Epson LT-286 User Manual

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EPSON

EQUITY™ LT™-286

User’s Guide

Y17499100100

IMPORTANT NOTICE

DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY’

Epson America makes no representations or warranties, either express or implied, by or with respect to anything in this manual, and shall not be liable for any implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose or for any indirect, special, or consequential damages. Some states do not allow the exclusion of incidental or consequential damages, so this exclusion may not apply to you.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Epson America, Inc. No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of information contained herein. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this publication, Epson America assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions. Nor is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein. Further, this publication and features described herein are subject to change without notice.

TRADEMARKS

AT and XT are trademarks and IBM is a registered trademark of International

Business Machines Corporation.

Centronics is a registered trademark of Centronics Data Corporation.

Epson is a registered trademark of Seiko Epson Corporation. Equity and LT are trademarks of Epson America, Inc.

GW-BASIC, Microsoft, Microsoft Word, and MS-DOS are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

Hayes is a registered trademark of Hayes Microcomputer Products, Inc. Lotus and 1-2-3 are registered trademarks of Lotus Development Corporation. XTREE is a registered trademark of Executive Systems, Inc.

Q50188028

FCC COMPLIANCE STATEMENT FOR AMERICAN USERS

This equipment generates and uses radio frequency energy and if not installed and used properly, that is, in strict accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, may cause interference to radio and television reception. It has been type tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B computing device in accordance with the specifications in Subpart J of Part 15 of FCC rules, which are designed to provide reasonable protection against such

interference in a residential installation. However, there is no guarantee that

interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause interference to radio and television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, you are encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

l Reorient the receiving antenna l Relocate the computer with respect to the receiver l Move the computer away from the receiver l Plug the computer into a different outlet so that the computer and

receiver are on different branch circuits.

If necessary, consult your dealer or an experienced radio/television technician for additional suggestions. You may find the following booklet prepared by the

Federal Communications Commission helpful:

“Television Interference Handbook”

This booklet is available from the U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington DC 20402. Stock No. 004-000-00450-7

Note: If the interference stops, it was probably caused by the

computer or its peripheral devices. To further isolate the problem: Disconnect the peripheral devices and their input/output cables one at a

time. If the interference stops, it is caused by either the peripheral device or its I/O cable. These devices usually require shielded I/O cables. For Epson peripheral devices, you can obtain the proper shielded cable from your dealer. For non-Epson peripheral devices contact the manufacturer or dealer for assistance.

WARNING:

This equipment has been certified to comply with the limits for a Class B

computer device, pursuant to Subpart J of Part 15 of FCC Rules. Only

peripherals (computer input/output devices, terminals, printers, etc.)

certified to comply with the Class B limits may be attached to this computer.

Operation with non-certified peripherals is likely to result in interference to

radio and TV reception.

The connection of a non-shielded equipment interface cable to this

equipment will invalidate the FCC Certification of this device and may cause

interference levels that exceed the limits established by the FCC for this

equipment.

Introduction

How To Use This Manual Where To Get Help

Setting Up Your System

1 Unpacking

2 Connecting the AC Adapter 3 Charging the Battery 4 Connecting a Printer

Setting the DIP Switches

Inserting the Startup/Operating 1 Diskette

7 Starting the System

8 Copying System Diskettes

Running the Setup Program

Starting the Setup Program

Memory

Display

Coprocessor

Mass Storage

Backlight Period Gray Scale Leaving the Setup Program

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Connecting to the Parallel Interface Connecting to the Serial Interface

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Keyboard DIP Switches

Back Panel DIP Switches

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Turning On the Computer

Adjusting Screen Contrast and Brightness ......

Initial Screen Display

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1-1

1-2 1-3 1-4 1-4 1-7 1-8 1-9 1-12

1-14 1-15 1-16

1-17 1-18 1-19

2-1 2-2 2-3 2-4 2-6 2-7

2-9 2-10 2-13

Preparing the Hard Disk for Use

Creating a Primary Partition

Creating an Extended Partition Formatting the Primary Partition

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3-1

3-3 3-5 3-7

Formatting the Extended Partition

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Copying the MS-DOS Files to the Hard Disk Modifying the AUTOEXEC.BAT File Booting From the Hard Disk

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3-9 3-10 3-11

3-12

Using the Equity LT-286

Using the AC Adapter Using the Battery LED Indicators

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Opening and Closing the Screen Using the Handle

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Selecting Execution Speed

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Special Keys on the Equity LT-286 Keyboard Using the Function Key Template Using Diskettes

How Diskettes Work

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Choosing Diskettes for the Equity LT-286 Caring for Diskettes

Inserting and Removing Diskettes Making Backup Copies

Write-Protecting Diskettes

Using the Hard Disk Drive

Caring for the Hard Disk

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Protecting the Data on Your Hard Disk.. Improving Hard Disk Performance

Turning Off the Hard Disk

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Turning Off the Hard Disk

Before Starting the Computer

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Turning Off the Hard Disk

After Starting the Computer Resetting the Computer Turning Off the Computer

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4-1

4-1 4-2 4-3 4-4 4-6 4-7 4-8 4-10 4-11 4-11

4-11 4-13 4-14 4-15 4-15 4-16 4-16 4-17 4-17

4-17

4-19

4-19 4-20 4-21

Using MS-DOS With Your Equity LT-286

Starting MS-DOS Exiting MS-DOS Changing the Current Drive

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The MS-DOS Command Format Entering MS-DOS Commands

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5-1 5-2 5-2

5-2 5-3

5-4

Storing Data

Using Directories

The Current Directory Listing the Contents of a Directory Using Pathnames Creating Directories Changing Directories Copying From one Directory to Another

Deleting a Directory

Formatting Diskettes

Formatting a 1.44MB Diskette Formatting a 720KB Diskette

Copying Data

Using the DISKCOPY Command Using the COPY Command

Using the BACKUP Command Deleting Data Using the Epson HELP Utility Using the Epson MENU Utility

MENU Utility Options

Using the XTREE Utility

Running XTREE

Cautions Using an AUTOEXEC.BAT File

Creating an AUTOEXEC.BAT File

Starting an Application Program Using the LIGHTON Utility

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5-5 5-6 5-7 5-8 5-9 5-11 5-11 5-12 5-13 5-13 5-14 5-15 5-16 5-16 5-18 5-20 5-21 5-22 5-24 5-24

5-25 5-26 5-27 5-28 5-29 5-30 5-30

Appendixes

A Connecting an External Color Monitor B Troubleshooting

The Computer Won’t Start The LCD Screen Is Blank The Monitor Screen Is Blank The Computer Locks Up Low Battery Problems

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A-1 B-1

B-1 B-2

B-3 B-4 B-4

vii

Diskette Problems Hard Disk Problems

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B-5 B-6

Power-On Diagnostics

System Device Check Clock and CMOS RAM Check RAM Check

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Keyboard Controller and Keyboard Check Video and Video Controller Check Diskette Drive Seek Check

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Hard Disk Controller and Hard Disk Check

Performing System Diagnostics

Starting System Diagnostics Modifying the DEVICE LIST Selecting a Test

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Resuming From an Error System Board Check

Memory Check

Keyboard Check

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Monochrome Display Adapter and CRT Check

Monochrome Adapter Check Attribute Check Character Set Check Video Check Sync Check

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Run All Above Checks

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Color Graphics Adapter and CRT

Color Graphics Adapter Check Attribute Check Character Set Check

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40-Column Character Set Check 320x200 Graphics Mode Check 640x200 Graphics Mode Check Screen Paging Pheck Color Video Check Sync Check

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Run All Above Checks

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C-1 C-1 C-2 C-2

C-3 C-4

D-1

D-1 D-2 D-4 D-5 D-6 D-6 D-7

D-9

D-9 D-9 D-10 D-10 D-10 D-11 D-11

D-12 D-12 D-13 D-13 D-14 D-15 D-16

D-16 D-17

Floppy Disk Drive and Controller Check

Sequential Seek Check Random Seek Check Write, Read Check

Speed Check

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Disk Change Check Run All Above Checks

Math Coprocessor (80287) Check

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Parallel Port (Printer Interface) Check Serial Port (RS-232C Port) Check Alternate Serial Port Check

Dot-Matrix Printer Check

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Hard Disk Drive and Controller Check

Seek Check Write, Read Check Read, Verify Check

Run All Above Tests

Alternate Parallel Port Check

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Parallel Port (on Video Adapter) Check Exiting System Diagnostics Error Codes and Messages

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D-18 D-18

D-19 D-19

D-20 D-20 D-21

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D-21 D-22 D-23 D-24

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D-25

D-26 D-26

D-27 D-27

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D-28 D-29

E Specifications

Main Unit Interfaces Keyboard Mass Storage Display Power Supply

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Power Requirements Physical Dimensions Environmental Requirements Options

Glossary Index

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Glossary 1

Index 1

E-1

E-1 E-1 E-1 E-2 E-2 E-2 E-3 E-3 E-3 E-4

Introduction

Your Epson® Equity™ LT™-286 portable computer is a compact, high-performance system you can use just about anywhere: at the office, at home, or on the road. Its rechargeable battery lets you use

it in remote locations when you don’t have access to an electrical

outlet. With the AC adapter connected, you can use the computer

as long as you like and recharge the battery in the process.

The Equity LT-286 comes with the following:

l An 80286 microprocessor l 640KB (kilobytes) of internal memory

One 20 or 40MB (megabyte) hard disk

One 1.44MB 3 1/2-inch diskette drive

A high-contrast paper-white backlit LCD (liquid crystal display) screen

Built-in serial, parallel, and video interfaces.

The 80286 microprocessor inside your Equity LT-286 can run at an execution speed of either 12 MHz or 8 MHz. Ordinarily you’ll want to use the 12 MHz speed to get faster performance from your computer. A few application programs may require the 8 MHz speed; a switch above the keyboard allows you to change speeds without resetting the computer. The Equity LT-286 also has a built-in socket for an 80287 math coprocessor, which can be

installed by an authorized Epson dealer or Customer Care Center.

The built-in serial and parallel interfaces allow you to attach almost

any peripheral device, such as a printer or external modem, to your Equity LT-286.

If you have a CGA-compatible color monitor, you can connect it to the computer to take advantage of the color and the larger display. If you have an external 5 1/4-inch diskette drive, you can also connect that to the computer so that you can easily exchange data with computers that use 5 1/4-inch diskette drives.

Introduction 1

The following optional equipment should be available from your Epson dealer:

l 300/1200-baud H l 1200/2400-baud Hayes-compatible auto-dial internal modem

2MB memory expansion modules-one or two can be installed

ayes@-compatible auto-dial internal modem

by an authorized Epson dealer or Customer Care Center

l Expansion chassis l Soft carrying case.

Either of the internal modem options allows you to communicate

with other computers over telephone lines. The expansion chassis

contains two expansion slots, which can accommodate standard 8-bit and 16-bit option cards.

Your Equity LT-286 comes with MS-DOS? version 3.3, by Microsoft@’ and the GW-BASIC® programming language. You’ll find reference manuals for both MS-DOS and GW-BASIC packed in the box with the computer. You can use virtually any application program designed for the IBM@ Personal Computer, PC XT,” or PC AT” on your Equity LT-286.

In addition to MS-DOS and GW-BASIC, Epson has included three time-saving utilities that make MS-DOS easier to use: HELP, MENU, and XTREE® The HELP program lets you display information on the screen about any MS-DOS command. MENU provides an easier way to run the most common MS-DOS commands. XTREE is a disk management utility that simplifies all file and directory operations.

Introduction

How To Use This Manual

This user’s manual explains how to set up and care for your Equity

LT-286. It also describes how to use your computer and run diagnostic checks.

The eight steps in Chapter 1 explain how to set up your computer

and prepare it for use. On the inside back cover is a foldout illustration of the computer parts; you may want to refer to this while you set up the computer.

Chapter 2 tells you how to run the setup program. The setup program gives the computer information about what kind of equipment you have installed and how that equipment is configured. You need to run setup once, when you first begin working with your computer. Afterward, you need to run setup only if you change the configuration.

Chapter 3 explains the procedures for preparing your hard disk. Unless your dealer has already set up the disk for you, you must follow the steps described in this chapter before using your hard disk.

Chapter 4 describes general operating procedures and explains how

to use and care for your disks and disk drives.

Chapter 5 provides basic instructions for using MS-DOS with your

computer. You can find more detailed information about MS-DOS in the MS-DOS Reference Manual.

Appendix A explains how to attach an external color monitor to your Equity LT-286. To install other options, see the instructions that come with the option. For dealer-installed options, contact an authorized Epson dealer or Customer Care Center. (See the next section, “Where To Get Help,” for details.)

If you encounter any problems while using your Equity LT-286, check the troubleshooting guidelines in Appendix B.

Appendix C provides information on the power-on diagnostics, which you need if your computer has trouble starting up.

