Date: Sun, 27 Aug 2000 17:04:00 -0400
From: Jeff Hawkins <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: Need Help... Gateway 2000 #GPCI05
Hello,
At 11:39 PM 8/25/00 -0500, you wrote:
>I recentlly found a deal on a new motherboard .. a 486 made by Gateway.
Cool!
>I hooked all the cables to it and installed memory and and a 100 mhz chip.
Okay, Now do you have enough documentation to know the processor speed
and clock multiplier are right? Personally, I'd throttle the clock back as
far as
possible just to be safe until I'd done some testing. Usually I'd set the clock
base freq. to 33 mhz (or lower) and the multiplier to 1x if possible to get the
bus speed down low else 2x. There's plenty of time to speed the machine up
after it proves itself.
>everything worked fine out of the case. I installed the board in the case
>using the nylon type standoffs. I boot and I get a keyboard faillure error
>message.. so I try again, making sure everything is fitting snuggly ( same
>message, but now it says the chipsets are in default mode... last boot
>failed.)
Okay, to test a mb what do ya need? A power supply, and a cpu with
memory on the mb and a speaker so you you can hear the post codes.
Nothing else really. After it passes post (or gives you a keyboard missing
error) you can add a video card with monitor and a keyboard. Then you just
continue adding parts till something breaks or shows you a configuration
problem.
As to the problem you report, this sounds like chip creep, dirty memory
board socket contacts or else a cold solder joint. Since it worked for a bit
then failed when you moved it and stressed the board as you installed it.
I'm probably telling you something you already know but humor me because
there's bound to be someone else who can use this info.
With power off you can gently press down on any dip socketed chips. If you
hear a noise that sounds like something moving in the socket pull the chip
and reinsert it. Reseat the memory simms a couple times to help clean the
corrosion off the socket and contact fingers. There's corrosion there even if
you can't see it. More so if the simm and sockets have been used in a
dissimilar metal condition. ie. Gold contacts in a Silver/tin socket.
>So now, I try other keyboards known to be working. It won't boot at
>all.. just a couple of beeps and nothing comes up on the screen, so I unplug
>the keyboard ltogether and re-boot.. I get the same old messages or get the
>keyboard fail message and invalid configuration.. press F1 to continue or
>F2 for setup.. which is impossible to do because of the keyboard failure!
Okay, the cmos battery usually sits fairly close to the keyboard connector,
PS, cmos and bios chips. The shelf life of the cmos battery is about 10 years
in storage or seven years in service. When it goes bad it likes to corrode and
the corrosion then spreads up the board toward other parts.
So if what I already outlined above doesn't get you to the point where you
discover the problem then pull the mb, check and/or replace the battery as
required. Now inspect the area around the battery mounting area for corrosion
and cold solder joints. A cold solder joint usually loses its shine, may have
cracks and can sometimes be visibly loose.
Use some circuit board cleaner to remove any greenish corrosion and clean out
the keyboard socket while your at it. Also look around as you clean for any
scratches onto a circuit trace and make sure no dirt or metal has managed to
short any scratched traces.
>SO ..... anyone know what to do in this situation??? The mouse and keyboard
>prts are PS/2, by the way.... and this is the only problem I am having.
I think by following the above steps and the process of elimination you
might be
able to fix this system. If the problem resurfaces after you re-add any bus
cards
(especially a vesa card) you might need to continue running the clock at a
slower
speed. And on a 386/486 it never hurts to pull the memory simms and move each
of then to a different socket when you have strange problems.
There's one more `gotcha' on a later model MB in a older case. Sometimes a mb
trace intermittently shorts to ground at the normal ground point standoff
area where
the mb has a close tolerance and expects a tubular brass or metal standoff
while
the older case has a large bent metal bracket there. Real common problem when
dropping a 386 and up AT class mb into a older 286 AT case.
You might also want to check some of the links at my website below. I highly
recommend the link to WebHQ for 486 information. There's also the chance of
either WebHQ or even I having documentation for your MB. My site below is not
really ready for visits but might be useful later.
http://www.visuallink.net/phawkins/
The next link is for WebHQ. It's possible That WebHQ won't work with any or all
versions of Net-Tamer.
http://members.xoom.com/_XMCM/WEB_HQ/home.html
Hope this helps,
Jeff Hawkins
---
Monster Highway Information Systems
http://www.monsterhighway.com
********************************************************
To unsubscribe from this list,
send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the single word
Unsubscribe
as the subject.
You MUST use the same address with which you subscribed!
********************************************************
