1 week old ibook won't boot/nothing but grey Apple screen

[California]

Okay, last night I jiggled the keyboard open -gently -- to see the space where my new 1 gig of memory would go. That's ALL I did was LOOK to see where the memory goes under the airport extreme card. Just LOOKED because I know I don't have the guts to do the install myself.

So when I put the keyboard back into place, I suddenly got multi colored screens, then three beeps. Now, all I get is a start up screen of gray with the Apple gray logo and the opening chime and it doesn't go anywhere after that.

What the hey? I could do this manuver on my PB until the cows came home, no problem. Did I fry something or is this a 10.3.9 panther fry the logic board/memory board problem that just was waiting to happen?

1.33ghz iBook/14" combo 256 oem memory ONE WEEK OLD

 

[Chrispy]

Did you run the Apple Hardware Test? That may help limit the problem down a bit.

 

[nichos]

Beep codes

Sounds like you have "no good banks."

• 1 beep = no RAM installed
• 2 beeps = incompatible RAM types
• 3 beeps = no good banks
• 4 beeps = no good boot images in the boot ROM (and/or bad sys config block)
• 5 beeps = processor is not usable

Check out this apple document good luck!

 

[MacSA]

Maybe the RAM came loose?

 

[maxterpiece]

if you don't feel comfortable touching it, then bring it to apple. If it is really a "no good banks" problem - or none of the memory banks passed OS X's inspection then it may just be that the RAM popped out of place. They may fix the problem in like 10 seconds.

 

[ITASOR]

You opened the keyboard while the computer was ON?

 

[cbiffle]

It sounds like you also removed the Airport Extreme card, though you didn't mention that.

Take the keyboard back off (with the machine off this time, eh?), and remove the Airport card and RAM.

Reinsert the RAM. If you have to force it, it's wrong. Make sure it goes all the way into the slot.

Reinsert the airport card. It should click into place, and the fold-down latch should hold it there.

Reinstall the keyboard.

Boot. Fixed? Good, your RAM or Airport card was unseated.

Still doesn't work? Try this:

Turn machine off. Turn back on, holding Cmd, Option, O (letter oh) and F, all at the same time. Continue holding these keys until you get the weird white Open Firmware screen.

Enter the following two commands, exactly, and press return at the end of each line:

reset-nvram
mac-boot

This will reset your machine's NVRAM, which is used to store certain hardware settings. In particular, this may coerce it into feeling up your RAM as if it were a new addition, which might correct the bank problem.

Still doesn't work? Post here and complain.

 

[Chef Medeski]

Same problem. I called Apple Care. Boot from your CD installer. Do all the repair disk utilities. If that doesn't work, you have to reinstall OS X. I archived and Installed, and after word, well I'm typing on it right now.

 

[mpopkin]

You opened the keyboard while the computer was ON?

you can easily open the keyboard or correctly lift it up when the computer is on, it is done all the time, you just shouldnt open the memory compartment when the computer is on.

 

[California]

Guys, thanks I had a busy weekend after calling Apple first thing. they had me hold down the "SHIFT" key when restarting (I could not turn the computer off all night Friday) and it booted fine; no problems since restarting in regular mode. I have no idea what happened -- I did Not touch the airport card or ram, but I did lift the keyboard while computer was on. Will NOT do this again ever, especially as I had the 1 gig of ram installed and now this little machine flies with 1.25gigs. Yikes, starting to like the iBook as much as old Tibook(s). I am buying the three years of Apple care this week.