Seems to be a "joindata systems" motherboard.
Possibly an oem supplier, because it could also be "Tekram" which does ring an old bell

Can't find much else though.

These exist

https://www.ebay.com/itm/333658558849

At this point it's best to start with a known good PSU, known good RAM, and a known good VGA card and try again, otherwise you will never narrow down whether the motherboard itself is the issue.

ATX to AT adapter: https://www.amazon.com/WSDMAVIS-Supply-Adapte … r/dp/B08SBHWH5N
Cheap ATX PSU: https://www.amazon.com/EVGA-Warranty-Power-Su … 1/dp/B00LV8TZAG

Couple of "tested" VGA cards (eBay sellers' "testing" protocol may or may not consist of setting mugs on it to see if it works as a coaster):
https://www.ebay.com/itm/304766896052
https://www.ebay.com/itm/135186905961

RAM: https://www.ebay.com/itm/155877356509

I am sure the same school will have a multimeter... or some other PSU.

keenmaster486 wrote on 2024-09-14, 13:33:

At this point it's best to start with a known good PSU, known good RAM, and a known good VGA card and try again, otherwise you will never narrow down whether the motherboard itself is the issue.

Ideally, you start with a known good computer 😀 Then you are done.

Can we get a picture of the PSU damage. Not that it is hot glue...

ux-3 wrote on 2024-09-14, 13:58:

I am sure the same school will have a multimeter... or some other PSU.

Wouldn’t bet on it, most of the spare parts, software, equipment, systems and other stuff have long since been removed and sold in refurbishments.
As for a multimeter… hmm… i don’t really know if IT does have a multimeter… i would probably have to take the PSU with me to school.
Then after that…
I test it and do a little more shenanigans. But the safest and easiest option is just to find a different PSU which isnt leaking

ux-3 wrote on 2024-09-14, 13:58:

I am sure the same school will have a multimeter... or some other PSU. […]
Show full quote

I am sure the same school will have a multimeter... or some other PSU.

keenmaster486 wrote on 2024-09-14, 13:33:

At this point it's best to start with a known good PSU, known good RAM, and a known good VGA card and try again, otherwise you will never narrow down whether the motherboard itself is the issue.

Ideally, you start with a known good computer 😀 Then you are done.

Can we get a picture of the PSU damage. Not that it is hot glue...

I’ll try to do that tomorrow!
Damage is definitely leaky caps though.
Its bout pitch dark and i am pooped!
Really have to get some shuteye…
Have a nice day/night wherever you live!
😀

If they have computers, they have PSUs. If they have older computers decommisioned, they have spare PSUs around. Any regular ATX PSU should do it.

You have the RAM sticks in the Wrong banks.
You need to put them in Bank-0
See diagram
They need to be Fast Page Mode non-parity RAM sticks
Preferably -50ns or -60ns or -70ns ( Nano second )
they all need to be the same type and speed for best performance
You only need 4mb but 8mb is better and 16mb should be best but not necessary for most games and programs

Your motherboard cache looks good.

Looks like jumper 14 is missing the pins to connect an external battery.
You may have to do some soldering and remove the Dallas battery and replace it with a coin battery.

Oh dear, what has happened here?

Let's go back to this photo: the RAM is in the correct slots, except the third chip isn't properly seated - looking at the bottom half you can see it isn't aligned correctly in the slot.

But then a few posts later, in the next photo: the RAM is all now in the wrong slots and backwards. Please do not turn on the system with them installed like this!

Lol good eye.

What i mean is that they haven't had any ATX PSUS lying around for at least 4 years- or at least PSUs that would fit the machine OK

The school sells out the old systems and the PARTS every couple of years, hell. The 286 equipment from the late 80s were gone 10 years ago. I wasn’t even in that high school then when they took those out.

jmarsh wrote on 2024-09-14, 16:41:

Oh dear, what has happened here?

Let's go back to this photo: the RAM is in the correct slots, except the third chip isn't properly seated - looking at the bottom half you can see it isn't aligned correctly in the slot.

But then a few posts later, in the next photo: the RAM is all now in the wrong slots and backwards. Please do not turn on the system with them installed like this!

Oh, Christ am i an idiot!

Thanks for pointing that out
The computer started off with the ram with the majority on that side in the second photo When i got it.
The computer made horrible buzzing noises (no fan) when the ram was on the other side. I must have absolutely ignored that the ram was backwards.
Thank you for bringing that up!

UPDATE:
hello there again! Schools out and i can tell you some of the stuff thats happened!

IT guy is looking for a PC internal speaker in his garage, he’s the same guy who blessed me with a box full of serial mouses (mice?)

Reconfigured ram to correct direction and position!

I need a new psu as the caps are L e a k y, and also could be at risk of bursting and giving my parents a heart attack.

Any luck on figuring out the MB model? I have absolutely nothing, zilch, squat.

IBMPCATFAN1984 wrote on 2024-10-04, 00:49:

UPDATE: hello there again! Schools out and i can tell you some of the stuff thats happened! […]
Show full quote

UPDATE:
hello there again! Schools out and i can tell you some of the stuff thats happened!

IT guy is looking for a PC internal speaker in his garage, he’s the same guy who blessed me with a box full of serial mouses (mice?)

Reconfigured ram to correct direction and position!

I need a new psu as the caps are L e a k y, and also could be at risk of bursting and giving my parents a heart attack.

Any luck on figuring out the MB model? I have absolutely nothing, zilch, squat.

The photo is from a couple of months ago 😀

If you can't find a PC speaker then you can always salvage the piezo style ones found in more modern PC's
Worst case they can be had on ebay really cheap and while a proper cone speaker will sound better how many PC speaker games are you really going to play?

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/223642115522?_trk … 0F8Q7HVKNG8R6M5

Gotchu! any recommendations? Or should i buy the tiny one from eBay?
I’m planning on decking the 486 out with a proper sound card and driver, maybe upgrading the OS to W95 later

I'd just buy a bunch. Sometimes, it's not worth the time to scrounge.

An led might work though.
Try the power led on it.

Where in Oz are you? Tried ocau? There's always people selling on there. Or gumtree?

Hmm, never heard of Ocau, i’ll give it a try!
I live near the Act, somewhat close to the bates bay, haven’t happened apon any vintage computer stores or hauls, usually ask staff at my school if they or their relatives have anything.
I got the machine from a programming teacher whom told me that it was used to teach PASCAL during the 90s.

Alright, asked dad if he could help me acquire stuff for the machine, he said yep.
In the meantime, know any good games/ software to run on this machine?
I have a bit of a hankering for Broberund printshop right now, it’s a pretty good program, never really got to experience the “golden years”
Of paint programs, but there was Tuxpaint on my primary school pentiums (back in 2014)
Be sure and also recommend me some other hardware as well, sound cards/CRTS/other stuff

I'd wait till you know the thing boots before spending money on more hardware!

I went to Highschool "just up the road" in Nowra, finished Y12 in '98 and still using 486's
If you want to keep in the school software theme our main programs were:

Windows 3.1
MS Works 2.0
Logowriter
And the always popular Skifree
And an educational game Operation Neptune.

Stunts, Skyroads and Crystal Caves were some "unofficial" games on the PC's. This was before school computers had CD drives or internet so limited to what you could copy onto a floppy.

Not sure if this was mentioned earlier but that board has a TH1287 realtime clock chip which I would assume is a Dallas DS1287 clone. Regardless, it is probably flat, and I've seen many 486 boards not POST at all without a working one. So replacing that might be a first order of business here.