[comp.sys.mac.misc] Need help with my flakey mac!!!!!!

warwick@sonia.math.ucla.edu (Warwick Daw) (03/26/91)

My mac has been giving me several problems recently which have me a bit worried,
especially since my warranty expires at the end of April. I'm not sure they are
related, but I'm not sure they are not relaited either. Anyway here they are:

1) My Mac (an SE/30) will beep for no apparent reason at seemingly random
times. I posted about this about a week and a half ago, and three people
sent me mail suggesting I get disinfectant and check for viruses. However,
I have disinfectant 2.4 and it gives me a clean bill of health.

2) My Printer (a Deskwriter, pre-appletalk version) will, again for no
apparent reason at seemingly random times, prints some inverse (white on
black) characters followed by the message "Datacomm Error - please check
baudrate". When I actually want to print something, it works fine.

3) Font/DA mover (3.8) sometimes (not always) will completely freeze
the system, leaving the cursor frozen and the disk light on. The only
way to get out seems to be the reset button. This happens only under
multi-finder, and happens with moves significantly smaller than 32k.
On one occasion, the system file was damaged beyond repair and I had to
throw it in the trash and start over from scratch.

My Set-up is: SE/30 with system 6.0.5, 5Mb of memory, and a 40mb hard disk,
a non-appletalk deskwriter connected to the printer port, a modem connected
to the modem port, and the following inits:
ATM, Font Porter, SUM shield, Disinfectant, B.A.D., Responder, In Use,
and Supper Clock.

Causes that have occured to me include: Dirty power, a bad power supply, a
faulty logic board, an init conflict, or some unknown virus.

As if to amplify the problem, just now, as I was pausing, thinking about what
to type next, the computer beeped at me. Anyway, any ideas on how to narrow
down the possibilities and isolate the problem would be welcome.

Warwick Daw (warwick@math.ucla.edu)