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Help, I think I destroyed my Mom's Powerbook (Pismo)

yoda13

yoda13

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Sep 26, 2003
1,468
2
Texas
OK, I hope that you guys can help me. Here is what I have done. My mom had asked me to upgrade her Powerbook G3 (Pismo). She is getting into digital photos, etc and the machine was just not cutting it. So I added to 512 mb sticks of memory from OWC. I then swapped the original 6 gig hard drive for a 80 gig 5400 IBM hard drive. After completion of this service, I tried to restart the computer while holding down the C key and nothing would happen. It was just dead. Though the caps lock key would light up, but that was it. I tried zapping the PRAM, but it would not respond to that. I tried resetting the PMU, and that didn't help. So I took it back apart and reinstalled all the old hardware, still no go. Any ideas on what I have done to mess this up, and is it possible for me to fix it? Or is it dead :eek: ? Any help you guys can give me would be great.
 
Sounds like you dropped something on the logic board or something. Did you mishandle the machine in anyway or did something break off?
 
Coolvirus007 said:
you did install an os on the new HD right? (or cloned it)
Click to expand...
he said he reinstalled his old hard drive but it still didnt work.


I would say you might of fried something. I doubt it but without looking that is my guess. is it getting power??
 
As a guess, you may have seeded the processor card improperly. Since you would have had to remove it to install ram into the lower slot, that's all I can think. The Apple service manual for the Pismo specifically mentions pressing on the card firmly two or three times to ensure that it's been fully seeded.
 
I was very careful with the machine. It does seem to be getting power as the battery will light up like it always does when you first plug in the power and the caps lock key will light up. I will try to reseed the processor card, but I thought that I was thorough with that as well. Oh well, I guess that I could have fried the logic board, but for the life of me I cannot think of when that could have happened. Does the fact that it seems to be getting power shed any light on my situation? Once again, thanks for all of your help. I cannot get any sound from it though, and I cannot hear the hard drive spinning or anything like that.
 
I was also very careful to discharge static electicity and what not, so I cannot figure out what the problem is. How about the tiny little round battery that is on the logic board. I am fairly certain that it is the original one. Could the work I have done on the computer cause problems with the battery, and thus give me the problems that I am having. BTW, I reseeded the processor card and it is in good, and still nothing. This is the first time that I have ever been into the guts of this particular computer. The heatsink on the card looks like it has been bent and then bent back into place at some point. (No, I didn't bend it ;) ) Could that cause it not to work now, even though it was working before I took it out? Did I damage someone's homemade repair on it without even knowing it? I am at my wits end. How would I tell if I fried the logic board? This is very frustrating :(
 
There are a couple of possibilities (I think)
1.a likely problem is not reseating the logic board properly (have had this problem as well, gives the exact symptoms you describe) you must press down pretty firmly
2.could be bad ram or incompatible (so you could try the original ram) but usually the pismo will utter a loud beep on booting in this situation or will boot normally as long as one ram stick is ok
3. logic board may have fried (have had this happen myself) if thats the case then jumping into open firmware usually doesnt yield the normal open firmware startup sequence (i seem to remember)
links (hope these help)
www.pbfixit.com/Guide/
http://developer.apple.com/document.../pci_srvcs/pci_cards_drivers/PCI_BOOK.24.html
 
scolley@eon.net said:
There are a couple of possibilities (I think)
1.a likely problem is not reseating the logic board properly (have had this problem as well, gives the exact symptoms you describe) you must press down pretty firmly
2.could be bad ram or incompatible (so you could try the original ram) but usually the pismo will utter a loud beep on booting in this situation or will boot normally as long as one ram stick is ok
3. logic board may have fried (have had this happen myself) if thats the case then jumping into open firmware usually doesnt yield the normal open firmware startup sequence (i seem to remember)
links (hope these help)
www.pbfixit.com/Guide/
http://developer.apple.com/document.../pci_srvcs/pci_cards_drivers/PCI_BOOK.24.html
Click to expand...

I will check out these links and see if they can give me a hand. I don't believe that it is the ram, as I replaced the new w/ the old that I had taken out and it still would not boot. Thanks for the links though, I will check them out.
 
OK, so I have taken the computer apart again and put it back together, now using all of the new parts that I had purchased for it. I then went through all my steps that we have covered in the first post. Then I tried to start it up. Now here is what happens....The computer lets out a metallic grinding noise and then I get the startup sound. I can now also here the hard drive spinning and the keyboard lights come on if you hit caps lock, etc. So maybe I made some progress, but I am not sure...however, the powerlight and the monitor do not come on. Does this mean that the logic board might not be fried, or am I just getting different behaviors as a result of that? The thing I keep coming back to is the fact that it was working fine before I installed the upgrades and I was VERY careful not to damage anything or cause problems w/ static electricity. Anymore ideas?
 
If you end up not being able to fix it lemme know. I am in TX as well, where in TX are you? I'd be more than happy to try to help you fix it in person as well.

Mike
BTW Lucky736@aol.com
 
Still could be a logic board problem :-(
Possibly the hard drive is screwy - I know you said you tried to start up with the install disk but probably worth trying this again, now.
Otherwise hop into open firmware and type "reset-all". If open firmware doesn't work properly I think the logic board is probably stuffed (but I'm not an expert on this).
 
OK, I will get into open firmware and see what I can do. That scares me for some reason :eek: But, I must learn to do these things at some time :)

I will let you know how it goes. I have not been able to get it to boot from a cd yet, as I have tried again.

Oh well, I will see what I can do and let you guys know.
 
Lucky736 said:
If you end up not being able to fix it lemme know. I am in TX as well, where in TX are you? I'd be more than happy to try to help you fix it in person as well.

Mike
BTW Lucky736@aol.com
Click to expand...

I appreciate the offer. If I get desperate, I'll drop you a line, but I am in deep east Texas, pretty much away from everything, several hours from you, so I think the logistics might be troublesome. But I appreciate the offer nonetheless :)
 
OK, so I may have figured out the problem. My uncle drops by today and asks where that black computer I was working on last time he was here. Now, I won't bore you with the details, but I had the processor out of the logic board and laying on the box the new hard disk came in. Well, while I was in the other room getting something, my uncle tripped over the box and stepped on the processor card :eek: Now, why he is just now telling me this, I don't know. But on further examination, I should have caught it, because the heat sink looks like its been reshaped a little after having been bent. My question for everyone is this: Is the behavior that I have described earlier possibly caused by the (likely) damaged processor card, and if so, can i order the upgrade from OWC for the Pismo, and solve my problem. My uncle is now paying for whatever it costs to fix it. My only other option is to send it to a place like macresq or something, as there are no Mac certified places anywhere near here. I told my Mom if it is the logic board, it would probably be cheaper to just get a new computer, but she is adament about wanting this one....go figure. Anyway, do you think the new processor card/upgrade might fix my problem?
 
yoda13 said:
I told my Mom if it is the logic board, it would probably be cheaper to just get a new computer
Click to expand...


Well that is most likly one of those things everone things... A logic board for a Pismo is not that bad, I was able to pick up some AppleService Parts, and a G3 all 3 revsions were about 20 bucks for a new one... I think that it would not be that hard to find one, I mean I was able to find like 200 AppleService parts off eBay, just my collection :D .... At any rate you should replace the board and the Porcceor car, you would want to be certin about it continuing to work for you...
 
I'd saybe on the save side and get the G4 upgrade from OCW or CDW, or anyone really. Even one dammaged pin, one broken diode will royally screw you up. Replacing the Processor Card is your best option.

TEG
 
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