Spent $80 on a new power supply for my old Apple IIe and it was a total waste

Everyone in here says to always replace the power supply first when an old machine won't boot. My IIe was dead, so I ordered a new one from a retro site for about $80. Got it in last week, swapped it out, and still nothing. Turns out the main issue was a bad ROM chip, which a local guy found for me for $15. I'm not saying power supplies never fail, but the 'always replace it first' advice burned me. Has anyone else had a simple fix after replacing a big, expensive part?

3 comments

3 Comments

wyatt_green1mo ago

Had a similar thing with a dead C64. Spent money on a new supply, but the real problem was a bad fuse.

derekthomas1mo ago

Ever buy a whole new part only to find out it was the cheapest thing that broke? I'm basically the king of that move.

masona621mo ago

Man, I used to always go for the big, expensive fix first. Like when my old truck wouldn't start, I was ready to replace the starter motor. Turns out it was just a loose battery cable, a two dollar part. Felt like a total genius, but the wrong kind. Now I check the simple stuff with a fine-tooth comb.