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* Check that all cables are properly connected
* Check that all cables are properly connected
* Ensure the power supply voltage selector (if present) is set correctly for your region
* Ensure the power supply voltage selector (if present) is set correctly for your region
* Allow adequate time for capacitor discharge before internal work (24+ hours)
* '''Discharge the power supply and verify with a meter''' that the primary reservoir capacitors have actually come down before touching the board. Waiting a fixed number of hours proves nothing — a supply with a failed bleed path can hold rectified mains indefinitely. The CRT needs discharging separately; see [[CRT Discharge Procedure]]


== No Power / Dead System ==
== No Power / Dead System ==


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[[File:Apple Lisa (photo).jpg|thumb|right|300px|Apple Lisa. Source: Wikimedia Commons.]]
{| class="wikitable styled-table" style="width:100%; text-align:center;"
{| class="wikitable styled-table" style="width:100%; text-align:center;"
|+ '''No Power Diagnostics'''
|+ '''No Power Diagnostics'''
Line 17: Line 18:
! Symptom !! Possible Cause !! Recommended Action
! Symptom !! Possible Cause !! Recommended Action
|-
|-
| No response when power switched on || Failed RIFA safety capacitors || Inspect and replace RIFA capacitors in power supply
| No response when power switched on || Failed mains safety capacitor || Inspect and replace the class-X capacitor across the mains input
|-
|-
| Clicking or ticking from power supply || Power supply overload or short || Check for shorts on motherboard; replace power supply capacitors
| Clicking or ticking from power supply || Power supply overload or short || Check for shorts on motherboard; replace power supply capacitors
|-
|-
| Trips circuit breaker || Shorted RIFA capacitor || Replace all RIFA safety capacitors immediately
| Trips circuit breaker || Shorted mains safety capacitor || Replace the class-X capacitor. But note Apple's own table puts '''brightness and contrast adjustment''' ahead of the supply for a Lisa that trips on and off<ref name="lisal1" />
|-
|-
| Power supply smokes || RIFA capacitor failure || Disconnect immediately; replace all safety capacitors
| Power supply smokes || Mains safety capacitor failure || Disconnect immediately; replace the safety capacitors
|-
|-
| Intermittent power || Failing electrolytic capacitors || Full power supply recap recommended
| Intermittent power || Failing electrolytic capacitors || Full power supply recap recommended
Line 30: Line 31:
|}
|}


=== RIFA Capacitor Failure ===
=== The mains safety capacitor ===
RIFA-brand safety capacitors are the most common cause of Lisa power problems:
The class-X capacitor across the mains input is the part most likely to fail dramatically in a
* These capacitors absorb moisture over decades and fail catastrophically
supply of this age:
* They may emit smoke, loud pops, or acrid smell when failing
* The epoxy body absorbs moisture over decades, cracks, and fails with smoke, a bang and a
* ALWAYS replace preventatively before powering on a long-stored Lisa
  fish-market smell
* Replace with modern X2-rated capacitors of equivalent value
* Inspect it before first power-on after long storage; any crazing, cracking, swelling or brown
  staining means it goes now
* Replace with a modern '''X2-rated''' part of the same value. Once replaced with a current part
  it does not need doing again on any schedule
* Mains voltage and stored charge are the hazards here, not the act of opening the supply. See
  [[Capacitor Failure Symptoms]] and [[Recommended Tools]]
 
'''The specific brand fitted has not been verified''' for the Lisa supply and is not asserted
here; the failure mode is a property of the construction, not the label.


