Thread
IT'S ALIVE!
Today I finally pulled my Performa 635CD out of my closet and set it up. Part of me was honestly expecting to see a Sad Mac or something else equally fatal. After all, it was in the closet for 1-3 years. Time sometimes isn't kind to technology. However, it started right up and works great! 
There are a couple of minor problems though. The base of the monitor is broken, so the monitor wobbles if you so much as blow on it. Also... there is no diagnostic software anywhere. Not even Disk First Aid! 8-o
Is there anything I can/should do to keep the Performa running? I'd rather not have to deal with serious failures, since those are usually harder to manage than maintenance. According to this thread the PRAM battery's dead, but it doesn't seem to be causing any real problems. (How long do those batteries usually last? The machine was bought new around the time I was born, and since I was 5 or so it was doing the blank bomb error thing. Maybe longer, since I don't remember much before then.)
There are a couple of minor problems though. The base of the monitor is broken, so the monitor wobbles if you so much as blow on it. Also... there is no diagnostic software anywhere. Not even Disk First Aid! 8-o Is there anything I can/should do to keep the Performa running? I'd rather not have to deal with serious failures, since those are usually harder to manage than maintenance. According to this thread the PRAM battery's dead, but it doesn't seem to be causing any real problems. (How long do those batteries usually last? The machine was bought new around the time I was born, and since I was 5 or so it was doing the blank bomb error thing. Maybe longer, since I don't remember much before then.)
This is a pretty old picture from the last time I had the Performa set up. I was going to take some new pictures today, but my camera had to run out of batteries right at that moment. Oh well, tomorrow (or whenever I get around to it) is soon enough! :lol:
Recap and fresh battery. Although if it was bombing since you bought it, it could have something else wrong with it. Perhaps a bad memory stick. Next time it bombs, write down the error code.
Definitely - replace that battery! That's a must.
Anything else? Well a recapping will be needed eventually, but for now it works and that's a plus! Maybe an upgrade later on to a full '040.
I have the PowerPC version of that machine, and it needs a system clean up. That uses an IDE Drive? That would be easy to put in an IDE-SSD or CF/IDE-SSD, if you had the System CD to format it and install a system on it. It would be less of a strain on the PSU to make that move and speed things up on the Disk I/O side; HD's can take up to 5watts of power while an SSD can take .2 watts.
Anything else? Well a recapping will be needed eventually, but for now it works and that's a plus! Maybe an upgrade later on to a full '040.
I have the PowerPC version of that machine, and it needs a system clean up. That uses an IDE Drive? That would be easy to put in an IDE-SSD or CF/IDE-SSD, if you had the System CD to format it and install a system on it. It would be less of a strain on the PSU to make that move and speed things up on the Disk I/O side; HD's can take up to 5watts of power while an SSD can take .2 watts.
No error code to write down, hehe. Literally all of them look like this one. :lol:
Is the battery necessary? Removing the dead one is on my list of things to do, but unless their absence will cause a problem I'm generally not a fan of using batteries since they can be bad for the environment. I'm not sure I have the System CD or if it's all on floppies, but I think I still have them somewhere. Maybe Disk First Aid is on them.
I'd say bad system install. Try a newer system or get an enabler
Try starting up with extensions off - hold down the shift (?) key from power on until you get the desktop or the bomb error.
You can remove the PRAM battery without issue, the only thing is it will forget the date & time between power-ups. And you may have to do the double-boot trick, though that varies from model to model and I don't remember if the 63x is affected by that.
You can remove the PRAM battery without issue, the only thing is it will forget the date & time between power-ups. And you may have to do the double-boot trick, though that varies from model to model and I don't remember if the 63x is affected by that.
The hard drive has been completely erased with a new system install at least once or twice a year when the computer's regularly used,and the bombs have always appeared even after the fresh installs.
The only pattern I've noticed is that they appear when I leave the computer running for an hour or so without using it. Other than that they don't appear a lot, it doesn't seem to be anything more than the occasional bomb everyone gets every now and then.
The only pattern I've noticed is that they appear when I leave the computer running for an hour or so without using it. Other than that they don't appear a lot, it doesn't seem to be anything more than the occasional bomb everyone gets every now and then.
Oh my gosh! The bomb! Now that is one image I surely do not miss! Now watch me get one in SheepShaver!
:lol: Before I discovered Sad Macs the bomb terrorized me as a child. It was scary...Oh my gosh! The bomb! Now that is one image I surely do not miss! Now watch me get one in SheepShaver!
The Mac OS X equivalent is probably the revolving colored "beachball", or whatever Apple calls it. The nice thing about it though, is that unless in the Classic environment where the bomb freezes up the entire system, Mac OS X code is so compartmentalized,/sandboxed, that usually, only the app in use is affected, and can be forced quit, leaving the system as a whole, running. So that is one big improvement from OS 9 to OS X which I appreciate.
The fact that one does not need to set a memory allocation for each individual app is also nice.
The fact that one does not need to set a memory allocation for each individual app is also nice.
