Powerbook 12" dead after HDD format

[Hallivand]

Hey all, been awhile since I last posted but I've recently aquired a beautiful Powerbook 12", 1.5Ghz + 512mb ram for AU$40 . He just wanted to get rid of it since it never saw any use.

Now to why I am here, after tinkering with it for a few days I decided to format the existing Tiger build with a fresh format of Leopard. Everything went perfectly until it prompted to restart after the install. I clicked yes and thereafter it appeared to boot (I could hear the Welcome video playing) however nothing on the screen shows up. I tried resetting NVRAM/PRAM and the PMU to no avail. I've tried forcing it into Target Disk Mode with no luck, nor could I get it to boot off the CD. I am unable to connect it an external monitor as I don't posses a mini DVI adapter so I'm at a loss as to what to do next.

Another point of info, if I take the ram stick out and try to boot it off the internal RAM I get three beeps suggesting (internal?) slot failure. When I re-insert the RAM stick (I've tried three different ones so far) I can hear it boot (Never a start up chime though) and then plays the Welcome video.

Sorry for the wall of text but it's been quite puzzling as to what to do, I've done what I could so any help at all would be greatly appreciated even if its possible to possibly remove the internal RAM maybe.

 

[eyoungren]

The beeping is just telling you that there is no RAM installed when you boot. That's normal because you pulled the RAM chip out.

It sounds as if the video may have switched somehow. Try this. Reboot. When you hear the video playing, press the F7 key. That's the one with the two little windows on it. That particular key is a direct hardware switch of the display from internal to external and back again. If the display is stuck on external it should switch it back to internal.

If that does not work, then your F keys may be set to function with the FN key, so try it with the FN key, i.e FN+F7.

Hope that helps!

 

[Hallivand]

Thanks for the tips! Also for the RAM issue, as far as I know the 12" models had built in RAM in addition to to the single external slot (initially 128, then 256 like mine) - could be faulty internal RAM if it doesn't boot perhaps? Also I tried the external/internal button tip to no avail, just plays the welcome video with no audio and prompts to setup the Mac,

 

[Intell]

Have you tried using an external screen and/or speakers with it to see if it does anything different?

 

[Hallivand]

Unfortunately I haven't got access to a mini-DVI to DVI/VGA adapter so no luck being able to try that. Also I plugged in audio it played out to the headphones so could be something there - it won't go to sleep when the lid is closed too. Short of dismantling it (seen their a little challenging to do - more so than the Powerbook 15" I've done) I'm not sure what else I may be able to try.