== Self-Test Error Codes ==
== Self-Test Error Codes ==


The Lisa displays error codes during its self-test sequence:
The Lisa boot ROM runs its self-test on every power-up. Apple's own account of a healthy
start-up:<ref name="lisal1">Apple Computer, ''Apple Lisa Level 1 Technical Procedures'' (hosted here: [[Apple Lisa Level 1 Technical Procedures Mar85]]): Lisa Set-up 2.6 "Checking the Battery Switch"; Lisa 2 Diagnostics 5 "Interpreting the Boot ROM"; Lisa Troubleshooting Guide 6 and Appendix D "Start-up Error Codes"; Video Repair Procedures; and the Illustrated Parts Lists.</ref>
 
# The on/off lamp lights.
# '''Silence for about three seconds, then a single click.'''
# '''About 30 seconds after power-on''', as the picture tube warms, the screen shows '''four
  icons''' — CPU, I/O, Memory, Expansion — each highlighted in turn as it is tested.
# A failing card produces '''error tones''' and its icon is drawn '''with a large X through
  it''', and testing stops. Reseat, power up again, swap the board out if it repeats.
# Otherwise an '''error icon and a numeric code''' appear.
 
'''Thirty seconds of blank screen is normal''' — Apple's flowchart only goes to the video repair
procedures if there is no picture '''after''' 30 seconds. Do not chase a video fault before then.
 
'''LisaTest will not run at all unless two memory boards are fitted''', in any Lisa 2
configuration. '''APPLE-SHIFT-S''' moves it from Customer Level to Service Level, where
individual modules can be tested.<ref name="lisal1" />


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{| class="wikitable styled-table" style="width:100%; text-align:center;"
{| class="wikitable styled-table" style="width:95%;"
|+ '''Common Lisa Error Codes'''
|+ '''Apple’s start-up error codes — Appendix D, Lisa Troubleshooting Guide'''<ref name="lisal1" />
! Code !! Apple's description !! Apple's action, in order
|-
| '''22''' || Unable to clamp diskette || See the start-up error message for the "bad diskette" icon
|-
| '''23''' || Unable to read diskette || As above
|-
| '''25''' || Unable to unclamp diskette || As above
|-
| '''38''' || No boot file on diskette || As above
|-
| '''39''' || Disk controller timeout || I/O board → CPU board → motherboard
|-
| '''40''' || HMU || CPU board
|-
| '''41''' || CPU selection logic || CPU board
|-
| '''42''' || Video circuitry || CPU board
|-
| '''43''' || Parity circuitry || CPU board → memory board 1 → memory board 2 → motherboard
|-
| '''44''' || NMI error || CPU board → I/O board → motherboard
|-
| '''45''' || BUS error || I/O board → CPU board → motherboard
|-
| '''46''' || Address error || CPU board → memory board 1 → memory board 2
|-
| '''47''' || Exception || CPU board → motherboard
|-
| '''48''' || Illegal instruction || CPU board → memory board 1 → memory board 2
|-
| '''49''' || 1010 or 1111 trap || CPU board → memory board 1 → memory board 2
|-
| '''50''' || COPs VIA || I/O board → CPU board → motherboard
|-
| '''51''' || Parallel port VIA || I/O board → CPU board → motherboard
|-
| '''52''' || I/O board COPs || I/O board
|-
| '''53''' || Keyboard COPs || Keyboard → I/O board → keyboard cable → motherboard
|-
| '''54''' || Clock error || I/O board
|-
| '''55''' || RS232 port A || I/O board
|-
| '''56''' || RS232 port B || I/O board
|-
| '''57''' || Disk controller || I/O board → disk drive → disk drive cables → CPU board → motherboard
|-
| '''58''' || I/O board access || I/O board → CPU board → motherboard
|-
|-
! Error Code !! Component !! Description
| '''59''' || I/O board COPs code || I/O board
|-
|-
| 10-19 || CPU Board || CPU board failure; check RAM, ROM, or processor
| '''60''' || I/O or keyboard error || Keyboard → I/O board → keyboard cable → motherboard
|-
|-
| 20-29 || I/O Board || I/O board error; check IWM, serial ports, or ROM
| '''70''' || Memory data || Replace the memory board '''named by the icon displayed'''
|-
|-
| 57 || Disk Controller || Disk controller failure on I/O or CPU board
| '''71''' || Memory parity || As above
|-
|-
| 70-79 || Memory || Memory card error (icon shows affected slot: MEM1 or MEM2)
| '''75''' || Boot failure || See the start-up error message for the icon shown
|-
|-
| 80-89 || Storage || Hard drive or floppy drive error
| '''80–85''' || ProFile errors || See the start-up error message for the "bad ProFile" icon
|-
|-
| 82 || Widget || Generic Widget drive failure
| '''90–93''' || Expansion card error || See the start-up error message for the "bad expansion card" icon
|}
|}