Agreed. The lack of memory protection is a major fault in the classic Mac OS (though memory protection alone obviously doesn't make a great OS... my Windows machine crashes way more than any of my vintage Macs do > 
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I just realized that I made a typo in my previous response to you. I wrote "unless in the Classic environment where the bomb freezes up the entire system".
I mean to say "unlike in the Classic environment where the bomb freezes up the entire system"
But I bet you already caught that.
I mean to say "unlike in the Classic environment where the bomb freezes up the entire system"
But I bet you already caught that.
LOL, I didn't even notice that until just now. My brain automatically replaced unless with unlike.
My brain automatically replaced unless with unlike.
By error code, I meant the Sad Mac at the beginning (before it even boots) when you get the Death Chime.
My guess is the memory. Try taking out 1 of the sticks and use it for a while. If it bombs, put it back in and take the next one out. Repeat. Hopefully it won't continue to bomb and you can track down the bad memory.
My guess is the memory. Try taking out 1 of the sticks and use it for a while. If it bombs, put it back in and take the next one out. Repeat. Hopefully it won't continue to bomb and you can track down the bad memory.
Just now saw your reply, life caught up with me. It has never given me a Sad Mac or death chimes without someone/thing pressing the interrupt key combo. It's been super reliable for almost 20 years, minus the bombs. The only pattern I've seen is that the bombs usually only appear when the computer is sitting idle for 30-60 minutes. If I remember right, when I was using it regularly as a kid it crashed (any type - freezes, sudden gibberish on the screen, bombs, etc.) so rarely during normal use that it wasn't a problem. It did happen, but no technology is perfect right?
Next on my list of "tests" is turning it on and leaving it alone while watching with a stopwatch to see if it ever bombs and, if so, how long it takes. Going to do that a few times to see if my pattern is actually a pattern or just a coincidence.
Taking out a stick of memory without replacing it and using the computer won't cause any problems long-term will it? I'm mostly just curious about what's causing the bombs, it's not enough of a problem by itself to warrant fixing.
It has never given me a Sad Mac or death chimes without someone/thing pressing the interrupt key combo. It's been super reliable for almost 20 years, minus the bombs. The only pattern I've seen is that the bombs usually only appear when the computer is sitting idle for 30-60 minutes. If I remember right, when I was using it regularly as a kid it crashed (any type - freezes, sudden gibberish on the screen, bombs, etc.) so rarely during normal use that it wasn't a problem. It did happen, but no technology is perfect right? Next on my list of "tests" is turning it on and leaving it alone while watching with a stopwatch to see if it ever bombs and, if so, how long it takes. Going to do that a few times to see if my pattern is actually a pattern or just a coincidence.
Taking out a stick of memory without replacing it and using the computer won't cause any problems long-term will it? I'm mostly just curious about what's causing the bombs, it's not enough of a problem by itself to warrant fixing.
Shouldn't hurt it.
OK. Will give that a try when I can spend some quality time with it, knowing my luck if I rushed through I would break something.
When a bomb appears on the screen, do all the programs in the background freeze? Like, if I was running a stopwatch program would the stopwatch stop counting? That would be a lot easier than having to constantly watch for the error.
Will give that a try when I can spend some quality time with it, knowing my luck if I rushed through I would break something.When a bomb appears on the screen, do all the programs in the background freeze? Like, if I was running a stopwatch program would the stopwatch stop counting? That would be a lot easier than having to constantly watch for the error.
I believe the system error dialogs are modal. So the whole thing locks up. Unless you have macsbug or something installed to intercept it and continue, or if you had norton crashguard.
Cool. I have none of those things so it should work. Now to find a stopwatch program or something, that'll be the challenge. :lol:
I have none of those things so it should work. Now to find a stopwatch program or something, that'll be the challenge. :lol:
Well, I found a stopwatch program but currently have no way to get it to the Performa. Definitely see a USB floppy drive in my future...
I'm reviving this thread to say that I'm going to bite the bullet and open it up to remove the PRAM battery (all because of an "oh crap" moment I had on this thread ). While I'm at it I'll check caps for any visible damage and, if my camera feels like cooperating, get some pics to share with y'all.
I'm reviving this thread to say that I'm going to bite the bullet and open it up to remove the PRAM battery (all because of an "oh crap" moment I had on this thread
). While I'm at it I'll check caps for any visible damage and, if my camera feels like cooperating, get some pics to share with y'all.
Surgery complete! It took a couple hours, mostly because it took me ages to figure out that the battery was held in place by Velcro of all things, but it's out, along with a bunch of dust. I used a few paintbrushes to brush the dust out (gently). Even before the dusting, though, the board looked great. Caps were OK to the eye - no bulging or leaking. The battery wasn't leaking either, so no acid for this Performa! 
