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From: consp13@bingsunm.cc.binghamton.edu (Marcus Cannava)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: A500 resets itself
Message-ID: <3149@bingvaxu.cc.binghamton.edu>
Date: 14 Mar 90 22:52:31 GMT
References: <1291@carroll1.cc.edu>
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Reply-To: consp13@bingsunm.cc.binghamton.edu (Marcus Cannava)
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Organization: SUNY Binghamton
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On 9-Mar-90, plonka@carrol1.cc.edu writes..
>
> My Amiga 500 has become very tempermental lately. It just RESETS itself.
> very similarly to a CTRL-AMIGA-AMIGA.
> Sometimes it will happen 5 times in 10 minutes, other times it has been on
> for hours straight with no problems.
> It doesn't seem to be related to heat generation, since it is just as
> likely to reset just after being turned on as it is hours later.
> Also, power load doesn't seem to affect it. I've run w/2 external drives and
> AMax w/no immediate problems.
>

	I had this VERY SAME PROBLEM myself, and, because nobody seemed to know
what was actually going on, I wound up wasting $400 in needless repairs and
part replacements.

	It turns out that the power supply for some A500's becomes weak in its
later years, and begins to give unreliable performance. It is unrelated
to heat,
load, or system configuration -- but randomly, the computer will reset. 
	I brought my Amiga to a dealer on Long Island, NY, and got ripped off
like you would not believe: They replaced 4 chips, then decided to replace the
motherboard, then the keyboard, then the disk drive. After all this replacing 
(and money gone), it STILL didn't work, and they refused to give me a refund or
even perform any further tests for no charge.
	If I knew who to register a complaint with, I would -- Commodore should
be informed of this company's disreputable practices. (They are, The Byte Shop,
in Merrick, Long Island, NY)

	Anyway. I purchased a used/like-new power supply from a wonderful 
dealer here in Binghamton, and it worked like a charm.

>
> NOW, the important part (hopefully),
> When it reboots after the reset, the CAPS-lock light is on, and can't be
> shut off. Also the keyboard is disabled.
> Sometimes the CAPS-lock light will flash regularly, and continuously.
>
> WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? 
>

	This, according to the wonderful (ahem) people at the Byte Shop, 
is an indication that the keyboard failed power-up diagnostics.

	SUMMARY: Get a new power supply, don't replace parts on your
A500. You'll be happy.


					\marc


'I do not fear computers.. I fear the lack of them'  -- I. Asimov
									RNM