=== Error 57 (Disk Controller) ===
'''Two things the old table on this page got wrong.''' There are '''no codes in the 10s''' and
* Reseat all socketed chips on the I/O board
none between 60 and 70, so a banding of the form "10–19 = CPU board, 20–29 = I/O board" cannot be
* Check the IWM (Integrated Woz Machine) chip
right: 22, 23 and 25 are diskette-handling failures and the CPU-board codes are '''40–49'''. And
* Verify I/O ROM is correct version (H/88 for Lisa 2/10)
'''82 is not a "generic Widget failure"''' — Apple groups '''80–85''' as ProFile errors on the
* Inspect for cracked solder joints
parallel interface, which is where the Widget also sits on a Lisa 2/10.


=== Error 70 (Memory) ===
=== Code 57 (disk controller) ===
* The error icon shows which memory slot is affected (MEM1 or MEM2)
Apple's order is '''I/O board, then the drive, then the drive cables, then the CPU board, then the
* Try each memory card individually
motherboard'''.<ref name="lisal1" /> Before any of that, Apple's symptom 4 in the same section says: check
* Clean the edge connector contacts with isopropyl alcohol
that the drive ribbon cable is properly secured to both the motherboard and the drive.
* Individual RAM chip testing may be required


=== Error 82 (Widget) ===
=== Codes 70 and 71 (memory) ===
* Generic Widget drive failure code
'''The icon names the board.''' Apple: "replace the memory board specified by the icon
* Widget may require low-level format (no utility publicly available)
displayed".<ref name="lisal1" /> There are no SIMMs in a Lisa — memory is on plug-in boards, Apple part
* Consider ProFile emulator (X/ProFile, IDEfile) as replacement
'''661-93105''' — so clean the edge connectors and try each board on its own.
* Check Widget cable connections


== Video Problems ==
== Video Problems ==
Line 92: Line 164:
| Vertical line only || Horizontal deflection failure || Check horizontal output transistor and flyback
| Vertical line only || Horizontal deflection failure || Check horizontal output transistor and flyback
|-
|-
| Image shifted horizontally || H-position adjustment needed || Adjust horizontal position potentiometer
| Image shifted horizontally || Horizontal phase || Apple publishes a '''Horizontal Phase Adjustment''' for this machine, in the Video Adjustments section, alongside brightness/contrast, yoke and trim-magnet adjustments<ref name="lisal1" />
|-
|-
| Garbled/checkered display || Memory or video RAM issue || Test with known-good memory cards
| Garbled/checkered display || Memory or video RAM issue || Test with known-good memory cards
|-
|-
| Bright flash/line at shutdown || Normal CRT behavior || CRT discharge is expected at power-off
| Bright flash or line at switch-off || Normal || The beam collapses as the supplies fall; it is not a fault and is not the CRT discharging itself — a switched-off Lisa is still dangerous inside until the tube is discharged deliberately. See [[CRT Discharge Procedure]]
|-
|-
| Dim or faded display || CRT aging or brightness adjustment || Adjust brightness; CRT may need replacement
| Dim or faded display || CRT aging or brightness adjustment || Adjust brightness; CRT may need replacement
|}
|}


