YouTube channels on old games and hardware can be very helpful for learning about these things. Here's one example, and there are many others. https://www.youtube.com/user/philscomputerlab

I'll echo the recommendation for watching YouTube videos on build logs, repairs, etc. I've learned a lot from watching various channels on troubleshooting old hardware.

The other thing I recommend is a lot of trial-and-error. Don't expect to be able to figure out everything perfectly the first time. You have to be willing to try different things and even make mistakes along the way. There is no better way to learn this stuff than by doing.

Also, once you figure out what your motherboard model is, really spend some time working through the motherboard manual. You'll probably find a lot to info about the little fiddly things, like the correct orientation of cables and that kind of thing. And if you need help figuring out the model of your motherboard, take some pics of the front and back and post them here. I'm sure someone can help with that.

Also, you must have a lot of problem solving tools from your experience programming. A number of those are useful here too. Be analytical, reduce the number of variables, step through everything one bit at a time and stay patient.

Good luck.

I learned DOS and Windows 3.1 as a youngster from... books! I find the same books still useful, though obviously I can't recommend anything unless you happen to know Finnish 😏 Anyway, check not only your local auctions but your libraries too -- chances are they'll have something stashed in some dusty old archive.

I have recently gotten into retro computing and have found that it helps if I start with a particular system in mind. I got my start by looking for used computers on my local buy and sell. At first I wanted something cheap and small, so I found some old laptops and thin clients. I learned a lot by just searching here for the model numbers. Sound seems to be the biggest challenge for older laptops and thin clients. I learned a lot about soundblaster compatibility and how you can sometimes use a TSR to get it working if you have the right hardware. I was able to find a good price on a mid 90s laptop with good soundblaster compatibility in DOS, but then had to tackle storage issues. I wanted to image the hard drive, but learned that I wouldn't be able to use an IDE adapter with a modem computer due to the drive being pre-LBA. That led me to go down a rabbit hole to find other options for backing it up, such as using a null modem.

I later moved on the desktops, but again had to deal with sound issues because systems with ISA slots are harder to find at reasonable prices where I live. Interesting, one option is to look for a motherboard and sound card that support SB-LINK. You can learn a lot just reading about the workarounds that deal with hardware limitations.

Now, I'm interested in a late 80s system, so I have been looking out for 286 and 386 systems. Whenever I find a candidate, I just search for the model number. Again, I've learned a lot just by reading about other people's experiences with it. For example, I'm learning a lot about the earlier graphics options back then (some video cards provide component output for example) and the difference between an SX and DX system.

Just my two cents, but I've found that started with a specific system in mind helped me a lot.

What does the community think about old books? There are a ton of options available from the open library, which only requires a free account.

I am a newbie myself and I also would recommend checking out youtube channels about old hardware. The channel from Phil has already been recommended. I am also a fan of the articles in old pc magazines. You can find them online on places like archive org.

If this place had existed when I first began learning about working on PCs in 2000, it would have saved me from some mistakes that killed hardware I could scarcely afford to replace. I did find overclockers.com (thanks to a recommendation in PC Magazine) after I had been fooling with things for about a year, and my days of PC carnage drew to a close.

First off I think it's an exercise in futility to try and fix every problem of a very problematic component. Sometimes you need a specific ic replaced. This sort of job imho is not beyond the abilities of even a novice, if they have the patience and have nimble enough fingers. But is it worth it? Components, since 1986, usually have to be scrounged from other similar mobos, gpus, etc. It migjt make the most sense to.consign that unit itself to the parts bin. Or give/sell it.

Often locating the problem is 3/4 of the battle.

As to books, this migjt seem too antiquated or old fogeyish, but get your library to procure you Inside the IBM PC for starters. Different editions differ significantly. I've had 2. The first 1 I picked up in modern times was a little smaller, and iinm had segments that weren't in the later edition, which I own now. Why start at the extreme beginning? I don't know, it's where I did. Much of that will be duh very obsolete. But being you already know software (but probably not assembler) it'll give you some insight on how h/w and s/w work together as a system.

Scott Mueller Upgrading and Repair. Other repair books, again I have a few early ones. Often you need a few different tools to attempt to diagnose a problem. Pci trouble code catd, oscilloscope, softwate knowledge. Videos.

Aa for your weight problem, what are you doing about it? I have been very successful at losing weight, also have a knack for putting it back on. PM me if you're interested in any of that. The time to shake it off is now. It does take time though.

Upgrading and Repairing has dozens of editions. Perhaps some editions are more suited to what you're looking to fix then others.

