Loooooooong startup

[MultiFinder]

My Classic II is having an unusual startup issue. If it's been sitting cold for a while, and it is turned on, here's what it does:

-Flip the power switch.

-Fan and HDD spin up, HDD goes through its little check things. No video and no chime.

-The machine sits there with the fan and HDD going, still no video and no startup chime.

-After a while (ranging from 10-40 seconds), the display suddenly jerks on, the machine chimes, and it starts up normally.

After that, it works fine. Sound is great, and the display is as sharp and steady as ever. It's just recently started doing this. It seems to sit there blankly longer the longer it's been off. Any ideas?

 

[LCGuy]

That would be your analog board on its way out. My Classic II started doing that, then it would be:

- Turn on

- Fan comes on

- Mac boots

- HD comes on

- video comes up but is dark

- video finally really comes up

After a few months, it would get to the point where it would take a full 15 minutes to boot. After that the analog board let out the magic smoke. :'(

RIP: Classic II (1992 - 2006)

When your analog board goes out, find a Classic or Classic II with a good case front, analog board, CRT, and strip it to just that, and add your drives, mobo and if you want, case bucket. Shouldn't be too hard to find.

 

[MultiFinder]

:O :O

Awww man, that's not cool

This was my first 68k and first Compact Mac :'(

Is there any way to prolong its life or even prevent complete failure?

Also, would the analog board from a Classic work? I have a Classic with a lobo that's on its way out; perhaps I could mash the two together into one working compact?

 

[tomlee59]

I am not so certain that your analog board is to blame. Given that leaky capacitors on the logic board cause all manner of misbehavio(u)r in Classics and their cousins, I would not jump to the conclusion that the analog board is the problem. Open it up and take a look around. In particular, look at the electrolytic caps that populate the board. If you see telltale smudges, then clean them off. A long-term fix, as JDW would certainly advocate, is to replace all of the electrolytics with fresh (tantalum) ones. But for troubleshooting purposes, a good clean often suffices.

If the caps collectively fail in the shorted condition, the power supply in the analog board could fail and release the magic smoke LCguy mentioned. But such an analog board failure would be a result, not a cause.

 

[Mac128]

Is there any way to prolong its life or even prevent complete failure?

Also, would the analog board from a Classic work? I have a Classic with a lobo that's on its way out; perhaps I could mash the two together into one working compact?

Yes to both.

Get yourself a copy of Larry Pina's Mac Classic & SE Repair and Upgrade Secrets. Swap the good Classic board for the bad Classic II board. Then restore the Classic II board.