=== CRT Adjustments ===
=== CRT adjustments ===
* Horizontal and vertical position/size controls are on the analog board
Apple's Video Adjustments section for the Lisa covers '''horizontal phase''', '''brightness and
* Focus adjustment may be on the flyback transformer
contrast''', '''yoke''' and '''magnet''' adjustments, with trim magnets supplied as separate
* Always discharge CRT before making adjustments
colour-coded parts (159-0015 trim, 159-0020 yellow, 159-0021 red, 159-0022 green, 159-0023
blue).<ref name="lisal1" /> Apple opens the section with its own warning: '''"If you have never been taught
how to adjust and replace the Lisa video modules do not attempt to do video repairs."''' The
adjustments must be made with power on, so read [[CRT Discharge Procedure]] first and work to the
one-hand rule.
 
A statement that focus is on the flyback, and that position and size controls sit on an "analog
board", circulates for this machine. The Lisa's video board is Apple part '''661-93107''' and its
flyback '''076-0106'''; no control layout for either is documented in anything held on this
wiki, so nothing specific is claimed.<ref name="lisal1" />


== Keyboard Problems ==
== Keyboard Problems ==
Line 175: Line 256:
* '''IDEfile''' — ProFile emulator using IDE drives
* '''IDEfile''' — ProFile emulator using IDE drives
* Both provide higher reliability than original Widget drives
* Both provide higher reliability than original Widget drives
== The I/O-board battery pack — remove it now ==
The Lisa keeps its real-time clock alive with a '''4 × AA NiCd pack strapped to the bottom-right of the I/O board'''. These packs leak corrosive electrolyte and are the single most destructive Lisa fault &mdash; when they let go they can '''destroy the I/O board and the motherboard, and in rare cases the CPU and RAM boards'''. Apple's own set-up procedure locates it precisely — "the set of four batteries on the lower right side of the I/O board" — and notes the '''switch next to them''', which must be ON (toward the left) for the clock to keep time.<ref name="lisal1b">Apple Computer, ''Apple Lisa Level 1 Technical Procedures'' (hosted here: [[Apple Lisa Level 1 Technical Procedures Mar85]]): Lisa Set-up 2.6 "Checking the Battery Switch"; Lisa 2 Diagnostics 5 "Interpreting the Boot ROM"; Lisa Troubleshooting Guide 6 and Appendix D "Start-up Error Codes"; Video Repair Procedures; and the Illustrated Parts Lists.</ref> '''A Lisa that has lost its clock may simply have that switch off, which is not a fault.''' For everything else: '''remove the battery pack from any Lisa immediately''', and clean and repair any corrosion before powering up.<ref name="lisa">[https://lisafaq.sunder.net/single.html The Apple Lisa FAQ]; [https://tinkerdifferent.com/threads/lisa-2-repair-journey.1151/ Lisa 2 repair journey], TinkerDifferent; [https://www.classic-computers.org.nz/blog/2011-03-05-rejuvenating-a-lisa2-10.htm Rejuvenating an Apple Lisa 2/10], Tezza's Classic Computers; and the ''Lisa Do It Yourself Guide''. Community sources for the I/O-board battery-pack leakage, the power-supply weakness and the Twiggy-drive unreliability.</ref>
== Board swapping ==
The card-based design makes diagnosis largely a matter of swapping the '''CPU board''' (661-93103),
'''memory boards''' (661-93105) and '''I/O board''' (661-93104 on the Lisa 1, 661-93198 on the
Lisa 2/5, 661-93171 on the Lisa 2/10), all of which Apple's own fault tables treat as
field-replaceable.<ref name="lisal1" /> The CRT and video board are the parts that are not.
== Power supply ==
A Lisa that '''runs for a few minutes and then switches off''', or will not power on at all, has a failing power supply — a known weak point that should be serviced/recapped.<ref name="lisa" />
== Twiggy drives (Lisa 1) ==
The Lisa 1 used two Apple "Twiggy" 5.25-inch drives — Apple's drive module is part
'''661-93110'''<ref name="lisal1" /> and the capacity is usually given as 871 KB, not 860 KB — which were '''unreliable'''; most Lisa 1s were upgraded to the Lisa 2 with a Sony 400 KB 3.5-inch drive. Twiggy read errors and disk-boot failures are why so few Lisa 1s survive &mdash; a Lisa 2 conversion or a modern floppy emulator is the usual path.<ref name="lisa" />
== References ==
<references />
== Apple's own start-up error material on this wiki ==
Extracts from Apple's Lisa troubleshooting guide, stamped '''rev. 5/17/83''' and footed
"Page ''n'' of 51", are bound into the Service Support Training Programs binder held here and
described at [[Service Support Tranning Programs Laserwriter Technical Procedures Jan 1985]].<ref name="lwtp85">Apple Computer, ''Apple LaserWriter Printer Technical Procedures'', preliminary version for internal use only, sections stamped rev. Jan 85 and rev. Feb 85. Held on this wiki inside the Service Support Training Programs binder scan, described at [[Service Support Tranning Programs Laserwriter Technical Procedures Jan 1985]] ([[:File:Service_Support_Tranning_Programs_Laserwriter_Technical_Procedures_Jan_1985.pdf]]).</ref>
They cover '''start-up repair procedures and error tones''', a '''start-up error icon''' table naming
the module each icon implicates, '''Appendix D start-up error codes''', and '''video repair
procedures''' — which Apple opens with the warning "If you have never been taught how to adjust…".
The extract is '''partial''': the page footers show that only some of the 51 pages were bound in, so
it will not answer every code. Where it does not, [[Apple Lisa Level 1 Technical Procedures Mar85]]
is the fuller Apple document held here.


