I dug my Commodore 64 out of the garage and was eager to play some old C64 games -- gotta love the 5.25" disks! -- but I'm having some problems. Anyone here help?

I plug it into my TV using a cord that has an 8-pin round connector on one end, and 3 RCAs on the other end (video + audio R + audio L).

After powering on, the standard C64 screen appears, but it is black and white rather than the blues we all know and love. And none of the letters type the letters they are supposed, so I can't load any games. When I type, it's almost like the keyboard is stuck permanently in some altered state (like the commodore key is permanently pressed, or something -- but not really). Not sure how to explain. All's I know is I see "21" appear when I hit the "5" key. I'll see little alien symbols sometimes for other keys, etc. It's just messed up. I tried it last night and tonight.

Tonight it actually started with the blue colors when I turned it on; but within a minute or two, it had gone to black and white.

Sound familiar? Know a resolution? I'm about to unscrew this thing open I think. But hoping someone knows what is going on?

PS: Are there a couple hot keys you can press to cause it to automatically type in the standard, Load "*",8,1 or whatever to load a game? I thought that might be a way to at least see a game (wouldn't require me to type a bunch of letters on a keyboard that won't cooperate).

Ebay. You can get a single C64 for at least 40 bucks-ish.

But yeah, that could possibly be a vic-issue with the colors and probably a jammed keyboard.

Finding the VIC chip isn't really hard if you know what your looking for... but getting it out is the problem... Depending on the modle of the C64, you may have to use a soldering Iron (and if you don't have much experience with one, it could prove to be very very formable).

Back in the day, I had a few C64's that had major video/power/processor issues. Being a kid who didn't know much about the guts of electronics, I was lucky enough to have a friend who use to build stuff all the time and was a c64 fan too... I watched him fix my Commodores and he was really good at it. So, I know a little about it... but I'm no expert. Try using a new RF switch before looking into replacing the VIC chip just in case... And buying C64 parts (like a keyboard replacement) shouldn't be too hard... Here is a link...

http://www.myolmdac.net/c64/parts3.html
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Thanks again, Qix! Will look into. I have a soldering iron that I've been dyng to try! Although I don't have much experience with them. I've just watched someone use one before, so I think I could do it.

Unfortunately, you provide a link that doesn't work

Traahn Wrote:Thanks again, Qix! Will look into. I have a soldering iron that I've been dyng to try! Although I don't have much experience with them. I've just watched someone use one before, so I think I could do it. Unfortunately, you provide a link that doesn't work

I should have checked it out before posting it. It was an old link that use to sell Amiga and Commodore parts. But if I do find another site, I'll post it here...

Oh... and another thing Kia was saying is that it might be best to check out e-bay for another C64... because may most likely will be cheaper.....

.... but if you are like me, there is something emotional about the computer that you spent all those years an and you feel attached to it some how... I'm soooo like that....


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You'd probably need to try the toggle and see if it does anything. Channel three always worked the best for me. @_@order abortion pill http://unclejohnsprojects.com/template/default.aspx?morning-after-pill-price where to buy abortion pill

Another thing I would like to express, is the fact that we three are C64 freaks... and I love it...

Yeeeep.

Oh, if you still have that tv converter thing that usually comes with tvs... if not, hit up radioshack.

You can use it to attach it to the channel 3/4 switch box and you can hook it up to any of your new tvs. x_x

I'm not quite sure how to describe it but I don't know its name either, just that it's a convertor and you can plug it into the TV's cable input.

Traahn Wrote:...After powering on, the standard C64 screen appears, but it is black and white rather than the blues we all know and love. And none of the letters type the letters they are supposed, so I can't load any games...

I feel your pain, Traahn.

I recently dug out my vintage C64 - I bought it in 1983. It was my FIRST home computer.

It was in storage and still covered with dust and dirt from BEFORE when I packed it away.

I spent about an hour carefully washing it and cleaning out all its many grooves.

I hooked it up, along with the disc drive. I used it as a prop in a video project, so it was not hooked up to the monitor, just together with the hardware - the computer and disc drive. Unfortunately, the disc drive constantly spun when I turned on the computer. With or without disc, it just spun endlessly.

After shooting the necessary video, I took my C64 (without disc drive) up to my computer room where I have my Atari VCS hooked up. I plugged it in, and powered it up. The red light came on... there was that 3 second pause of nothing while I waited for that beautiful C64 book-up text to display...

Then...

THEN...

The screen lit up with blue!

Dark blue inside, and the lighter blue border...

But...

There was no text displaying.

Just the blue screen and border.

I toggled power several times and tried the run stop restore combo, but I could not get the computer to boot up properly. No text, nothing.

There was a small rattle inside.

I eventually worked the rattle to the cart port in the back where a very small screw fell out.

Could this be the cause of the problem?

C64 still would not boot.

I have no idea what that teeny-tiny screw went to or if it was the problem.

I didn't have time to play with it, so I carefully packed away my beloved computer of yesteryear and placed it back on the storage shelf I pulled it from in the basement. Perhaps after being stored away for the last 11 or so years, in a not so protective cardboard box (no protection from the elements) has taken its toll. Perhaps some little connector inside was corroded or some tiny little component shaken loose during one of 4 moves the storage box went through in the last 11 years.

I've got a good C64 emulator, but there is nothing like enjoying the REAL deal.

Oh well, perhaps another day I can figure out what is wrong inside the little fella. Unfortunately, I believe the disc drive will not work either. At one point during filming, the disc drive just started up (spinning) all on its own - without the C64 being turned on. It stayed on until turned off. When powering it up, it started spinning again. I think age has had the best of it.

It was a good machine.

A flood of memories came back just cleaning off the machine that night. Such a cool computer it was, and could do so much with that little bit of 64K and a processor that was barely running at 1MHz. If only today's computer and software utilized their power as efficiently as the C64 did. Our applications and OS would be doing so much more than it does, and far more stable if that were the case.

Though dead, I was able to bring it back to life one last time - with the help of some movie magic, that is. Life is but an illusion anyway, so who says my C64 is truly dead when I can make it live again in the fictional reality I create with my video work.

A photo of my C64 "living" and loading again.

Ramble, ramble, ramble.

Good luck with your C64, Traahn. I hope you are able to correct its problems and make it live once again! where to buy abortion pill http://blog.bitimpulse.com/template/default.aspx?abortion-types buy abortion pill online

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