Introduction 3

Appendix D outlines the system diagnostic checks you can perform on your computer. If you are having trouble with any part of the hardware, you may want to run some or all of these diagnostic checks.

Appendix E lists the Equity LT-286 hardware specifications. At the back of the manual is a glossary of computer terms used in

this manual.

Where To Get Help

Customer support and service for Epson products is provided by a network of authorized Epson dealers and Customer Care Centers throughout the United States. Epson America provides training, replacement parts, product information, and toll-free support to our dealers and Customer Care Centers.

Therefore, we ask that you contact the business where you purchased your Epson product to request assistance. If the people there do not have the answer to your question, they can obtain it through our toll-free dealer/Customer Care Center hotline.

We are confident that this policy will provide you with the assistance you need. If you need to find an authorized Epson dealer or Customer Care Center in your area, please call our Consumer

Information number at 1-800-922-8911.

4 Introduction

Chapter 1

Setting Up Your System

Setting up your Epson Equity LT-286 portable computer is easy. Just follow the steps in this chapter. They describe how to attach

the AC adapter, start MS-DOS, and copy the system diskettes that come with your Equity LT-286.

After you have followed these steps, turn to Chapter 2 for information about the setup program. You must run this program to give your computer the information it needs to get started. Then follow the instructions in Chapter 3 to prepare your hard disk.

Do not turn on the computer, printer, or any peripherals until the

instructions tell you to. Otherwise, you may damage some part of

your equipment.

Unpacking

As you unpack the components, be sure to inspect each

item. If anything is missing or damaged, consult your Epson dealer.

Setting Up Your System

1-1

In addition to this manual, you should have the following items:

l The main unit

The AC adapter and power cord

Three diskettes: Startup/Operating 1, Operating 2, and

Reference

An MS-DOS manual and a GW-BASIC manual

Two function key templates

You’ll also find a registration card with the main unit. Fill out this card now and mail it to Epson. With your registration card on file, Epson can send you update information.

Be sure to keep your packing materials. They provide the best protection possible for your computer if you need to ship it later.

Connecting the AC Adapter

Follow these steps to connect the AC adapter:

Make sure the computer’s power switch (located on the back

panel of the computer) is turned off.

Insert the round end of the adapter cable into the connector marked AC ADAPTER on the back panel of the computer.

1-2

Setting Up Your System

Connect the computer’s power cord to the adapter’s input socket.

4. Plug the other end of the power cord into a grounded, 120-volt, AC wall outlet.

Be sure to read “Using the AC Adapter” in Chapter 4 for information on powering the computer with the AC adapter.

Note

The AC adapter cable has been

being accidentally the AC adapter, grasp the cable with your thumb on the flat part of the connector, Then pull it away from the computer, Do not

try to unplug the adapter by pulling on the cord.

disconnected from the computer. To

designed to prevent it from

unplug

Charging the Battery

The Equity LT-286 (NiCad) battery pack that powers the computer when you are not using the AC adapter. Before you use the computer the first time, you must charge the battery.

When you plugged in the AC adapter in step 2, it started charging the battery. This happens whenever the adapter is connected to the computer and plugged into an electrical outlet. Let the battery

contains a rechargeable nickel cadmium

Setting Up Your System

1-3

charge for at least five minutes before you start using the computer

the first time, and leave the AC adapter connected while you use the computer.

Be sure to read “Using the Battery” in Chapter 4 for information on using the computer with the battery. It explains how to charge the battery fully; you should do this as soon as possible with your new

computer.

Connecting a Printer

The Equity LT-286 has both parallel and serial interfaces

(ports). You can easily connect a printer or plotter that has either type of interface. Just follow the instructions below. Of course, Epson offers a full range of printer products; consult your dealer for more information.

Connecting to the Parallel Interface

The computer’s Centronics®-compatible parallel interface uses a 25-pin, D-shaped female connector. Most Epson printers have parallel interfaces.

To connect a printer to the computer, you need an IBMcompatible printer cable. If you’re not sure which one you need, consult your Epson dealer. Once you have a printer cable, follow these steps to connect your printer to the parallel interface on the computer:

Place the printer next to your computer.

Before you connect the printer, make sure the power switches on the computer and printer are off. (The power switch for your computer is located on the back of the machine, on the left side

as you face the keyboard.)

1-4

Setting Up Your

System

3. Open the computer’s interface cover, as shown below.

4. One end of the printer cable has a 25-pin, D-shaped male connector. (See your printer manual if you’re not sure which end this is.) Connect this end to the parallel connector on the back panel of the computer, as shown below. If the plug has retaining screws, tighten them by hand or with a screwdriver.

Setting

Up Your System

1-5

Connect the other end of the cable to the printer as shown in the following illustration. To secure the cable, squeeze the clips at each side of the printer connector and push them into place.

Plug the printer’s power cable into an electrical outlet.

Before starting your computer, be sure to set DIP switch 1 on

the back panel to the off position, as described on page 1-8 in “Setting the DIP Switches.” This tells your computer that a printer is connected to the parallel interface.

Note

If you plan to use an external 5 1/4-inch diskette drive with your Equity LT-286, you must connect the external drive to the parallel interface, Therefore, you cannot have both a parallel printer and the diskette drive connected at the same time. If you’re using an external 5 1/4-inch diskette drive, you need to set DIP switch 1 on the back panel to the on position. See “Setting the DIP Switches,” on page 1-8,

1-6

Setting Up Your System

Connecting to the Serial Interface

If you have a printer or other peripheral device that uses a serial interface, connect it to the serial (RS-232C) interface on the back of the computer.

The Equity LT-286 uses a 9-pin, D-shaped male connector, so be

sure you have a compatible cable or an adapting cable that converts the 9-pin output to the standard 25-pin output. To connect a serial

device, follow the steps above for connecting a parallel device.

You need to make sure the serial port is set up so it functions properly. If you are using the port for a serial printer, you must also redirect printer output from the parallel port to the serial port. Use the MS-DOS MODE command (or the Epson MENU program) to make these changes. See your MS-DOS manual for instructions.

Setting

Up Your System

1-7

Note If you plan to connect a color monitor or an external 5 1/4-inch

diskette drive to your computer, do so at this point. For

instructions on connecting the monitor, see Appendix A. For instructions on connecting an external diskette drive, see the instructions that came with the drive you purchased.

If you connect either of these devices to your Equity LT-286, be

sure to set the computer’s DIP switches correctly before using the computer. See “Setting the DIP Switches,‘+ below.

Setting the DIP Switches

The Equity LT-286 has two sets of DIP switches. These are

small, on/off switches that provide your computer with information about itself each time you turn the computer

either on (up) or off (down). To change a setting, use a hard, thin object, such as a small screwdriver.

One set of DIP switches is located just above the keyboard; the other is on the back panel of the computer. The set above the keyboard has four switches that control the LCD screen. The set on the back panel has six switches that control the diskette drive, the

parallel and serial interface configuration, the character set, and the

presence or absence of an external video controller card.

on. A DIP switch is

Read this section to make sure the current DIP switch settings match your system setup.

NoteNote

The DIP switches on the back panel should be changed onlyThe DIP switches on the back panel should be changed only

while the computer is turned off. Otherwise, the new settings dowhile the computer is turned off. Otherwise, the new settings do

not take effect until the computer is turned off and then onnot take effect until the computer is turned off and then on

again. (There is one exception: switch 4 on the back panel mayagain. (There is one exception: switch 4 on the back panel may

be changed while the computer is running.)be changed while the computer is running.)

The DIP switches above the keyboard may be changed while the

computer is running. However, do not change these switchescomputer is running. However, do not change these switches

while running the setup program.while running the setup program.

1-8

Setting Up

Your

System

Keyboard DIP Switches

The DIP switches above the keyboard are numbered 1 through 4. To access these switches, lift the panel above the keyboard by pressing inward on both sides of the cover as you lift it up:

The system functions controlled by the keyboard DIP switches,

shown below, are listed in Table l-l.

Setting Up Your System

1-9

Table 1-1. Keyboard DIP switch functions

1 LCD reverse LCD normal*

Gray-scale mode 0 (black/white)* Gray-scale mode 1 Gray-scale mode 2 Gray-scale mode 3 (user-defined)

Select LCD* Select external monitor

*Default settings

Switch 1, LCD reverse or normal-This switch tells your computer whether to display text on the screen in normal or reverse mode. In normal mode, black characters are displayed on a white background. In reverse mode, white characters are displayed on a black background.

Switches 2 and 3, gray-scale mode-These two switches select one of four available gray-scale modes. The gray-scale mode governs the way color information is displayed on your LCD screen. In mode 0, everything is displayed in black and white. For most of your work with the Equity LT-286, you probably want to use mode 0. In modes 1 and 2, information that appears in color on a color monitor appears in various shades of gray on your LCD screen.

Modes 1 and 2 differ from each other only in the specific assignment of colors to gray tones. The gray tone assignments

are shown in Table 1-2.

ON OFF

OFF OFF ON ON

OFF ON OFF ON

-1

OFF

1-10

Setting Up Your System

Table 1-2: Gray-scale

mocks

and 2

Color Black

Blue Green Cyan

Red

Magenta

Brown White Gray

Light blue

Light green

Light cyan

Light red

Light magenta Yellow

Bright white

Note: 0 is the darkest gray tone; 7 is the lightest

Mode 1 gray tone Mode 2 gray tone

0 0

1 1 4 2 5 3 2 4 3 5 6 7 7 0 0

1 1 4 5 2 3 6 6 7 7

2 3 4 5

Mode 3 is user-defined. If you select mode 3, you may assign colors to gray tones in whatever way best suits your needs. To specify a mode-3 gray scale, use the setup program, as described in Chapter 2.

Switch 4, LCD or monitor selection-This switch tells the computer whether to display text and graphics on the LCD screen or on a color monitor that you have connected to the computer. If you have connected a color monitor, set this switch to off. Otherwise, leave it on.

Setting Up Your System

1-11

Back Panel DIP Switches

The second set of DIP switches is located near the middle of the

back panel. These switches are numbered 1 through 6. To access these switches, open the back panel of the computer as shown below.

The system functions controlled by these switches are listed in Table 1-3 and described below.

Table

1-3.

Buck panel DIP switch functions

*Default settings

1-12

Setting Up Your

System

Switch 1, use of parallel port-This switch tells your computer whether a diskette drive or a parallel printer is connected to the parallel port. If you have connected a parallel printer to this port,

set switch 1 off. If you have connected an external 5 1/4-inch

diskette drive to the port, set switch 1 on.

WARNING Failure to set switch 1 correctly may result in damage to your

system.

Switch 2, external drive assignment-If you have connected an

external diskette drive to the computer, switch 2 determines

whether MS-DOS and your application programs access the drive

as drive A or drive B. If this switch is on, the built-in 3 1/2-inch

diskette drive is drive A and the external 5 1/4-inch diskette drive

is drive B. If this switch is off, the internal drive is B and the

external drive is A.

Certain copy-protected application programs require that an

original program diskette be in drive A when the program is started.

If you are running such a program and the original diskette is 5 1/4inch, be sure to set switch 2 off. Under all other circumstances, it is best to leave it on.

Switch 3, primary or secondary serial port-This switch tells the computer whether the serial connector on the back of the computer is configured as a primary port (COM1) or a secondary port (COM2). If this switch is off, MS-DOS recognizes this connector as COM1; if it is on, MS-DOS recognizes it as COM2.

If you have not installed an internal modem in your Equity LT-286, you probably want to leave switch 3 off. If you have installed an

internal modem, and you want the modem’s own serial port to be

COM1, set this switch on. Switch 4, double-dot/single-dot select-This switch controls the

intensity with which characters are displayed on the screen. Set

this switch on for bold (double-dot) characters or off for light

(single-dot) characters.

Setting Up Your System

1-13

Switch 5, enable or disable internal display controller-If you

have attached an optional expansion chassis and you are using an external video controller card (such as an Enhanced Graphics Adapter) in the expansion chassis, set this switch off. Otherwise, set it on.

Switch 6, external monitor type-Switch 6 is important only if

you are using an external monitor attached to a video controller

card in an expansion chassis and you have set switch 5 off. If your external monitor displays color, set this switch on. If your external monitor is monochrome, set this switch off.

Note If switch 5 is on, the computer ignores the setting of switch 6.

Inserting the Startup/Operating 1 Diskette

Follow these steps to insert the Startup/Operating 1 diskette:

Hold the diskette with the printed label facing up and the arrow pointing into the diskette drive, as shown in the following illustration.

1-14

Setting

Up Your System

Insert the diskette in the drive so that it clicks into place. When the diskette is all the way in, the release button pops out. For more information on inserting, removing, and caring for diskettes, see Chapter 4.

