On Fri, 3 Sep 2021 10:16:09 -0700, John Robertson <
sp...@flippers.com>
wrote:
The caps have been replaced twice on the MB over the years, and
they were the first thing suspected this time. I also did a
refurb on the original PSU (Tagan 420), before swapping it out
with a new Elite 600.
The PCC MB has been a pleasure to use since it's first installation
(~2004), with it's combination of IDE and SATA and PCi(for SCSI
and GPIB) interfaces. Have never had to re-install an OS on it.
The W2k system serves(served) as mostly library, and maintenance
standard for repair of subsequent machines. It runs most
text editing, printing, imaging, database, Autocad, board layout
communication and lab instrumentation SW of its era flawlessly.
I haven't managed to whip the Alt-boot linux OS into any stage
where it was as useful or easy to navigate, and a 'new' machine
with W7 is not really a possibility, these days.
As for a new machine with W10 or later - anything that won't work
without an internet connection, cloud servers or a recurring
subscription, is just not going to happen here.
I'll probably end up just running the W7 (and some XP) machines
into the ground, while struggling to get Linux to look more
familiar and act more usefully.
If I could track down the hardware fault on this MB, however, I'd
be over the moon. I still miss a W98/W2k/XP multiboot system that
had to be put down around 2013(ECS KM400 MB). It also never needed
an OS 'reinstall'.
. . . compeeyoudahs are probably the greatest waste of time
and effort I could ever have possibly imagined. Pointy-headed
business types just keeps twisting your arm, however.
RL