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Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site lanl.ARPA
Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!lanl!cib
From: cib@lanl.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.micro.pc
Subject: IBMPC Malfunction
Message-ID: <28754@lanl.ARPA>
Date: Thu, 25-Jul-85 10:13:53 EDT
Article-I.D.: lanl.28754
Posted: Thu Jul 25 10:13:53 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 26-Jul-85 04:45:37 EDT
Distribution: na
Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory
Lines: 24

While this experience may be unique, I post it on the chance that
someone may be saved time and trouble.

After six or seven months of impeccable performance, my PC began
to crash in mid-program (any program) for no apparent reason.
The crashes were creative - sometimes a frozen cursor, sometimes
a blank screen, sometimes graphics characters, sometimes random
patterns. The up time before crash became shorter and shorter
until the machine was useless.

"Temperature!", I said, since summer was coming on, and removed
the cover and set up a fan. No improvement.

"Power supply!" I said, since the board was full, and replaced
the PC power supply with the XT supply. No improvement.

Swapping of the RAM and the 8088 led to no improvement.

"Desperation!" I said, and started to tap things lightly. As soon
as SW1 was tapped, the machine crashed. Repetition gave the
same result.

I replaced those shoddy SW1 and SW2 dip switches with slide
switches, and have had no trouble since.