Starting the System

After you have completed steps 1 through 6, you’re ready to

turn on the power and start using your Equity LT-286 computer. But before you turn it on, read the following safety rules to avoid accidentally damaging your computer or injuring yourself:

Do not attempt to dismantle any part of the computer. If there

is a hardware problem you cannot solve after reading Appendix B on troubleshooting or after performing the system diagnostics

described in Appendix D, consult your Epson dealer. Never turn off or reset your computer while a disk drive LED

(light-emitting diode) is illuminated. Doing so can destroy data stored on the disk or make the whole disk unusable. The disk drive LEDs are located above the keyboard on the right side. The LED marked HDD indicates that the hard disk drive is in

use. The LED marked FDD indicates that the built-in diskette

drive is in use.

Always wait at least five seconds after you switch off the power

before switching it back on. Turning the power off and on

rapidly can damage the computer’s circuitry.

Do not leave a beverage on top of or next to your system or any

of its components. Spilled liquid can damage the circuitry of

your components.

Setting Up Your System

1-15

Turning On the Computer

After you have charged the battery (by connecting the AC adapter to the computer) for at least five minutes, you can turn on your computer. Be sure to leave the AC adapter connected while you use the computer for the first time.

To turn on your computer, follow these steps:

Turn on any peripheral devices, such as a printer, an external diskette drive, or a color monitor.

Make sure your computer’s hard disk switch, located on the back panel, is turned on. It is best to leave this switch on at all times.

3. If you have not done so already, insert the Startup/Operating 1 diskette.

4. Turn on the computer by pressing the power switch on the

back panel.

1-16

Setting Up Your

Power

Switch

System

The Power/Speed indicator above the keyboard lights up, and after a few seconds the computer begins to perform an internal self test. This is a diagnostic program the computer runs whenever you turn it on. The power-on self test checks the RAM (random access memory), keyboard, system board, and peripherals before the computer begins normal operation.

For a complete description of the power-on diagnostics, see Appendix C.

Adjusting Screen Contrast and Brightness

If you cannot see text on the screen clearly, use the switches on the right side of the screen to adjust the screen’s contrast and brightness. The switches are shown below:

The contrast switch determines how bright the characters appear against the background. To increase the contrast, move the switch up. To decrease it, move the switch down.

To make the backlighting brighter, move the brightness switch up. To decrease the backlighting, move the switch down. To conserve the battery’s charge when you’re running the computer on the battery, do not make the screen brighter than necessary to read the text clearly.

Setting Up Your

System

1-17

Initial Screen Display

After the computer completes its self test, a message tells you how much random access memory (RAM) is available:

000640 KB Ok

The computer then boots (starts up) the MS-DOS operating system. The screen displays a date prompt similar to this:

Current date is Sat 09-03-88

Enter new date (mm-dd-yy):

Type today’s date, in the format shown above, and press Enter. You can use either hyphens or slashes to separate the month, day, and year.

The screen then displays the time:

Current time is 09:10:33.49 Enter new time:

Type the current time in the format shown above, and press Enter.

You don’t need to enter the seconds. For PM times, use a number between 12 and 23 to designate the hour.

Note

You need to enter the current date and time only the first time you start your computer. Afterward, your computer’s built-in, battery-powered clock keeps track of the date and time automatically. If you ever want to change the date or time for any reason, use the MS-DOS

DATE

and TIME commands

(described in your MS-LXX manual).

The screen displays the MS-DOS version number and copyright

information. Then the MS-DOS command prompt appears:

This means the operating system is ready for you to enter a

command. The command prompt identifies the current operating

drive: A, B, or C. The prompt appears on the screen whenever you

1-18

Setting Up Your System

load MS-DOS, complete an MS-DOS command, or exit an application program.

NoteNote

Your computer is designed to conserve energy screen when there is no activity at the keyboard for a certainscreen when there is no activity at the keyboard for a certain

period of

to illuminate it again.to illuminate it again.

time. If the screen goes dark, press one of the Shift keys

darkening the

Copying System Diskettes

Now that you have set up your system and loaded MS-DOS,

it is important that you make copies of your system diskettes right

away. Use only the copies (usually called working copies) for daily

operation; store the originals in a safe place.

To copy your system diskettes, you need three blank, 720KB, double-sided, double-density, 3 1/2-inch diskettes. Follow these steps:

Write-protect your original system diskettes. This protects the diskettes from accidentally being erased or copied over. The write-protect device is a small switch on the lower-right corner on the

back of the diskette.

the switch down toward the edge of the diskette so there is a hole where the switch used to be. (For more detailed instructions, see “Write-Protecting Diskettes,” in Chapter 4.)

write-protect a diskette, slide

Insert the Startup/Operating 1 diskette in the diskette drive if it is not

there

already.

Type DISKCOPY

message:

and press Enter. The screen displays this

Insert SOURCE diskette in drive A

Press any key when ready . . .

Setting Up Your System

1-19

4. Drive A already contains the diskette you want to copy (the source diskette), so just press any key. The DISKCOPY program copies most of the files on the diskette to the computer’s memory. (Because the 720KB MS-DOS diskette holds more data than fits in the computer’s 640KB of memory, the computer must copy the diskette in two passes. MS-DOS prompts you when you need to change diskettes.)

The screen then displays this message:

Insert TARGET diskette in drive A:

Press any key when ready . . .

5. Remove the Startup/Operating 1 diskette from drive A by pressing the release button, and insert the blank diskette (the

target diskette) in the drive. Then press any key. If the diskette in drive A has not been formatted, the

DISKCOPY program formats it. Then the program begins copying the data from the computer’s memory to the formatted diskette. When it has copied all the files from memory, the screen displays this message:

Insert SOURCE diskette in drive A:

Press any key when ready . . .

6. Remove the target diskette from the drive and insert the

original Startup/Operating 1 diskette. Then press any key. The DISKCOPY program copies the rest of the files from the

original diskette to the computer’s memory and then displays this message:

Insert TARGET diskette in drive A:

Press any key when ready . . .

1-20

Setting Up Your System

Remove the Startup/Operating 1 diskette from drive A and insert the target diskette in the drive, then press any key. The program copies the remaining files from the computer’s memory to the target diskette.

When the copy is complete, you see this prompt:

Copy another diskette (Y/N)?

Press Y so you can make a copy of the Operating 2 diskette. Follow the instructions above and the prompts on the screen to copy the Operating 2 diskette.

When the reappears, press Y again, and follow the instructions above to copy the Reference diskette.

10. When you finish copying all three system diskettes, answer N to

the

Copy another diskette (Y/N)?

prompt.

prompt

Setting Up Your

System

1-21

Chapter 2

Running the Setup Program

If this is the first time your Equity LT-286 has been used, you need to run the setup program on the Reference diskette to give the computer information about the way it is set up. This is a simple procedure that you must do at least once. You may need to do it again later if you want to change a setting.

The setup program lets you specify the following:

The amount of random access memory (RAM) in your computer

The type of display you’re using Whether or not you have installed an 80287 math coprocessor Whether or not you have installed an external 5 1/4-inch

diskette drive What type of hard disk drive you have The backlight period for your LCD screen The mapping of colors to gray tones for gray-scale mode 3.

The settings you specify with the setup program are recorded in a special area of memory called CMOS RAM. This memory is backed up by a battery, so it cannot be erased when you turn off or reset the computer. Whenever you turn on the computer, it reads the settings stored in CMOS RAM. If there are any differences between those settings and the settings of your DIP switches, the computer prompts you to rerun the setup program.

Running

the

Setup Program

2-1

Starting the Setup Program

To start the setup program, follow these steps:

Insert your working copy of the Reference diskette in drive A.

2. Turn on or reset the computer. Press Enter twice to respond

to the date and time prompts. The setup program loads automatically and displays the Reference diskette’s operation menu:

OPERATION MENU

Setup

2 -

System diagnostics

0- Exit to DOS for more utilities

Enter selection number:

Press 1 to

menu appears on the screen:

select

Setup

and then press Enter. The setup main

SETUP Utility

Lsaloct

2-2

function, Enter exit

Running the Setup Program

version 4.00

Coprocessor

Mass

Backlight period

Gray

storage

scale

program

(c)

SEIKO EPSON CORP.

1988

To select an option on this menu, use the & and ? keys to

highlight the option. Then press Enter. (The L and 1‘ keys are

located on the numeric keypad, at the lower-right comer of

your keyboard.)

Memory

The setup program assumes that your Equity LT-286 is equipped with 640KB of main memory and no expansion memory. If this information is correct, you do not need to make any changes to the

Memory

To change the memory information recorded by the setup program or to confirm that the current settings are correct, highlight

Memory

portion of the setup program.

and press Enter. The following display appears:

Exit

Memory

Display

Coprocessor

Mass storage

Backlight period

Gray scale

If the current settings are correct, press ? to return to the main

setup menu.

Running the Setup Program

2-3

To change the main memory setting, highlight Main. Then press

Enter one or more times until the correct value appears.

To change the expansion memory setting, highlight Expansion. Then press the + key (either the gray + on the right side of the keyboard or the white + next to the backspace key) until the

correct value appears. For example, if you have installed a 2MB memory expansion

module, press the + key until 2048KB appears. If you have installed two 2MB expansion modules, press the + key until 4096KB appears.

When you have finished making changes to the memory settings, highlight SAVE SETTINGS and press Enter.

Display

The setup program assumes that you are using either the built-in LCD screen in its normal 80-column mode or a color monitor

(attached to the CRT connector) in 80-column mode. If this information is correct, you do not need to make any changes to the

Display

portion of the setup program.

To change the display information recorded by the setup program

or to confirm that the current settings are correct, highlight

Display

and press Enter. The following screen appears:

Exit

Memory

Display

Coprocessor

Mass storage

Backlight period

Gray scale

2-4

Running the

Setup Program

If the current settings are correct, press ? to return to the main setup menu.

To change the display information, highlight

col

and press Enter. The following menu appears:

Color/graph.

Exit

Memory

Display

Coprocessor

Mass storage

Backlight period

Gray scale

+ Color/graph. 80 col

* Special options *

** SAVE SETTINGS **

Color/graph. 40 col Monochrome

The choices are as follows:

Color/graph. 80 col-In this mode, the Equity LT-286

displays text at a width of eighty characters per line and can display graphics. This is the standard setting.

80 col

Color/graph. 40 col-In this mode, the Equity LT-286

displays text at a width of forty characters per line and can display graphics. Use this setting if you want the computer to start up with wider characters. (Your application programs may still change the display from the 40-column mode to the 80-column mode, but the computer will start in the 40-column mode each time you turn it on or reset it.)

Monochrome 80 col-Choose this setting only if you have a

monochrome monitor attached to a monochrome display adapter in an expansion chassis and you want the computer’s initial display to appear on the monochrome monitor.

Running the Setup Program

2-5

l Special options-Choose this setting if you have an

EGA (Enhanced Graphics Adapter) or VGA (Video Graphics Array) display adapter in an expansion chassis and you want the computer’s initial display to appear on the monitor connected to that adapter.

To select a display option, highlight the option and press Enter. Then highlight SAVE SETTINGS and press Enter again. The main setup menu reappears.

Coprocessor

The setup program assumes that you have not installed an 80287

math coprocessor. If this is the case, you do not need to make any

changes to the

If you have installed an 80287 coprocessor, highlight

Coprocessor

and press Enter. The following display appears:

portion of the setup program.

Exit

Memory

Display

Coprocessor

Mass storage

Backlight period

Gray scale

*** SAVE SETTINGS ***

Highlight the 80287 option and press Enter once, to indicate that you have installed an 80287 coprocessor. Then highlight

SAVE SETTINGS and

2-6

Running the Setup Program

press Enter.

Mass Storage

The setup program assumes that your computer has an internal

1.44MB 3 1/2-inch floppy disk drive, an internal 20MB hard disk, and that you are not using an external 5 1/4-inch diskette drive. If this is true, you do not need to make any changes to the Mass

storage

To change the mass storage information recorded by the setup program or to confirm that the current settings are correct, highlight appears:

portion of the setup program.

Mass storage

and press Enter. The following display

ExitExit

MemoryMemory

DisplayDisplay

CoprocessorCoprocessor

Mass storageMass storage

Backlight period

Gray scale

-A

Drive

B(external):

- -

Drive C

******

If you are using an external 5 1/4-inch diskette drive, highlight

Drive B (external).

external diskette drive you have installed. As you continue to press

AVE SETTIN

Then press Enter to select the type of

1 1

None

: Type

2(20MB)

GS *******

Enter, the display cycles through the available options: 360 KB,

1.2 MB, and None. Select the appropriate option for your system. Your hard disk is most likely a Type 2,20MB disk. If it is not,

highlight Drive c and press Enter. Then press Enter to select the

type of drive you have installed. As you continue to press Enter, the display cycles through the available options: Type 3 (40MB),

Type 4

appropriate option for your system.

(40MB) , None, and Type 2 (20MB).

