Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

New iBook G3 (White 800Mhz 32V-RAM iBook), new problem. :(

Hugh

Hugh

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
I just got an White iBook G3 800Mhz 32VRAM. The problem I am having is it thinks there is another monitor connected to it. How do I fix this? I already try to reset P-RAM via Command-Option PR with 2 reboots. I've also try to reinstall the OS 9 with no luck. I still get a boarder around main screen and it says there is another LCD Screen.

There has to be away to turn this off???


Any help?

Thanks!!! 🙂


=Hugh
 
I always hated trying to identify the later iBook G3 Dual USB models - it becomes a mess IMHO.

In System Profiler, check to see what graphics card it reports. Also, check the model identifier is PowerBook4,3 and that it is 800Mhz G3 CPU.

Other than a unique failure of the solder on the GPU, which I'm not confident this is, you could try an NVRAM reset from within OpenFirmware.

From a completely powered off state, power on the machine and quickly hold down the "Command" , "Option", "O" (the letter O) and "F" keys until you come to a text prompt.

Next type (without spaces):
reset-nvram

and press return

then type:
set-defaults

and press return

then finally type:
reset-all

and press return

A couple of lines of text will flash up with that last command, and the machine will reboot. If this solves the problem, it's likely that a Dual Monitor Open Firmware hack was applied at some point. The iBook never officially supported 'dual' displays, but rather simply 'display mirroring'. The iBooks with the ATI Mobility Radeon 7500 are actually capable of true 'dual displays', but Apple crippled them in OpenFirmware.

If that doesn't fix it, then all I can suggest is that the ATI driver is too old which may mean the MacOS 9.2.2 you have is not the correct version for that motherboard - I've seen this myself. Oddly, some iBook G3 late Dual USB models would have their logic board replaced under a repair extension program, and the GPU was a MUCH later type than the software it shipped with. Under those conditions, Apple supplied a free upgrade to MacOS X 10.3.2 and an updated set of ATI drivers for MacOS 9.2.2 - without them, the display is about 1/4 the size in the middle of the screen, surrounded by black. But IIRC the upgraded motherboard was only the 16MB VRAM models.

So... take your pick. That's about all I know. 😉 🙂
 
Last edited:
The Profiler on the Mac OS 10.4 install CD says the following:

PowerBook4,3
CPU Type PowerPC 750 (2.3)
CPU SPEED 800
Boot ROM Version 4.6.4f1

Graphics:
ATI Mobility Radeon 7500:
Chipset Model ATY,RageM7
ROM Revision 113-XXXX-210
Display:
Type: Display
Display Type: LCD
Display:
Status: No display connected

I tried your Open Firmware trick, but that didn't solve my problem. I installed the ATI Drivers from 2004 for Mac OS 9, that still didn't work. It starts booting full screen, but then all sudden you get thick boarder around startup screen and finder (OS 9). By looking at the control strip it looks like it setup for 2 displays, but I don't have hooked up to another display at this time (future maybe and mirroring only).

Anything else you might suggest? Mac OS 10.4 install doesn't seem to show this problem. :/

Thanks! 🙂

=hugh
 
I just wanted to say that I solved my problem. Turns out the video drivers that I was using from a Universal OS 9 CD wasn't correct. The ones that are on eMac V2 OS 9.2.2 install are.

I hope this is allowed, here a link to the site that has the images.

http://macintoshgarden.org/apps/mac-os-install-cd-library

Now I am a happy camper! LOL

Thanks!

=hugh

PS, how to I mark this Solved? Thanks!
 
This is where I get confused, from all my research on this. It has to be the ATI 2.4.4 update witch is part of the video drivers of the eMac 9.2.2 v2 installer.

I hope this helps. It helped me for I wasn't able to find the drivers by themselves anywhere. 🙁

=hugh
 
  • Like
Reactions: MacTech68
Okay I have a new problem now. When I go to 256 colors (any res) I get lines in the display. I do not get that in OS X however or when I am in Thousands of Colors. Does this mean the video card of the machine is bad or I still have a driver problem?

Thanks! 🙂

=hugh
 
I've always had a problem with using restore disks or more importantly, individual extensions from machine specific disks for another model machine. I experienced this many years ago with a 9.2.2 install with a very odd quirk. After extracting the older versions from the correct source, the odd-ball problem went away. I surmised that Apple only ever tests those extensions with the machines they shipped with. You may find references to grabbing extensions from 'newer' os 9.2.2 disks simply because people think they are missing something with the older version. Whilst this won't ALWAYS cause a problem, in my experience it CAN.

Having said that, you may have a similar issue here, where the eMac ATI drivers were never tested on an iBook 800Mhz and the problem at 256 colors is indeed driver related.

In searching, Apple claims the original restore set for the 800 & 900Mhz G3 iBook was 10.2.4 & 9.2.2

If I can get access to my library, I'll see If I have it.

https://support.apple.com/en-au/HT2191

From that, I believe that these may form the complete set:

iBook Software Restore Disc1of3- MacOS X and MacOS 9 Applications CD v1.3 Z691-4305-A
iBook Software Restore Disc2of3- MacOS X and MacOS 9 Applications CD v1.3 Z691-4365-A
iBook Software Restore Disc3of3- MacOS X and MacOS 9 Applications CD v1.3 Z691-4308-A

iBook MacOS X Install Disc1 - MacOS X v10.2.4 CD v1.0 2Z691-4306-A
iBook MacOS X Install Disc1 - MacOS X v10.2.4 CD v1.0 2Z691-4307-A

Apple Hardware Test iBook SW v1.2.4 691-4020-A
WorldBook 2003 Edition v7.0

Note that this was one of the last CD Restore sets and one of the later sets WITHOUT and OS9 "Install" disk
 
That's what I am finding out, so now I am in search for those OS 9 restore disks that you ran while in OS X 10.2.x. 🙁

Thanks!

=hugh

EDIT: I just found out that I am getting lines vert lines when in 256 colors in OS 10.4 now. Also note when I switch to 256 grays in OS 9, I don't get the lines. It's sounding like the video card isn't it?
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back