[DECtalk] Question regarding Dectalk Express firmware

[Isaac]

You could also boot straight to dos on a cd with the firmware files on it.
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Jayson Smith 
  To: DECtalk ; Aksel Leo Christoffersen 
  Sent: Thursday, July 19, 2018 9:39 AM
  Subject: Re: [DECtalk] Question regarding Dectalk Express firmware


  Hi,

  The actual file you're referencing may be able to be extracted using 7Zip, since it's a self-extracting archive. However, that won't get you very far, as the programs contained within are also 16-bit, and designed to run under DOS. You need to understand, at the time these files were released, Windows 9X at the very latest was the most modern consumer operating system available, and that ran on top of DOS. Also, probably many computers with DECtalk Express units didn't have Windows installed at all, and ran pure DOS, with DOS applications exclusively. Therefore, it was taken for granted that any PC user with a DECtalk Express would have no problem running DOS applications. As far as I know, there has never been any Windows software which can upgrade or downgrade DECtalk Express firmware, it has to be done from DOS.

  While you may be able to get a virtual machine going, whether it can access a USB serial port is beyond me. What I'd do in your situation is to find a 16-bit DOS or 32-bit Windows machine and upgrade the firmware from there. If you're using a DOS prompt from within Windows, you need to make sure nothing else is trying to access the serial port while the firmware upgrade is happening. To be really safe, use Windows 95 or 98, which allow you to exit Windows completely and drop to a true DOS prompt with no Windows running at all.

  Hope this helps,

  Jayson

  On 7/19/2018 5:45 AM, Aksel Leo Christoffersen wrote:

    Hi,



    I’m thinking of buying a Dectalk Express unit, but I want a unit running the Dectalk version 4.2 firmware.

    So, I’m connected to the Dectalk Archive BTSync folder, and in the hardware folder, I found a file called dtxv42.exe, which I guess mean Dectalk Express version 4.2 CD. However, when I try to open the file, I get a compatibility error.

    So if I accidently buy a Dectalk Express unit with a version higher than 4.2, can I then use the dtxv42cd.exe to downgrade it, and how can I use the file, when Windows can’t open it?



    Thanks in advance.



    Best regards:

    Aksel Christoffersen


     

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