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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!whuxlm!harpo!decvax!wanginst!vaxine!reg
From: reg@vaxine.UUCP (Rick Genter)
Newsgroups: net.micro.pc
Subject: Problems with my PC: an update
Message-ID: <584@vaxine.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 19-Jun-85 13:47:47 EDT
Article-I.D.: vaxine.584
Posted: Wed Jun 19 13:47:47 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 21-Jun-85 02:16:47 EDT
Organization: Automatix, Inc., Billerica, MA
Lines: 35


     Two months ago I posted a note about problems I was having with my PC.
Basically, my PC would run for a while, then get "Memory Parity Error 1" and
die.  Eventually it died and never came back.

     I thought that perhaps my RAM had gone bad or that my 8088 had gone bad.
I ended up trying to swap the 8088, and it worked fine in other systems.  I
tried various RAM configurations and nothing seemed to help.

     As I don't have oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and other necessary
digital debugging tools at home, I finally brought my PC to Bedford Computer
Systems, Inc. in Bedford, MA.  Naturally, when I brought it in, it worked just
fine.

     The guy at Bedford kept the PC for a couple of days and sure enough it
failed on the second day.  After some diligent troubleshooting he found two
things wrong:

        * A bad RAM chip (fortunately, not in the soldered in bank), and
        * A bad bus controller (8288).

The bus controller was sensitive to heat, which with my third party hard disk
and 8087 there was plenty of.  I have since ordered an XT power supply/fan from
PC's Limited in Austin, TX (only $95! - Bedford suggested I go with them since
they said if they went and ordered it it would come from IBM and be $250).

     Thanks to everyone on the net for their useful suggestions.  If you are in
the eastern Massachusetts area and are in need of service, I heartily recommend
Bedford Computer Systems Inc.  They were friendly and thorough and did an
overall fine job.  Their number is (617) 275-2037 or 275-2149.  No, I don't
work for them.  I was just impressed with their service.

                                        Rick Genter
                                        Automatix Inc.
                                        ...!decvax!encore!vaxine!reg