12" iBook just made a strange sound at bootup

[TraceyS/FL]

Circa early January 2004 12" iBook, 800mhz running 10.4.?? (my daughter uses it - i think i upgraded it last month when i put iWork on it).

She's been having issues with it turning on - can take awhile. But once it's on, it runs and runs (gee the battery is better than my MBP).

She just went to turn it on, and there was this NOISE. Not a normal "problem chime" - i've heard those before, unless they don't chime like they did in the old days, it wasn't that. It then turned on, made the normal power up chime and she is now moving some files she wants to save to the Time Capsule Disk. It could have been another noise that got stretched out. She says sometimes if she plugs it in as it's booting it will freeze. Could she not tell me these things when they happen?!?!

I don't want to sink any money into it for repair - but dang, the budget needs to squeeze ME a new computer for recording school classes, not her a new laptop.

So basically, could it just be a random noise? She said it's never done it before, here is hoping it doesn't do it again....

Just sign me "stressed over money & computers"....
Tracey

 

[Globetrotter]

Circa early January 2004 12" iBook, 800mhz running 10.4.?? (my daughter uses it - i think i upgraded it last month when i put iWork on it).

She's been having issues with it turning on - can take awhile. But once it's on, it runs and runs (gee the battery is better than my MBP).

She just went to turn it on, and there was this NOISE. Not a normal "problem chime" - i've heard those before, unless they don't chime like they did in the old days, it wasn't that. It then turned on, made the normal power up chime and she is now moving some files she wants to save to the Time Capsule Disk. It could have been another noise that got stretched out. She says sometimes if she plugs it in as it's booting it will freeze. Could she not tell me these things when they happen?!?!

I don't want to sink any money into it for repair - but dang, the budget needs to squeeze ME a new computer for recording school classes, not her a new laptop.

So basically, could it just be a random noise? She said it's never done it before, here is hoping it doesn't do it again....

Just sign me "stressed over money & computers"....
Tracey

Have you established whether or not it was from the speakers, or from an internal piece of hardware - like the hard drive?

Is your daughter of an age to comprehend the various problems computers can suffer from?

 

[TraceyS/FL]

Have you established whether or not it was from the speakers, or from an internal piece of hardware - like the hard drive?

Is your daughter of an age to comprehend the various problems computers can suffer from?

Hmmm, it was of a pitch range that i wouldn't put in another hardware area. My back was to it - about 2-3 feet away when it did it. She's apparently moved everything off and i think i'll have her shut it down and see if it repeats or was a one time thing (for now).

She's 12.5 - so she gets a lot, but wouldn't necessarily know at this self-centered time in her life to pay attention to that stuff (kidding, she's a good kid - she likes us, like her sisters, and is well adjusted for being in Middle School - but we homeschool and that helps! LOL!!).

I'm just perplexed because honestly, i've never heard a noise from a computer like that. I"d put it in the "computer generated/speaker" family, but i could be proven wrong there to you know? I certainly wasn't sitting there waiting for it to do something.

It's not holding the date/time right now either. UGH. Is that battery user replaceable?!

 

[TraceyS/FL]

I just reset the PMU on it, fixed the date/time.

I notice she has the World Book disk in there, i wonder if it could have been from the drive?!

More to ponder, and actually, i'm GUESSING i reset the PMU - there is no feedback on doing so.......

 

[TraceyS/FL]

So this morning it started up on the first push of the power button, she commented on that being the quickest "ever".

BUT, it then "beeped" (i'd liken it more to a PC type of post noise?! it's been awhile and that could be the Mac noise, this was my first Mac since the Quadra 610 i bought years before), and "rebooted" itself.

Apparently she didn't move all the files she wants to save - had some in her other account, but i guess i'll just be resigned to "something is dying" and have her hit up Grandpa for a new one on the 4th! LOL!!

 

[thecartoonguy]

Sounds???

Was the the sound like several beeps or was it a loud grinding sound?