Guest Franc Zabkar Posted September 17, 2008 Posted September 17, 2008 Re: Mouse not detected and Windows 98SE Freeze issues On Tue, 16 Sep 2008 12:43:01 -0700, jj mac <jj mac@discussions.microsoft.com> put finger to keyboard and composed: >Computer lockups have also greatly reduced. It would appear that the >connection of the ribbon cable to the motherboard had developed a fault which >was corrected by the simple action of removing and replacing the ribbon plug. >It is now obvious that the wireless Mouse connected to the USB2 port is the >main culprit causing Lockouts. The USB2 5Port Adapter Card which I installed >a few months ago might also be implicated. I hope, however, to be able to >retain the USB ports. Would moving the card to a different slot or >increasing the RAM help? I serviced my old PCs not too long ago. I was seeing GPFs a bit too often, but after cleaning the dust off the heatsinks and fans (motherboard and power supply), and after removing and reseating all cables, connectors, memory modules and cards, the systems stabilised. I also sprayed all connectors and slots with electronic cleaning solvent, and gently scrubbed the card fingers with a soft pencil eraser. It may pay you to go through your machine as well. >I can confirm that my motherboard is a Fugutech M506 board with 4no.72 pin >Simm slots at present containing 2 no. 4M modules of EDO Dram & 2 no. 16M >ditto. If I had done my homework properly I should have known that SDRAM >was not supported on this board. >I am now thinking of replacing the two 4M modules with two 32M modules >(total 64M). In the first instance I will leave the existing two 16M modules >(total 32M) AFAIK, 32MB modules would be electrically "double sided". Some chipsets only see half the capacity of such modules. I don't know whether yours is one of them. >With the mouse now working and the lockouts occurring less frequently the >problems with this computer are now largely resolved. You should aim for zero lockups. Something is still wrong. I wouldn't blame your USB card just yet, unless it has a VIA chipset, in which case you're not the only one reporting problems. See http://www.usbman.com/Guides/VIA%20Tips%20and%20Tricks.htm - Franc Zabkar -- Please remove one 'i' from my address when replying by email.
Guest jj mac Posted September 18, 2008 Posted September 18, 2008 Re: Mouse not detected and Windows 98SE Freeze issues When sifting through a pile of papers today I came across a Users Manual for the Triton motherboard which I did not know I had. The manual states that”The mainboard lets you add up to 128 MB (32 MB in each socket) of system memory via four SIMM sockets on the mainboard.” It also states that “all SIMMs must be faster than 70ns; all banks can use either 1-sided or 2-sided SIMMs; all banks are auto bank; DRAM Type: Fast Page Mode or Extended Data Output (EDO)” It appears that DRAM is now obsolete and virtually impossible to get. There is a lot of EDO SIMMS for sale on EBAY but it is all second-hand and rated at 60ns which I take to be faster than 70ns. I am tempted to make a bid for four x 32MB of 72pin EDO SIMMS currently on offer (closing date Tuesday 23 Sept) for opening bids in excess of £4.99. If EDO SIMMS is EDO DRAM by another name and if 60ns is faster than 70ns (which it must be) I will go ahead. If only two of the four modules work it could still be worth it. You guessed it. My USB2 card has a VIA chipset. It seems to be working perfectly. The USB wireless mouse is causing lockups but now that I have got the serial mouse to work I do not need it. I have BookMarked USB.Com which could be a useful reference if any problems with the card arise. Thank you. I am taking your advice about carrying out a bit of spring cleaning inside the Computer. Thanks again for all your help and sound advice. Regards -- JJ MacA "Franc Zabkar" wrote: > On Tue, 16 Sep 2008 12:43:01 -0700, jj mac <jj > mac@discussions.microsoft.com> put finger to keyboard and composed: > > >Computer lockups have also greatly reduced. It would appear that the > >connection of the ribbon cable to the motherboard had developed a fault which > >was corrected by the simple action of removing and replacing the ribbon plug. > >It is now obvious