Ensign Nemo wrote on 2023-08-06, 20:54:

What does the community think about old books? There are a ton of options available from the open library, which only requires a free account.

A few years ago I was donated a veritable bible of a book, The Complete PC Upgrade and Maintenance Guide, 9th edition. I find it an incredible resource for how hardware from about 1987-1997 works and how to troubleshoot common issues.

Apart from that, get your hands dirty. I'd recommend getting your hands on some unsorted pile of computer junk (attic/car boot sale etc) and then proceed to first try to identify what you have, then determine if you can get some combination of it running as far as POST, then to get an operating system onto it. Rinse & repeat and you'll find yourself getting more and more knowledgeable and proficient at every iteration.

Also, don't get intimidated by some people here who seem to have impossibly detailed knowledge of everything out there - consider that a good lot of people here were working every day of the week with this stuff when it was brand new and have kept on doing so for the past few decades. It's not likely you'll have that kind of experience anytime soon - but it's not necessary to do the things you want to do. Also some people like that can be a bit short-tempered, as they have seen and heard it all a thousand times before. You seem to have already encountered a bad example of that. Fortunately here on Vogons people tend to be a lot more welcoming.

I used to and still do read hardware manuals. The old computer and parts manuals explained how the hardware operated and how software interacts with it.

Newer hardware manuals at a minimum explain how to install drivers for various operating systems, and how to troubleshoot problems.

Do you want to learn how old hardware works or how to diagnose/repair hardware?
Hardware is quite a huge spectrum of things ...

dionb wrote on 2023-08-06, 21:56:

Ensign Nemo wrote on 2023-08-06, 20:54:

What does the community think about old books? There are a ton of options available from the open library, which only requires a free account.

A few years ago I was donated a veritable bible of a book, The Complete PC Upgrade and Maintenance Guide, 9th edition. I find it an incredible resource for how hardware from about 1987-1997 works and how to troubleshoot common issues.

There are a few editions of this book available at the Open Library if anyone is interested in it:

https://openlibrary.org/search?q=The+Complete … s_fulltext=true

How to know what motherboard I have, know what I can install that’s compatible with my device (for example, my motherboard has USB pins, I had no idea and thought I needed PCI)diagnosing problems, installing drivers, etc are examples from recent experiences. Also just in general knowing what everything is. When I open my computer I mostly don’t know what I am looking at. What are these million cables running though my computer? Things like that.

DerBaum wrote on 2023-08-07, 00:10:

Do you want to learn how old hardware works or how to diagnose/repair hardware?
Hardware is quite a huge spectrum of things ...

Kitty Trouble wrote on 2023-08-07, 00:31:

How to know what motherboard I have, know what I can install that’s compatible with my device (for example, my motherboard has USB pins, I had no idea and thought I needed PCI)diagnosing problems, installing drivers, etc are examples from recent experiences. Also just in general knowing what everything is. When I open my computer I mostly don’t know what I am looking at. What are these million cables running though my computer? Things like that.

Nearly all hardware has Identifying marks, once identified then seek out the manuals. We all came here with questions about some hardware at some time and most of us decided to stay 😀

Another good book for more detail on what the hardware is how it works is: Upgrading and repairing PCs 8th edition by Scott Mueller. Covers XT's, AT's thru Pentium 2's. Broken into decent sections/chapters.
https://openlibrary.org/books/OL707140M/Upgra … d_repairing_PCs

You can often find your motherboard model listed in the BIOS. To enter it, you'll have to press the correct key while your computer is starting. If the key isn't listed on your screen, there are only a handful few that you need to try, such as delete, F1, F2, F12, etc.

You should also tell us which era(s) you are most interested in. The hardware and operating systems go hand in hand, so focusing on your favorite time period would also be a good start. If you only care about Windows 98 games for example, you wouldn't need to focus on the early DOS era, at least not right away. While you could take a textbook approach and start from the beginning, I think it's better to start with what you're most interested in. Moreover, you should be playing around with the stuff as you learn. Try to get your games working on actual hardware. Maybe try some programming on an old system. This will keep things interesting.

Ensign Nemo wrote on 2023-08-07, 01:14:

You can often find your motherboard model listed in the BIOS. To enter it, you'll have to press the correct key while your computer is starting. If the key isn't listed on your screen, there are only a handful few that you need to try, such as delete, F1, F2, F12, etc.

Most often is printed on the board itself. Rare is it in the BIOS on older boards....just my experience ;p