Triple Freedom opens this episode with what looks like a simple Commodore 64 fix. But before anyone can say “Ready,” things take a bizarre turn—because inside the case is what appears to be a literal flying object. Not a metaphor. Not a creative analogy. An actual bug (or alien?) stowaway flapping its way around the motherboard.
This strange start doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in a clean Commodore 64 fix. And sure enough, once the system’s opened up, the issues pile up: bent pins, a broken socket, and a wonky kernel that clearly didn’t RSVP to work today. Still, there’s only one thing to do—keep going. Because if you’ve ever opened an old computer, you already know: giving up isn’t on the menu.
After removing the old ROM socket—which was so bad the pins practically stayed behind like ghosts of computing past—a new socket is installed. With a fresh kernel in place, things suddenly go better than expected. The machine boots. Like, right away. No smoke, no drama, no summoning of ancient Commodore spirits. Just a classic blue screen. Success.
But it’s not all good news. The SID chip—an original 6581 R4 no less—has faulty filters. The result? Music that sounds like it’s coming from a haunted fax machine. A replacement 6581 brings things back to normal, and with it, full sound and functionality are restored. One more Commodore 64 back from the brink.
