Baslinux mailing list

[sindi keesan <keesan AT sdf.lonestar.org>]

On Tue, 16 Jan 2007, Samual Acorn wrote:

> highly doubful that a keyboard could damage a computer.... since the
> lights on the keyboard blink the bios is in part running.... IIRC the
> 3 lights blinking is called the 'batt' test... just after the blink
> the floppy should seek (if that function hasnt been turned off in the
> bios) then the PC speaker should beep...

A computer store said in 22 years that had never happened to them so we 
plugged it in and it still worked.  The second motherboard also worked 
again after my partner jumpered something on it (to emulate it being in 
the case) and then it worked again back in the case.  It is back in use. 
The one that smoked when last turned on (and had keyboard and controler 
and boot problems before that) contributed two capacitors and a Slot 1 cpu 
to our collection and then got recycled.

> > if the only thing that is happening is the keyboard lights are
> blinking then use the 'clear cmos' jumper to clear the cmos settings

Maybe jumpering the power circuit had the same effect?   The CMOS settings 
are still there and the battery is good.  Coin type.

> then try to boot the machine again.... if the battery is one of those
> soldered on rechargable types then make sure it hasnt leaked(if it
> leaked the board is likely gone)... if it is a coin cell make sure it
> is good... if the battery is inside one of those 'dallas real time
> clock' chips you might be out of luck.... those chips are replaceable
> but if its soldered down its going to be hard to replace...

The newer computers all seem to have replaceable batteries.

> check for bulging or leaking capacitors... (if they leaked kiss the
> board goodbye.. if they are bulging it might be possible to replace
> them tho that might not be worth the trouble)

We are using three boards with replaced caps and we also did two for 
friends.  They were bulging.

> does the speaker beep at all? (if so in what pattern?)
No, even with an added speaker instead of the beeper.

> does a different PSU not help?

We tried that first.  We will never know what went wrong but now it went 
right.

Now we have a computer which has no video, after being dropped.  Cracked 
solder joints?

Thanks for all your helpful info, which I probably should not have 
requested on this list.

Sindi