Did I kill my powerbook 190cs?

[laaane]

ere's the whole story: I got a Powerbook 190 from my grandfather. He didn't give me the cord to plug it in with. He gave me the cord that has the big box, that connects to the computer. It was missing the cord that goes from the box to the wall. I read that it said to ONLY use an apple cord.My step dad said "that's not how electricity works." and gave me a regular, random computer cord. I was unsure, but plugged him in anyway.

He worked perfectly for one night. No problem at all. Booted up right away. I played on him for a few hours. It was time to go to bed.

He hasn't woken up since. He's made the start up sound a few times, but never starts up. I've pushed the reset button on the back a thousand times. At least what I THINK is the reset button. They just say under the video out port, but I don't know what that looks like. What I'm pressing is a small, very flat, wide (but still very small) rectangle of a button. Nothing. I've held it down for 40 seconds, 4 or 5 times. I've taken the battery out, and then held the reset button. Nothing. I've tried everything I know to do, for about a month now.

I left him alone for a few weeks. I plugged him in today, and it made the start up sound, and then nothing.

Can I save him? How? Should I try an apple-specific computer cord? Do I need a new battery? If I did, wouldn't it start up with the battery out, but still plugged into the wall? Fried motherboard?

I even found a freaking airport card that'll work with it, and an external floppy disk for my new mac, so I can transfer files from one to the other. I was so excited about him. And my dreams were crushed.

 

[Pickoff]

Unless I'm misreading this, what I think happened is this:

Your grandfather gave it to you with a full charge. You plugged it in and played with it for a few hours.

As the battery drained. The cord you plugged in wasn't connecting properly and therefore wasn't charging. Electricity always works the same but if its not connecting properly the charge wont transfer. Plus, maybe its a different voltage. Get yourself an compatible Apple cord (that fits your model) and try booting it up again.


Good luck!

 

[Pixellated]

I don't think you could fry it like that, only with the wrong power brick. The laptop was probably toast before.

 

[laaane]

Wow, you're probably SO right. haha, isn't that the first rule in trouble shooting? Simple solutions first. No power.. it's probably not getting power.

I sound sarcastic, but I'm not being sarcastic. I've asked this on 3 forums already, and you're the first person to bring up that it might actually be the cord that's not working right. Everyone else is telling me to just scrap it because it's 12 years old and I've probably fried the motherboard.

I feel slightly silly that there's a GOOD chance that i've been trying to turn on a not-charged lap top for a month now And I thought myself fairly computer knowledgeable (although I do describe the ac adaptor as the cord with the box on it).

 

[bc008]

Wow, you're probably SO right. haha, isn't that the first rule in trouble shooting? Simple solutions first. No power.. it's probably not getting power.

I sound sarcastic, but I'm not being sarcastic. I've asked this on 3 forums already, and you're the first person to bring up that it might actually be the cord that's not working right. Everyone else is telling me to just scrap it because it's 12 years old and I've probably fried the motherboard.

I feel slightly silly that there's a GOOD chance that i've been trying to turn on a not-charged lap top for a month now And I thought myself fairly computer knowledgeable (although I do describe the ac adaptor as the cord with the box on it).

yea, when the non-apple cord was plugged in it probably wasnt charging, you were just using up the battery. now when the battery died it looks like it is the computer, but probably a dead battery, fixed by a new cord

 

[Pickoff]

Glad I could help!