Running

Select

the

Setup Program

the

2-7

If you are using an external 5 1/4-inch diskette DIP switch 2 on the back panel off, your computer recognizes the external diskette drive as A and the internal drive as B. In this case, you need to confirm or adjust the setup settings for both Drive A and

Drive B.

setup main menu, you may see the following display:

When you first select

Mass storage from the

drive

and have set

Exit

Memory

Display

Coprocessor

Mass storage

Backlight period

Gray scale

Drive B(internal): None (BAD SETTING) Drive C

: Type 2(20MB)

******* SAVE SETTINGS ********

Do not be concerned about the message merely to remind you to adjust the settings for both of your diskette drives.

When you have entered the correct setup information for both diskette drives, highlight SAVE SETTINGS and press Enter. The

main setup menu reappears.

2-8

Running the Setup Program

BAD

SETTING

. This is

Backlight Period

In order to conserve the battery’s charge when you are running your computer without the AC adapter, your screen is designed to go blank after a preset period of inactivity. Initially, that period is two minutes. If you don’t press any key on the keyboard for two minutes, the screen’s backlighting is automatically turned off. To turn it on again, press any key. To do this without disturbing a program running on your computer, press Shift, Ctrl, or Alt.

You can change the period of time the computer waits before darkening the screen to any value between 30 seconds and five minutes, in half-minute increments. You can also disable the automatic screen darkening feature by selecting an unlimited backlight period. To change the backlight period, highlight

Backlight period

press Enter. The following display appears:

on the setup program’s main menu, then

Exit

Memory

Display

Coprocessor

Mass storage

'Backlight period

Gray scale

** SAVE SETTINGS **

Press the + key to increase the backlight period or the -key to

decrease it. To disable automatic screen darkening, keep pressing

the + key until the display reads

No time limit.

Running the Setup Program

2-9

certain memory-resident programs are running, the screen’s backlighting cannot be restored after it has been turned off. If you find that the screen’s backlighting does not come back on when you press a key, you may want to set the backlight period to Not time limit. Another way to avoid this problem is to use the Epson LIGHTON utility. See chapter 5 for details on the LIGHTON utility.

When you have selected the backlighting period, highlight SAVE

SETTINGS and press Enter. The main menu reappears.

Gray Scale

The Gray scale option on the setup menu allows you to define the correspondence between colors and gray tones in gray-scale mode 3 (see Chapter 1). If you are not planning to use gray-scale mode 3, you do not need to set the Gray scale portion of the setup program.

To define gray-scale mode 3, highlight Gray scale on the setup

main menu and press Enter. The following display appears:

SETUP Utility

return to main menu,

Enter change gray scale

2-10

Running the Setup Program

version 4.00

Backlight period

I select option,

Exit

Memory

Display

Coprocessor

Mass

storage

Gray

scale

+ -

select attribute,

1988

In the submenu (the lower box), a black, gray, or white tone appears next to the word

Black.

That tone is currently associated with the color black. If you are satisfied with that tone, press the + key to move to the next color. If you want to use a different gray tone for black, press Enter. The following display appears:

ZTUP Utility

(Attributes

BFKGROUND

b123456789ABCDEF

return to previous menu, 1 select option,

scale

version 4.00

image)

Coprocessor

Mass

storage

Backlight period

(c)

SEIKO EPSON COW.

Gray

Scale

Gray

Scale

Gray Scale 3m Gray Scale Gray Scale Gray Scale

Gray Scale

Enter change

5 6

m m m

1988

gray

Use ‘? and 1 to highlight the gray tone that you would like to use for black, then press Enter. The submenu shown in the preceding figure then reappears, showing your latest gray tone selection for the color black.

Next, press the + key. The name of another color appears, along

with the gray tone currently associated with that color. To assign a different gray tone to that color, press Enter and follow the procedure described in the last paragraph. To move to the next color, press the + key again.

Running the Setup Program

2-11

As you build a gray scale for mode 3, the setup program displays all possible combinations of foreground and background tones in a grid at the left side of the screen. In this grid, the numbers and letters in the column at the left represent foreground tones. The numbers and letters in the row at the top of the grid represent background tones. Here is what the numbers and letters stand for:

Foreground

0 - Black

1 - Blue

Background

0 - Black

1 - Blue

2 - Green 2 - Green 3 - Cyan

3 - Cyan

4 - Red 4 - Red

5 - Magenta 6 - Brown 6 - Brown

7 - White 7 - White 8 - Gray 8 - Blinking black 9 - Light blue 9 - Blinking blue A- Light green A - Blinking green B - Light cyan B - Blinking cyan C - Light red C - Blinking red D - Light magenta D - Blinking magenta

E - Yellow E - Blinking brown

F - Bright white F - Blinking white

For example, to see how a red character might look on a blue

background, you would find the intersection of row 4 and

column 1. The character displayed there is an example of how

that color combination will appear in gray-scale mode 3, given

the current settings.

5 - Magenta

When you finish assigning gray tones to colors, highlight

SAVE SETTINGS and press Enter. The main menu reappears.

2-12

Running the

Setup Program

Leaving the Setup Program

until

When you finish using the setup program, press

Exit

highlighted and then press Enter. The screen displays a list of the current setup program settings and a menu:

SETUP Utility version 4.00

Memory size

Display type

Coprocessor

Mass storage

Backlight period

return to main menu, L

menu,

change

aelect

Main

Expansion

Drive

A(internal): 1.44

Drive

B(external): None

Drive C:

option,

SEIKO EPSON CORP.

(c)

640 KB 0KN

color/graph. 80 col

80287 not

Type 2(20MB)

3.0 minutes

Enter

return to main

installed

Check the list to make sure all the information is correct:

If any setting is incorrect, highlight

Change settings

press Enter. The main setup menu appears again and you can correct the setting.

If you did not make any changes or if you want to cancel the changes you made, highlight

Exit without saving

then press Enter. The Reference diskette’s operation menu appears. Press 0 and then Enter to exit to MS-DOS. Then remove your Reference diskette and insert your working copy of the Startup/Operating 1 diskette.

1988

and

Running the Setup Program

2-13

If you have modified the gray-scale settings, press F1. The screen displays the current gray-scale assignments. If you want to make any changes, highlight

Change settings

and press

Enter. The main setup menu appears again, and you can make

any necessary changes.

When the settings are the way you want them, remove the

Reference diskette and insert your working copy of the Startup/ Operating 1 diskette in drive A. Then highlight and press Enter. At this point, the program resets the computer

using

press Enter twice to respond to the date and time prompts, the A>

prompt reappears on the screen.

If the computer displays a setup error message while it is starting up, run the setup program again and check all your settings.

the new configuration, and MS-DOS is reloaded. After you

EXIT AND SAVE

2-14

Running

the

Setup Program

Chapter 3

Preparing the Hard Disk for Use

Before using your hard disk for the first time, you need to follow the steps described in this chapter to partition and format the disk. These steps prepare the disk to store MS-DOS and your data and program files.

WARNING

The steps described in this chapter erase any data currently stored on the hard disk. Therefore, do nut perform these steps if your hard disk has already been prepared for use or has data stored on it. These instructions apply only to a new hard disk.

The hard disk in your computer has a much larger capacity than your diskette drive. A 20MB hard disk, for example, can store more than 20 million characters. This is equivalent to approximately 15

1.44MB diskettes. Using a hard disk reduces the number of diskettes you need and eliminates much of the diskette-swapping you do when you use diskettes. The computer is also able to read and write data on the hard disk much more quickly than it can on a diskette.

You generally do most of your work on the hard disk and use the diskette drive for tasks such as installing new software, exchanging data with other computers, and making backup copies of your programs and data files.

Backing up the hard disk is particularly important. Although the hard disk is very reliable, it is essential to back up all your hard disk files onto diskettes periodically, in case you accidentally lose some data. You can use BACKUP or MENU to back up your hard disk files. These commands are described in Chapter 5 and in the MS-DOS Reference Manual.

Preparing the Hard Disk for Use

3-1

There are three essential steps involved in preparing the hard disk for use:

Creating one or more partitions for the MS-DOS operating system

Formatting the MS-DOS partition(s)

Copying files from the Operating 2 and Reference diskettes to

the hard disk.

Partitioning the disk prepares it to receive the MS-DOS system files. You use the FDISK program to perform this step.

Formatting a partition prepares the partition to receive data. You use the FORMAT command to perform this step.

You use the COPY command to copy essential MS-DOS programs and Epson-supplied utility programs from your Operating 2 and

Reference diskettes to your hard disk.

Note

The instructions in this chapter assume that MS-DOS is the

only operating system you are going to use on your hard

disk. If

you’re going to use another operating system in addition to MS-DOS,

you

may

need to create an additional

partition. For information about how to do this, consult the chapter an FDISK in your

MS-DOS

manual. If you want to set up your hard disk to run another operating system only, consult the manual fur that operating system.

With MS-DOS version 3.3, you can create one or more partitions on the hard disk. You must create a primary partition, which is where MS-DOS is stored and from which your computer loads the operating system. Additionally, you can create an extended

partition, which you can use to store additional programs or data.

If you have a 20MB hard disk, you probably need only one partition. If you have a 40MB hard disk, however, it is best to create an extended partition in addition to the primary partition.

3-2 Preparing the Hard Disk for Use

MS-DOS cannot use more than 32MB in a single partition, so

creating an extended partition allows you to use the extra 8MB of

space.

The primary partition automatically becomes drive C. If you create

an extended partition (on either a 20MB or a 40MB hard disk), you can make it just one drive or break it into multiple drives. Each drive in the extended partition is assigned a drive letter, beginning with D, and you can define how much space you want each drive to have.

In the following procedures you’ll enter MS-DOS commands and use the working copies of your Startup/Operating 1, Operating 2, and Reference diskettes. If you are new to computers and MS-DOS,

this may be the first time you have used an operating system. The steps are simple, and you should not have any problems; however, if you do have questions, see Chapter 5 for basic information about using MS-DOS or see your MS-DOS manual for more detailed

information about the operating system.

Creating a Primary Partition

The steps below describe how to create a primary partition of the

maximum size: 20MB on a 20MB hard disk or 32MB on a 40MB hard disk. If you want the primary partition to be smaller, see the

instructions for FDISK in your MS-DOS manual.

1. Make sure the computer is turned off.

2. Make sure the switch marked HDD POWER on the back of the

computer is turned on.

3. Insert your working copy of the Startup/Operating 1 diskette into the diskette drive.

4. Turn on the computer.

5. Press Enter twice to accept the date and time shown (or enter

the date and time if they are incorrect).

Preparing the Hard Disk for Use

3-3

At the

prompt, type

displays the FDISK Options menu.

Press 1

to select

press Enter. The screen displays the following menu:

FDISK

the

Create DOS Partition

and press Enter. The screen

option and

Create DOS Partition Current Fixed Disk Drive: 1

1. Create Primary DOS partition

2. Create Extended DOS partition Enter choice: [1] Press ESC to return to FDISK Options

8. Press 1, then press Enter. The screen displays the following:

Create Primary DOS Partition Current Fixed Disk Drive: 1 Do you wish to use the maximum size

for a DOS partition and make the DOS

partition active (Y/N)......? [Y]

Press ESC to return to FDISK Options

9. Press Y, then press Enter. The screen displays the following

message:

System will now restart Insert DOS diskette in drive A:

Press any key when ready . . .

10. Without removing the Startup/Operating 1 diskette, press any key

restart the system.

11. Press Enter twice to accept the date and time shown.

The system now recognizes the MS-DOS partition and the A> prompt reappears.

3-4

Preparing the Hard Disk for Use

Creating an Extended Partition

This section describes how to create an extended partition of 8MB, designated as drive D. If you completed the steps described in the previous section, you should already have a primary partition of 32MB if you have a 40MB hard disk. The primary partition is designated as drive C.

After you have formatted the partitions, your computer operates as

if it had two separate hard disks-a 32MB drive C and an 8MB

drive D. If you prefer a different arrangement-for example, a

20MB drive C and a 20MB drive D-or if you want to split your 20MB hard disk into two partitions, see the instructions for FDISK in your MS-DOS Reference Manual. The MS-DOS manual also describes how to create multiple drives in the extended partition.

Note

Splitting a hard disk into two logical drives does not require you to run the setup program to change the configuration information. The setup program is concerned only with the number of physical disk drives in your system.

Follow these steps to create an extended partition on the hard disk and designate it as drive D:

Insert the working copy of your Startup/Operating 1 diskette in drive A if it is not there already.

At the A> prompt, type FDISK and press Enter.

3. Press 1 to select the Create DOS Partition option and

press Enter.

4. Press2

and press Enter. The screen displays a message similar to this:

to select

Create Extended

DOS

Partition

Total disk space is 1023 cylinders. Maximum space available for partition

is 252 cylinders.

Enter partition size...........[252]

Preparing the Hard Disk for Use

3-5

Press Enter to accept the partition size. The screen message:

displays the

Extended DOS partition created

You also see information about the partitions you have created.

Press ESC to return to the FDISK Options menu. FDISK automatically takes you to the

Create Logical DOS

Drive (s) option and displays a message similar to this:

No logical drives defined

Total partition size is 252 cylinders.

