I've seen a lot of other posts on this forum about old IBM PC compatibles and their being fixes, so I ask people here kindly (and hope I didn't get the wrong section) to give me ideas on how to fix my machine.

I am currently running at thread over at the EEVBlog forum: http://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/currently-h … -with-my-80486/

This has some information and things I've tried.

It's a VLB based system running an AM486-DX4-100 @ 120Mhz, with 32MB of FPM DRAM 72-Pin SIMMs.

The graphics card is a Diamond Multumedia Stealth SE with a Trio32 and 1MB of memory.

The I/O controller is a DTC2278D

And the sound card is an AWE64.

PSU has been checked for voltage compliance within +/- 5% with a DMM, and it checks out fine, it's a brand new (Not NOS, brand new) Athena Power PSU @300W with the standard AT compatible power connectors.

The issue:

Whenever the system is turned on, the graphics card initiates, and the BIOS screen starts with a beep, and text displaying BIOS information, the CPU type, and an option to press DEL to go into the BIOS menu. But it sorta
hangs here. There is a blinking cursor, memory is never tested, and keypresses do nothing. Sometimes wiggling the VLB cards may make a difference, but this is not always reproducible. What IS reproducible is if I unplug the AT keyboard while the system is on, Plug it back in, and slightly bend the upper left corner of the board, but not enough to make it connect to the case, it will start counting memory, and then complain the computer is locked.

I was able to ONCE get the system to allow me into the BIOS, but after I installed a floppy drive, it refused to do that. I have tried everything simple, adding and removing cards, putting cards in different slots, and I find it strange that reseating the AT connector while the system is running, and THEN and ONLY then bending the board SLIGHTLY, does it do anything.

Before I found this, I found that sometimes wiggling a card would have the same effect, but the keyboard would be locked as well in this situation.

If any more information is needed please ask me, I tried to give anything I thought of use, but I may have forgotten something. If I posted on the wrong section, I apologize, I am brand new here, and only tried this forum out of lack of other guidance.

Thank you in advance for anybody taking their time to help me, it is very appreciated.

NOTE: I also do not have spare memory, a POST card, or the ability to get either for the moment.