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Ibook G4 screen changing color/not booting (help)

I

imbored

macrumors member
Original poster
May 9, 2005
44
0
Yesterday I installed the latest security updates for my ibook via software update. I'm not sure if this is related to my problem, but I thought I might as well mention it.

A few hours after installing the updates, I turned on my computer. Everything was running fine, however as I was listening to music and surfing the internet, my screen turned black. I checked the contrast and it was all the way up. The screen then turned completely off.

Upon restarting the computer, my screen got to the loading page with the apple icon and the loading circle, and then turned black and flickered every so often with a screen of vertical multi-colored bars. I held down the power button to turn the screen off, and the flickering increased, before becoming completely covered by the multi-colored bars and then shutting off.

This morning I tried again and my computer actually booted up. However, after a few seconds the screen went black, paused for a few seconds, then went completely red, then green, then blue, then three shades of gray, and finally black again. It repeated this cycle twice before the screen turned itself off.

Is this a virus, or hardware/software malfunctioning. I've had my ibook for two years and was wondering what everyone's suggestions are for what I should do to fix this problem, if it is possible.

Thanks in advance!
 
mklos

mklos

macrumors 68000
Dec 4, 2002
1,896
0
My house!
Sounds like a logicboard going on you. More specific, possibly the graphics chip which is embedded into the logicboard. The only other thing that may be possible is that the LCD cable going to the logicboard may have gotten pinched, but I doubt thats it. Its more likely to be a logicboard.
 
I

imbored

macrumors member
Original poster
May 9, 2005
44
0
hmmm...well I'm not sure if this has anything to do with it, but I took off the keyboard and there was one of the small magnets from underneath this oval sticker stuck onto the middle of the keyboard. I think something possibly got magnetized that shouldn't have. Is this a possibility?
 
macboy62

macboy62

macrumors regular
Sep 13, 2006
104
0
Tokyo
imbored said:
hmmm...well I'm not sure if this has anything to do with it, but I took off the keyboard and there was one of the small magnets from underneath this oval sticker stuck onto the middle of the keyboard. I think something possibly got magnetized that shouldn't have. Is this a possibility?
Click to expand...

I don't think so, the magnets are so small and if that could happen I'm sure Apple wouldn't use them.

Unfortunately The logic boards are known to fail on the iBooks. I had one fail on me. Can you see in the darkness of your screen that the Mac is still running?

There are three problems that can happen.

1. The cable from the logic board to the inverter board can get trapped and break the wires inside or the inverter board itself can fail. The inverter board triggers the two lights in the screen. (cheaper to repair and a possible reason)

2. The lights fail. (very unlikely)

3. The logic board fails for graphics (but if you can see the Mac running by shining a light on the screen) the graphics must be okay. Or the logic board fails to send power to the screen. This can be by-passed by running a cable from the battery to the inverter board so that it gets power on start up.

Answer:

1. you can get new cables and inverter boards on the net, plus the repair manuals to help you fix it or take it to be repaired.

2. you can buy the lights but they are hard to fit and as I said it's not likely. If you have another laptop you may be able with care to test these components.

3. Take it to a local laptop repair center and talk to the guys there, they may be able to hook the wire up for you.

Hope this helps
 
G

Gokhan

macrumors 6502a
Oct 7, 2003
703
0
London
k

no guy thats your gpu thats just gone crap, so check it out ! search ibook shill or playing card trick and you'll find instructions on wedgeing something between the board and gpu this forms the failing bond of the gpu and MAY get ur ibook up and running


prison break rules :D
 
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