Grey Out

[Camber]

I installed Panther 10.3 on my G4 Power Mac (450 MHz Dual). It's about 5 years old. When I start up in 10.3, the screen has no color. It's grey, kind of translucent. I can see the icons (sort of) but it's impossible to use it properly. I've tried the installation a couple of times.

What am I missing?

 

[Blue Velvet]

Is it doing this?

 

[Camber]

Grey out

Thanks for your reply.

No, I'm not getting that message. OSX is loading OK but it's grey (can't quite describe what it looks like, but it's barely visible). It seems to be a problem with graphics.

 

[ChrisFromCanada]

Could it be your monitor? Have you tried the monitor with different systems?

 

[Lacero]

Sounds like you need to re-calibrate your monitor.

Go into System Preferences > Displays > Color Tab, and click on Calibrate... or choose from the list of display profiles that match your monitor.

If that's not it, it might be under Universal Access in System Preferences, under the Contrast control settings.

Here's to the Crazy Ones ​

 

[ITASOR]

Hmm, sounds like your graphics card is dying. You don't happen to have another one to test, do you? Or another monitor?

 

[Camber]

Grey Out

I tried re-calibrating, but that made no difference. I have a SONY Trinitron that I use for video editing. Would I be able to test the graphics card on that? I don't have another card.

Thanks

 

[mad jew]

Maybe check the Universal Access pane in System Preferences. There's a Grayscale check-box that should not be ticked and also there's a Contrast slider that should be set to normal.

This is coming from Tiger, there may be subtle differences in Panther but I can't remember.

 

[Camber]

Thanks.

I don't seem to have anything called Universal Preferences. I suspect that the problem is my graphics card. Everything is fine in 9.2.2. Even if I try to reinstall, the installation information comes up grey/transparent.

As far as I can tell, I have an ATI Rage 128 Pro in Slot A and ATI Xclaim LT Pro in Slot B.

I must admit I don't understand this graphic card stuff at all.

 

[mcmav37]

Without knowing all the details, I can only guess, but this sounds a bit like what happened to my iBook a few years back: the backlight bulb on the display went bad. Basically the computer must have been producing all the pixels correctly, and putting them in the right place, but the backlight just wasn't on to illuminate them. If I shined a flashlight onto the screen (or through it via the Apple logo) I could see my desktop perfectly.

Again, since I can't see your screen or even know what type of screen you are currently using, I can't say for sure, but my next step would definitely be to try your system with a different monitor.

 

[balamw]

I don't seem to have anything called Universal Preferences.

Universal Access perhaps? (Under System in Tiger's System Preferences)

B

 

[Lacero]

If it happens with different monitors, the video card might have gone bad. But video cards don't just generally fail. Try re-seating the video card and get a can of inert, compressed air and blow out any dust that may have accumulated on it. Blow on the connectors while you're at it.

Last resort, try installing Tiger instead or reset your PM by pressing the little black button that's located next to the battery on your motherboard.

Here's to the Crazy Ones ​

 

[Camber]

Thanks, I'll give it a shot.