Flashing Light, Blank Screen

[esotu]

I need your help.

I received some RAM for Christmas, a generic stick of 512MB made by Samsung. I opened my 1.6GHz G5 up and put it in, but it didn't recognize the new RAM. That's when I found out that it needed to be installed in pairs. "Oh well," I thought, "I'll just get another stick and everything will be fine." I moved the RAM back to it's old configuration and booted - yet it didn't boot. The power light on my display was flashing once about every 3 seconds, as was the power light on my g5. I turned it off and moved the RAM around - no luck. I did it about 3 times and still it wouldn't boot at all. What worries me is that it doesn't chime - the fans rev up, and then nothing but flashing lights and a blank screen. I ended up leaving it like that for about 15 minutes, and then all the fans kicked on high and made an enormous racket.

I tightened the video card, and I made sure the RAM is in securely.

What could this be?

 

[varmit]

This is the tower right? Just that there is an iMac G5 that is a 1.6 too. You did remember to touch the case before touching any of the parts inside? Might want to try and get to the open firmware and do a reset-all if you can get there. Have you tried resetting the PMU? That is the only other thing that I can think of to reset since you don't get any chimes.

 

[Sayer]

One flash means that no *compatible* RAM modules were installed or detected.

PC2100 RAM is incompatible with the G5s, and will be ignored if installed.

A G5 with four slots for RAM use PC2700 RAM or PC3200 RAM only.

The RAM must be installed in pairs, one in each corresponding bank from the inner slots outward.

Stick the Apple RAM back in and try it. G5s are very picking about the RAM quality. If one stick doesn't work, send it back and get a different one. If it still won't work try a different brand.