Help! Opened my g5 to add memory, now it no longer works

[Eric21]

Hello there,

I recently opened my Mac...1.6 g5 to install RAM, this was the first time I have ever opened it. The only thing I did besides removing the cover is remove the fan to get access to the RAM slots. I did not even put the RAM in, but now when I try and turn on the computer (after putting back the fan and the cover) all I get is the power light blinking in increments of 3 flashes. Now I can't even get it to boot up! :eek: Any help, greatly appreciated.

Thank You,

Eric

[Mechcozmo]

Did you bump or move around any RAM already in there?
Is the fan seated correctly?

Did you remember to discharge yourself with static electricity before you worked on it? (Rare to fry a computer this way, but...)

Try starting up while holding Command+Option+P+R
That will zap your PRAM. You might lose the time but then again, thats not hard to fix.

[broken_keyboard]

There's supposedly a little bank of lights that tell you what's wrong:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=86815

[dongmin]

Hello there,

I recently opened my Mac...1.6 g5 to install RAM, this was the first time I have ever opened it. The only thing I did besides removing the cover is remove the fan to get access to the RAM slots. I did not even put the RAM in, but now when I try and turn on the computer (after putting back the fan and the cover) all I get is the power light blinking in increments of 3 flashes. Now I can't even get it to boot up! :eek: Any help, greatly appreciated.

Thank You,

Eric

i assume you didn't touch the original ram in there. my guesses:

1. you might've fried your computer though static discharge. it happens this time of the year because people wear heavy wool sweaters. at least that's what happened to one friend of mine with her G4 tower a while back. in this case, all you can do is send it back to apple.

2. could you have disturbed a sensor for the fan? the fans, i believe, are controlled by software so that's probably not the issue. you should at least boot up.

good luck

[applemacdude]

Dont tell apple you did anything tho...

lie lie lie :-P

[mslifkin]

Hello there,

I recently opened my Mac...1.6 g5 to install RAM, this was the first time I have ever opened it. The only thing I did besides removing the cover is remove the fan to get access to the RAM slots. I did not even put the RAM in, but now when I try and turn on the computer (after putting back the fan and the cover) all I get is the power light blinking in increments of 3 flashes. Now I can't even get it to boot up! :eek: Any help, greatly appreciated.

Thank You,

Eric

Eric,

Did you put the clear plastic air baffle back? That's important for efficient cooling, and I'm not sure if the G5 will start without it. Good luck.

Marc

[MemphisSoulStew]

A flashing power light at startup generally means a RAM problem - there doesn't seem to be an explanation for the PowerMac G5 at the Apple support pages, but they do have pages relating to Xserve G5 (http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=86778) and G4 Cube (http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=58780) RAM problems.

The Xserve document states that three flashes means ...that none of the RAM banks passed memory testing.

You may have knocked the RAM that was already in there and unseated it slightly, so open the G5 up again and make sure all your original RAM is properly seated, then try again.

[jeremy.king]

I'll ask the obvious.

What kind of RAM did you try to install?

[diamond geezer]

3 flashes signifies a RAM problem. Try reseating all the RAM banks (take them all out and then put them back).

[Mechcozmo]

Dont tell apple you did anything tho...

lie lie lie :-P

Here at MacRumors we do not support lying, cheating, bastards like a certain aforequoted person..... ;) :p

But hey, you did everything right, didn't you? :D You didn't like, go in there with a sledgehammer.....

[Eric21]

Wow lots of responses so quick...All of you guys rock! esp Diamond Geezer. I took out the RAM Sticks and reinstalled them. Good to go! Thanks a ton to all who replied. :D

Eric

[diamond geezer]

Wow lots of responses so quick...All of you guys rock! esp Diamond Geezer. I took out the RAM Sticks and reinstalled them. Good to go! Thanks a ton to all who replied. :D

Eric

Why thank you, I only wish I elicited the same responses from the Political/War section. :-)