vcc@eecs.nwu.edu (Guest from Vogelback) (03/02/88)
Dear Netland,
I have a question regarding lock-ups. What causes the IBM PC's
keyboard to lock-up? Is it always caused by errors in software? Is
there anyway to recover from it without shutting off the computer and
losing everything? The main reason I am asking is because I know of
some NEC IBM AT compatable machines running Bentley Microstation, MS-DOS
3.3 that are locking up quite frequently and drawings are being lost
(well the unsaved portion). If anyone can offer any suggestions it
would be greatly appreciated.
Jeff Olsen
jeff@nuacc.acns.nwu.edukeithe@tekgvs.TEK.COM (Keith Ericson) (03/04/88)
In article <3580004@eecs.nwu.edu> vcc@eecs.nwu.edu (Guest from Vogelback) writes:
<
<Dear Netland,
< I have a question regarding lock-ups. What causes the IBM PC's
<keyboard to lock-up? Is it always caused by errors in software?
I dunno' why, but...
<Is
<there anyway to recover from it without shutting off the computer and
<losing everything?
...here's what (sometimes) works for me: unplug the keyboard and
plug it back in again. The keyboard's controller resets and comes
back to life, ready to go.
keithcs161abc@sdcc18.ucsd.EDU (Dennis Lou) (03/04/88)
In article <3580004@eecs.nwu.edu> vcc@eecs.nwu.edu (Guest from Vogelback) writes: > I have a question regarding lock-ups. What causes the IBM PC's >keyboard to lock-up? Is it always caused by errors in software? Is >there anyway to recover from it without shutting off the computer and >losing everything? The main reason I am asking is because I know of It's not always a software problem. I once had a friend who had a cheap Taiwanese keyboard that used to be mine. It worked fine when I had it, but after a while after I sold it to him, whenever I type fast, it would lock up the system. Fortunately, he can't type very fast. You can install a hard reset button that would do the same thing as a powerdown-powerup but you'd still lose the data. -- Dennis Lou cs161abc@sdcc18.UCSD.EDU UUCP: {backbone} sdcsvax!sdcc18!cs161abc Is this a rhetorical question or is this a rhetorical question?
markz@ssc.UUCP (Markz Zenier) (03/05/88)
In article <3580004@eecs.nwu.edu>, vcc@eecs.nwu.edu (Guest from Vogelback) writes: > > Dear Netland, > I have a question regarding lock-ups. What causes the IBM PC's > keyboard to lock-up? Is it always caused by errors in software? Is > there anyway to recover from it without shutting off the computer and > losing everything? ... > Jeff Olsen > jeff@nuacc.acns.nwu.edu I had the problem with a Packard-Bell AT clone running Microport Unix V/AT version 2.3. A new keyboard fixed the lockup. The old keyboard would lockup when a key was pressed and the console driver was changing the LEDs. The timing for data transmission is determined by the keyboard microcomputer, some are slower than others. The $6 fix is to get a keyboard extension cord, and unplug the keyboard when it locks up. The extension cord is so you don't have to stand on your head to get at the keyboard jack on the system unit.
davidsen@steinmetz.steinmetz.UUCP (William E. Davidsen Jr) (03/08/88)
In article <3580004@eecs.nwu.edu>, vcc@eecs.nwu.edu (Guest from Vogelback) writes: > > Dear Netland, > I have a question regarding lock-ups. What causes the IBM PC's > keyboard to lock-up? Is it always caused by errors in software? Is > there anyway to recover from it without shutting off the computer and > losing everything? ... > Jeff Olsen > jeff@nuacc.acns.nwu.edu I have seen keyboard lockup cured by unplugging and replugging the keyboard. I have done it myself. I *do not* suggest that you do this, I am just making the information available to you. This quite possibly could damage the keyboard and/or computer. I believe that it is the ROM firmware messing up the CPU in the keyboard, since (a) the two cases of the problem I've seen have only been under DOS, using the BIOS, and not under CCPM or UNIX, and (b) one was cured with a new version of the BIOS. -- bill davidsen (wedu@ge-crd.arpa) {uunet | philabs | seismo}!steinmetz!crdos1!davidsen "Stupidity, like virtue, is its own reward" -me
Gordon_Hull@raider (Gordon Hull) (03/08/88)
I've seen a couple of programs around (about 2-3k arced each) that
purport to "un-crash" programs and resore your system. I haven't had
the opportunity to D/L them and check them out yet, although I do crash
my system enough to get some use out of them. As I recall, they were
called UNCRASH.ARC and ABORT.ARC.
Hope this helps,
Gordon Hull
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+----------------------------------------------------------------------+mcdonald@uxe.cso.uiuc.edu (03/09/88)
The most common cause of locking up a keyboard is hitting <ctrl>p or <shift>prt-sc or <ctrl>prt-sc on a machine with a printer port but without a connected, turn-on printer. This happens to me at least twice a day.
emv@panchovilla.cc.umich.edu (Edward Vielmetti) (03/11/88)
In article <45900118@uxe.cso.uiuc.edu> mcdonald@uxe.cso.uiuc.edu writes: > >The most common cause of locking up a keyboard is hitting <ctrl>p >or <shift>prt-sc or <ctrl>prt-sc on a machine with a printer port but >without a connected, turn-on printer. This happens to me at least twice >a day. I stuck a paper clip in the printer port to make that problem go away. Can't remember the theory but the practice is like this: o o \ o o o o o o o o o o put the paper clip in connecting the o o \ o o o o o o o o o marked pins and it doesn't hang. Edward Vielmetti, U of Michigan mail group.
bobmon@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu ([bob, mon]) (03/12/88)
In article <45900118@uxe.cso.uiuc.edu> mcdonald@uxe.cso.uiuc.edu writes: > >The most common cause of locking up a keyboard is hitting <ctrl>p >or <shift>prt-sc or <ctrl>prt-sc on a machine with a printer port but >without a connected, turn-on printer. This happens to me at least twice >a day. I found (from this net, natch) a really neat TSR called prtsc1. When you do a prtsc, it gives you a choice of printing options, namely Choose: Standard Very-condensed Expanded NLQ 96cpi Boldface There are two more options, Remove-TSR (dangerous, since I have others on top of it) and Escape from the operation. This last is the one I use A LOT. I'll post it to binaries as soon as I can. Sorry, I don't have source.
keithe@tekgvs.TEK.COM (Keith Ericson) (03/15/88)
In article <45900118@uxe.cso.uiuc.edu> mcdonald@uxe.cso.uiuc.edu writes: > >The most common cause of locking up a keyboard is hitting <ctrl>p >or <shift>prt-sc or <ctrl>prt-sc on a machine with a printer port but >without a connected, turn-on printer. This happens to me at least twice >a day. If you're working on a computer that doesn't even have a printer then one of the best things to do is get a printer-redirection utility that you can uses to aim printer output to a disk file. This has saved me from the (appx.) 20 second time out (which seems to last for 20 _minutes_ when it happens!) "at least twice a day." keith inews food inews food gads how I hate inews fascism inews food inews food