Farewell old friend PB ----------

My U.S. Packard Bell desktop which I got back when Windows 98 came out
finally came to an end!! The thing served me well over the years. It
could not run many of the fancy newer programs or Windows XP but it
did what I needed and wanted from it. I ran it as it came out of the
box except for removing a lot of the junk and installing my programs.
I started on computers when DOS was the thing and progressed with each
new OS but Vista (BOO--). Got my PB when 98 came out cause my old DOS
unit could not handle 98. So my XP is only the 3rd box I have had.

It never had to be taken in for repairs or fixed in any way. If it
was not for the on / off switch going after all these years I would
still be running it. I tryed to locate a new on / off switch to no
avail.

I do have to admit that the one thing it did not have that I missed
was a card slot for my digital camera so I just took the camera to the
local store and had the photos put on a CD so that was no big problem.

The PB is setting in the corner now and I have a new box that I found
with XP on it. Taking a little getting used to this OS!! UGH.

Thanks for listening.

Hello "kraut" !

( interesting name :-)

Sad story..... and unusual. I doubt that many people have been actually
using a PB after all these years.
Congrats.

If I were you, I would suspect the power supply failing before the power
switch. In any event, there are copious quantities of each on eBay all the
time. You haven't mentioned which PB you have, but I suspect the switch is
part of a "cable" built into the PSU. If that is the case, you can easily
replace both at once very cheaply by buying a new/used one from eBay, or
some other source. Although some PB's require proprietary PSU's, some will
accept a plain 'ol AT PSU.

If that is the case, you can fix your computer pretty cheap and fast, no
problem.

Good luck.

( which one do you have exactly by the way ? )

bobwatts
EartH


"kraut" <> wrote in message
news:...
>
>
> My U.S. Packard Bell desktop which I got back when Windows 98 came out
> finally came to an end!! The thing served me well over the years. It
> could not run many of the fancy newer programs or Windows XP but it
> did what I needed and wanted from it. I ran it as it came out of the
> box except for removing a lot of the junk and installing my programs.
> I started on computers when DOS was the thing and progressed with each
> new OS but Vista (BOO--). Got my PB when 98 came out cause my old DOS
> unit could not handle 98. So my XP is only the 3rd box I have had.
>
> It never had to be taken in for repairs or fixed in any way. If it
> was not for the on / off switch going after all these years I would
> still be running it. I tryed to locate a new on / off switch to no
> avail.
>
> I do have to admit that the one thing it did not have that I missed
> was a card slot for my digital camera so I just took the camera to the
> local store and had the photos put on a CD so that was no big problem.
>
> The PB is setting in the corner now and I have a new box that I found
> with XP on it. Taking a little getting used to this OS!! UGH.
>
> Thanks for listening.
>
>

Sorry it took so long to get back to you but was sick. The PB was
older then I thought!!

The thing was a Legend Supreme 1985 333Mhz AMD-K6 with a 6.4 GB hard
drive and CAME with 64 MB RAM which I increased. Serial number was
P486060586+

According to the Pbdisk.ini file which was on the HD when I got it and
I printed off the burn date for it was 11/13/98 11:11 AM by a Richard
Huynh. Not that that makes a diff.

Like I said the only thing I ever did was clean up the junk progs and
max out the memory and it did everything I ever wanted to the end and
NEVER was in for any repairs even through everyone always was down on
PBs. The one thing I found was that usually what causes problems is
people messing with what they do not know about instead of leaving it
be. In fact at the time I got 2 systems the same and my daughter is
still using the other one with no problems.

Thanks all.





>Hello "kraut" !
>
>( interesting name :-)
>
>Sad story..... and unusual. I doubt that many people have been actually
>using a PB after all these years.
>Congrats.
>
>If I were you, I would suspect the power supply failing before the power
>switch. In any event, there are copious quantities of each on eBay all the
>time. You haven't mentioned which PB you have, but I suspect the switch is
>part of a "cable" built into the PSU. If that is the case, you can easily
>replace both at once very cheaply by buying a new/used one from eBay, or
>some other source. Although some PB's require proprietary PSU's, some will
>accept a plain 'ol AT PSU.
>
>If that is the case, you can fix your computer pretty cheap and fast, no
>problem.
>
>
>"kraut" <> wrote in message
>news:.. .
>>
>>
>> My U.S. Packard Bell desktop which I got back when Windows 98 came out
>> finally came to an end!! The thing served me well over the years. It
>> could not run many of the fancy newer programs or Windows XP but it
>> did what I needed and wanted from it. I ran it as it came out of the
>> box except for removing a lot of the junk and installing my programs.
>> I started on computers when DOS was the thing and progressed with each
>> new OS but Vista (BOO--). Got my PB when 98 came out cause my old DOS
>> unit could not handle 98. So my XP is only the 3rd box I have had.
>>
>> It never had to be taken in for repairs or fixed in any way. If it
>> was not for the on / off switch going after all these years I would
>> still be running it. I tryed to locate a new on / off switch to no
>> avail.
>>
>> I do have to admit that the one thing it did not have that I missed
>> was a card slot for my digital camera so I just took the camera to the
>> local store and had the photos put on a CD so that was no big problem.
>>
>> The PB is setting in the corner now and I have a new box that I found
>> with XP on it. Taking a little getting used to this OS!! UGH.
>>
>> Thanks for listening.
>>
>>
>

