Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!think!ames!pasteur!ucbvax!hplabs!hpda!hpcuhb!hpcilzb!tedj
From: tedj@hpcilzb.HP.COM (Ted Johnson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: help with a clinically depressed mac
Message-ID: <870213@hpcilzb.HP.COM>
Date: 15 Aug 88 17:05:04 GMT
References: <2077@ncsuvx.ncsu.edu>
Organization: HP Design Tech Center - Santa Clara, CA
Lines: 62


>when a mac suddenly crashes in the middle of an application and a sad mac
>comes up with 02902 code beneath it (no bomb/restart/resume dialog at all)
>what could it be?

Me thinks you are missing a digit there, bucko.

From my friend's pirate copy of "Mastering Macintosh - For Apple Eyes Only":

(I'm only typing in this stuff once, so save this for future
reference!!!)

--------------cut here----------------------------------------

Sad Mac codes

When you turn on the Macintosh or press the Reset programmer's switch,
several memory and system diagnostic tests take place.  If any test fails,
the Sad Mac appears.  The code number below it indicates the nature of the
malfunction.  The first two digits indicate the type of error.  If it is a
RAM test failure (02, 03, 04, or 05), the last 4 digits identify the
suspect RAM chips.  You must convert the last 4 digits, which are hexadecimal,
to a 16-digit number to learn which chips are bad.

If a Sad Mac appears after the disk starts spinning, the first 2 digits of the
code number under the icon are 0F, and the next 4 digits indicate the type
of error.  If you get a Sad Mac with an 0F code, try restarting the Mac with
the Option and Command keys held down to rebuild the Desktop file.  You may
also be able to fix a faulty startup disk by replacing its System file.  The
error 0F000D most likely means that you have something pressed against the
Interrupt button on the progammer's switch.  The error 0F0064 means that the
startup disk you have inserted into the disk drive is missing the System file.

Code 	Meaning

01____	ROM test
02____	RAM test (Bus subtest) 
03____	RAM test (byte write) 
04____	RAM test (mod3 test)
05____	RAM test (address uniqueness)
0F0001	Bus error
0F0002	Address error
0F0003	Illegal instruction
0F0004	Zero divide
0F0005	Check trap - CHK instruction
0F0006 	Overflow trap - TRAPV instruction
0F0007	Privilege violation
0F0008	Trace trap
0F0009	Trap dispatcher error
0F000A	Line 1111 trap
0F000B	Other trap
0F000C	Unimplemented trap executed
0F000D	Interrupt button on programmers switch
0F0064	Bad System file
0F0065	Bad Finder


>thanks for any info,

You're welcome!

-Ted