that the wireless Mouse connected to the USB2 port is the > >main culprit causing Lockouts. The USB2 5Port Adapter Card which I installed > >a few months ago might also be implicated. I hope, however, to be able to > >retain the USB ports. Would moving the card to a different slot or > >increasing the RAM help? > > I serviced my old PCs not too long ago. I was seeing GPFs a bit too > often, but after cleaning the dust off the heatsinks and fans > (motherboard and power supply), and after removing and reseating all > cables, connectors, memory modules and cards, the systems stabilised. > I also sprayed all connectors and slots with electronic cleaning > solvent, and gently scrubbed the card fingers with a soft pencil > eraser. It may pay you to go through your machine as well. > > >I can confirm that my motherboard is a Fugutech M506 board with 4no.72 pin > >Simm slots at present containing 2 no. 4M modules of EDO Dram & 2 no. 16M > >ditto. If I had done my homework properly I should have known that SDRAM > >was not supported on this board. > >I am now thinking of replacing the two 4M modules with two 32M modules > >(total 64M). In the first instance I will leave the existing two 16M modules > >(total 32M) > > AFAIK, 32MB modules would be electrically "double sided". Some > chipsets only see half the capacity of such modules. I don't know > whether yours is one of them. > > >With the mouse now working and the lockouts occurring less frequently the > >problems with this computer are now largely resolved. > > You should aim for zero lockups. Something is still wrong. I wouldn't > blame your USB card just yet, unless it has a VIA chipset, in which > case you're not the only one reporting problems. > > See http://www.usbman.com/Guides/VIA%20Tips%20and%20Tricks.htm > > - Franc Zabkar > -- > Please remove one 'i' from my address when replying by email. >
Guest Franc Zabkar Posted September 18, 2008 Posted September 18, 2008 Re: Mouse not detected and Windows 98SE Freeze issues On Thu, 18 Sep 2008 05:35:01 -0700, jj mac <jj mac@discussions.microsoft.com> put finger to keyboard and composed: >If EDO SIMMS is EDO DRAM by another >name and if 60ns is faster than 70ns ... Yes, you are correct on both counts. Just out of curiosity, does your board have two fake "write back cache" chips as in the photos I posted? - Franc Zabkar -- Please remove one 'i' from my address when replying by email.
Guest jj mac Posted September 19, 2008 Posted September 19, 2008 Re: Mouse not detected and Windows 98SE Freeze issues Franc, unfortunately the chips are hidden under the hard drive cage. With the aid of a mirror I can get a glimpse of the inner chips in the bottom and upper row. There are identification markings on the upper chip whereas I cannot see any markings on the bottom chip. This is contrary to the photo of the M506 board where markings are visible on the bottom row. On that evidence I would guess that the bottom row could be fake but to be honest, even if I were to remove the hard drives to get access and a clear view of these chips, I doubt if I could say with any certainty which ones, if any, were fake. Both chips that I could see appear to be identical with an array of input/output pins on all four sides. They look like the real thing. I am pleased to have your advice that EDO SIMMS and EDO DRAM are the same. Incidentally the Users Manual which I found for the motherboard does not refer to Fugutech or M506 at all, but I am sure that is what it is. It is described as a "Triton mainboard with on board PCI IDE and Super Multi-I/O. A high-performance mainboard based on the advanced Pentium microprocessor,the PCI Local Bus and the intel TRITON chipset" Kind Regards-- JJ MacA "Franc Zabkar" wrote: > On Thu, 18 Sep 2008 05:35:01 -0700, jj mac <jj > mac@discussions.microsoft.com> put finger to keyboard and composed: > > >If EDO SIMMS is EDO DRAM by another > >name and if 60ns is faster than 70ns ... > > Yes, you are correct on both counts. > > Just out of curiosity, does your board have two fake "write back > cache" chips as in the photos I posted? > > - Franc Zabkar > -- > Please remove one 'i' from my address when replying by email. >
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