Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!motcid!segal
From: segal@motcid.UUCP (Gary Segal)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Fixing an old PC.
Message-ID: <2152@garnet4.UUCP>
Date: 7 Apr 90 02:32:16 GMT
References: <6746fbq@unify.uucp>
Distribution: usa
Organization: Motorola INC., Cellular Infrastructure Division
Lines: 44

The following contains confusing information; read on:

mason@unify.uucp (Mark Mason) writes:

>I just got ahold of an old IBM PC (real IBM), and keyboard input does
>not seem to work. ...
Ok, I'm assuming a 5 slot PC with IBM roms dated 10/27/82.

>When power is turned on, the following occurres:
>"301" is printed in the upper left corner of the screen.
"301" indicates a general keyboard failure, or keyboard not present.
"301 xx" indicates that the key with scan code xx is stuck.

>memory is checked (passes, god is it slow!)
Does the machine display the memory as it checks it?  If so, you have
XT roms, not PC roms.  PC's display nothing but a flashing cursor while
they check memory.

>"ERROR. (RESUME = F1 key)" is displayed
Hmm... IBM PC roms never display "ERROR. (RESUME = F1 key)",
however IBM XT roms do.

>Hitting F1 (or any other key) does nothing. (even caps lock does not
>cause the light to turn on). The keyboard does seem to get power (the
>keyboard lights all flashed sometime earlier in the boot process).

Hmm again... IBM PC and XT keyboards never had lights on them.  AT
keyboards did, and so do some clone keyboards.

It sounds like you have a keyboard that doesn't match your system.
An IBM PC has 5 slots, a keyboard port and a cassette port (for when
you run out of hard disk space :-).  An XT has 8 slots, and no cassette
ports.  Both use the same keyboard, which does not have any lights on it.
AT's use a different keyboard, which have lights, but they don't work
on XT's or PC's.  It sounds like you have an XT, not a PC, and a AT
keyboard, which doesn't work with an XT.  If it's not an IBM keyboard,
hunt around for a dip switch, lots of the clone keyboards are switchable
between PC/XT and AT mode.

-- 
"If you've done six impossible things this morning, | Gary Segal, Motorola CID
why not finish it up with breakfast at MillieWays,  | 1501 W. Shure Drive
the Restaurant at the End of the Universe!"         | Arlington Heights, IL 60004
                                                    | ...!uunet!motcid!segal