Maximum space available for logical

drive is 252 cylinders.

Enter logical drive size......[252]

Press Enter to accept the logical drive size. FDISK creates a

logical drive for the extended partition and designates it

drive D.

Press ESC. The screen displays the following message and

prompts:

System will now restart Insert DOS diskette in drive A:

Press any key when ready . . .

Without removing your Startup/Operating 1 diskette from

drive A, press any key to restart the system.

10.

Press Enter twice to accept the date and time shown.

The system now recognizes the primary partition as drive C and the extended partition as drive D. The A> prompt reappears.

Note

Once you have created the partitions, you must format each one. Formatting prepares the partition to receive programs and other

data. The and extended partition.

3-6

next two sections describe

Preparing

the

Hard

Disk for Use

how to format a pr

imary

Formatting the Primary Partition

Now that you have created drive C, the primary partition, you must format it. You can use the SELECT command to do this. SELECT automatically does the following:

Formats the primary partition

Allows you to assign a name (a volume label) to the partition

l Copies the MS-DOS Startup/Operating 1 files to the partition

Creates an AUTOEXEC.BAT file in the primary partition to ensure that your computer boots MS-DOS correctly from drive C.

If you have an extended partition, use the FORMAT command to format drive D (and any additional drives in the extended partition). See “Formatting the Extended Partition,” the next section in this chapter.

After you have formatted drive C, you can boot the operating system automatically from the hard disk every time you turn on or reset your computer. You won’t have to insert an MS-DOS system diskette in drive A to load the operating system.

To format drive C, follow these steps:

Insert your working copy of the Startup/Operating 1 diskette into the diskette drive.

2. If you don’t see the

prompt, type

and press Enter.

3. At the A> prompt, type the following and press Enter:

SELECT A: C:\DOS 001 US

Note 001 and US are the country code and keyboard code for the

United States. If you want to substitute other codes, MS-DOS manual.

Preparing the Hard Disk for Use

see your

3-7

The screen displays the following message:

SELECT is used to install DOS the first time.

SELECT erases everything on the specified target and then installs DOS.

Do you want to continue (Y/N)?

4. Press Y. The screen displays the following message:

WARNING, ALL DATA ON NON-REMOVABLE DISK DRIVE C: WILL BE LOST! Proceed with Format (Y/N)?

Press Y, then press Enter. MS-DOS begins formatting the primary partition. The screen continuously displays the changing head and cylinder numbers of the drive.

Because the formatting process takes a few minutes, your

screen may go dark. Just press any key to make the

information on the screen visible again,

When the procedure is complete, the screen displays the following message:

Format complete System transferred Volume label (11 characters, ENTER for none)

3-8

Preparing

the

Hard

Disk for Use

6. It is a good idea to enter a name (a volume label) for the partition to protect it from being accidentally reformatted later. If you want to name the drive, type a name of up to 11 characters, then press Enter. If you prefer not to name it, just press Enter.

The screen first displays disk space information. Then it displays the following message:

Reading source file (s) . . .

When all the files have been copied, the A> prompt reappears. The

SELECT procedure is complete. Now you can format the extended partition, if you have one, using the procedure below.

Formatting the Extended Partition

If you have an extended partition (drive D), you need to format it

also. Follow this procedure:

Insert your working copy of the Startup/Operating 1 diskette into the diskette drive.

2. If you don’t see the

Enter:

3. At the A> prompt, type the following and press Enter:

FORMAT D:

prompt, type the following and press

Preparing the Hard Disk fur Use

3-9

4. The screen displays this message and prompt:

WARNING, ALL DATA ON NON-REMOVABLE DISK DRIVE D: WILL BE LOST! Proceed with Format (Y/N)?

5. Press Y and Enter to begin formatting the extended partition.

The screen continuously displays the changing head and cylinder numbers. When the partition has been formatted, the screen displays the following message:

Format complete

It also shows information about the total disk space available on drive D. The

prompt then reappears.

Copying the MS-DOS Files to the Hard Disk

Once you have formatted your partition(s), you need to copy the files on your Operating 2 and Reference diskettes to drive C. Follow

the steps below.

Remove the Startup/Operating 1 diskette from drive A and

insert the Operating 2 diskette in the drive.

2. You should still see the

prompt. If not, type

and press

Enter.

3. At the A> prompt, type the following and press Enter:

COPY *.* C:\DOS

MS-DOS copies all the files from the diskette to your hard disk. As each file is copied, its name appears on the screen.

4. After copying, remove the Operating 2 diskette from drive A and insert the Reference diskette. Type the following and press

Enter:

COPY *.* C:\DOS

5. When you are finished copying, store your diskettes in a safe place.

3-10

Preparing the Hard Disk for Use

Modifying the AUTOEXEC.BAT File

The SELECT procedure described above creates a file named

AUTOEXEC.BAT on your hard disk. This file contains instructions that are executed by MS-DOS every time you boot

your system from the hard disk. These instructions do the following:

Tell MS-DOS where to find its essential system files

Allow you to verify that the date and time are correctly set or change the date and time if necessary

Install the appropriate keyboard information for the country in which you’re using your computer.

Together, these instructions ensure that your system starts up properly each time you boot it from the hard disk. The instruction

that installs the keyboard information, however, has the side effect of interfering with the mechanism that restores the backlighting to your screen after the backlight period has elapsed. To correct this problem, you need to make a simple modification to the

AUTOEXEC.BAT file created by SELECT. To do so, follow these

steps:

1. Type COPY AUTOEXEC.BAT + CON AUTOEXEC.BAT

and press Enter.

2. Type LIGHTON and press Enter.

3. Press the F6 key and then Enter.

WARNING

It is essential to modify the AUTOEXEC.BAT file created by SELECT. If you do not, you will not be able to restore the backlighting to your screen after the backlight period elapses.

Preparing

the Hard Disk for Use

3-11

Booting From the Hard Disk

Now you can boot your system (load MS-DOS) from drive C. Just make sure there is no diskette in drive A when you turn on or reset your computer.

Turn off the computer, wait at least five seconds, then turn it back on. After the computer completes its power-on self test, the screen displays the date prompt. Press Enter twice to accept the date and

time shown. The C> prompt appears, indicating that the system has successfully

loaded MS-DOS from your hard disk. From now on, each time you turn on or reset your computer, it

automatically loads MS-DOS from the hard disk. Just make sure drive A is empty.

3-12

Preparing the Hard Disk for Use

Chapter 4

Using the Equity LT-286

This chapter describes some basic procedures for using your Equity LT-286 computer.

Using the AC Adapter

The Equity LT-286 can be powered by its internal battery pack or by the AC adapter. When you connect the AC adapter to the computer and to an electrical outlet, the power to the computer is

supplied from the outlet. At the same time, the AC adapter recharges the battery. Use the AC adapter whenever you have access to an electrical outlet; that way you’ll preserve the battery’s charge.

You can connect or disconnect the AC adapter while you are using the computer without interrupting any operation. For example, if

you are not using the adapter and the Power/Speed light starts flashing (see below), you can connect the AC adapter without first

turning off the computer. (You should do this immediately if the

Power/Speed light starts to flash, to avoid losing data.)

Because the adapter can operate at voltages from 100 to 240 volts, you can use your Equity LT-286 in countries other than the United States, provided you have the appropriate adapter plug.

Use the AC adapter to recharge the battery as described in the next section.

Using the Equity LT-286

4-1

Using the Battery

The battery pack inside the Equity LT-286 contains eight NiCad

(nickel cadmium) batteries that power the computer when the AC adapter is not connected. The battery pack is rechargeable, and you

should never have to replace it. You need to recharge the battery pack at the following times:

Before using the computer for the first time

If the battery has not been used for a long time

If the Power/Speed indicator light starts flashing (see “LED Indicators,” below).

After the Power/Speed light starts to flash, you have a maximum of 10 minutes before the battery charge is completely gone. If you

continue using the computer without connecting the adapter, power runs out and you may lose data.

To recharge the battery, connect the AC adapter to the computer and to an electrical outlet. You can charge the battery whether the computer is on or off. For the maximum charge, leave the AC adapter connected for 12 hours. The battery pack cannot be overcharged, so don’t worry if you leave it connected for more than

12 hours.

Remember the following when you are charging the battery:

Use only the AC adapter that comes with the Equity LT-286. Using a different one can damage the computer.

It is best to charge the battery for at least eight hours. If you charge the battery for only short periods, it can run low sooner.

The length of time the battery can provide power after being charged depends on how you are using the computer. A fully charged battery provides approximately one hour and fifteen minutes of use for simple operations. If you are working with a program that makes extensive use of the hard disk or if you are using an external diskette drive, you may need to recharge the battery sooner.

4-2

Using the Equity LT-286

To maximize the charge time your battery supplies, you should completely discharge and then recharge the battery from time to time. To do this, let the battery drain all the way down. When the

Power/Speed LED starts to flash, save your work in progress (if

any) and exit any program you are using. Leave the computer on, but do not use it. After about ten minutes, all LEDs should go dark,

indicating the battery has been discharged. Then give the battery a

full 12-hour charge.

LED Indicators

Above the keyboard on the right side are six LED (light-emitting diode) indicators that provide information about the computer’s operation.

The Power/Speed LED is on whenever the computer is on. The

color of this LED indicates the computer’s current execution speed. If the microprocessor is running at 12 MHz, the light is green; if it is running at 8 MHz, the light is orange.

The Power/Speed LED serves another important function: it indicates when the battery charge is low. If this light is flashing, you should attach the AC adapter as soon as possible to avoid losing data or save your data files and turn off the computer if AC power is unavailable. (See “Using the Battery,” above.)

Using the Equity LT-286 4-3

The HDD (Hard Disk Drive) LED is on when your computer is

reading data from or writing data to your hard disk.

The FDD (Floppy Disk Drive) LED is on when your computer is

reading data from or writing data to your diskette drive.

Do not turn off your computer when either the

HDD

LED

the

FDD LED is illuminated. Also, do not turn off the HDD switch when the HDD LED the

FDD

LED is illuminated. If you do, you may lose dam.

The Num Lock, Caps Lock, and Scroll Lock LEDs indicate

whether the corresponding key functions are enabled. See “Special Keys on the Equity LT-286 Keyboard,” below.

illuminated or remove a diskette when

Opening and Closing the Screen

When you are not using the computer or you want to move it, turn it off and close the screen, as shown below. Be sure the screen locks into the bottom part of the computer.

4-4 Using the Equity LT-286

When you want to open the screen, slide the latch release buttons on both sides (shown below) away from the center. Then lift the screen back. You can position the screen at a variety of viewing angles.

Note To prevent damage to the system, you cannot open the Equity LT-286 while it is standing uptight on its back panel. Set the computer in a horizontal position before opening it.

If you close the screen while the computer is running, the screen’s backlighting is automatically turned off to conserve battery charge. When you reopen the screen, the backlighting comes back on automatically, unless the backlight period has elapsed. If the screen

is dark when you reopen it, press any key. You may close and reopen the screen while a program is running

without affecting the program in any way.

Using the Equity LT-286 4-5

Using the Handle

The Equity LT-286 h

handle, pull it out from the bottom of the computer, as shown below.

Be sure the screen is closed whenever you carry the computer by its handle.

a convenient carrying handle. To use the

WARNING

To avoid accidental damage to your Equity LT-286, always store

the computer in a horizontal position. Do not leave it standing upright on its back panel.

4-6

Using the Equity LT-286

Selecting Execution Speed

The Equity LT-286

12 MHz. At the higher speed, the computer performs all tasks more quickly. You can select the slower speed to run application

programs that have specific timing requirements.

not

change

program.

Always complete

can operate at two execution speeds: 8 MHz and

the execution speed while you are running a

your current

operation

and

exit the

program first. However, it is not necessary to turn the computer

off before changing

To change the speed, move the CPU SPEED switch located above the keyboard.

execution speed.

Using the Equity LT-286

4-7

Special Keys on the Equity LT-286 Keyboard

The illustration below shows the Equity LT-286 keyboard.

-m

Certain keys on your keyboard serve special functions when your computer is running application programs. For instructions on how to use keys for specific software functions, consult the manual that came with the program you’re running.

The Num Lock, Scroll Lock, and Caps Lock keys work as toggles;

press them once to turn on a function and again to turn it off.

When a function is on, the corresponding LED on the upper-right

comer of the keyboard is illuminated. When a function is off, the LED is off.

Table 4-1 describes special keys on the Equity LT-286 keyboard.

4-8

Using the Equity LT-286

Table 4-1. Special keys

Key

i++Tab

Caps Lock

Shift

Ctrl

Alt Works with other keys to enter alternate character

Backspace Moves the cursor back one space, deleting the

Enter

Ins

Purpose Moves the cursor one tab to the right in normal

mode and one tab to the left in shift mode. Changes the letter keys from lowercase to

uppercase; changes back to lowercase when pressed again. The numeric/symbol keys on the top row of the keyboard are not affected.

