• Updated 2023-07-12: Hello, Guest! Welcome back, and be sure to check out this follow-up post about our outage a week or so ago.

Quadra 900 Turns on, chime ok hdd led blinks but no video

OVa

Member
Hi, I´m from argentina, i´m trying to re use my Quadra 900 but I want to know if you can help me or not.

I have my Quadra 900 with Spectrum 8 SIII video card, but i cant make it work. My monitor is a Supermac 20"

If I plug or not the video card, my computer doesnt work. It turns on, chime sound sounds ok but no image.

I tried resetting PRAM (Zap RAM) and nothing happened.

I Tried with a tv with video mode, the on board video out or the videocard............is the same

I can see the hard drive blinking for a while, and then if you press Ctrl + Alt + Supr you can hear a sound from the speaker. It is obviously the system is working.

For a while "it worked" but like the monitor out of frequency, showing lines and differents "grey scale" colours. No chime at start up but that was because i was holding the buttom that is close the reset. 

I dissasembled everything. Nothing looks burned or any blowed capacitor. Even inside the PSU

Can anyone hlp me? thanks and sorry bout my english

 

Byrd

Well-known member
Welcome OVa,

Sounds like a perfectly working Quadra but you're either driving a monitor that refuses to work at the required resolution/refresh rate or your DB15 to VGA adapter isn't suitable.  I'd not bother with the SuperMac video card until you can get good reliable video output from onboard video; pull this card for the time being.  Pull, clean and reseat the VRAM; reset PRAM, try another monitor.

JB

 

OVa

Member
I´ve been holding option key for almost 20 seconds and nothing happened. Do i have to wait for more? It could be better if i try to hold option key without the video card? how much time?

I tried even without the video card. Only ram, PSU and ADB (keyboard) I cleaned every ram module, and the video ram too.

is the same. You can hear the chime but nothing happend. 

I´ll try to find a Db15 to vga adapter and another monitor.

 

Byrd

Well-known member
Hi OVa,

Sadly holding down Option at startup won't do anything in vintage Macs - time to trial another DB15-VGA adapter, monitor I think

 

BadGoldEagle

Well-known member
@Byrd It triggers the round robin algorithm on Supermac video cards. Without one it won't do anything of course... 

Some context (from the QuadrATX thread where OVa first posted about his issue):





@OVa That Supermac monitor should work with the 900's built in video... Clear the PRAM first and connect it to the Quadra. 

another monitor
First generation (1998-2004) 4:3 LCD monitors that only have a VGA input (no DVI) usually work better with older hardware.

Here's a picture of mine.

 View attachment 37459

Edit: Apparently resizing existing attachment does not work...

 
Last edited by a moderator:

Byrd

Well-known member
@Byrd It triggers the round robin algorithm on Supermac video cards. Without one it won't do anything of course... 


Ah my mistake - I forgot about the resolution roulette some Nubus graphics cards apply when certain key commands are held down.

 

OVa

Member
Thanks for all the answers, i think is my monitor. I tried with PowerPC 8600/200 of a friend of mine and nothing happened too.

I´ll try to get a Db15-vga and change the monitor.

Thanks again.

 
Top