Thinkpads Forum

Hi,

I was recently given a IBM 560e 2640, it however did not come with the floppy,cd rom or hard drive, after looking around the unit I discovered they were not built in and I had to take the unit apart to get to the non existent hard drive.

Anyway, I have sourced a hard drive but apparently its blank and no operating system.

Does anyone know how I can install an operating system onto this device without using a cdrom or floppy, is it even possible? If the worst comes to the worst I can probably get a second hand floppy but cd rom drives seem to be no where on this planet(I am in the UK).

Additionally could anyone recommend a Linux version that would install and run well on this unit with the 4.2GB hard drive I have got?

I do appreciate it wont run anything powerful but I am hoping my pcmcia wireless adapter will work and I can sit in the garden in summer chatting on some type of messenger app

Thanks
Jon

well, it might run W2k, but will run Win98, i'll bet..

also, a method i have used in the past is to put the HDD in another computer and copy the OS load files to a directory in a second logical drive on the empty but bootable HDD..

then boot to DOS and start the OS load from the same HDD..

works like a charm but takes some time to finish..

its a very old but once very expensive thinkpad..

Hi,

Thanks for replying, I do not have a spare laptop available just a PC.

If I get a 3.5" to 2.5" converter would I be able to do that on the PC? I have read in some places that the IBM laptops have problems recognizing drives that did not come with the unit and the one I am getting I know didn't, though I do know its a IBM Travelstar.

Thanks
Jon

I've never owned a 560e but neither my 560X or 560Z would install on a partition much over 7 gigs using Win98SE. I have an old PCCARD CDROM that I use for installation. Also, Linux doesn't seem to be bootable on either my 560X or Z. I have to use a boot floppy for Linux. Lilo just doesn't work in the boot sector on the 560s. I don't know if any of the USB CDROMS would be bootable but if they are then so might a flash drive.

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=38108

http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Installat ... -ROM_drive

To answer your first question the answer is, no.

You'll need an external floppy and an external 2.5 external USB enclosure and follow what I've linked.

If your really planning on using the 560E you'll need an external floppy drive no matter what so get that first. An external USB drive enlosure is another matter since the laptop doesn't have native USB ports. Your only other option to install media is a pcmcia cdrom OR a 16bit USB pcmcia card AND a USB cdrom.

As far as which Linux distro "might" work it's going to be an uphill battle because of the 560's very limited graphic capability. All modern distro's are putting alot of heft into a "graphic" install process. A really good suggestion is to download Knoppix on CD and see what that will do, the rest will do as it does, belieive me. Try an older version around maybe 3 or ealier if it's still available. Ubuntu is the easiest BUT you will want the alternate install for old tech. [censored] Small, Puppy or Tiny Sofa might work. BSD might work. Debian is alot of cd's and so is Slack. If you get one installed please post on it.

Make two pots of coffee and best of luck.

hi,

umm, a difficult task to do a full install of Windows anything on a TP560e... you need an external floppy and an external CDROM, and a DOS disk which is at minimum capable of loading the CD drivers from which to install Windows.

The 560e is very cute (I do have one, and love it, Win98) but unfortunately input-output constrained. The PCMCIA card slots are 16 bit (as I understand it) and the machine design predates USB. The 560e can't even use a PCMCIA USB adapter card

If you are absolutely committed to holding onto this specific computer, best bet is to find a friendly person to load your preferred operating system onto the HD for you, and then reinstall the HD into the system.

Plan B is to acquire an external floppy drive and then find a version of Win95 or Win98 which can be installed from floppies (that's a multiple pot of coffee task). Everything later than W98 is distributed on CDROM...

If you want a similar unit (slightly bigger, but much more user-friendly), consider shopping on ebay for a TP600 or 600e, they are very similar and not particularly expensive.

Cheers,

dabard051

Most 2.5 inch hard drives up to 6 gig or so will work. Using another computer I copied the Win98 install files onto a D partition of the hard drive moved it into the 560, then booted from a floppy and installed Win 98. Can't use USB cards on a 560 or 560e.

A number of large laptop drives will work with the manfacturers disk overlay software. You just need to test it first. Generally if the laptop sees the drive at all the overlay will work.

Still using:
560e Win 98 - 80 mg 4.6 gig
560x DS Linux - 96 mb 10 gig
560z Win2000 - 196 mb 40 gig

I have an external floppy that will work on a 560e for sale here, if you're interested;
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=43535

Part # 05K2643

A hard disk up to 8GB will work great. Larger ones will work if your boot partition is 8GB or less. I had a 12GB in mine for a while.

I've installed Fedora Core 5 on the 560E. Very unpleasant. I had to make a set of boot floppies (5? 6?) and do a network install. If I had to do it again, I'd partition the drive in the 560E, move it to another machine and copy an install CD to the drive.

<squint>Except I'm not sure how I'd get the hard drive to boot, or the install program running once it's back in the 560E.</squint> Hmm.

Hi,

Thanks for all the replys, I did get a floppy drive in the end, but also got another laptop so I have installed Slackware on the other laptop I got.

I still have the IBM, I bought a converter that would allow me to plug the drive into a standard IDE port, might try something like puppy linux, partition the drive in 2 and go from thier.

Thanks again everyone
Jon