I just bought a Lucent Partner Mail Release 3 on eBay for $150. However, it did not come with a hard drive! I bought the Partner Mail as a learning tool, because I’m responsible for one that is in use at work (a small non-profit in Ann Arbor, MI.)

I’m wondering if it will be possible for me to replace the hard drive and install the required software to make the Partner Mail work.

Here are some tidbits that I picked up from searching Google:

* I may need to find a hard drive that is 800 MB or smaller

* The system may run a version of DOS called CP/M-86

* I may be able to connect to the system with a null modem cable

Obviously I’m in the dark here, but I would love the challenge of learning how to do this.

As I said, I do have access to a working Partner Mail R3 at work. I was thinking that imaging the hard drive from the working unit (using Norton Ghost) onto a new hard drive might bring my new test system back to life... but I'd rather not go this route.

I would greatly appreciate your thoughts and advice on this topic. Thanks in advance!

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Kevin

I would send it out, even if you get the software installed correctly, doyou know how to re-serialize the new dard drive to the VM unit? Could cause problems in the future, if someone forgets the password.

You can get one ready to go, all you have to do is chage it out. Here is a link.

https://www.nyteldirect.com/Scripts/prodList.asp?idCategory=311

Good luck.

Thanks for the suggestion. Your link leads to a Partner Mail R3 Voicemail Repair Kit (SAPMR3HDD). However there isn't a good description of what the kit consists of. Is it in fact a replacement hard drive? What else (if anything) comes with the kit?

Also, for my own curiosity/education, would anyone care to explain what it means to "re-serialize" a hard drive as mongo5150 mentioned?

Thanks for your help.
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Kevin

You will be fine with DTMF's suggestion

Some att mails needed the s/n to default
This is not the case.
My mistake thought it was was
a vs .

Some att mails needed the s/n to default
This is not the case.

Ahh, but it is with the old Partner Mails. The serial number as printed on the units label is also written on the hard drive. Replace the original hard drive and this information is gone. Should you ever need to default the unit you will be out of luck.

I bought the Partner Mail as a learning tool...

Why not just learn from the system you already have? You already spent $150 for some junk and now you want to throw more at it in an attempt to make it work, if that's even possible. On top of that you are going to need another Partner system for it to work with.

What you are trying to do sounds really silly to me. :shrug: But hey, knock yourself out.

-Hal

Kevin433, the description is pretty cut-n-dry, you get a new replacement drive with the sofware already on it, all you have to do is replace it and fire it up, just make sure you get the right release to match yours. Good luck finding it elsewere.

dtmf, thanks for the cut-n-dry description. It was frustrating that the cut-n-dry description wasn't on the website.

I know you guys (hbiss) think I'm kind of "silly," but if I get a huge partial refund on my Partner Mail purchase ($125), I will buy the repair kit that dtmf recommended.

Thanks for your support.

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Kevin