Author Topic: Help with 8500 & 9600.  (Read 2018 times)

Offline cdub1988

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Help with 8500 & 9600.
« on: March 17, 2003, 03:06:00 PM »
Two different issues.

1. Since I can't find the manuals anymore for the 8500 online anywheres the last time I looked, can one of you help me out with how I can stick a stick of memory in an 8500? When I looked at it quickly, I thought maybe it worked like the 9600, but no dice.

2. I just bought a used 9600/200. It's running OS 9.1 with 336MB (I think) of memory, with the built-in 10BT NIC and an additional 10/100 in one of the PCI slots. Real nice box but one big problem - the thing keeps locking up on me, and it seems to be at relatively the same amount of time each time (as if it were due to some sort of script or something). The business that used to own this thing had it hyped up before I bought it, and to be honest, I got a good deal on it, but I'd REALLY like to salvage the data on the drive, because they left me with some nice apps. Here's what I've done so far:

1. Installed USB Card Support for a Belkin 2-port USB card
2. Installed CanoScan software for Canon USB scanner
3. Installed MS Intellimouse software for USB Mouse
4. Removed any such reference to their Exchange Server
5. Trashed Finder and System Prefs
6. Removed USB devices to see if it changed operation
7. Blessed and re-blessed the System Folder
8. Zapped PRAM
9. Checked startup items for any scripts running at any time
10. Anything else I could think of

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance.

Chris
Umm, I'm a nerd.

Offline Paddy

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Help with 8500 & 9600.
« Reply #1 on: March 17, 2003, 04:21:00 PM »
Chris, have you tried turning off all but the base or OS All extensions? (eek...extensions...haven't had to deal with those for a while   ). Sounds like a good ole' extension conflict to me.

If either one of those suggestions work, then start adding the extensions back bit by bit. BTW, was it stable before you added the new software?

I'll look for my latest take-apart/manuals URL...
"If computers get too powerful, we can organize them into committees. That'll do them in." ~Author unknown •iMac 5K, 27" 3.6Ghz i9 (2019) • 16" M1 MBP(2021) • 9.7" iPad Pro • iPhone 13

Offline cdub1988

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Help with 8500 & 9600.
« Reply #2 on: March 17, 2003, 04:34:00 PM »
Nope.

Booted with Ex's --> OFF and no dice. Got the same deal.

That was my first instinct, so I started in that folder and went from there.

At this point, I've spent enough time that I've noticed a time pattern, which led me to believe that it may be something along the lines of a script running in the background SOMEWHERE.

Otherwise, it's likely H/W.

Ouch.  

Thanks,

Chris
Umm, I'm a nerd.

Offline Paddy

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Help with 8500 & 9600.
« Reply #3 on: March 17, 2003, 04:37:00 PM »
Chris, I found the Apple User manuals, (Apple has them in their KB) but couldn't find the official Technical manual for the 8500, which is the one you need. However, I found this installation guide for RAM for the 8500 produced by one of the RAM suppliers:

www.peripheral.com/support/manuals/ pdf/Manual%20PM85.pdf

I'm sorry to say, it doesn't look like one of those 5 minute jobs...practically have to take the whole thing apart just to install more memory! Yikes. Not one of Apple's more accessible designs.    

As for the freeze-ups - you could try a reinstall of the system software without doing  a wipe. You never know...

If you have an extra drive lying around, you could install that and install 9, then gradually copy the applications over from the original drive, if it seems stable. Or network the machine, copy everything to a drive elsewhere, wipe the drive, reinstall the OS and then copy back selectively. Either of these options may give you back a stable system, unless it's some other hardware issue.

The fact that there seems to be a time factor makes me wonder if it isn't one of those wonderful (not) intermittent problems caused by things heating up...and expanding...and contacts ceasing to do what contacts are supposed to do.
 
 [ 03-17-2003, 05:46 PM: Message edited by: Paddy ]
"If computers get too powerful, we can organize them into committees. That'll do them in." ~Author unknown •iMac 5K, 27" 3.6Ghz i9 (2019) • 16" M1 MBP(2021) • 9.7" iPad Pro • iPhone 13

Offline bobw

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Help with 8500 & 9600.
« Reply #4 on: March 17, 2003, 05:05:00 PM »
Service manuals are  HERE

Offline krissel

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Help with 8500 & 9600.
« Reply #5 on: March 17, 2003, 06:54:00 PM »
Chris, first thing I would try is pulling the RAM and trying it with minimal (64) and see if you get that freeze problem. Then test the other sticks as best you can.

Reinstalling the OS (clean install even better) would also be wise, especially if the freeze occurs while doing OS related actions.

Have you tried running from the CD for a while to see if the problem happens then? If so then you pretty much can look to hardware. Check all cables and internals to be sure everything is set tight and no cables (SCSI) are pinched.

I would be also suspicious of the video card.

Side story:  
When I first got my 9600 (new) I had a freeze that would occur almost like clockwork, either around 45 minutes or an hour and 20min. Sometimes it would run for several hours but eventually lockup. I spent a week trouble shooting and keeping a record til I finally called Apple. After explaining the situation and telling him the long list of things I tried, there was a pause and he said "Are you an Apple Service Provider?".  
     
After laughing myself silly, I convinced him I was only a customer trying to find the answer myself. Eventually I took it to a repair shop (under warranty) and they replaced the HD, processor and logic board, so I ended up with all new innards. It ran (and still does) wonderfully afterward.


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Offline cdub1988

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Help with 8500 & 9600.
« Reply #6 on: March 18, 2003, 08:27:00 AM »
Paddy -
Yeah, I thought about doing that (an install over the top), but I can't remember now if that thing has 9.1 or not. If it has 9.1, I'll have to download that image again, cause I thinks my version is scratched.    

I actually had it over at church setup on our LAN there, since we've got a few Macs there now and pastor is hooking up his burner. I had planned to copy the stuff I wanted over to his box and burn it, then wipe the system and start from ground zero, but his Iomega apparently didn't ship with HotBurn for Mac (only the PC version). Bummer.    

bobw -
Thanks for the link.    

Krissel -
Yeah, I reseated all the RAM, but didn't take any out. I'm a bit frustrated, and it DOES definitely seem to freeze when doing normal OS operation, which I guess I'm really hoping the install will take care of.

I don't have a lot of time to mess with pulling the sticks one by one to check for a bad DIMM, so if it comes to that, I may just replace the sticks with new. They're only $25 for 128MB right now, so that wouldn't hurt too bad to get it back to where I was.

As far as the video, I'm not so sure. I haven't noticed any real video anomalies per se, but hey, could be.

I'm going to try to reinstall over the top of that system and see if it helps at all. If not, then I'll wipe the drive and go from there.

Thanks for all the help, all.

Take care out there and pray for our troops.

They need it right now.

Chris
Umm, I'm a nerd.