== Related Pages ==
== Related Pages ==

Latest revision as of 12:36, 27 September 2026

Troubleshooting is essential for diagnosing and resolving issues with your Apple Lisa. This guide covers the most common problems encountered with Lisa systems.

Preliminary Checks

[edit | edit source]

Before detailed troubleshooting:

  • Verify power outlet is working
  • Check that all cables are properly connected
  • Ensure the power supply voltage selector (if present) is set correctly for your region
  • Discharge the power supply and verify with a meter that the primary reservoir capacitors have actually come down before touching the board. Waiting a fixed number of hours proves nothing — a supply with a failed bleed path can hold rectified mains indefinitely. The CRT needs discharging separately; see CRT Discharge Procedure

No Power / Dead System

[edit | edit source]
Apple Lisa. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
No Power Diagnostics
Symptom Possible Cause Recommended Action
No response when power switched on Failed mains safety capacitor Inspect and replace the class-X capacitor across the mains input
Clicking or ticking from power supply Power supply overload or short Check for shorts on motherboard; replace power supply capacitors
Trips circuit breaker Shorted mains safety capacitor Replace the class-X capacitor. But note Apple's own table puts brightness and contrast adjustment ahead of the supply for a Lisa that trips on and off[1]
Power supply smokes Mains safety capacitor failure Disconnect immediately; replace the safety capacitors
Intermittent power Failing electrolytic capacitors Full power supply recap recommended
Powers on briefly then shuts off Power supply protection circuit triggering Check for shorts; verify output voltages

The mains safety capacitor

[edit | edit source]

The class-X capacitor across the mains input is the part most likely to fail dramatically in a supply of this age:

  • The epoxy body absorbs moisture over decades, cracks, and fails with smoke, a bang and a
 fish-market smell
  • Inspect it before first power-on after long storage; any crazing, cracking, swelling or brown
 staining means it goes now
  • Replace with a modern X2-rated part of the same value. Once replaced with a current part
 it does not need doing again on any schedule
  • Mains voltage and stored charge are the hazards here, not the act of opening the supply. See
 Capacitor Failure Symptoms and Recommended Tools

The specific brand fitted has not been verified for the Lisa supply and is not asserted here; the failure mode is a property of the construction, not the label.

