summary
Please help with PowerBook G4 Ti:
details
A friend's system wouldn't start up, he said I could take a look, asking me to recover some family photos from his Hard Disk Drive. This machine had not been used for months. So far I have uncovered two issues and would be grateful to receive further guidance here to get this machine up and going. Please pardon me writing too much information.
system specs
PowerBook G4 500MHz 15" Titanium 20GB 512MB
L2 cache: 1024K @ 250 MHz
MLB serial #: QT1091PWKWMA
AirPort card present, Boot ROM version: 4.1.8f5
service history: 3/10/2005 = repaired directory errors, charged clock battery, installed optical drive.
action: Remove PRAM battery and it powers up.
I like to tinker, and I'm recently out of work, stumbled upon a place with step by step instructions to take apart at <http://homepage.mac.com/sysop/PhotoAlbum13.html>.
Followed those steps and removed the persistent RAM (PRAM) battery, put it all back together ( except for a few screws, oops! ) and it powers up, and seems to be charging the battery as an LED lights up now. Took it apart again and checked Hard Disk Drive connections, appears ok. Put the PRAM battery back in ( battery shows: 616-0144-A, match to slide 35 ) and now the system boots ok. Maybe resetting the connections got things going, maybe the battery needed a kick, who knows.
Explanation according to a few sources
How to find a replacement PRAM battery?
The places to purchase these have not matched the shape of four circles stacked diagonally, nor have they matched the number of 616-0114-A. are these all pretty generic and interchangeable?
Hard drive sounds
Listening closely as the system boots without a CD disk in the drive I can faintly hear the HDD start to spin for 1/2 second but then stop. This pattern repeats maybe 20 times, spinning and stopping twice, then spinning and stopping six times.
Screen display on normal bootup
when powering up with no CD in the drive it shows a folder in the center of the screen, alternating between a question mark and a face.
action: run Hardware Test, gives error code ata1/6/3 HD:2,0
Now that it powers up, Run "Apple Hardware Test" for PowerBook SW version 1.1. While starting there is a vertical red stripe on the right 1/4 point.
results of running the "Extended Test":
AirPort = Passed
Logic Board = Passed
Mass Storage = Error detected
Where do you find the lookup codes?
Here I hit a wall, searched around for several hours and found no hits. Closest thing was an incorrect diagnostics message when multiple drives are in use.
note: while writing this text I ran it again ( after five or six times over a week ) and it passed!? This was the first time running hardware test after running applecare. Ran applecare again which found no HDD, ran hardware test again and the same error came.
action: run AppleCare Protection Plan 2.5.5, cannot find HDD
Machine boots up to MAC OS 9.1, shows Red Battery next to clock
TechTool Deluxe asks to "Select the volumes you wish to examine, then click 'Check.'" but there are no items to select from.
Disk First Aid: shows only AppleCare Diagnostics AT API DVD-RAM, bus (Write Protected)
Drive Setup: also shows only CD drive.
If you have any advice or hints for these I would appreciate it.
- get contents of hard drive
- get PowerBook to run again
- avoid this happening again
thank you very much for any help,
tom
Please help with PowerBook G4 Ti:
- Where can one look up the meaning of diagnostics codes? HDD diagnostics error code: ata1/6/3 HD:2,0
- What does a single blinking LED on the battery mean?
- AppleCare does not show the HDD, chance it is ok but not connected?
details
A friend's system wouldn't start up, he said I could take a look, asking me to recover some family photos from his Hard Disk Drive. This machine had not been used for months. So far I have uncovered two issues and would be grateful to receive further guidance here to get this machine up and going. Please pardon me writing too much information.
system specs
PowerBook G4 500MHz 15" Titanium 20GB 512MB
L2 cache: 1024K @ 250 MHz
MLB serial #: QT1091PWKWMA
AirPort card present, Boot ROM version: 4.1.8f5
service history: 3/10/2005 = repaired directory errors, charged clock battery, installed optical drive.
action: Remove PRAM battery and it powers up.
I like to tinker, and I'm recently out of work, stumbled upon a place with step by step instructions to take apart at <http://homepage.mac.com/sysop/PhotoAlbum13.html>.
Followed those steps and removed the persistent RAM (PRAM) battery, put it all back together ( except for a few screws, oops! ) and it powers up, and seems to be charging the battery as an LED lights up now. Took it apart again and checked Hard Disk Drive connections, appears ok. Put the PRAM battery back in ( battery shows: 616-0144-A, match to slide 35 ) and now the system boots ok. Maybe resetting the connections got things going, maybe the battery needed a kick, who knows.
Explanation according to a few sources
- the PRAM battery will be used to power the system when no power supply is given and the battery is dead.
- the on/off button on the PowerBook is powered from the PRAM battery.
- the PRAM was designed to power the system for up to 2 minutes which is suggested to be long enough to change batteries to a fresh one.
- once the PRAM battery is dead one cannot turn on the PowerBook even if a fresh battery and AC power is connected , one has to disconnect the PRAM battery, turn on the system, then reconnect the PRAM battery so it can charge.
How to find a replacement PRAM battery?
The places to purchase these have not matched the shape of four circles stacked diagonally, nor have they matched the number of 616-0114-A. are these all pretty generic and interchangeable?
Hard drive sounds
Listening closely as the system boots without a CD disk in the drive I can faintly hear the HDD start to spin for 1/2 second but then stop. This pattern repeats maybe 20 times, spinning and stopping twice, then spinning and stopping six times.
Screen display on normal bootup
when powering up with no CD in the drive it shows a folder in the center of the screen, alternating between a question mark and a face.
action: run Hardware Test, gives error code ata1/6/3 HD:2,0
Now that it powers up, Run "Apple Hardware Test" for PowerBook SW version 1.1. While starting there is a vertical red stripe on the right 1/4 point.
results of running the "Extended Test":
AirPort = Passed
Logic Board = Passed
Mass Storage = Error detected
***ERROR*CODE***ERROR*CODE***
ata1/6/3 HD:2,0
ata1/6/3 HD:2,0
Where do you find the lookup codes?
Here I hit a wall, searched around for several hours and found no hits. Closest thing was an incorrect diagnostics message when multiple drives are in use.
note: while writing this text I ran it again ( after five or six times over a week ) and it passed!? This was the first time running hardware test after running applecare. Ran applecare again which found no HDD, ran hardware test again and the same error came.
action: run AppleCare Protection Plan 2.5.5, cannot find HDD
Machine boots up to MAC OS 9.1, shows Red Battery next to clock
TechTool Deluxe asks to "Select the volumes you wish to examine, then click 'Check.'" but there are no items to select from.
Disk First Aid: shows only AppleCare Diagnostics AT API DVD-RAM, bus (Write Protected)
Drive Setup: also shows only CD drive.
If you have any advice or hints for these I would appreciate it.
- get contents of hard drive
- get PowerBook to run again
- avoid this happening again
thank you very much for any help,
tom