Swapping 1.2 with 1.3 Kickstart ROM on A500
 

Hello all,

How hard is it? I just got 4 A500s (one of them in great condition, but with 1.2 and the rest in really bad shape, but working and on Kickstart 1.3)

I am tempted to open one of those bad shaped ones (well I already did!) and remove its 1.3 Kickstart ROM and replace it with my good A500's 1.2.

The thing is, I am not sure which chip is the real kickstart on A500. do you have a picture of motherboard which clearly shows it?

Also, for some reason the metal shield on the one that I removed its cover got bent and I don't think that I ever be able to replace it back. I am afraid that I will be doing the same with my good A500, when I am removing the cover and its metallic shield. Do I really needs this shield, if I am keeping my A500 at room-temperature?

Oh, and is 1.3 THE most compatible Kickstart, or should I stay with my 1.2 on my A500?

Thanks a million again!

UPDATE 1: OK I found this image. Which one is the Kickstart ROM chip?
http://www.freemansgarage.com/stuff/P1010006.JPG

The shield is only for FCC compliance, just throw it away, unless you're making a museum piece of the machine.

In reality it is very easy to replace the kickstart chip, but because you're asking, I guess you have no idea what to do. Be very careful when prying the chips up, the legs are very easy to bend. I'm sure the net is full of tutorials on how to remove a DIP packaged chip from its socket, perhaps search youtube for some instructional videos?

Unless you're planning on installing a hard drive controller, stay with 1.2 - you won't know the difference and 1.2 is a tiny bit more compatible with the oldest software.

Thanks, so I think I WILL stay with 1.2 Kickstart on my A500 then! I hated the idea of replacing the 1.2 with 1.3.

This is what I have found, the guy says that 1.2 is actually the MOST compatible with games:
http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=32795