Old Computer Help Needed

[jasper383]

Hello,
Long time reader, first time poster.
My dad has an old computer that he uses to run his small auto parts business. It is a Digital Decmate II from around 1982-3. He uses a startup disk in the mornings (a big floppy) to get the system going. I am not familiar with why a disk is needed to start things up every day, but without running this disk, the system won't run (according to him).
The startup disks each last him about a year before they wear out, but he is now down to his last startup disk. He is not in financial position to have to buy a new computer system for his store.
Is anyone familiar with how he can get new disks formatted to be startup disks? Can he make startup disks using his computer if he gets blank floppies?

If anyone has any advice, thank you very much in advance.
Jasper

 

[jack22]

It sounds like he doesnt have a HDD

 

[george2]

well ur dad could get a new computer for bout $400 which would do fine or u could look around a second hand one on ebay or in the newspaper. and look into the hard drive thing

 

[jack22]

If he doesnt have a HD then thats why. You can get a HDD for next to nothing so ask him about it

 

[setishock]

Old is not the word for it...

It's the bios on the floppy. When the last one he has wears out, end of game.
You can get a p3 with 128megs of pc133, a 20gig HD, Modem and Video card for around 100 bucks. Check local repair/builders shops.
Porting over any programs he's using is going to be the problem. It's proabley a old dos system. Or unix...

 

[george2]

why the would u have to run a bios from a disk unless u don't have a hd

 

[jack22]

He doesnt...he just has some OS on it or DOS or some little thing. I cant imagine what he's using it for

 

[george2]

so he has a hard drive

 

[jack22]

No he doesnt

 

[george2]

well how the hell is the computer working. my understanding is that for most computers to work u need to have a hard drive