Quadra 800, System using up 80 mb of memory

[redcar]

Hello everbody,

This is my first post to any forum, please be gentle.

I wonder if anyone here can help me.

I have spent quite some time reading the posts but have not been able find any information relating to my particular problem.

This Quadra 800, which I have owned since new in 1993 (Unbelievable £££s). It has been working famously since. UNTIL NOW!!!

The problem is:

All the memory, excepting about 4mb, is used up by the system. Therefore, it will not run any application that requires more than 4 mb.

This happens when either system is used and even stranger, when booted from the disk tools. I have run Norton Disk Doctor, and the the HD comes up as OK. I have tried rebuilding the desk top, zapping the P-ram, all to no avail.

The spec is:

Standard motherboard as shipped

80+ mb ram (cannot remember exactly)

1gb internal hard disk running System Picker

OS 7.1 English

OS 7.1T (Traditional Chinese)

This wonderful old workhorse is connected to an equally old Turbo 1200B A3 laser printer and is only used for producing high quality artwork in Chinese. It is not on-line, and is never subjected to any unknown or external media, thus ruling out any virus, trojan, etc.

If anyone can help me solve this I would be truly grateful.

Thank you in advance for your time and I look forward to any response.

Best wishes,

Redcar

 

[equill]

First, although it is a pain to do so in the Quadra 800, you should remove all of your RAM, clean the connectors on the edges of the cards by rubbing across them with a firm but not hard pencil eraser, and then blow off (with canned air) the detritus. Then blow out the RAM slots, and lastly reseat the SIMMs in their slots. Now see whether the RAM is assigned correctly, by restarting and looking at About This Macintosh..

If not, you have more to do. OS 7.1 can support computers that are not '32-bit clean' in addressing. If 32-bit operation is not selected in the Memory Control Panel of a machine that is capable of 32-bit operation (natively, or with the assistance of the 'helper' extension called Mode32), most of the available RAM in excess of the 8MB that can be addressed by a 24-bit addressing machine is assigned to the System, as you are finding.

Why a Quadra 800 should be so behaving is a minor marvel, because it has 32-bit clean ROM. Nonetheless, it may pay you to open the Memory CP, click on the 'On' radio button in the '32-Bit Addressing' panel of the window if that is available, close the window, and restart the Mac.

If this perhaps fanciful scenario is not borne out by examination, the odd behaviour may perhaps be abolished by a complete reinstallation of your affected Systems. I take it that the behaviour is shown under whichever System has been invoked with System Picker? You could also consider upgrading the British System 7.1 to 7.1.2 at least, and the Chinese also, if that is accessible.

de

 

[Mike Richardson]

Do the 32 bit addressing thing first. 99% chance that's the problem. If so, you probably need a new PRAM battery. I am selling them for $8 shipped to the UK.

 

[equill]

Good point, MR. 24/32-bit addressing is one of the parameters in PRAM, and this Mac may never have had its PRAM battery replaced, although that may have been disguised if the Mac has never been disconnected from the mains supply.

Nonetheless, a good 15-yr internal cleanup will hurt redcar's knuckles rather than the Mac.

de

 

[MacMan]

Another thing to try is switching on Virtual Memory in the Memory control panel. Since you have plenty of RAM already, it should be sufficient to set it to 1MB above the amount of installed RAM. It can solve a few problems!

 

[Bolle]

I have this on my mystic CC, but only when i boot from a 7.5 utilities floppy.

and i think 040 macs dont support 24 bit adressing and i think you arent able to set wether you want 24 or 32 bit adressing on 040 macs

 

[Quadraman]

The PRAM battery does not need to be completely dead to cause a problem. If it is just a tiny bit below optimal it can give you headaches and you'll never know it if you just go by whether the battery is holding a charge or not. Before delving into possible hardware problems you should always try to find a software solution to your predicament. Macs are hardy beasts and not generally as temperamental as PC's. Actual hardware failures are relatively rare or confined to minor things like the PRAM battery.

 

[redcar]

My sincere thanks to all who have responded. A delightful and painless initiation.

Firstly, before donning the protective gloves, the simplest and easiest option suggested was tried, namely, in the CP the 32 bit problem/solution was addressed. Alas, either way, it had no affect. Likewise with Virtual Memory.

Upon checking the date and time it was apparent that this Quadra had travelled back in time, as far back as 1996 to be exact. Therefore, as highlighted by many of you, the P-Ram battery should be suspected. It has been there untouched for fifteen years and this is could be asking a little too much of it, especially as it has spent days, sometimes weeks disconnected from the mains. I will try to source one these batteries locally. If unavailable, I will come back and endeavour to take advantage of MR's offer.

Thank you all once again for your kind help, I will keep you posted.

Regards

Redcar

 

[redcar]

Latest news to report.

Maplins supplied us with canned air and the little P-ram battery. Then we set about getting at the motherboard, we found it not as difficult as some say. Although we were not prepared, for the amount of grime evident. The memory chips were removed and thier contacts cleaned with a rubber. The motherboard and the rest of the machine was treated to an air bath. The new battery popped in nicely. The whole box was then screwed back together and the cables etc. were connected. No dramas so far.

Turn on and she burst back to life, STILL USING 80MB memory.

OK, we zap the P-ram, lo and behold probem solved.

Not a single knuckle scraped nor one drop of blood spilt.

The old workhorse is back to doing what she does best, i.e. printing in chinese.

You guys are all superstars. A million thanks.

Kindest regards

Redcar

 

[equill]

May you never have a greater problem than this one was!

de

 

[bmacsys]

Do the 32 bit addressing thing first. 99%

Thats it in a nutshell. No need to rip the thing apart. Its seeing all his ram. He just needs to turn on 32 bit addressing or better yet upgrade to 7.6.1 or 8.1.

 

[tomlee59]

Do the 32 bit addressing thing first. 99%

Thats it in a nutshell. No need to rip the thing apart. Its seeing all his ram. He just needs to turn on 32 bit addressing or better yet upgrade to 7.6.1 or 8.1.

He already tried turning on 32-bit addressing. It didn't work, so he went further. Zapping PRAM was the magic step.