Watch the restoration of a Commodore PET 4032 originally used in the Alameda Unified School District (AUSD) between 1983 and 1988 before spending decades in storage.
One of four units rescued from school e-waste in 2022, this vintage system is brought back to life through teardown, troubleshooting, motherboard repair, and the first successful power-on with CRT display output.
Formerly used at Lincoln Middle School in Alameda, California, the system still carries part of its educational history.
Restoration work on my Commodore PET 4032 includes:
I do some testing using modern hardware such as the PET ROM/RAM Board and SD2PET SD Card storage device from The Future Was 8-Bit.
The Commodore PET 4032 remains one of the most recognizable all-in-one educational computers of the early 8-bit era. Additional highlights include BASIC 4.0 startup, keyboard repair, software loading demonstrations, and Invaders (PET Space Invaders) running on restored hardware.
Fun Fact: The Commodore Universal Dynamic PET 8032090 motherboard was used in the PET 4016, PET 4032, and PET 8032 models.
For Commodore enthusiasts, retro computing collectors, and vintage hardware restoration fans, this is a detailed look at bringing a classic school computer back to life after decades in storage.
For more Commodore PET content, visit my Commodore PET System Guide.