[Info-vax] Personal Workstation 433 rescue guidance

[Stephen Hoffman]

On 2021-06-14 16:36:52 +0000, Larkin Nickle said:

> I’ve acquired a Personal Workstation 433, but I can’t get it to work. 
> When powered on, the green light on the front turns on and I can hear 
> the disk spin up, but there’s no serial or graphical output. The power 
> light on the motherboard turns on but none of the diagnostic lights do. 
> If the CD-ROM drive is connected to IDE, it shows no signs of life, but 
> if connected to power only then it blinks, ejects, etc. just fine. The 
> machine doesn’t even beep with all RAM removed. I’ve reseated just 
> about everything and have also checked the PSU’s voltages and they’re 
> all good. Any suggestions?

What's your budget?  Too far into this effort, and maybe acquiring an 
AlphaServer DS10 or AlphaServer DS15 from elsewhere is cheaper, if you 
really want Alpha and not AXPbox, etc.

No beeps tends to mean a (partial) power supply failure, or a main 
board failure, or a processor failure. Check the power supply voltage 
setting, too—these didn't auto-sense, IIRC.

http://sup.xenya.si/sup/info/digital/MDS/jun99/Cd2/PC/B30WWSMA.PDF

These DEC boxes (DPWS, XP1000) are increasingly problematic in recent 
years generally, due to corrosion, component failures, and plastic 
parts shattering.

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