Self-Test Error Codes

[edit | edit source]

The Lisa boot ROM runs its self-test on every power-up. Apple's own account of a healthy start-up:[1]

  1. The on/off lamp lights.
  2. Silence for about three seconds, then a single click.
  3. About 30 seconds after power-on, as the picture tube warms, the screen shows four
 icons — CPU, I/O, Memory, Expansion — each highlighted in turn as it is tested.
  1. A failing card produces error tones and its icon is drawn with a large X through
 it, and testing stops. Reseat, power up again, swap the board out if it repeats.
  1. Otherwise an error icon and a numeric code appear.

Thirty seconds of blank screen is normal — Apple's flowchart only goes to the video repair procedures if there is no picture after 30 seconds. Do not chase a video fault before then.

LisaTest will not run at all unless two memory boards are fitted, in any Lisa 2 configuration. APPLE-SHIFT-S moves it from Customer Level to Service Level, where individual modules can be tested.[1]

Apple’s start-up error codes — Appendix D, Lisa Troubleshooting Guide[1]
Code Apple's description Apple's action, in order
22 Unable to clamp diskette See the start-up error message for the "bad diskette" icon
23 Unable to read diskette As above
25 Unable to unclamp diskette As above
38 No boot file on diskette As above
39 Disk controller timeout I/O board → CPU board → motherboard
40 HMU CPU board
41 CPU selection logic CPU board
42 Video circuitry CPU board
43 Parity circuitry CPU board → memory board 1 → memory board 2 → motherboard
44 NMI error CPU board → I/O board → motherboard
45 BUS error I/O board → CPU board → motherboard
46 Address error CPU board → memory board 1 → memory board 2
47 Exception CPU board → motherboard
48 Illegal instruction CPU board → memory board 1 → memory board 2
49 1010 or 1111 trap CPU board → memory board 1 → memory board 2
50 COPs VIA I/O board → CPU board → motherboard
51 Parallel port VIA I/O board → CPU board → motherboard
52 I/O board COPs I/O board
53 Keyboard COPs Keyboard → I/O board → keyboard cable → motherboard
54 Clock error I/O board
55 RS232 port A I/O board
56 RS232 port B I/O board
57 Disk controller I/O board → disk drive → disk drive cables → CPU board → motherboard
58 I/O board access I/O board → CPU board → motherboard
59 I/O board COPs code I/O board
60 I/O or keyboard error Keyboard → I/O board → keyboard cable → motherboard
70 Memory data Replace the memory board named by the icon displayed
71 Memory parity As above
75 Boot failure See the start-up error message for the icon shown
80–85 ProFile errors See the start-up error message for the "bad ProFile" icon
90–93 Expansion card error See the start-up error message for the "bad expansion card" icon

Two things the old table on this page got wrong. There are no codes in the 10s and none between 60 and 70, so a banding of the form "10–19 = CPU board, 20–29 = I/O board" cannot be right: 22, 23 and 25 are diskette-handling failures and the CPU-board codes are 40–49. And 82 is not a "generic Widget failure" — Apple groups 80–85 as ProFile errors on the parallel interface, which is where the Widget also sits on a Lisa 2/10.

Code 57 (disk controller)

[edit | edit source]

Apple's order is I/O board, then the drive, then the drive cables, then the CPU board, then the motherboard.[1] Before any of that, Apple's symptom 4 in the same section says: check that the drive ribbon cable is properly secured to both the motherboard and the drive.

Codes 70 and 71 (memory)

[edit | edit source]

The icon names the board. Apple: "replace the memory board specified by the icon displayed".[1] There are no SIMMs in a Lisa — memory is on plug-in boards, Apple part 661-93105 — so clean the edge connectors and try each board on its own.

