Huge <huge@huge.org.uk> writes:

>My Sun workstation (an Ultra 60) has started powering itself off after
>about 20 minutes of use. There's no warning, no error messages, nothing
>in the logs, it just powers down. If you switch it off and on again, it
>comes straight back up, but does the same thing after a much shorter
>time. On the third attempt, it didn't even have time to boot up before
>doing it again.

I had a T1125 (NEBS-ified telco version of a U-60) do that, and just last
week an Ultra 2 started doing it. I've now downgraded the system that was
running on the U2 to a Sparcstation 20 (still running Solaris 9 - just in 32
bit instead of 64 bit mode), and it's been rock-solid for a week.

>I have a suspicion that it's temperature related, therefore. Any
>suggestions as to where to look? I haven't had a chance to take it to
>pieces yet (although I have downloaded the service manual (Ghod bless
>the web)). I initially assumed it was a faulty power supply, but I
>wonder if some of the fans have failed ...

>I've bought a whole new machine on eBay - it was half the price of a
>new power supply, so I should be able to assemble an entire working
>machine out of the two, by a process of elimination, if all else fails.
>(We also have three U60's in the "demise" pile at work, but it's a royal
>pain getting them home. They're too heavy to carry on the train, and
>driving into London is the pits.)

I've got a U60 here which is an 'ugly duckling' variety but it works. Fried
system-board ethernet, no outer cover over the CD-ROM/floppy area of the
case, but with lots of disk and RAM and a PCI Sunswift card (to give it
working ether). Going to put it on Ebay for some paltry amount just to get
rid of it since Sun gear here in Oz sells for almost nothing now. I picked
up an E450 with 2 x 400 Mhz CPU's, 2 x 18GB disks and 2 GB of RAM for A$150
a couple of weeks ago from another Ebay trader just to have one as I've
never possessed any E250/450 class systems before (or had any to sell in the
past either!). It'll be my next coffee table when it stops working one day
or it's no longer useful.

Craig.
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