Q: Colorado Amiga repair?

My A2000 finally quit booting suddenly after I tried to install a GVP Series II hard disk board, which for some reason didn't like any of my jumper settings and would not boot.

Anyone know of someone willing to diagnose or repair it? At this point it doesn't even work with the GVP card.

Worst case scenario, I emulate. Second-worst-case scenario, I ship it to Raymond Computer in Minneapolis where I used to live.

Thanks much!

Patrick/Aeo

[k4lmp]

What exactly does it do when it tries to boot? What kind of GVP card are you using? Is auto-boot enabled on the GVP card? Does it have memory on the GVP card? Sometimes if you try to boot with too much memory, it will crash. I have recently installed a GVP A500 HC+8 in my A500, and a Geforce 030 scsi combo card in my A2000, as well as a GVP Impact A2000-HC in my other A2000. I had to work through problems on all three. I might be able to help if it is one of the problems I ran into.

Thanks for the response...

What exactly does it do when it tries to boot?
A: The POWER LED lights solid. The monitor jumps as if receiving a video signal. The fan starts. Literally nothing else happens. No floppy drive activity, with or without the board installed.

What kind of GVP card are you using?
A: It's a GVP Impact A2000-HC+8 Series II with a Quantum HD on it.

Is auto-boot enabled on the GVP card?
A: Yes, J4 is ON.

Does it have memory on the GVP card?
A: The memory is not installed. J7 and J9 are ON.

I don't *believe* there's anything I could have done to the motherboard to make it quit working, but maybe that's what happened. If you have any ideas, though, I'd appreciate them.

Thank you.

[k4lmp]

OK, so J7 and J9 are on, and J5, J6, and J8 are off. That is correct according to the Amiga Hardware site for 0 on board ram.

It lists J4 as the auto-boot jumper, so my guess is that it should be shorted.

Does it have the auto-boot rom installed. It should be an EPROM, probably with a sticker over a small window, which may even have a version number on it. If so, what version is it?

Do you have any other form of Fast Ram installed, say a RAM expansion card or something? You said it wouldn't boot with the GVP board removed. Check your floppy cable on both ends, as I have been messing around and unplugged it partially, causing no floppy boot. If you had it apart at all, make sure all cables and jumpers are plugged on correctly. I know sometimes I have to press my Indivision ECS in again, if I bump it while disassembling/reassembling mine.

There are a number of things that could've happened when installing the GVP that could cause it not to boot even with the GVP removed. They do funny things sometimes when you have been working around in them, but usually pressing on cables, and chips, and such will solve the problem. You might even try removing/reseating any boards you have plugged in.

Also, if you get it to boot with the GVP unplugged, and try to install it again, check the SCSI ID jumpers. If I remember correctly, and someone correct me if I'm wrong, the GVP controllers like the HD to be ID 0. I am not sure about this, and I know my GVP combo card worked with my Mechware card reader set at SCSI ID 1 without any problems. Make sure your drive is terminated if it is the only drive, if you have more than one drive, terminate the last one. Make sure there are no conflicting SCSI ID's (two devices with the same ID). I think the SCSI card will be device 6 or 7, can't rem which one as I can't remember if it starts counting at 0 or 1. Anyway, I try to stick to the lower IDs and go up, because the SCSI controller should be the highest ID. Once again, someone correct me if I'm wrong on anything.

I am not very knowledgeable, but learn from doing, and have two A2000's that I play around with, and change things in. I will help you any way I can.

Check those things, and let us know what you find.

[Cymru]

There are several lists and flow diagrams on the web but first remove the ECS and use the on board video if possible as well as everything else. You want motherboard, DF0 and the PSU only. Then start following the list of your choosing -- after pressing every socketed chip firmly into their sockets.

Thank you Cymru, thank you k4lmp.

[Cymru]

Did you sort out the problem?

Thanks a lot, but I'm having so much fun with Amiga Forever, I've decided to put the A2000 in the closet.

[Cymru]

I was thinking it would be fun to convert my netbook into an Amiga only with WinUAE 2.5 + AF 2013 R3