Tandy Sensation Problem.
Jim Swann
someone may have some advice.
Several weeks ago, while installing a new hard drive, the computer gave me
the message " Invalid Configuration. Press F2 to run setup " However
pressing the F2 key did nothing. I thought perhaps it was a keyboard
failure, so switched out the keyboard with no results.
Someone told me that it was probably a motherboard failure, so I found a
motherboard that was sold to me as tested. As the original motherboard, it
gets to the point of reporting " Invalid Configuration. Press F2 to run
setup ". A few seconds after seeing this message a second message appears,
"Press F1 to continue, Press F2 to run setup " I can get no response to
either message. I have switched out the keyboard, pulled and reset all
jumpers, and switched the memory simms. Nothing works.
Any suggestions will be appreciated.
Best regards,
Jim Swann
Bill Marcum
will be able to run setup.
Jim Swann
Jim Swann
I had replaced the CMOS battery a couple of weeks before the problem
surfaced. I guess it's possible that the battery was not a good one. I will
pick one up tomorrow and give that a try. Thanks for the suggestion.
Rgds,
Jim
"Bill Marcum" <bma...@iglou.com> wrote in message
news:slrnacjnu7....@gigs.localnet...
Rick
Did you check radioshack.com to see if the Sensation needs a setup disk to
change configurations?
scurge
upgrade, put the old hard drive back in the unit. If it operates
normally, then you have a configuration issue.
Larry Fosdick
"Jim Swann" <jrs...@optonline.net> wrote in message
news:zPky8.13351$sI3.3...@news02.optonline.net...
If you were installing a hard drive, was it large. I don't know that board,
but many boards of that vintage can't take >540 MB. The second hurdle was
2.1 GB. If a drive was too large, it often locked during boot. If the
drive is disconnected, can you boot the system?
Larry
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Jim Swann
no results. I have tried the replacement board with and without floppy,
added the original hard drive, changed out the power supply, switched memory
simms. It lights up, reports memory, but won't respond after asking me to
run setup.
Jim
"Larry Fosdick" <larry_...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:3cca9...@corp.newsgroups.com...
Larry Fosdick
jumper for this, or you could possibly remove the battery for 10 minutes or
so (that's a WAG). You could also try going into setup during the POST
process. Hit the function key to enter setup while it's checking memory.
I assume the keyboard is being initialized properly. Most POSTs flash one or
more of the lights when checking the keyboard.
Good Luck.
Larry
"Jim Swann" <jrs...@optonline.net> wrote in message
news:bIwy8.21155$sI3.5...@news02.optonline.net...
Rick
> I stripped the original board all the way down to just a floppy drive with
> no results. I have tried the replacement board with and without floppy,
> added the original hard drive, changed out the power supply, switched memory
> simms. It lights up, reports memory, but won't respond after asking me to
> run setup.
>
> Jim
I already answered that one for you - and you clued it in because you said it
"won't respond after asking me to run setup." If you don't still have the
program you need to get in from RadioShack.com. To quote:
"The setup program is found on the startup diskette in the \dos directory.
THE SETUP UTILITY
To run properly, the computer requires information about the video mode,
memory amount, installed drives, and connected peripherals. The computer
stores this system configuration information and the system date and time
in CMOS RAM. The setup utility lets you review and update the information
stored in CMOS RAM.
WHEN TO RUN THE SETUP UTILITY
Run the setup utility each time you add or remove an option or connect or
disconnect a peripheral device. At startup, the computer compares the
actual system configuration to the configuration information stores in
CMOS RAM. If there is a discrepancy, the computer prompts you to run the
setup utility."
Go get the program: http://support.radioshack.com//setup.htm
Jim Swann
tried three different keyboards, but do not get any keyboard response at
all. Tried your idea of killing the CMOS, even bought a new battery.
Thanks,
Jim
"Larry Fosdick" <larry_...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:3ccad...@corp.newsgroups.com...
Jim Swann
is I can't get far enough to do anything. I can not get a response to any
keyboard input at all. Have even switched out keyboards to eliminate the
possibility of a bad keyboard. Nada.
Rgds,
Jim
"Rick" <rick...@rcn.com> wrote in message news:3CCB1852...@rcn.com...
Dave
<jrs...@optonline.net> wrote:
>Thanks for the input Rick. I do have the setup program from RS. My problem
>is I can't get far enough to do anything. I can not get a response to any
>keyboard input at all. Have even switched out keyboards to eliminate the
>possibility of a bad keyboard. Nada.
You might want to re-solder the keyboard socket joints on the motherboard.
