[Euphrates]

Hey, I've got a 6100/60 that I really haven't done anything to in terms of addons (except for one or two RAM upgrades and a new internal harddrive) and has worked fine up to when I stopped using it a year or two ago. So it has been sitting dormant for a while, as far as I knew in perfectly good working condition, and after maybe a year and a half, I decided to take it for a spin to do some experimental stuff with trying to make it run faster and usable again (installing 7.5 again, since it is WAY TOO SLOW under 8.5, lol, why did I ever install that upgrade anyway?...)

Anyway, I hit the power button on the computer, and I hear the startup chime and I hear some spinning noises from the hard drive starting to spin (I assume thats what it is, I haven't really used the comp in a while.) The monitor light, which usually is orange and turns green a couple seconds after the computer starts starting-up, never turns green. I just tried the monitor on my beige G3, so I know the monitor works. Does anyone know what has happened? Has something like the battery just died? I haven't really used it in a while and I have never really had problems from it before so I'm really kinda stumped...

[Euphrates]

Oh, and if someone can help me boot it, does anyone know where a good place to get an AAUI --> Ethernet adaptor? I wanna make the computer into a print server or something like that.

Incidently, does anyone know how to make a computer with a serial printer connected into a print server for other computers on a network?

If anyone has answers to any of those questions it would be great. I just thought of all these questions at once....lol....

[MacMonster]

Your boot problem may be caused by PRAM battery, try reset the PRAM by pressing Command+Option+P+R. If this do not work, your PRAM battery may be out of power and need to replace with a new one.

[etphonehome]

Your problem is almost defintely the PRAM battery. I've had this problem a couple of times with my two 6100's. The symptoms you describe sound exactly what my computers sound like when the battery dies. You should be able to get one for under $10 and insatll it yourself. I think that the battery on the 6100 is underneath the CD-ROM drive, so it might be a little hard to get at, but certainly not impossible.

As for the ethernet adapter, I recently got one on eBay. You should be able to find a used one for a reasonable price.

[etphonehome]

One thing you could try to find out if it's a bad battery is to turn the computer on, wait for the chime, and then turn it off and immediately turn it back on. It should boot fine if you do this, but your clock will be messed up.

[Euphrates]

That thing where you turn it off and turn it back on after the chime is made worked! I then installed 7.5.3 that I downloaded from Apple's website over 8.5, which was ridiculously slow.

Now, however, I'm yearning for OS 8, which (I hear) is the best for the 6100. I skipped OS 8, got 8.5, got 9, and got X, but Apple doesn't offer 8 from its website. Does anyone know where I could download it, or is the only legal way to get it to buy an old copy from some obscure website?

Also, I'm still looking for ideas on how to make the 6100 a print server for a serial Epson 740i (using the serial port connection, I mean).

Thanks for all the help so far, everyone!!

[etphonehome]

I've used 8.6 on my 6100 for a long time, and I haven't had any major speed problems with it (other than it's a slow computer to begin with). Of course, your computing experience will seem faster with System 7.5 because all of the software that can still run on it is less processor-intensive than new software.

To get 8.0 legally, you will need to buy a copy from somewhere. Apple hasn't (and probably won't) released the installer for OS 8.0 on its website. Alsom I don't think that 8.0 would be any faster for you because 8.5 is fully PowerPC native, while 8.0 is not.

As I've said, I don't notice any major slowness on my 6100 with 8.6, other than the rediculously long startup time, but things might be different for you. Maybe you should try to remove all extensions you don't need to make 8.5/8.6 faster for you.

[jarends]

Try to replace the battery. 10 bucks at radioshack

[capone]

definatly the battery. bateries plus has them for $6.

------------------
-capone

G4/400 448 30,10 Rage128, Radeon
Performa 6116CD/60/700
Quadra AV
LC 575
LCIII
Apple IIgs

And thats not all

[capone]

i forgot

for aaui check poweron.com

------------------
-capone

G4/400 448 30,10 Rage128, Radeon
Performa 6116CD/60/700
Quadra AV
LC 575
LCIII
Apple IIgs

And thats not all