Changes the letter keys from lowercase to uppercase while held down and changes other keys from their normal characters or functions to their alternate characters or functions. When the Caps Lock LED is illuminated, changes letter keys from uppercase to lowercase.

Works with other keys to perform special functions, such as editing operations in MS-DOS and GW-BASIC.

codes.

character to the left. Ends a line of keyboard input or executes a

command.

Turns the insert function on and off. Del Home, End,

PgUp, PgDn

T+lt

Num Lock

Esc

F1 - F12

Print Screen

Deletes the character at the cursor.

Control cursor location within application programs.

Changes the function of the cursor keys. For

example, when the Num Lock function is on and

you press 1 , you get the number 2.

In some application programs, cancels the current

command line or operation.

Perform special functions within application

programs.

Prints text on the screen to the printer.

Using the Equity LT-286 4-9

Key

Purpose SYS Rq

Scroll Lock Pause

Break

Generates the system request function (not used in

MS-DOS).

In some application programs, controls scrolling. In some application programs, suspends the current

operation.

In some application programs, terminates the

current operation.

Using the Function Key Template

The twelve keys marked F1 through F12 at the top of your keyboard are used in different ways in different application programs. Your Equity LT-286 comes with two function key

templates. Use a pencil to label the template with the functions of each key. You can use both sides of the function key templates and erase your labels later if you need to. To insert a template, lift the flap above the function keys and then slide the template into the

template window as shown below:

4-10

Using the Equity LT-286

Using Diskettes

Diskette drives allow you to store data on diskettes and retrieve and use stored data. The Equity LT-286 has a 1.44MB 3 1/2-inch diskette drive; it also supports an optional external 5 1/4-inch diskette drive. This section explains how diskettes work and tells you how to do the following:

l Choose diskettes

l Care for diskettes

l Make backup copies

l Write-protect diskettes.

How Diskettes Work

The diskettes you use are made of plastic coated with a magnetic material and enclosed in a protective plastic case. Information is recorded in magnetic patterns on both surfaces of the diskette.

Because data is stored magnetically, you can retrieve, record over, and erase data, just as you play, record, and erase music on cassette

tapes. When you insert a diskette in a drive, a metal shutter above the

access area moves aside, exposing the diskette surface. When your computer reads data from or writes data to the diskette, it causes

the diskette to spin within its plastic casing. Then a small read/ write head positioned above and below the two diskette surface

locates the appropriate position on the diskette and carries out the desired operation.

Choosing Diskettes for the Equity LT-286

Be sure to buy high-quality diskettes to use in your Equity LT-286. You can use two kinds of diskettes:

3 1/2-inch 720KB, soft-sectored, double-sided, double-density,

135 TPI diskettes

3 1/2-inch 1.44MB, soft-sectored, double-sided, high-density,

135 TPI diskettes.

Using the Equity LT-286

4-11

720KB diskettes can store the equivalent of about 300 pages of text.

1.44MB diskettes can store twice as much information as 720KB diskettes, but the 3 1/2-inch diskette drives on some computers are not able to use these high-capacity diskettes. If you are planning to exchange data with a computer that has a 720KB diskette drive, you should use 720KB diskettes in your Equity LT-286.

If you have an external 5 1/4-inch 360KB diskette drive, use 5 1/4inch, double-sided, double-density, soft-sectored, 48 TPI diskettes in this drive. These diskettes can hold about 150 pages of text.

They are compatible with those used on the IBM PC, XT, and AT,

so you can use diskettes prepared by one computer on the other.

If you have an external 5 1/4-inch 1.2MB (high-capacity) diskette drive, use 5 1/4-inch, double-sided, high-density, soft-sectored, 96 TPI diskettes in this drive. These diskettes can hold the equivalent

of about 500 pages of text and are compatible with the high-

capacity diskette drives used on some models of the IBM AT.

Because of their size difference, you cannot use a 3 1/2-inch diskette

in a 5 1/4-inch drive or vice versa. If you have both types of drives, however, you can copy individual files or groups of files from one

drive to the other with the COPY and XCOPY commands. See Chapter 5 or your MS-DOS manual for information about the COPY and XCOPY commands.

You need to format new diskettes before you can use them.

Formatting prepares a diskette to receive data. Formatting also

erases any data previously stored on a diskette, so be sure to format

only new blank diskettes or diskettes that contain data you want to

erase. See Chapter 5 for information about formatting diskettes.

Note Double-sided, double-density 3 1/2-inch diskettes must be

formatted to store 720KB of data. Double-sided, high-density 3 1/2-inc

4-12

h diskettes must be formatted co store

Using the Equity LT-286

1.44MB of

data.

Caring for Diskettes

3 1/2-inch diskettes are sturdy and reliable but not indestructible. To avoid damaging your diskettes and losing data, take these precautions:

Do not remove a diskette or turn off the computer while the diskette drive LED is on. This light indicates that the computer is copying data to or from a diskette. If you interrupt this process, you may destroy data.

Remove all diskettes before you turn off the computer. Keep diskettes away from dust and dirt. Small particles of dust

or dirt can scratch the magnetic surface and destroy data. Dust can also ruin the read/write heads in a diskette drive.

Keep diskettes away from magnetic fields. (Remember, diskettes store data magnetically; strong magnetic fields can scramble that data.) Don’t set your diskettes on such common magnetic sources as electrical appliances, telephones, television sets, and loudspeakers.

Keep diskettes in a moderate environment. They work best at room temperature and in normal humidity. Never leave diskettes sitting in the sun or in extreme cold or heat. The temperature in a car in the middle of summer or winter can cause severe damage.

Do not expose a diskette’s magnetic surface by sliding the metal shutter. Never touch a diskette’s magnetic surface. The oil on your fingertips can damage it.

Do not place anything on top of your diskettes, and make sure they do not get bent.

Never wipe, brush, or try to clean diskettes in any way.

Store diskettes properly in diskette containers.

Using the Equity LT-286

4-13

If you use an external 5 1/4-inch diskette drive, be especially careful

with your 5 1/4-inch diskettes. Because they are more flexible, and

because they do not have a metal shutter protecting their magnetic surfaces, they are more easily damaged than 3 1/2-inch diskettes. Always keep 5 1/4-inch diskettes in their protective envelopes when you are not using them.

Inserting and Removing Diskettes

To insert a diskette into the drive, hold it with the label facing up and the arrow on the left side pointing into the computer:

Slide the diskette into the drive until you feel it click into place. To remove a diskette, press the release button on the diskette drive.

When the diskette pops out of the drive, pull it out and store it properly in a diskette container.

4-14

Using the Equity LT-286

WARNING

Never remove a diskette or turn off the computer while the drive

indicator light is an. This might cause lass of data. Also, be sure

to remove all diskettes before you turn off the computer,

Making Backup Copies

Copy all diskettes that contain programs, as you did the master

system diskettes that come with the Equity LT-286. After you make your copies, store the originals in a safe place away from your working diskettes and use only the copies.

Chapter 1 describes how to make backup copies of your system diskettes. For general instructions on copying diskettes or hard disk files, see Chapter 5 or your MS-DOS manual.

Write-Protecting Diskettes

You can write-protect a diskette to prevent its data from being altered. When a diskette is write-protected, you can copy data from it, but you cannot store new data, modify existing data, erase files, or format the diskette.

The write-protect mechanism is a small switch on the lower-right corner on the back of the diskette. To write-protect the diskette, slide the switch down toward the edge of the diskette so there is a hole where the switch used to be.

Write-protected

Write-protect

switch

Using the Equity LT-286

4-15

To remove the write protection, move the switch up toward the center of the diskette so the hole is covered.

Using the Hard Disk Drive

Unlike a diskette, a hard disk is rigid and fixed in place. It is sealed

in a protective environment free of dust and dirt, so you cannot see it. A hard disk stores data the same way as a diskette, but it works

much faster and has a much larger storage capacity. You can do almost all your work on the hard disk and copy your

files to diskettes whenever you need to make backups or transfer data to another computer system. However, to ensure that you

always have plenty of space available, keep only files you use

regularly on the hard disk. Store your other files on diskettes.

Note You must prepare a new hard time. Make sure you have completed all the procedures in Chapter 3 to prepare it.

disk before using it

for the first

Caring for the Hard Disk

To avoid damaging your hard disk, take these precautions:

Keep your computer away from magnetic fields, such as electrical appliances, telephones, and loudspeakers.

Keep your computer in a moderate environment. Hard disks work best at room temperature and in normal humidity.

Never turn off the computer’s power or the HDD POWER switch when the HDD LED is on. This light indicates that the computer is currently copying data to or from the hard disk. If you interrupt this process, you may lose data.

Never attempt to open the hard disk unit. The disk itself is enclosed in an airtight container to protect it from dust.

4-16

Using the Equity LT-286

Protecting the Data on Your Hard Disk

Although the hard disk is very reliable, it is essential to back up

your hard disk files onto diskettes in case you lose some data

accidentally.

Make backup copies of all your system and application program

diskettes before copying the program files to the hard disk. Copy

your data files frequently to keep your backup diskettes up to date.

Use the Epson MENU utility or the MS-DOS BACKUP command

to back up your hard disk files. Use the MENU utility or the MS-DOS DISKCOPY command to make copies of your system and program diskettes. For instructions on using these backup utilities, see Chapter 5 or your MS-DOS manual.

Improving Hard Disk Performance

Your Reference diskette includes two utilities, called HDCACHE and FASTOPEN, that can improve your hard disk’s performance. For information about using these programs, see your MS-DOS manual.

Turning Off the Hard Disk

Your computer’s hard disk has its own power switch. To avoid drive access problems, it is best to leave this switch on at all times. However, if you are running the computer without the AC adapter, you may want to turn the hard disk off when you are not using it to conserve battery charge. The hard disk drive consumes more of the

battery’s charge than a diskette drive. (Note that even if the hard disk power switch is on, the hard disk isn’t on unless the computer is on.)

Using the Equity LT-286

4-17

The hard disk switch is labeled HDD POWER and is located on the

back of the computer, next to the AC adapter socket:

Power

switch

You can turn off the hard disk either before you turn on the

computer or after:

If you do not plan to use the hard disk at all, turn it off before

you turn on the computer.

If you need to load MS-DOS or an application program or to access files on the hard disk, leave the hard disk switch on when you turn on the computer, then turn it off later as described below.

4-18

Using the Equity LT-286

Turning Off the Hard Disk Before Starting the Computer

If you are not going to use the hard disk at all, turn off the switch before turning on the computer. Insert a working copy of your Startup/Operating 1 diskette in drive A so that MS-DOS is loaded from that drive. When you turn on the computer, the screen displays this error message:

1780 - Disk 0 failure

(Resume = "F1" key)

Do not be concerned by this message; just press F1 to continue. Then use the computer as if it had no hard disk drive. That is, you perform all operations on the diskette in the diskette drive.

When you start the computer with the hard disk drive turned off, you cannot access the hard disk even if you subsequently turn it on. MS-DOS displays an error message if you issue any command involving drive C. To make your hard disk accessible again, save your data, exit the program you are running, then turn the computer off. Wait at least five seconds, then turn the hard disk switch on. Remove any diskette from drive A and turn the computer back on.

Turning Off the Hard Disk After Starting the Computer

If you want to use the hard disk at any time during your working session, start the computer with the hard disk switch turned on. After you have loaded your application program into memory, you

may then be able to turn the hard disk drive off (if you do not need

to use it). When you want to save your work to a file on the hard disk, you can then turn the hard disk switch back on again.

Note

Some application programs may not work with the hard disk drive turned off unless they are started from a diskette instead of from the hard disk. If you need to run a program of this kind and you need to turn the hard disk off to conserve battery power, use the diskette that came with the program and run it from drive A.

Using the Equity LT-286

4-19

The following example shows the proper procedure for turning the hard disk off while the computer is on. The example assumes that you have started the computer with the hard disk on and have

loaded MS-DOS from the hard disk.

At the MS-DOS C> prompt, type A: and press Enter to log onto drive A.

If you want to load an application program from the hard disk, do it now. Be sure to type c : in front of the name of the program. You must do this before you turn off the hard disk. You may also want to copy any files you will be using from drive C to drive A.

After you log onto drive A and copy any necessary files, you can turn off the hard disk.

NoteNote

If you are still lugged onto drive C when you turn off the

hard disk, the next will

display

disk back on, then log onto drive A.disk back on, then log onto drive A.

Continue running your application program, using drive A.

an error message. If this happens, turn the hard

time you enter a

command, the screen

When you want to save your data on the hard disk, turn it on.

Wait about ten seconds to allow the disk to reach operational

speed, then enter the command for saving your data to drive C.

Resetting the Computer

You can reset the computer to reload the operating system or to restart a program. You may need to reset the computer if an error occurs and the computer does not respond to anything you type. However, resetting erases all data in the computer’s temporary memory (RAM) that you have not stored, so reset the computer only as a last resort.