Video Problems

[edit | edit source]
Display Issues
Symptom Possible Cause Recommended Action
No display, system runs CRT failure or analog board issue Check CRT connections; test analog board
Horizontal line only Vertical deflection failure Check vertical output IC and capacitors on analog board
Vertical line only Horizontal deflection failure Check horizontal output transistor and flyback
Image shifted horizontally Horizontal phase Apple publishes a Horizontal Phase Adjustment for this machine, in the Video Adjustments section, alongside brightness/contrast, yoke and trim-magnet adjustments[1]
Garbled/checkered display Memory or video RAM issue Test with known-good memory cards
Bright flash or line at switch-off Normal The beam collapses as the supplies fall; it is not a fault and is not the CRT discharging itself — a switched-off Lisa is still dangerous inside until the tube is discharged deliberately. See CRT Discharge Procedure
Dim or faded display CRT aging or brightness adjustment Adjust brightness; CRT may need replacement

CRT adjustments

[edit | edit source]

Apple's Video Adjustments section for the Lisa covers horizontal phase, brightness and contrast, yoke and magnet adjustments, with trim magnets supplied as separate colour-coded parts (159-0015 trim, 159-0020 yellow, 159-0021 red, 159-0022 green, 159-0023 blue).[1] Apple opens the section with its own warning: "If you have never been taught how to adjust and replace the Lisa video modules do not attempt to do video repairs." The adjustments must be made with power on, so read CRT Discharge Procedure first and work to the one-hand rule.

A statement that focus is on the flyback, and that position and size controls sit on an "analog board", circulates for this machine. The Lisa's video board is Apple part 661-93107 and its flyback 076-0106; no control layout for either is documented in anything held on this wiki, so nothing specific is claimed.[1]

Keyboard Problems

[edit | edit source]
Keyboard Issues
Symptom Possible Cause Recommended Action
No keys working Keyboard cable disconnected Check cable connection to I/O board
Most keys not working Deteriorated foam pads Replace capacitive foam and foil pads
Some keys work, others don't Individual pad failure Replace foam/foil on affected keys
Keyboard error on boot Keyboard not detected Check cable; verify keyboard controller chip

Foam Pad Replacement

[edit | edit source]

The Lisa keyboard uses capacitive foam pads that deteriorate with age:

  • Purchase Lisa keyboard foam/foil replacement kit
  • Each key requires a new foam pad and conductive foil
  • This is the most common Lisa keyboard repair

Floppy Drive Problems

[edit | edit source]
Floppy Drive Issues
Symptom Possible Cause Recommended Action
Drive won't accept disk Seized eject mechanism Clean and lubricate mechanism with isopropyl alcohol
No disk spinning Motor or motor controller failure Check TA7259 motor IC; may require spindle repair
Read errors Dirty heads or alignment Clean heads; check for alignment issues
Intermittent reads Failing capacitors near drive controller Check/replace associated capacitors

Floppy Emu Compatibility

[edit | edit source]
  • FloppyEmu can be used with Lisa systems
  • Requires appropriate cable adapter
  • External connection may require modification

Widget Drive Problems

[edit | edit source]

The Widget (internal hard drive in Lisa 2/10) has known reliability issues:

Widget Issues
Symptom Possible Cause Recommended Action
Widget not recognized Cable connection or controller failure Check cables; verify controller on I/O board
Error 82 on boot Generic Widget failure Drive may need replacement with ProFile emulator
Widget spins but won't boot Corrupted data or head issues Attempt boot from floppy; consider drive replacement
Clicking sounds from Widget Head or mechanism failure Drive likely requires replacement

ProFile Emulator Options

[edit | edit source]

Modern alternatives to the Widget drive:

  • X/ProFile — Drop-in Widget replacement using CompactFlash
  • IDEfile — ProFile emulator using IDE drives
  • Both provide higher reliability than original Widget drives

The I/O-board battery pack — remove it now

[edit | edit source]

