jeffn@nuchat.UUCP (Jeff Noxon) (09/25/90)
First, my system description: ROM 1 IIgs Apricorn RamPro IIgs 2 megabyte RAM expansion DMA SCSI card Quantum 105 meg ProDrive AE TransWarp GS, 7 MHz, labelled "TWGS1.5 8S" AE FastMath, labelled "FM 1.0" AE GS-Power power supply AE Conserver fan AppleColor GS display Two Apple 3.5" Drives ImageWriter II Telebit T2500 Problem: The computer's power light goes on and it usually starts to run fine. Soon after the screen will go black and the machine will just STOP everything. This is the SECOND motherboard to die on me in ONE week. The second I took the "new" motherboard home and hooked everything up, the machine worked for about 3 minutes. I've tried unplugging all the cards and the same thing happens. All the cards work while the machine works (and in fact everything worked all weekend until last night around 8). The machine still dies without any cards, so I started unplugging things. It dies without a keyboard, with the monitor cable unplugged, and so forth. If all I plug in is the keyboard and nothing else, turn it on, and type in a basic program that beeps continuously, it stops beeping and the computer locks up after a few minutes. In other words, i've traced everything back to the motherboard. Either 1) the replacement board I got last weekend was a bum or 2) one of my cards is damaging the thing. This all began after I got the RamPro and DMA SCSI cards. These cards are less than two months old. I got the TransWarp in December. The thing with the monitor going black happened after plugging the FastMath card in and using it for about 10 minutes. The card works but it sucks quite a load of power, so I pulled it out. It's a review unit loaned to Incider Magazine. With my last motherboard, I was having power problems and Ensoniq problems. The system would do the Unclaimed Sound Interrupt stuff. I'm not having that problem when using my Jameco IIe power supply (5A) or my GS-Power (6A). But on both motherboards I had the problem of the screen going black and the system locking up. Any suggestions or comments would be greatly appreciated, no matter how bizarre or ridiculous. I'm totally lost here, and the dealer will start looking at me strange if I pop in every week for a new motherboard. I don't want my Applecare revoked! Thanks in advance, Jeff -- Jeff Noxon | Stop complaining and do something about jeffn@nuchat.sccsi.com | it. Really! 713/721-6820 (CDT) Houston, TX |
richard@hpfcdc.HP.COM (Richard Artz) (09/27/90)
Jeff writes about a strange GS problem: >Any suggestions or comments would be greatly appreciated, no matter how >bizarre or ridiculous. ---------- Years ago I sold apples, the strangest problems usually came from ungrounded systems. You might want to get one of those little power line polarity/ground checkers. Or better, a voltmeter on your AC line. Got any washer/dryer heavy power loads on the same circuit? Good Luck Richard Artz / N0LZR / 303-229-2036 / richard@hpfcww.fc.hp.com
avery@netcom.UUCP (Avery Colter) (09/29/90)
jeffn@nuchat.UUCP (Jeff Noxon) writes: >First, my system description: If my theory (based on VERY personal experience) proves right, all that is irrelevant. Try this: Hold the Option key down when you turn on the computer. Wait a few seconds, then press 2. See if that does the trick. See, I have learned - after having my own GS do something very similar to what you describe, locking up on startup regardless of configuration - that there is a virus around, known to experienced botanists as Paralysis ControlPanelia. The common name for this virus is Blackout. It lives in your track zero boot code. It orders the control panel to turn off the speaker and set all screen colors to black. You have probably noticed that the control panel CDA does not allow you to set the color of the text the same as the color of the background. There is evidently a major bug with the hardware which causes the processor to have a kynipshun fit if they are set that way. So, Blackout bypasses the control panel, sets all the screen colors to go to black pending the next boot order. Hit open-apple-ctrl-reset or turn the computer off and on again and BANG - instant kynipshun fit. The option-2 thing I told you basically forces access to a special screen, which you won't be able to see when you first do this (the colors still being blacked out), but which gives you four choices, the second of which is to set the control panel options to their standard settings. This pulls the screen colors back to the factory defaults, and your computer suddenly feels like talking to you again. -- Avery Ray Colter {apple|claris}!netcom!avery {decwrl|mips|sgi}!btr!elfcat (415) 839-4567 "Fat and steel: two mortal enemies locked in deadly combat." - "The Bending of the Bars", A. R. Colter
jeffn@nuchat.UUCP (Jeff Noxon) (09/30/90)
Thanks for all the suggestions. The problem turned out to be the motherboard, as I suspected. More importantly, however, is what caused the problem: the AE FastMath card. It instantly eats any motherboard you try to plug it into, causing the same intermittent problems with the card in or out. The card does work, however, so it was pretty misleading. I chucked it in the corner and will never mess with it again. What a useless little card to begin with! I'm glad I didn't buy it. Jeff -- Jeff Noxon | Stop complaining and do something about jeffn@nuchat.sccsi.com | it. Really! 713/721-6820 (CDT) Houston, TX |