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Possibly the STUPIDEST thing I have ever done

B

bada_bing

macrumors newbie
Original poster
I think I know the answer to this but just want to check.

I have a Gen 2 15" Powerbook with 1GB RAM. A couple of days ago I noticed only 512MB was showing through the OS. I figured maybe one of the SIMM's had become dislodged and needed to be reset. Went out today and purchased some small screwdrivers, came home this eveing and opened the memory slot up, removed both SIMM's and reset them, flipped it over to re-start and at that point I relised the machine was not in fact turned off but only asleep!!!!!!! Now all I get on boot is three beeps which from some quick research means 'no good banks'.

So I am guessing that this memory is now fried. A few questions;

Firstly, will this have any impact on the data on the disk? I am guessing no. In theory I should be able to just replace the memory and everything will be fine?

Secondly, does anybody know somewhere in London I can buy 1GB (2 x 512) of memory over the counter tomorrow!

TIA

Paul
 
bada_bing said:
In theory I should be able to just replace the memory and everything will be fine?
Click to expand...
So long as it's the memory you screwed, and not the logic board 😱
 
Ouch! The only place I can think of where you might be able to buy RAM over the counter is probably somewhere on Tottenham Court Road. There's enough 'build your own' electronic shops up there that I'd imagine somewhere has it. Or I guess you could pay over the odds and go to the Apple Store.

The only trouble with the TCR shops is how good they'd be at taking it back if it is in fact a fried logic board...
 
Applespider said:
Ouch! The only place I can think of where you might be able to buy RAM over the counter is probably somewhere on Tottenham Court Road.
Click to expand...
There's always PC World.

Make sure you have plenty of KY for that one 🙄
 
Try reseting the MAC BIOS first... I just forgot the sequence but it should be easy to find... most probably you have not fried anything at all...
 
You must have had the top case closed, so the machine would have been asleep (assuming that function was working).

I have mistakenly removed/installed RAM in sleeping machines before, without problems.

Try resetting the unit, by switching it off and holding down the "apple", "Option", "shift" and power button.

Hold them for one second, then wait 10 seconds and power the machine on.

Try installing one RAM module at a time and in different slots to narrow the problem down.
 
diamond geezer said:
Try resetting the unit, by switching it off and holding down the "apple", "Option", "shift" and power button.

Hold them for one second, then wait 10 seconds and power the machine on.

Try installing one RAM module at a time and in different slots to narrow the problem down.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice but can't seem to get this working. I don't quite understand your instructions. Turn off machine, hold down apple, shift, option and power (which means the machine is now on) next step is turn machine on - but it is already on from the previous action??

Thanks for the help

Paul

PS I have tried swapping the RAM modules around but no luck
 
radio893fm said:
Try reseting the MAC BIOS first... I just forgot the sequence but it should be easy to find... most probably you have not fried anything at all...
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply. I have found some info on using either Apple, Option, "O" and either "F" or "P" to reset the "PRAM". Is this waht your talking about? I can't get either method to work!!!

cheers

Paul
 
bada_bing said:
Thanks for the reply. I have found some info on using either Apple, Option, "O" and either "F" or "P" to reset the "PRAM". Is this waht your talking about? I can't get either method to work!!!
Click to expand...
IIRC, it's "Command + Option + P + R" at boot.
 
Does anyone unplug the power cord before installing or removing RAM? I normally open up the case, ground myself by touching a metal portion of the mac, then unplug the power supply before I start adding or removing components.
 
Lacero said:
Does anyone unplug the power cord before installing or removing RAM? I normally open up the case, ground myself by touching a metal portion of the mac, then unplug the power supply before I start adding or removing components.
Click to expand...

A good practice in general, but doesn't help if it's a laptop running on battery power
 
Apple's instructions tell you to shut down and remove the battery before you open the Powerbook's RAM - tho with the internal battery that allows battery changes, I'm not sure how foolproof it is.