The Lisa keeps its real-time clock alive with a 4 × AA NiCd pack strapped to the bottom-right of the I/O board. These packs leak corrosive electrolyte and are the single most destructive Lisa fault — when they let go they can destroy the I/O board and the motherboard, and in rare cases the CPU and RAM boards. Apple's own set-up procedure locates it precisely — "the set of four batteries on the lower right side of the I/O board" — and notes the switch next to them, which must be ON (toward the left) for the clock to keep time.[2] A Lisa that has lost its clock may simply have that switch off, which is not a fault. For everything else: remove the battery pack from any Lisa immediately, and clean and repair any corrosion before powering up.[3]

Board swapping

[edit | edit source]

The card-based design makes diagnosis largely a matter of swapping the CPU board (661-93103), memory boards (661-93105) and I/O board (661-93104 on the Lisa 1, 661-93198 on the Lisa 2/5, 661-93171 on the Lisa 2/10), all of which Apple's own fault tables treat as field-replaceable.[1] The CRT and video board are the parts that are not.

Power supply

[edit | edit source]

A Lisa that runs for a few minutes and then switches off, or will not power on at all, has a failing power supply — a known weak point that should be serviced/recapped.[3]

Twiggy drives (Lisa 1)

[edit | edit source]

The Lisa 1 used two Apple "Twiggy" 5.25-inch drives — Apple's drive module is part 661-93110[1] and the capacity is usually given as 871 KB, not 860 KB — which were unreliable; most Lisa 1s were upgraded to the Lisa 2 with a Sony 400 KB 3.5-inch drive. Twiggy read errors and disk-boot failures are why so few Lisa 1s survive — a Lisa 2 conversion or a modern floppy emulator is the usual path.[3]

References

[edit | edit source]
  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 Apple Computer, Apple Lisa Level 1 Technical Procedures (hosted here: Apple Lisa Level 1 Technical Procedures Mar85): Lisa Set-up 2.6 "Checking the Battery Switch"; Lisa 2 Diagnostics 5 "Interpreting the Boot ROM"; Lisa Troubleshooting Guide 6 and Appendix D "Start-up Error Codes"; Video Repair Procedures; and the Illustrated Parts Lists.
  2. ↑ Apple Computer, Apple Lisa Level 1 Technical Procedures (hosted here: Apple Lisa Level 1 Technical Procedures Mar85): Lisa Set-up 2.6 "Checking the Battery Switch"; Lisa 2 Diagnostics 5 "Interpreting the Boot ROM"; Lisa Troubleshooting Guide 6 and Appendix D "Start-up Error Codes"; Video Repair Procedures; and the Illustrated Parts Lists.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 The Apple Lisa FAQ; Lisa 2 repair journey, TinkerDifferent; Rejuvenating an Apple Lisa 2/10, Tezza's Classic Computers; and the Lisa Do It Yourself Guide. Community sources for the I/O-board battery-pack leakage, the power-supply weakness and the Twiggy-drive unreliability.

Apple's own start-up error material on this wiki

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Extracts from Apple's Lisa troubleshooting guide, stamped rev. 5/17/83 and footed "Page n of 51", are bound into the Service Support Training Programs binder held here and described at Service Support Tranning Programs Laserwriter Technical Procedures Jan 1985.[1] They cover start-up repair procedures and error tones, a start-up error icon table naming the module each icon implicates, Appendix D start-up error codes, and video repair procedures — which Apple opens with the warning "If you have never been taught how to adjust…".

The extract is partial: the page footers show that only some of the 51 pages were bound in, so it will not answer every code. Where it does not, Apple Lisa Level 1 Technical Procedures Mar85 is the fuller Apple document held here.

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  1. ↑ Apple Computer, Apple LaserWriter Printer Technical Procedures, preliminary version for internal use only, sections stamped rev. Jan 85 and rev. Feb 85. Held on this wiki inside the Service Support Training Programs binder scan, described at Service Support Tranning Programs Laserwriter Technical Procedures Jan 1985 (File:Service_Support_Tranning_Programs_Laserwriter_Technical_Procedures_Jan_1985.pdf).
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