Hello all...
>
> I've got a Packard Bell Accel 386SX-16. It is in good working order apart
> from a dead hard drive. Even the onboard NiCad clock battery took a
> charge.
>
> But that's the problem. Try as I might, the system BIOS will simply not
> accept a date past 2000. You can enter one, but it won't be saved.
>
> I'm wondering if a fix exists for this, be it a newer revision BIOS chip
> (since this system predates flash ROM by a long time), an interesting
> workaround, or one of those "Y2K" cards that were being sold almost
> everywhere when the new millenium was coming.
>
> William
> --
> Brought to you by an IBM PS/2 9585-0XF, "Defiant"
> AMD 486-133/64MB/2GB S/N 23HN457
>
>

"William R. Walsh" < m>
wrote in message news:wiylj.311945$Fc.197090@attbi_s21...
> Hello all...
>
> I've got a Packard Bell Accel 386SX-16. It is in good working order apart
> from a dead hard drive. Even the onboard NiCad clock battery took a
charge.
>
> But that's the problem. Try as I might, the system BIOS will simply not
> accept a date past 2000. You can enter one, but it won't be saved.
>
> I'm wondering if a fix exists for this, be it a newer revision BIOS chip
> (since this system predates flash ROM by a long time), an interesting
> workaround, or one of those "Y2K" cards that were being sold almost
> everywhere when the new millenium was coming.
>
> William


If your OS drops the first two digits of the year...
maybe you can set the bios to 1908 ?

Probably a dumb idea but it's all I can think of