There may also be a small fuse for the keyboard (don't ask me what it
looks like, it's a long time since I saw a M/B with a K/B fuse <g>)
Dave
--
xtals...@yahoo.com is a valid reply-to address but I don't check it every day.
For a quicker response, email replies should go to
david d0t gallagher at blueyonder d0t co d0t uk
Rick
> Thanks for the input Rick. I do have the setup program from RS. My problem
> is I can't get far enough to do anything. I can not get a response to any
> keyboard input at all. Have even switched out keyboards to eliminate the
> possibility of a bad keyboard. Nada.
> Rgds,
> Jim
>
Did you plug in or swap keyboards while the system had power? It's beginning to
sound like you fried the keyboard controller on the mobo.
Frank Durda IV
: I am having a problem with an old Tandy Sensation 2 motherboard, and hope
: someone may have some advice.
:
: Several weeks ago, while installing a new hard drive, the computer gave me
: the message " Invalid Configuration. Press F2 to run setup " However
: pressing the F2 key did nothing. I thought perhaps it was a keyboard
: failure, so switched out the keyboard with no results.
This may sound very obvious, but make sure the keyboard is actually plugged
into the keyboard jack.
For a period of years, the Tandy BIOS programmers did what we thought was a
clever thing: the Keyboard would work even if you connected it to the
connector marked for the mouse. Since the ports are both identical, it
wasn't much for the keyboard controller to figure out which port had a mouse
on it and which was the keyboard and route the resulting data accordingly.
External to the keyboard controller, you could not tell that this translation
was being done, so it was quite compatible.
The idea was that no matter how wrong the customer hooked-up the computer,
as long as they actually got the plugs in the jacks without breaking off too
many of the pins, the system would work, and that meant one less machine
returned to a store for exchange.
This seemed like a great idea except to DEC, who was a big OEM purchaser
of Tandy computers around that time. The documentation, labeling and
what-not groups at DEC were appalled at the idea that the system would work
even if you plugged the cables into the wrong outlets, fearing all sorts of
needless tech support problems and confusion for DEC as a result of systems
being wired-wrong yet still working correctly. We all said, "huh?".
At Tandy, we also considered this a good feature because if the customer
damaged one PS/2 port, at least you could have a working keyboard on the
remaining port until repairs could be made, but DEC didn't see things that
way. DEC would have preferred it to be physically impossible to plug the
mouse connector into the keyboard jack, and vice versa as that would be
easier to document. That's probably why the DEC OEM systems had the big
AT keyboard connector for almost two years longer than most of the Tandy and
GRiD labeled systems.
Anyway, under pressure from DEC, the "smart" keyboard controller feature was
killed or disabled on many systems (mainly those also sold under the DEC
name) although it survived on others. However, over time parts of this
feature broke in some BIOS releases, and on some systems, the keyboard would
work under DOS/Windows if plugged into the mouse jack, but you couldn't get
into the CMOS setup if you needed to when cabled that way.
That brings us to your situation. Check to make sure you have the keyboard
really connected to the keyboard jack (never mind that it worked for years
the way it is hooked up now), and if backwards, fix it. This may solve
the problem. The Sensation 2 motherboard definitely has in-ROM BIOS/CMOS
setup. I have one sitting nearby, still taking phone calls, Y2K strangeness
and all.
You should also see the keyboard lights blink briefly after applying power.
If you don't see that, you don't have power to the keyboard, which may
indicate that the on-motherboard keyboard fuse has blown. If in the keyboard
jack, try the mouse jack and see if there is any signs of life there.
The fuse is there to prevent a shorted mouse or keyboard cable from frying
the motherboard and is located adjacent to the keyboard and mouse connectors.
Unfortunately, it is a soldered-in component.
If that doesn't do it, a dead, wrong size or incorrectly-installed CMOS
battery may also cause this symptom, but I has not heard of this on that
design.
Frank Durda IV - only this address works:|"The Knights who say "LETNi"
<uhclem.may02%nemesis.lonestar.org> | demand... A SEGMENT REGISTER!!!"
|"A what?"
This Anti-spam address expires May 31st |"LETNi! LETNi! LETNi!" - 1983
Copr. 2002, ask before reprinting.
Bill Marcum
Rick <rick...@rcn.com> wrote:
>
>Did you plug in or swap keyboards while the system had power? It's beginning to
>sound like you fried the keyboard controller on the mobo.
>
are screwed onto the PC, but not the keyboard and the mouse?"
Jim Swann
fuse, and attached a known good keyboard, and it works. Now to find a new
fuse, and a technician to replace it.