4-20

Using the Equity LT-286

With some programs, you can recover from an error condition by holding down the Ctrl key and pressing C or holding down the Ctrl key and pressing Break. Because these two methods may not erase all data in RAM, you should try them before resetting the computer as described below.

WARNINGWARNING

Do not reset the computer to exit a program unless you have to.

Some application programs classify and store new data whenever you exit the program properly. If you reset the computer while such a program is running, you may lose data.such a program is running, you may lose data.

There are three ways to reset the computer. Because each is more powerful than the last, try them in the order listed here:

If you are using MS-DOS, hold down Ctrl and Alt while you press the Del key. The screen goes blank for a moment, and then MS-DOS is reloaded. (Be sure to remove any diskette from drive A when you do this, so that MS-DOS can be reloaded from the hard disk.) If this does not correct the problem, try the second method.

Press the RESET button, above the left side of the keyboard. This method works even when the keyboard does not respond to your commands. If this does not correct the problem, try the third method.

Remove any diskette from the diskette drive and turn off all peripherals. Then turn off the computer. Wait five seconds, then switch the power back on.

Turning Off the Computer

Before turning off your computer, save your data, exit the program you are using, and remove all diskettes from the diskette drives. Turn off your monitor and peripherals first, then turn off the computer. You do not have to turn off the hard disk.

Using the Equity LT-286

4-21

Chapter 5

Using MS-DOS With Your Equity LT-286

Your Equity LT-286 comes with version 3.3 of MS-DOS. MS-DOS manages the routine work of your computer system, such as keeping the computer’s memory organized, controlling the screen display, accepting keyboard input, and directing external communications.

To communicate with the operating system, you use MS-DOS commands. How much you need to know about MS-DOS depends on how you plan to use your computer. If you use it only for running application programs, the few MS-DOS commands you

need are introduced in this chapter. If you use advanced features or

create your own programs, see your MS-DOS manual for a complete description of MS-DOS.

This chapter describes the following MS-DOS functions:

Starting MS-DOS Exiting MS-DOS Changing the current drive The MS-DOS command format Entering MS-DOS commands Storing data Using directories Formatting diskettes Copying data

Deleting data Using the Epson HELP utility Using the Epson MENU utility Using the XTREE utility

Using MS-DOS With Your Equity LT-286

5-1

l Using an AUTOEXEC.BAT file

Starting an application program

l Using the LIGHTON utility.

Starting MS-DOS

Before you can run an MS-DOS application program, MS-DOS must be running in memory. If you have prepared your hard disk according to the procedures described in Chapter 3, MS-DOS is loaded automatically from your hard disk whenever you turn on your computer (provided you do not have a diskette in the diskette drive).

When the date and time prompts appear, press Enter to accept the date and time shown. The screen then displays the MS-DOS command prompt, C>.

Exiting MS-DOS

Before you turn off the computer, make sure the MS-DOS command prompt (either remove your diskettes, turn off any peripherals, and then turn off the computer.

A>)

appears on the screen. Then

Changing the Current Drive

MS-DOS identifies your hard disk as drive C. Your 3 1/2-inch diskette drive is identified as drive A. If you have an external 5 1/4-inch diskette drive, that drive is recognized as drive B.

Note

If you wish, you may reverse the drive identifiers for the internal 3 1/2-inch and the external 5 1/4-inch diskette drives by setting DIP switch 2 on the back panel in the on position. See “Setting the DIP Switches,” in Chapter 1.

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Using MS-DOS With Your Equity LT-286

The C> prompt that appears when you load MS-DOS from the hard disk tells you that drive C, your hard disk, is the current drive. The current drive, also called the default drive, is the drive that MS-DOS uses for all commands unless you specify a different drive. For example, if the current drive is drive C and you type the name of a program, MS-DOS searches drive C for the program whose name you typed.

If you want to run a program or find a data file on a different drive, you must specify the name of that drive. You can do this either by logging onto that drive (making it the current drive) or by including the drive letter with the filename.

To log onto another drive, type the name of the drive followed by a colon. Then press Enter. For example, if the current drive is C and you want to log onto drive A, type A: and press Enter. Your screen now displays the drive A. Drive A continues to be the current drive until you log onto a different drive or turn off or reset your computer.

To access a program or file on another drive without first logging onto that drive, specify the drive identifier (the name of the drive followed by a colon) along with the filename. For example, if you

are logged onto drive C and you want to run a program called WP that is stored on drive A, type A : WP and press Enter. MS-DOS runs the program on drive A but remains logged onto drive C.

prompt, showing that you are operating from

The MS-DOS Command Format

To enter an MS-DOS command, you need to type the command in

the correct format.

The MS-DOS command format consists of the command name, parameters, and delimiters. The command name tells MS-DOS the

task you want to perform. Parameters are items that identify the data to be processed (such as a filename) and change the way a command works. Delimiters are characters such as spaces or commas that separate command names and parameters.

Using MS-DOS With Your Equity LT-286 5-3

Some commands also have optional switches you can use. A switch is a type of parameter that alters the effect of a command.

Pathnames may be required in a command if you are specifying files that are not on the current drive or directory. A pathname tells MS-DOS where to find a file, and consists of one or more directory names separated by backslashes. See “Using Pathnames,” later in this chapter.

There are two kinds of MS-DOS commands: internal and external. Internal commands are commands that are built into MS-DOS and can be used at any time once MS-DOS is loaded into memory. External commands are stored on your system diskettes as program files. To run an external command, MS-DOS must be able to locate the file on a system diskette or on your hard disk. If the file is not stored in the current drive and directory, you may need to use a pathname when you enter an external command.

See your MS-DOS manual for more information on the command format and for detailed descriptions of each command.

Entering MS-DOS Commands

You can enter an MS-DOS command whenever you see the MS-DOS command prompt. Type the command name and any necessary parameters and delimiters, and then press Enter to execute the command. You can type command names in either uppercase or lowercase letters.

If you make a mistake when typing a command and you notice it before you press Enter, you can do one of two things:

Use the backspace key to back up and correct the error

Press ESC to cancel the command line.

If you press Enter when a command line has an error in it, the screen displays an error message. Usually, the command prompt reappears so you can try again. Type the correct command and press Enter.

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Using MS-DOS With Your Equity LT-286

Storing Data

All your work and programs are stored in files on your hard disk or diskettes. A data file contains information, such as words, numbers, or pictures. A program contains instructions that the computer can understand and execute.

The kind of file you create depends on the MS-DOS commands or

application program you use to create it. Because each program you use may create data files in its own particular format, you are likely to encounter problems if you try to read a file with a program other than the one that created the file.

Each file must have a unique filename so that MS-DOS can find it when you need to retrieve it. The filename consists of two parts, the name and the extension.

The name can be up to eight characters in length. You can use any characters except for blank spaces and the following symbols:

“\/[]:I<>+=;.?

It is a good idea to choose a name that describes the contents of the file.

The extension is optional and can be up to three characters long. You can use the extension to describe the type of data contained in

the file-for example, TXT for a text file. When you use an

extension, separate it from the filename with a period, like this:

DATA.TXT

Many application programs automatically add extensions to the data files you create, so you don’t have to specify the extension when you name a file. Lotus 1-2-3® Release 2, for example, automatically uses the extension .WK1 for worksheet files. Microsoft Word® uses .DOC for its word processing files. Such default extensions help an application program distinguish its own data files from files created by other programs. If you have programs that use default extensions, you should avoid using those particular extensions in other contexts.

Using MS-DOS With Your Equity LT-286 5-5

You can type the name and the extension in either lowercase or uppercase letters, but do not use uppercase or lowercase letters to distinguish between files. After you type the filename, MS-DOS converts all lowercase letters to capitals.

Using Directories

MS-DOS organizes files by storing them in directories. This makes it easy for you to find and manage your files. Directories also list specific information about each file, including the filename, the size of the file, and the date and time you last modified the file.

When you formatted your hard disk, MS-DOS created a single directory for the disk. This directory is called the root directory. Because the hard disk has room for hundreds of files, MS-DOS allows you to create additional directories, called subdirectories. Subdirectories allow you to organize your hard disk so that files of similar type or purpose are kept together. Without subdirectories, it

would be difficult to keep track of all the files on your hard disk.

You can create subdirectories on your diskettes as well as on your hard disk. But you may not need to create them on diskettes, because diskettes hold fewer files.

The subdirectory structure of a hard disk can be represented with a tree-like diagram, like this:

Root Directory ( \ )

LEDGER

ACCOUNTS

SALES

WORDPROC

BUSINESS

STORIES

PERSONAL

LETTERS

5-6 Using MS-DOS With Your Equity LT-286

In this example, the original directory (the root directory) has two

subdirectories, named LEDGER and WORDPROC. Each of these

subdirectories has subdirectories of its own. LEDGER has two, named ACCOUNTS and SALES; WORDPROC also has two, named BUSINESS and PERSONAL. Finally, the PERSONAL subdirectory of WORDPROC also has two subdirectories, named STORIES and LETTERS.

On your own hard disk, you can create a subdirectory structure that is more complex than this one. Or you may prefer to keep things simpler. Organize your disk to suit your own needs; you can modify the structure as your needs change.

In creating subdirectories, note the following points:

Any directory can have any number of subdirectories (except the root directory, which can have a total of no more than 512 files and subdirectories).

Subdirectories are named in the same way that files are. The name can include as many as eight characters (letters or numbers), and you can add an optional extension consisting of up to three characters.

The root directory does not have a name; it is identified by a backslash ( \ ) .

The Current Directory

MS-DOS always recognizes one directory as the current, or default, directory, just as it always recognizes one drive as being the current, or default, drive. The current directory is the directory in which MS-DOS performs your commands, unless you tell it to do otherwise. If you want to run a program or access a data file that

is not stored in the current directory, you can either change directories (making a different directory current) or include a pathname in your command.

Using MS-DOS With Your Equity LT-286 5-7

Six basic directory operations are described on the following pages:

Listing the contents of a directory

l Using pathnames l Creating directories l Changing directories

Copying from one directory to another

l Deleting a directory.

You may also want to read about XTREE, a utility provided by

Epson that makes it easier to perform these functions, as well as others. You can use XTREE to generate a visual diagram of your subdirectory structure, to move quickly between directories, to add and remove directories, and so on. XTREE is described later in this chapter.

Listing the Contents of a Directory

To list the files in the current directory, type DIR and press Enter. MS-DOS lists the names of the files in the current directory on the current drive. If you are logged onto drive C but want to see a directory of the files on the diskette in drive A, type

Enter.

press

DIR A: and

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Using MS-DOS With Your Equity LT-286

A directory listing looks like this:

Volume in drive A has no label

Directory of A:\ HELP

SETFC SETMODE

TXT EXE EXE

EXE SETXCOPY EXE SETATTR SETRPLCE EXE SETRSTOR EXE SETBCKUP EXE DU HELP COM COMMAND COM GRAPH24 COM GWBASIC

SETPRINT EXE

EPSON

16 File(s)

To list the files in a different directory on the current drive, type the pathname of that directory. For example, to list the contents of

the LEDGER subdirectory while logged onto drive C, type DIR

72103 18848 23536

16176 19952

EXE

14400 14448 22336 21024

EXE 23600

3654 25276 10807

EXE

86192 5168 366

TXT

289792

5-24-88 9:42a 3-03-88 1:26p

1-28-88 4:09p 1-17-88 10:25a 1-16-88 6:15p 12-17-87 5:13p 12-17-87 5:12p 12-17-87 5:12p 12-17-87 5:11p 12-17-87 5:10p 12-09-87 1:14p

12-03-87 6:45p 9-24-87 10:21a 12-04-86 7:55p 8-08-86 9:05a 10-04-85 12:00p

bytes free

\LEDGER and press Enter. (Pathnames are described below.)

Using Pathnames

Whenever you want to access a file that is not in the current directory, you must specify the file’s pathname. A full pathname

consists of one or more directory names separated by backslashes and followed by the filename. The pathname tells MS-DOS where your file is stored.

Using MS-DOS With Your Equity LT-286 5-9

For instance, in the example shown on the previous page, if you had a file named APRIL.TXT stored in the subdirectory named LETTERS, the full pathname of that file would be:

The pathname tells MS-DOS where to look for a directory or file. In this case, the pathname tells MS-DOS to start at the root directory and go through two subdirectories (WORDPROC and PERSONAL) to find the LETTERS subdirectory. Once in the LETTERS subdirectory, MS-DOS finds the file called APRIL.TXT.

The backslash that starts this pathname tells MS-DOS to begin at

the root directory. If you omit the backslash at the beginning of the pathname, MS-DOS begins, not at the root directory but at the current directory. Thus, for example, if the current directory is PERSONAL and you want MS-DOS to find the file APRIL.TXT, which is stored in the subdirectory LETTERS, you can specify the pathname like this:

LETTERS\APRIL.TXT

Because this pathname does not begin with a backslash, MS-DOS

starts in the current directory (PERSONAL), moves to the

subdirectory LETTERS, then finds the file APRIL.TXT. If you did

begin with the backslash, MS-DOS would not find the file, because

it is a subdirectory of PERSONAL, not of the root directory.

