IBM 300PL desktop unable to boot

I get asked to resurrect all kinds of ancient hardware, and this was no exception. An IBM 300PL desktop system with a strange error message on booting up.

The RF-ID Tag has changed
184 Asset control antenna not detected
System-Security Keyboard is locked.
System-Security Keyboard is unlocked.
176 The system has been tampered with.
Turn power to your system Off then On.
Your system is now locked.

Mysteriously 1984ish style boot message.

After lots of Google searches it appeared to come down to a couple of things. Changing the BIOS battery, resetting the BIOS, or malfunctioning capacitors on the motherboard.

Once you open up the case (and let all the ancient spirits similar to the Ark of the Covenant swirl around the room and dissipate) you may be lucky enough to find a sticker directing you to certain motherboard features.


This sticker was inside the lid of the case, which detaches completely, giving you an awesomely metallic one page book of instructional knowledge and power.


So according to this, the jumper is more or less in the center of the board. The sticker indicates the position to reset the BIOS. It's just a matter of moving the little plastic jumper so it connects the other two pins of the three, for a moment, and then putting it back again.



Here is the jumper on the board, yes, it's THAT exciting!


If after all that, it still just refuses to work, and all the cables appear to be connected (and you have removed the battery for a moment, or better still, replaced it entirely) then it could be the capacitors on the motherboard. I am so not into replacing these types of components, but if they are swollen or leaking they should be replaced.



The rest of the board appeared ok, but these looked jolly bulgy indeed to me. I have had other PC's die slow painful deaths from just this very issue.


And now a dirty and some might even venture, filthy, image for your delight...


If you know anything further, leave a comment.

Accepting the inevitable

I usually have access to so much hardware, I never THOUGHT I could get too attached to any particular piece. But recently, a fairly rock solid PC was giving me serious issues. Unexpected rebooting, failing to detect the graphics card, BIOS beeping giving different messages, unexplained blank screens. By now I would be trying to get someone to get a new PC, but I installed a new power supply, different hard drives, and just kept limping along. Removed most of the components, and STILL had issues, where it was unusable and unstable at best.

While working on it, I was finding out what the different BIOS beep codes (the mysterious morse code like beeps a computer makes if it cannot display anything or start booting up) were telling me.

I came across this post at Via Arena, which told me that at the moment, my computer was convinced there was no graphics card installed. It also mentioned further down to check for leaking capacitors. It wasn't until a little while ago, I was delving in yet again, to remove even more, and tried to brush away what I mistakenly took for dust. It was hard, and looked just like an old battery which has split and is leaking its innards.

I had to sit myself down, and break the news to myself, that it was indeed time to let it go and pass on quietly.

**UPDATE** From Draele in the comments, a perfect ending.



You can see examples of normal, and leaking, capacitors here.