Thanks for your help Frank. And thanks to all of the people that offered
advise and suggestions to try to help resolve the problem. In an earlier
response Dave also pointed out that it might be a fuse, but in my ignorance,
I could not see anything that looked like a fuse to me.
I have had this computer since 93. It has been working for someone in the
family all of these years. It is now planned for my 13 yr old son to set up
in his bedroom, so he can play all of his old DOS games. I am well aware
that this project could have been resolved easily by just buying another
computer, but we did not want to let this one die.
Thanks also for the history lesson Frank. Tandy built great computers. It's
a shame they didn't stay in the business.
Thanks again.
Jim Swann
"Frank Durda IV" <uhclem...@nemesis.lonestar.org> wrote in message
news:Gv9DI...@nemesis.lonestar.org...
Rick
Well (as I always tell my sister), there you go thinking again. 8- )
Actually, some of the early pre-IBM systems did have non-DIN type connectors screwed
or locked into place. In general with legacy systems you should not "hot swap" any
devices - parallel, serial, kb etc. with power applied. There is voltage on some of
the lines and the sudden application of current, while possibly not grounded as the
plug is inserted, can cause problems such as a blown fuse, or completely frying out
the computer interface or the device interface. It's happened more than once to
owner's of Zip parallel drives. The computers survived. The Zips didn't.
Good luck with the fuse replacement. Hopefully, you can locate someone handy with
small soldering jobs. On a bench it's one of those stupid "29 cents for parts,
$100.00 for labor" charges.
Jim Swann
discontinued. I was hoping it was going to be an easy fix, but have been
searching the web for " keyboard Fuse" without finding anything. I don't
really want to send it back to Tandy Repair, so will look for a local shop.
Rgds and thanks,
Jim
"Rick" <rick...@rcn.com> wrote in message news:3CCC6075...@rcn.com...
Leonard Erickson
Actually, I did that to my TL/3 by swapping a PS/2 *mouse* with the
power on. (I was trying to use a serial mouse via an adapter....)
--
Leonard Erickson (aka shadow{G})
sha...@krypton.rain.com <--preferred
leo...@qiclab.scn.rain.com <--last resort
Jim Swann
but got it running temporarily with a jumper across the contacts. Hopefully
I will find one in a small electronics store this weekend.
Rgds,
Jim
"Leonard Erickson" <sha...@krypton.rain.com> wrote in message
news:989vcuktpo95as1mq...@4ax.com...
M G
Was away from the group for a while and came back to see you in "distress".
I was glad to see you found the problem and corrected it.
Also, thanks again for YOUR help and guidance in pointing me to the Diamond
SpeedStar graphics card that now resides in my S2.
As I've said before, 3 other pc's in the house, 2 P3's (933 & 1.0Mhz) and a
P4 and here I sit at my vintage 1993 S2 slamming away on the original
keyboard. Interesting too, to hear from Frank re: keyboard and mouse
connectors. Later this evening I probably will check to make sure I'm hooked
up right. I've moved this machine a number of times and last move, just
reached around back, stuck the plugs in and off I went!
I hope my other machines last as long as this one has!
Regards,
Moreynews:MhTy8.38257$sI3.9...@news02.optonline.net...
Jim Swann
It's finally back up and running Morey. I bought the last of the Speedstar
cards he had, and that is running fine as well. My son has the S2 in his
room, doing homework and playing the old games that don't run on his newer
machine. I put way more time and effort into that old machine than it's
worth, but we didn't want to let it go, and we are both glad it's fixed.
Rgds,
Jim
"M G" <moreyag...@frontiernet.net> wrote in message
news:udbnkci...@corp.supernews.com...
M G
One question...
I still have it hooked to the original VGM-460 monitor it came with. I
recall at one point way back, Ithought I had the capability of 1024x768 res.
Now the highest I an set it for is 800 x 600. I have selection(3) in the
setup utility and when I go to change the monitor, it just gives me "generic
800x600 SVGA" as an opion. I know the Diamond is capable of 1024x768 (even
if my eyes are NOT ...on a 13" screen)
Just wondering of there evere were any monitor specific drivers forthe 460
All the best again,news:aysB8.148745$sI3.35...@news02.optonline.net...
Jim Swann
( VGM 500 ) to be svga 1024X768. I could then change the resolution to
match. I have been running at 800X600, and using that monitor setting does
not allow me to set a higher screen setting. I am running Win 95 with Win 95
drivers I got from Diamond a few years ago. If you want them let me know.
Rgds,
Jim
"M G" <moreyag...@frontiernet.net> wrote in message
news:ude9ejc...@corp.supernews.com...