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Creating Directories

The MKDIR command lets you create directories. To create the

directory LEDGER under your root directory, for example, you would type the following and press Enter:

MKDIR \LEDGER

You can abbreviate the name of this command to MD. For example,

to create a SALES directory under the LEDGER directory, you

could type the following and press Enter:

MD \LEDGER\SALES

To check that the LEDGER directory is a subdirectory of the root

directory, type DIR \ and press Enter. The screen displays a list of files in the root directory, along with

the names of any subdirectories of the root directory:

LEDGER

WORDPROC

COMMAND CONFIG

COM SYS

AUTOEXEC BAT

25307 3-17-87 12:00a 209 309

9-14-88 10:17a 9-14-88 10:32a

9-14-88 10:48a 9-14-88 12:11p

3 File(s) 18625536 bytes free

The subdirectories are identified by the letters

you type DIR \ after creating the subdirectory LEDGER, you

should find the entry LEDGER <DIR>, as well as the names of all the root directory files.

DIR

>. Thus,

when

Changing Directories

To make a different directory the current directory, type CHDIR (or

CD) followed by the pathname of the directory that you want to be

current. This is called changing directories. For example, to change from any directory to the directory LEDGER (which is a subdirectory of the root directory), type the following and press

Enter:

CD \LEDGER

Using MS-DOS With Your Equity LT-286

5-11

The backslash identifies the LEDGER directory as a subdirectory of the root directory. Once you are in a directory, you can access any of the files it contains without typing the full pathname.

To change to a subdirectory of the current directory, you do not need to type the backslash. For example, if SALES is a subdirectory of LEDGER, then to change to the SALES directory while you are in LEDGER, you can type the following and press Enter:

CD SALES

To change from any directory to its parent directory (the directory of which it is a subdirectory), type the following and press Enter:

CD . .

The two periods are a special symbol that represents the parent directory.

To return to the root directory from any subdirectory, type the following and press Enter:

CD \

Copying From One Directory to Another

The COPY command lets you copy files from one directory to another. To use this command, you must specify the name of the file you want to copy, as well as the directory to which you want to copy the file.

For example, if you are in the LETTERS directory (see the diagram on page 5-6) and want to copy the file APRIL.TXT to the BUSINESS directory, type the following and press Enter:

copy APRIL.TXT \WORDPROC\BUSINESS

The command has three parts: the word COPY, the name of the file you want to copy (APRIL.TXT), and the name of the directory to which you want to copy this file ( \ WORDPROC\BUSINESS). You must include spaces or commas between each of the three parts. The space characters or commas are the delimiters in this command.

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Using MS-DOS With Your Equity LT-286

Note

You can also copy files using XTREE, MENU, or the MS-DOS XCOPY command. See the sections later in this chapter on using XTREE and MENU, and see your MS-DOS manual for

information about using XCOPY.

Deleting a Directory

If you no longer need a directory, you can remove it with the RMDIR command (which can be abbreviated RD). Before removing a directory, however, you must either delete any files it contains or move them to a different directory. You cannot delete a directory that is not empty. (To delete files from a directory, use the

DEL or ERASE command. See “Deleting Data,” below.)

To delete an empty directory, such as the ACCOUNTS directory under LEDGER, type the following and press Enter:

RD \LEDGER\ACCOUNTS

Formatting Diskettes

Before you can store data on a new diskette, you must format it.

Formatting prepares the diskette so that MS-DOS can store data on

it. You need to do this only once, before you use the diskette for the

first time.

You can also reformat previously used diskettes. Be aware, however, that reformatting erases all data on the diskette. Always be sure you

no longer need any files on a diskette before reformatting it. You can format two kinds of 3 1/2-inch diskettes. Double-sided,

double-density diskettes can be formatted to hold 720KB of data. Double-sided, high-density diskettes can be formatted to hold

1.44MB. You may ordinarily prefer to use high-density diskettes, since they hold more information. But if you need to transfer files to another computer that cannot read 1.44MB diskettes, you can purchase double-density diskettes and use the 720KB format.

Using MS-DOS With Your Equity LT-286

5-13

Note

Be sure to purchase the appropriate type of 3 1/2-inch diskettes

for the format you want to use, Double-den&y diskettes may be formatted only for 720KB; high-density diskettes may be formatted only for 1.44MB.

Formatting a 1.44MB Diskette

To format a 1.44MB diskette:

If necessary, log onto drive C. If you are not in the directory where the file FORMAT.COM is stored, change to that directory. For example, if FORMAT.COM is stored in a subdirectory named DOS, type CD

When you see the C> prompt, type the following and press

\DOS

Enter:

FORMAT A:

You see this prompt:

Insert new diskette for drive A:

and strike ENTER when ready

and press Enter.

Insert the diskette you want to format into drive A and press

Enter.

When the diskette is formatted, you see this message:

Format complete

1447664 bytes total disk space 1447664 bytes available on disk

Format another (Y/N)?

At this point, you can either format another diskette by pressing Y and Enter, or return to the MS-DOS command prompt by pressing N and Enter.

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Using MS-DOS With Your Equity LT-286

Formatting a 720-KB Diskette

To format a 720KB diskette:

If necessary, log onto drive C. If you are not in the directory where the file FORMAT.COM is stored, use the CD command to change to that directory.

2. When you see the C> prompt, type the following and press

Enter:

FORMAT A: /N:9 /T:80

You see this prompt:

Insert new diskette for drive A: and strike ENTER when ready

3. Insert the diskette you want to format into drive A and press

Enter.

4. When the diskette is formatted, you see this message:

Format complete 730112 bytes total disk space 730112 bytes available on disk Format another (Y/N)?

At this point, you can either format another diskette by

pressing Y and Enter, or return to the MS-DOS command

prompt by pressing N and Enter.

Note

An easy way to perform the functions described above is through

the MENU utility, See the section on MENU later in this

chapter.

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5-15

Copying Data

It is very important to keep backup diskettes containing copies of the files you create. You can copy data and program files several ways:

You can use the DISKCOPY command to make an exact duplicate of a diskette

You can use the COPY command to copy individual files

You can use the BACKUP command to back up the files on a hard disk or diskette in a special format.

The COPY command is easier to use when you have only a few files to back up. The BACKUP command has some advantages when you want to back up many files at once.

Note

An easy way to perform the functions listed above is through the

MENU and XTREE programs. See the sections on MENU and

XTREE later in this chapter. You can also use the MS-DOS XCOPY command to copy whole subdirectories of fifes; see your MS-DOS manual for details.

Using the DISKCOPY Command

The DISKCOPY command lets you copy an exact image of one

diskette onto another diskette. The two diskettes must be of the same size and type; that is, you cannot use DISKCOPY to copy data from a 3 1/2-inch diskette onto a 5 1/2-inch diskette or to copy data from a 1.44MB diskette to a 720KB diskette. You also cannot use DISKCOPY to copy data between a hard disk and a diskette.

To use DISKCOPY, follow these steps:

Make sure your original diskette (the one you are copying from)

is write-protected. (See Chapter 4 for instructions.)

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Log onto drive C (your hard disk) if you are not there already.

If necessary, use the CD command to change to the directory containing the file DISKCOPY.COM.

At the C> prompt, type the following and press Enter:

DISKCOPY A: A:

MS-DOS displays this message:

Insert SOURCE diskette in drive A:

Press any key when ready . . .

Insert the diskette you want to copy from (your source diskette)

4. in the diskette drive and press any key. DISKCOPY starts to

copy the contents of the diskette to the computer’s memory. When the memory is full, the screen displays this message:

Insert TARGET diskette in drive A:

Press any key when ready . . .

Remove the diskette from drive A and insert the blank diskette

(your target diskette) in the drive. Press any key. DISKCOPY checks to see if the new diskette is formatted. If it is not, DISKCOPY formats the diskette. The copy operation begins when the format is complete.

When DISKCOPY has copied the files from memory to the

target diskette, it prompts you to reinsert the source diskette so it can copy the remaining data to the computer’s memory. Insert the source diskette in drive A and press any key.

Once DISKCOPY has copied the rest of the source diskette’s

7. files to the computer’s memory, the screen prompts you to reinsert the target diskette so that the remaining data can be copied from memory to the target diskette. Insert the target diskette and press any key.

When the copy is complete, you see this message:

Copy another diskette (Y/N)?

Press Y and Enter to copy another diskette or N and Enter to return to the MS-DOS command prompt.

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5-17

Using the COPY Command

You can use the COPY command to copy files in several ways:

l You can copy individual files from a diskette or the hard disk to

another diskette or hard disk

l You can copy a group of files using wildcard characters

(wildcard characters are explained below)

You can copy one or more files and give them new names

You can combine or merge files into one file.

A few simple rules apply to all uses of COPY:

You must tell MS-DOS where to find the source file and where

to store the target file.

If an existing file on the target diskette or directory has the same name as the file you are copying, the copy automatically replaces the existing file. There is no warning that the existing

file is being replaced, so be careful that you do not accidentally

erase a file that you want to keep.

l If you are copying to a diskette, the diskette must be formatted.

To use the COPY command, type COPY at the command prompt, followed by the drive identifiers and necessary filenames. Then press Enter to execute the command.

For example, to copy a file named REPORT from the diskette in drive A to the hard disk (drive C), using the same name for the copy as for the original file, type the following and press Enter:

COPY A:REPORT C:

If you want to copy this file from the diskette in drive A to the hard disk, but want to change the name of the copy from REPORT to FACTS, type this command and press Enter:

COPY A:REPORT C:FACTS

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To make a copy of this file on the diskette in drive A and assign the

name FACTS to the copy, type the following and press Enter:

COPY A:REPORT A:FACTS

Note that in this case you must assign a new name to the copy, since MS-DOS does not allow two files in the same directory to have the same name.

For any of the previous examples, if you omit the drive identifier

(A: or C:), the COPY example, if the current drive is C and you want to copy the file REPORT from drive A to drive C, leaving the name of the file unchanged, you can enter the command as follows:

command uses the current drive. For

COPY A:REPORT

MS-DOS writes the copy to drive C because drive C is the current drive. You can save a few keystrokes by omitting the drive identifier of the current drive, but it is equally correct (and safer) to include

all the drive identifiers.

An easy way to copy a group of files at once is by using wildcard

characters in the filenames. A wildcard character is a character

that stands for some other single character or group of characters.

MS-DOS recognizes two wildcard characters: * and ?. The asterisk

represents any group of characters, and the question mark

represents any single character.

For example, to copy all the files on the diskette in drive A to the

current directory on the hard disk, type the following and press

Enter:

COPY A:*.* C:

To copy all files with names that begin with the four letters MEMO

and end with any single character, type the following and press

Enter:

COPY A:MEMO? C:

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5-19

Epson LT-286 User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

Contents

Introduction

How To Use This Manual

Where To Get Help

Unpacking

Connecting the AC Adapter

Charging the Battery

Connecting a Printer

Connecting to the Parallel Interface

Connecting to the Serial Interface

Setting the DIP Switches

Keyboard DIP Switches

Back Panel DIP Switches

Inserting the Startup/Operating 1 Diskette

Starting the System

Turning On the Computer

Adjusting Screen Contrast and Brightness

Initial Screen Display

Copying System Diskettes

Starting the Setup Program

Memory

Display

Coprocessor

Mass Storage

Backlight Period

Gray Scale

Leaving the Setup Program

Creating a Primary Partition

Creating an Extended Partition

Formatting the Primary Partition

Formatting the Extended Partition

Copying the MS-DOS Files to the Hard Disk

Modifying the AUTOEXEC.BAT File

Booting From the Hard Disk

Using the AC Adapter

Using the Battery

LED Indicators

Opening and Closing the Screen

Using the Handle

Selecting Execution Speed

Special Keys on the Equity LT-286 Keyboard

Using the Function Key Template

Using Diskettes

How Diskettes Work

Choosing Diskettes for the Equity LT-286

Caring for Diskettes

Inserting and Removing Diskettes

Making Backup Copies

Write-Protecting Diskettes

Using the Hard Disk Drive

Caring for the Hard Disk

Protecting the Data on Your Hard Disk

Improving Hard Disk Performance

Turning Off the Hard Disk

Turning Off the Hard Disk Before Starting the Computer

Turning Off the Hard Disk After Starting the Computer

Resetting the Computer

Turning Off the Computer

Starting MS-DOS

Exiting MS-DOS

Changing the Current Drive

The MS-DOS Command Format

Entering MS-DOS Commands

Storing Data

Using Directories

The Current Directory

Listing the contents of a directory

Using Pathnames

Creating Directories

Changing Directories

Copying From One Directory to Another

Deleting a Directory

Formatting Diskettes

Formatting a 1.44MB Diskette

Formatting a 720-KB Diskette

Copying Data