Re: I think I know what killed my 80486... (perhaps it can be revived)

On Sun, 31 May 2015 19:36:13 +0200, "Skybuck Flying" Gave us:

Some goddamned double posting retard broke it.

[snip]

Try reseating all the cards (video, modem, NIC) in their slots. Also unplug and replug the RAM sticks. Also unplug and replug the power connectors from the PS to everything.

Try powering up with no RAM installed; a dead RAM stick can cause no boot.

HTH

On Sun, 31 May 2015 14:45:47 -0700, John Larkin Gave us:

So does the "end grain" of a nice block of G10. Better than a leather strap, in fact... done right.

On Sun, 31 May 2015 17:27:48 -0600, Randy Day Gave us:

Idiot. NO RAM will certainly cause a boot fail.

But if you get beep codes or blinkey lights that you weren't getting before...

Your IDE Harddisk. And you can't await the the timeout until the PC goes On. Let it on for some minutes...

--
Daniel Mandic

Correct, but Randy is also correct. Trying to boot with no ram will help narrow down what's wrong. If you get no output with no ram, then you're down to cpu or video chip, or power supply not working.

The power supply can be tested with a volt meter. As most systems now have the video chip on the motherboard, it's usually easier to just replace the board and cpu.

Regards, Dave Hodgins

--
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The purpose of pulling RAM is too-fold.

1) If a DIMM short-circuits the VDIMM supply, it may cause power-good to be deasserted and nothing can happen on the PC. Sometimes, when a brand new DIMM is shipped, a cap becomes shorted on it, which can kill VDIMM. In the worst case, the DIMM slot is burned and the motherboard ruined.

2) Removing all DIMMs is standard practice for "beep testing". The idea is, by pulling all the RAM, you force the CPU to report a RAM error by beeping. But the mere act of getting the CPU to beep the computer case speaker, also happens to prove both the Northbridge and Southbridge are working, the bus with the BIOS chip is working, and a fairly large amount of the motherboard must be working for the beeping to occur.

If, on the other hand, you pull RAM, and there is no RAM beep code - now you know it might be a bad CPU, bad CPU power, loss of BIOS chip contents, and so on. But if you do get the beep error code, things are looking up for you. The computer is closer to working, than to not working. Now you try a known working DIMM, and see what happens.

HTH, Paul

Leather straps have their place, y'know.

--
Best regards,  
Spehro Pefhany 
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On Mon, 01 Jun 2015 05:08:50 -0400, Paul Gave us:

Except for one thing.. We are talking about "skytard fully grounded", and I do not mean "grounded in reality".

You are aware that he has personally fried nearly every PC he has ever owned (mommy and daddy bought for him) and, has always had a host of reasons why it was anything but his retarded "get in there and dig around" 'practices' that did it.

He gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "Git 'er done".

On Mon, 01 Jun 2015 07:50:31 -0400, Spehro Pefhany Gave us:

That's what *she* said! (especially across the nipples...)

Lets keep it clean :)

Jamie

He does have a gardening green thumb when it comes to electronics. The Dream PC is on its third motherboard or so, and the 486 is (or was) for emergencies.

Paul

On Mon, 1 Jun 2015 10:11:49 -0400, M Philbrook Gave us:

You're too goddamned retarded to catch what he meant, child.

This is an adult group. You can't handle it? Get mommy to set your filters for you or get the f*ck out,. pussy boy.

On Mon, 01 Jun 2015 11:59:43 -0400, Paul Gave us:

snip

No. He LACKS any modicum of a "green thumb" for anything but the rear orifice between his legs.

Hey, stop talking with your mouth full...

Jamie

On Tue, 2 Jun 2015 07:14:47 +0200, "Skybuck Flying" Gave us:

We all would have thought that would be whenever you look in a mirror.

Dirty contacts on the power switch?

I have an old Pentium (2? 3? I forget) like this. Have to hit the button a few times before it powers up.

--
Cheers, 
Chris.