Techsurvivors

Archives => 2009 => Topic started by: Sasha on May 10, 2009, 07:39:22 AM

Title: Mac Classic motherboard
Post by: Sasha on May 10, 2009, 07:39:22 AM
Took it apart, discovered that the PRAM battery had 'sploded all over. Do people stockpile parts for these great little machines?
Title: Mac Classic motherboard
Post by: Xairbusdriver on May 10, 2009, 02:59:55 PM
SUre. Just Google "Mac PRAM batteries" or something similar. Have a place in town that not only carries the batteries but rebuilds Macs way back to the 'brown box' models. Seems a lot of people run programs that run machines that don't have newer software that runs on anything built in the last 15 years! smile.gif I'm sure his place will show up in a Google search. You'll just need to know the model of the computer so you can get the correct battery, although there are really not that many different types. Sometimes, you can even get these batteries from Radio Shack or a large, chain battery shop. Prices range from $5 to $12 dollars plus shipping, tax and antiquities registration.
Title: Mac Classic motherboard
Post by: Paddy on May 10, 2009, 03:25:49 PM
Think it's the motherboard Sasha wants, Jim...not the battery. wink.gif

Here's one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Macintosh-Clas...Z320363652043QQ
Title: Mac Classic motherboard
Post by: Xairbusdriver on May 10, 2009, 03:55:47 PM
Oops! Didn't take my own advice (again!). The place I know here would probably have a motherboard, but they use them to rebuild other machines that might have a bad one. Doubt that they'd be willing to part with one at a reasonable price. smile.gif
Title: Mac Classic motherboard
Post by: Sasha on May 12, 2009, 03:20:50 PM
Wonderful. Now to get him to decide if he wants to throw money at his problem. And THEN we have to tackle the floppy drive mechanism ... ah, the joys of retirement. This all started because his Stylewriter !! belt wore out, and I found a replacement for him at a yard sale. Thx, XABD and Paddy.
Title: Mac Classic motherboard
Post by: Mayo on May 12, 2009, 07:49:20 PM
That's a great price for a motherboard...!

If the project doesn't pan-out you can always convert the Grandma Mac to a fish tank...
Title: Mac Classic motherboard
Post by: Sasha on May 13, 2009, 06:23:21 AM
Fish bowl, huh? Around here we use all spare containers as cat beds.
Title: Mac Classic motherboard
Post by: Sasha on May 20, 2009, 06:30:11 PM
This thread should be titled, "the Mac Classic that couldn't die." Unless it has. I bought the E-Bay motherboard with memory board, bought the right PRAM battery, installed both. Varying results: 1. Chime, smile, followed by sad mac with 00000000F//000000002. Shut it off, 10 seconds, restarted. 2. Chime, smile, welcome screen followed by "Error: Memory manager." Reopened machine, swapped RAM into new daughter board. Repeats result 1. Allowed 15 minute warmup (heaven knows why), repeats result 1. Can't find decode of sad mac with 00000000F//000000002.

I'm pretty careful about stray juice; I proudly wear the alligator clip bracelet, etc., but there are a lot of things that can have gone wrong.

Ideas?
Title: Mac Classic motherboard
Post by: krissel on May 21, 2009, 03:21:43 AM
Well, there is a lot of info out there but not easy to decipher.

Here is Apple's run down of the error code meaning:

http://support.apple.com/kb/TA46376?viewlocale=en_US

More to check out, though some of this is for other models:

http://myoldmac.net/FAQ/SADerror.htm

http://68kmla.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3...9239976d65a01f4

http://www.mac512.com/macwebpages/sadmac.htm

http://www.flickr.com/photos/splat/3404294683/


From scanning those pages it could be anything from a bad RAM chip to an internal wire or part not properly connected or a software problem. If you have the patience to figure out the code...   I  salute.gif you.
Title: Mac Classic motherboard
Post by: Sasha on May 21, 2009, 07:12:33 PM
Kris, thanks. Y'all come up with the greatest sites ... it's all in using the right searches, right?

Anyway, sounds like either a RAM (maybe) or a software glitch. I've got to refunctionalize or replace (hmmm...) the Super Drive (I love it that they called the multi-floppy a super drive) and try SU from the System Disk.

What do real people do for fun?
Title: Mac Classic motherboard
Post by: krissel on May 22, 2009, 02:05:26 AM
QUOTE(Sasha @ May 21 2009, 08:12 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
What do real people do for fun?



We come here.  toothgrin.gif
Title: Mac Classic motherboard
Post by: Sasha on May 27, 2009, 10:06:58 PM
NOW I'm befuddled. Fixed the floppy drive, and started up from the startup floppy. The manual says I  should install the system (a 6, I think) from the floppy. But the floppy the owner gave me was a startup disk, not an install disk. There's no sys on the hard drive (which LEM's history pages say it doesn't have ... it does ... I've removed it and reinstalled it), just a bunch of his old WriteNow docs that won't, of course, load.

IF I can find a system install floppy, and IF I succeed in installing a system, THEN I'll deal with the memory problem. Does that sound backwards?

I'm combing the 'net for a floppy; anyone have one in the basement?
Title: Mac Classic motherboard
Post by: krissel on May 28, 2009, 02:25:01 AM
If you have another Mac that has a floppy drive you can download System 6 from Apple and load it on floppies yourself. It appears to need 4 discs (about 3/4 down the page). Or if you can put the hard drive in another Mac with SCSI, install it there then return it to the Classic.

http://support.apple.com/kb/TA48312?viewlocale=en_US

However there are other articles/sites that might be worth reading for caveats about the type of floppy, etc.

http://www.mac512.com/macwebpages/ssdl.htm

http://lowendmac.com/macos.shtml

http://lowendmac.com/compact/macintosh-classic.html

http://www.euronet.nl/users/mvdk/system_6_heaven.html

This discusses how to make a boot disk in X's terminal but I would think that the same process could be used to create install discs.

http://lowendmac.com/brierley/08pb/classic...oot-floppy.html