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Best repair place in East Bay?

T

thabridawg

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 16, 2002
61
0
Hi, I have a 2002 1 GHz Quicksilver and I think the video card is broken - I tried two different monitors, one says it's in power save mode, the other says there is no video source - both screens are otherwise blank. I tried both monitors on my PC to see if they would work, and they did. I tried putting several different startup CDs in the Mac, it didn't help. The fan runs, the hard drive makes noise, the startup beep still occurs, and the white LED on the front lights up, but it the monitors still don't display anything.

I also reset the PRAM... and my Mac is still under warranty... I got it in August.

Where is the best place ( from your guys' experience) to get a Mac serviced in the Bay Area (preferably the East Bay)?

I'm thinking about ComputerWare in Berkeley..
 
The ComputerWare store will just send your PowerMac to Apple for repair. Try M.A.C. in Berkeley on Shattuck and University down the street from MacDonald's.
 
Before you do anything (That you have to pay for) Just try Reseating the Video Card. The AGP Sockets don't hold cards as securely as their PCI Cousins.
(Sorry if you know this already)
1) Open the Computer
2) Locate the Video Card (Plugged into the Brown Socket
3) Unscrew the Metal Plate, of the video card, from the back of the case.
4) Pull out the card, and place it back where it was.
5) Place your thumbs on the two corners of the card and press toward the motherboard.
6) Close the case and Test again.
7) If that doesn't solve the problem, call AppleCare and they will refer you to one of their Authorized Repair Shops. They WILL do a good job.


TEG
 
Does anyone know what could've started my problem?

It happened as random as could be... I was just listening to mp3s, and then boom, my computer turned off, and when I tried to turn it back on... I got sad =*(

The only thing that I can remotely even try to connect with it was that I put in a brand new flat screen CRT Sony monitor the previous week... but it was working fine.. and the same monitor works on my PC.
 
From my experience, Those AGP cards will just move enough to cause problems. Sometime from moving the computer, sometimes fan vibrations, other times a "Big-Rig" Truck going down the street can cause enough vioration to dislodge the card. That is why, whenever I purchase and Computer or move a computer I Reseat the Video card. I had one that came completely out of the socket and was fried, so be careful.

TEG
 
ahh thank you so much TEG, hopefully the problem is just with the AGP card and nothing else.

When your AGP card did 'fail' on you, did your computer still play the startup chime or not?



Does anyone else here know of good Bay Area Mac repair places? I'm going at 1 PM today to Computer Center in Hayward... if I can't find any other place.
 
(Disclamer, It was a PC)
Well, When I reinserted it into the machine the Machine booted fine, just no picture. Good thing I have a great imagination ( I ended up being able to print up a School report with out an image).

But I digress, We have done experiments on servers when I was in Highschool with removing the Video card, so no one could mess with the machines, and they still booted, make noise, everything.

DO NOT TAKE YOUR COMPUTER IN FOR REPAIR (remember it costs money)
Also I see your machine is still under warranty, So if that doesn't work, they will porbally send you out a new video card for self installation. (For Free)

TEG
 
Try resetting the PMU.

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=95037

That should help you with the process. For the most part though, the PMU is very easy to locate. It is a little tiny button on the motherboard, very visible right when you pull the side of the machine down. Look at the diagrams linked at the address I gave above.

Anyway, if you DO need to take the computer in for repair, you're still under warranty... so why don't you just go to the Apple Store in Emeryville? It's only a mile or two away from any place in Berkeley and they will handle any Apple-related warranty you have.
 
Here's an update...

I took it to Computer Center in Hayward (my dad insisted to take it there). I told the guy that there was no video, and that I tried two different monitors. I also told him that there was no startup chime. He said the technician should would look at it later that day.

Well... today I called.. and the guy said that the technician had to order a new logic board! :(

What's up with that!
 
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