Re: Apple ][+ gravely ill - seeking assistance :(

["N.N. Thayer" <nnthayer@hotmail.com>]

On May 30, 7:37 am, m...@willegal.net wrote:
> My guess is that either a DRAM chip failed or you have an memory
> addressing problem.   Seems like you can get a prompt with control-
> reset.  This makes things a whole lot easier than if you can't get a
> prompt.   Once you control-reset and get a prompt,  you should be able
> to write a simple memory test that may reveal some more details about
> where the problem is.  Check out my repair tips page atwww.willegal.net
> that includes an example debugging session for this type of problem.
>
> http://www.willegal.net/appleii/appleii-first_page.htm
>
> Regards,
> Mike Willegal

That's the thing - a reset is totally unresponsive now, I can't even
get to a prompt. Let me lay out the symptoms again with proper
formatting... I'm not sure how my original post was appropriated by
spammers.

1. Power on.  Beep, floppy drive (Disk ][) does not initialize.  Power
off.

2. Power on.  Beep, drive does not initialize. Power off.

3. Power on.  Beep, drive does not initialize.  Ctrl-Reset to prompt,
PR#6.  Drive initializes. Power off.

4. Power on.  Beep, drive initializes. Power off.

5. Power on.  Beep, drive initializes, disk is read.  Text menu
appears and shows display corruption.  Some letters are replaced with
random symbols.  The corruption is not static: new symbols slowly
appear and change as I watch.  Reset produces an abbreviated beep,
perhaps half of its usual length.  Power off.


(a few minutes pass)


6. Power on.  Similar abbreviated beep, screen full of garbage
characters, drive does not initialize.  No response to reset.  Power
off.

7. Subsequent attempts produce results identical to #6 even with all
cards removed, including Language Card.