CPU battery

From: Fred Horvat (aa778@cleveland.Freenet.Edu)
Date: 08/21/92-09:25:21 AM Z


From: aa778@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Fred Horvat)
Subject: CPU battery
Date: Fri Aug 21 09:25:21 1992


Hello,

        I recently had a problem with my Portfolio that I'd like
to share.  My batteries where running low (I got the Low Battery message)
so I replaced the Ni-cads with a fresh set and then I started getting
some strange error messages at the DOS prompt.  Divide error,  Divide by
Zero........ real winners.  So I pulled out the batteries and got out
the AC adapter figuring that one of the new batteries may not have been
fully charged.  I plugged it in and pushed the reset button on the
underside of the Portfolio and the same thing happened.  I thought at
this point the Portfolio had died.  I thought about it for a while and
remembered that even when you turn off a desktop computer for 30-60 
seconds there is enough electricity still zooming around in the PC
that memory still contains all the information.  That's why for Virus
Check programs to work properly you need to do a cold boot after the
PC has sat turned off for a couple of minutes.  OK back to my saga.
Well to make matters worse on the Portfolio there is a lithium battery
built in to the motherboard.  This is why when you change batteries 
nothing is lost in memory because there is still a battery working.
I needed to clear memory completely and do a cold boot.  I took out 
the batteries and unplugged the AC adapter and let the Portfolio sit for
a few days (from what I read somewhere a couple of hours should have 
done but I wanted to be real sure).  I put in a fresh set of batteries
and it came back great.  I still had to restore all files but hey I 
back up after every session so no big deal.  The moral to the story
if you get heart stopping messages remove all external power sources
let the Portfolio sit for a day? and put new batteries in and cross 
your fingers it just might work.
-- 
                                        Fred Horvat, aa778
                                        Your Atari Portfolio SYGOP
                                        And all your Atari SYGOPs,xx004


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