As far as the stupidest thing I've done (just to make you feel better), I got home early from a weekend in Germany. I threw some clothes in the washing machine and figured that I might as well throw the jeans I was wearing in too. Off they came... and on went the machine

I headed to the sofa and started checking my email. Then my Powerbook, since Bluetooth was on, flashed up that I had a text message. I went to my handbag to get my phone.... then remembered I'd shoved it in my jeans pocket (it was a T68 so pretty small). I ran to the washing machine... but the drum had started turning and the phone was now very, very wet and dead... oops! 😱
 
Given that you have to remove the battery to get at ram that isn't a problem.The switch over battery backup only lasts a couple of mins so it would be prudent to wait a bit before doing it.
 
bada_bing said:
...I figured maybe one of the SIMM's had become dislodged...removed both SIMM's and reset them...
Click to expand...

There's your problem. You're using SIMMs! 😀
 
I have faith in you.

Grab a beer, heck grab a couple cases... drink them and embrace the glory of an American right of passage -- drunken stupidity.
 
Possibily the STUPIDEST thing I have ever done

Have unprotected sex two nights in a row with some guy and miss my flight home....

...oh and much empathy to you paul.
 
My idea of unprotected sex is leaving the door unlocked so my 4 year old daughter comes crashing in.
 
hehahe no ones picked up on the fact that hes trying to jam a big SIMM stick into a little DIMM hole!

its ok... i do that all the time
🙂
 
I feel for you. I did something similar to my first PC some years ago. I didn't ground myself, and had to replace the RAM.

$200 for Four Megabytes!
 
Applespider said:
I threw some clothes in the washing machine <snip> very, very wet and dead... oops! 😱
Click to expand...
I did the exact same thing with my T610. I've still not got a replacement!
 
blodwyn said:
A good practice in general, but doesn't help if it's a laptop running on battery power
Click to expand...

Hence Step 2. "Remove Battery"
Step 1 is to shut down the PowerBook....

tateusmaximus said:
hehahe no ones picked up on the fact that hes trying to jam a big SIMM stick into a little DIMM hole!

its ok... i do that all the time
🙂
Click to expand...

Yeah, uh, don't the PowerBooks use SO-DIMMs? DIMMs are the standard ones in a desktop, SIMMs are the former standard, and SO-DIMMs are the Small Outline DIMMs.
 
tateusmaximus said:
hehahe no ones picked up on the fact that hes trying to jam a big SIMM stick into a little DIMM hole!
Click to expand...
reh said:
bada_bing said:
...I figured maybe one of the SIMM's had become dislodged...removed both SIMM's and reset them...
Click to expand...

There's your problem. You're using SIMMs! 😀
Click to expand...
'cept me.
 
Three beeps

Hi there,

Three beeps means that no RAM banks passed the memory testing of the POST. Which means resetting the PRAM will not do any good since your computer's built-in ROM detected faulty hardware. The PMU has nothing to do with it.

First, you should try removing any memory module from the upper slot and replace the lower slot chip with a known-good chip. If the problem persists (three beeps at startup), you've got yourself a dead logic board 100% sure. If not, well obviously you've got yourself some dead RAM chips.

By the way, removing the battery of your laptop has nothing to do with "avoiding damage to the laptop" directly. The battery will not send random voltage in your laptop's circuitry while you work inside its case if it was shut down. It is only to make sure you don't accidentaly turn it on (I'm not really sure how you'd end up doing that, but anyway) while the case is open, which could, in that case, damage components.

Good luck!
 
bada_bing said:
Thanks for the advice but can't seem to get this working. I don't quite understand your instructions. Turn off machine, hold down apple, shift, option and power (which means the machine is now on) next step is turn machine on - but it is already on from the previous action??

Thanks for the help

Paul

PS I have tried swapping the RAM modules around but no luck
Click to expand...

i think that key combo will not actually boot the computer up, it just works on resetting some things. so you would have to turn the computer on for real after you booted holding down that combo.
 
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