kraut wrote:
>
>
> Sorry it took so long to get back to you but was sick. The PB was
> older then I thought!!
>
> The thing was a Legend Supreme 1985 333Mhz AMD-K6 with a 6.4 GB hard
> drive and CAME with 64 MB RAM which I increased. Serial number was
> P486060586+
>
> According to the Pbdisk.ini file which was on the HD when I got it and
> I printed off the burn date for it was 11/13/98 11:11 AM by a Richard
> Huynh. Not that that makes a diff.
>
> Like I said the only thing I ever did was clean up the junk progs and
> max out the memory and it did everything I ever wanted to the end and
> NEVER was in for any repairs even through everyone always was down on
> PBs. The one thing I found was that usually what causes problems is
> people messing with what they do not know about instead of leaving it
> be. In fact at the time I got 2 systems the same and my daughter is
> still using the other one with no problems.
>
> Thanks all.
>
>
>
>
>
>> Hello "kraut" !
>>
>> ( interesting name :-)
>>
>> Sad story..... and unusual. I doubt that many people have been actually
>> using a PB after all these years.
>> Congrats.
>>
>> If I were you, I would suspect the power supply failing before the power
>> switch. In any event, there are copious quantities of each on eBay all the
>> time. You haven't mentioned which PB you have, but I suspect the switch is
>> part of a "cable" built into the PSU. If that is the case, you can easily
>> replace both at once very cheaply by buying a new/used one from eBay, or
>> some other source. Although some PB's require proprietary PSU's, some will
>> accept a plain 'ol AT PSU.
>>
>> If that is the case, you can fix your computer pretty cheap and fast, no
>> problem.
>>
>>
>> "kraut" <> wrote in message
>> news:...
>>>
>>> My U.S. Packard Bell desktop which I got back when Windows 98 came out
>>> finally came to an end!! The thing served me well over the years. It
>>> could not run many of the fancy newer programs or Windows XP but it
>>> did what I needed and wanted from it. I ran it as it came out of the
>>> box except for removing a lot of the junk and installing my programs.
>>> I started on computers when DOS was the thing and progressed with each
>>> new OS but Vista (BOO--). Got my PB when 98 came out cause my old DOS
>>> unit could not handle 98. So my XP is only the 3rd box I have had.
>>>
>>> It never had to be taken in for repairs or fixed in any way. If it
>>> was not for the on / off switch going after all these years I would
>>> still be running it. I tryed to locate a new on / off switch to no
>>> avail.
>>>
>>> I do have to admit that the one thing it did not have that I missed
>>> was a card slot for my digital camera so I just took the camera to the
>>> local store and had the photos put on a CD so that was no big problem.
>>>
>>> The PB is setting in the corner now and I have a new box that I found
>>> with XP on it. Taking a little getting used to this OS!! UGH.
>>>
>>> Thanks for listening.
>>>
>>>
>

With the memory upgrades, you apparently got lucky with the PB power
supply. A long time ago, a client had a PB that was struggling for lack
of memory. It had a crappy 145w (or less?) power supply. I maxed out
the system memory and the system would run for 5 minutes or so, then
shut down. The power supply was burning hot. I had to remove the
memory to restore the system to stable operation. IIRC, the PB system
was an earlier Socket 7 with Cyrix CPU, not the coolest running dude
either... Ben Myers

philo wrote:
> "kraut" <> wrote in message
> news:...
>>
>> My U.S. Packard Bell desktop which I got back when Windows 98 came out
>> finally came to an end!! The thing served me well over the years. It
>> could not run many of the fancy newer programs or Windows XP but it
>> did what I needed and wanted from it. I ran it as it came out of the
>> box except for removing a lot of the junk and installing my programs.
>> I started on computers when DOS was the thing and progressed with each
>> new OS but Vista (BOO--). Got my PB when 98 came out cause my old DOS
>> unit could not handle 98. So my XP is only the 3rd box I have had.
>>
>> It never had to be taken in for repairs or fixed in any way. If it
>> was not for the on / off switch going after all these years I would
>> still be running it. I tryed to locate a new on / off switch to no
>> avail.
>>
>> I do have to admit that the one thing it did not have that I missed
>> was a card slot for my digital camera so I just took the camera to the
>> local store and had the photos put on a CD so that was no big problem.
>>
>> The PB is setting in the corner now and I have a new box that I found
>> with XP on it. Taking a little getting used to this OS!! UGH.
>>
>> Thanks for listening.
>>
>>
>
>
> I am sure that it's an easy enough repair.
>
> There is nothing special about an on/off switch
> although it could be the entire power supply itself.
>
> Either way, it would not be a difficult repair.
>
>
> If you want to keep it going...
> unless it's the mother board itself...there is nothing on the machine that
> cannot be easily
> replaced.
>
> Feel free to email me direct if you want some help
>
>
> my gmail addy is philo565
>
>

If it is only the on-off switch that IS broken, it is an easy enough
repair. Is the switch truly broken, as in fractured or undone from some
wire leads?

Personally, I cannot remember whether the motherboard in kraut's PB is
ATX or baby AT. Either way, the on-off switch is usually no big deal.

With an ATX motherboard and power supply, the on-off switch is a push
button "momentary" switch that closes a circuit when the button is
pushed. The switch is attached to two wires that cover two pins on the
motherboard.

With a baby AT motherboard, the on-off switch is a much sturdier one
that (I think) closes the 120v circuit from the power plug to allow
juice through the power supply to the motherboard. With many baby AT
power supplies, the switch itself has wires attached to it via spade
connectors. If the PB power supply is that way, replace the switch. If
the on-off switch is part of an assembly soldered to some wires that
lead into the power supply, it is cleaner and easier to replace the
power supply, which is probably a standard form factor in a later PB system.

If kraut wants to bring his trusty PB back to life, he needs to tell us
more, or maybe take some photos of the inside of the system, so we know
what he's got... Ben Myers