There were a few bumps in the road. First, both tabs broke off of the door and I didn't put much pressure on them at all. Second, I couldn't get the tray out of the case (I wasn't being firm enough). Third, the battery took ages to remove, though I was being quite gentle since I didn't know how the battery was attached and didn't want to break something by using too much force. Fourth, I couldn't get the tray back in the case (it was being finicky). Fifth, the screws wouldn't line up when I was trying to reassemble the Performa, and it took me about half an hour to get them to cooperate.
Now I'm having another problem. Nothing happens when I press the power button. No chimes, activity, anything. I forgot to press the cuda button (or whatever it's called) as well as the startup trick that's been mentioned here. I'm hoping that fixes the problem, would be somewhat ironic to break the Performa while trying to prevent something that would break it.
Edit: D'oh, just saw that someone mentioned the fact that the battery's attached by Velcro. Yeah, definitely need my RAM reseated. :lol:
There were a few bumps in the road. First, both tabs broke off of the door and I didn't put much pressure on them at all. Second, I couldn't get the tray out of the case (I wasn't being firm enough). Third, the battery took ages to remove, though I was being quite gentle since I didn't know how the battery was attached and didn't want to break something by using too much force. Fourth, I couldn't get the tray back in the case (it was being finicky). Fifth, the screws wouldn't line up when I was trying to reassemble the Performa, and it took me about half an hour to get them to cooperate.
Now I'm having another problem. Nothing happens when I press the power button. No chimes, activity, anything. I forgot to press the cuda button (or whatever it's called) as well as the startup trick that's been mentioned here. I'm hoping that fixes the problem, would be somewhat ironic to break the Performa while trying to prevent something that would break it.
Edit: D'oh, just saw that someone mentioned the fact that the battery's attached by Velcro. Yeah, definitely need my RAM reseated. :lol:
Before and after pictures...
Nice job - it looks so pretty and clean now. Bummer about the tabs. Sometimes there's just nothing you can do, if it's to the point where there's no flexibility left. At least you won't see them when you turn the computer around.
Usually if the screws don't line up you don't have the board in the "rails" and it's not slid back into its harness.
Also try the push button start on the back of the performa not the keyboard.
If all that fails may need the recap after all no matter how good they look.
And BTW the performas start no problem after battery removed. I have like 8 of them.
Also try the push button start on the back of the performa not the keyboard.
If all that fails may need the recap after all no matter how good they look.
And BTW the performas start no problem after battery removed. I have like 8 of them.
Yeah, getting the board back into the "rails" was a royal pain. Had to pull it out and put it back several times. Does gentle pushing once the board's lined up do the trick or is a bit of force necessary? I'm really shy when it comes to being firm, especially with things I care about. And the button on the back didn't do anything either.
It's possible that something got bumped out of place or dust got somewhere it shouldn't have. Also, does accidentally brushing a finger against traces or chips/etc. make a difference? I tried to keep my hands on the edge of the board but it still managed to slide around a bit.
As for caps, what should I replace them with? There's a lot of information and choices out there, it gets confusing to someone just starting to learn.
It's possible that something got bumped out of place or dust got somewhere it shouldn't have. Also, does accidentally brushing a finger against traces or chips/etc. make a difference? I tried to keep my hands on the edge of the board but it still managed to slide around a bit.
As for caps, what should I replace them with? There's a lot of information and choices out there, it gets confusing to someone just starting to learn.
at worst, you could have bent a pin over inside of the connector or on the board edge connector. Youll need a good light source to check for that. That could cause it not to work.
If a pin bends up on the board edge connector, it seems it wouldn't be easy to bend back, because of the plastic that gets in the way. Is there a way to secure it back down you would recommend? (Like with a real small bit of super glue or something to hold it back down?) Just curious.
I didn't dust off the edge of the board or the edge connector, so might have been while I was removing the battery or (more likely, if this is the case) trying to put it back. Can you give an example of a good light source? I have a variety of lights at my disposal.
IT LIVES AGAIN!
I held the CUDA button down for 5 seconds just to be safe, and then I took a look at the pins. One was very slightly bent, so I poked it gently with a dull needle to bend it back, which worked. Then I took a look at the rails... and found what looked like a cookie crumb blocking one of them. So the board had to have been out of position as well, which would explain why it didn't look right once I got the screws back on the first time. After removing the crumb the board lined up right.
Just in case anyone is reading this and having trouble getting the board out or back in - be firm! I had to push/pull on the metal holding the board so hard that it sounded like it broke (dramatic banging, for a lack of a better word). But it didn't break. As long as you have the board in the rails lined up right you're OK.
I held the CUDA button down for 5 seconds just to be safe, and then I took a look at the pins. One was very slightly bent, so I poked it gently with a dull needle to bend it back, which worked. Then I took a look at the rails... and found what looked like a cookie crumb blocking one of them. So the board had to have been out of position as well, which would explain why it didn't look right once I got the screws back on the first time. After removing the crumb the board lined up right.
Just in case anyone is reading this and having trouble getting the board out or back in - be firm! I had to push/pull on the metal holding the board so hard that it sounded like it broke (dramatic banging, for a lack of a better word). But it didn't break.
As long as you have the board in the rails lined up right you're OK.