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PowerBook G4 12-inch 1.5GHz Trackpad NOT WORKING

Sawtooth811

Sawtooth811

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Oct 18, 2007
317
1
Hello, again. My PowerBook's trackpad stopped working when I put a replacement motherboard in, so I thought. Everytime I hit the power button, the startup chime comes on, but nothing else happens (black screen) for about 30 seconds to one minute, then it boots normally. So I've ordered a new top case with a trackpad for $16 total, and it's doing the same thing--NOTHING. The click or tracking doesn't work. I've reset the PMU, and cleaned the port with alcohol solution. Now it boots normally, but the trackpad continues to do NOTHING. I've looked in the System Profiler, and it didn't even notice it. Hopefully this isn't the motherboard. Everything else works fine. Any help? Because this is FRUSTRATING!!!:mad::mad::mad:

Thanks.
 
Sawtooth811 said:
Any help? Because this is FRUSTRATING!!!:mad::mad::mad:

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Wow, I can't even being to imagine the frustration. I don't know if this would help, but have you tried booting in safe mode or running an Apple Hardware Test? I've had things not show up in System Profiler (i.e., iSight on an iMac) and after running AHT the system said everything was fine. After booting into Safe Mode, everything came back to normal.

Hope you get it working soon!
 
MarkMS said:
Wow, I can't even being to imagine the frustration. I don't know if this would help, but have you tried booting in safe mode or running an Apple Hardware Test? I've had things not show up in System Profiler (i.e., iSight on an iMac) and after running AHT the system said everything was fine. After booting into Safe Mode, everything came back to normal.

Hope you get it working soon!
Click to expand...

Hmmm....I've never thought of AHT....How do I use AHT in safe mode? Oh, and thanks for the advice!
 
Safe Mode alone didn't work? No trackpad in Profiler? Look for the installation discs that came with your PB and see if one is labeled Apple Hardware Test. You can't run it in Safe Mode. You place the disc in the drive, hold C and boot from the disc. From there you just follow the wizard.

Here's a bit more info about AHT and how to run it.

If you can't find the disc, then go here and download an AHT disk image from Apple.
 
It's not there....all that is in the .dmg file is how to use it. AND now, when I've taken it apart, a bluetooth module was in there, plugged in, and I didn't know, because my PB didn't detect that either....:confused:
 
I may have found something new....I booted into Single-User Mode, and the last thing it stated before I was ready to type in a code, two messages appeared:

:/ root# sssssssssUSBF: 20.798 [0x2bc4000] The IOUSBFamily is having trouble enumerating a USB device that has been plugged in. It will keep retrying. (Port 1 of hub @ location : 0x1a000000)

Then about two seconds later, the second message appeared, saying:

USBF: 24.402 [0x2bc4000] The IOUSBFamily was not able to enumerate the device.

The I've looked on my Mom's iBook G4 System Profiler, and her's said Apple Internal Trackpad and Bluetooth Manager, or something like that. The trackpad was located at 0x1a100000, and the Bluetooth was located at 0x1a200000. Then I looked at my Powerbook's, and all it said was USB Bus and High-Speed USB Bus, with nothing under them, and no Location ID. Any help?
 
If you plug in an external USB mouse for example, does it work? Its possible that there is something wrong with the USB controller on the logic board. Either that, or there are some pins shorted somewhere where the trackpad plugs into the logicboard.
 
CubeHacker said:
If you plug in an external USB mouse for example, does it work? Its possible that there is something wrong with the USB controller on the logic board. Either that, or there are some pins shorted somewhere where the trackpad plugs into the logicboard.
Click to expand...

Ahh! CubeHacker! You've arrived! :D An external mouse functions just fine, and so do other USB devices. It'll suck if I've known I have a bluetooth/trackpad short in the motherboard....:(
 
Are there any diagnostic apps I can use? I don't have AHT for this PowerBook, but I do have TechTool Pro 4.5.3, and it only works for Tiger, unless I boot it from the CD. I'm not taking chances with that, though, since I only use Leopard on this thing.
 
Hmmm

A few things:

Reset PMU & PRAM?

Try boot off another OS X installation (Target disk mode another PPC Mac?)

If that still fails, you'll know its hardware. If it is, I'd think you're looking at a loose connecter on the MLB.

Pricey.

F
 
FireArse said:
A few things:

Reset PMU & PRAM?

Try boot off another OS X installation (Target disk mode another PPC Mac?)

If that still fails, you'll know its hardware. If it is, I'd think you're looking at a loose connecter on the MLB.

Pricey.

F
Click to expand...

That was the first thing I've tried! Still, no hope, even to this day. No trackpad, no bluetooth. Something in the back of my head is telling me some kind of firmware or software was deleted in the computer's PMU or ROM that runs the trackpad....but, if this NEVER works, I'm ok with this cool little laptop mouse! :cool:
 
Hi,

Got the same problem as Sawtooth811 after a replacement of the motherboard in my Powerbook 12" 1.5 Ghz. I didn't find how to fix it. I've also changed the top with a new trackpad. No change.

Sawtooth, when you say I "cleaned the port with alcohol solution. Now it boots normally...", can you give more details about the "port"? As yours, my pwb shows a black screen for 40 seconds before a normal boot. For information, I find that in the logs:

07/09/09 12:23:47 kernel USBF: 51.976 [0x2795900] The IOUSBFamily is having trouble enumerating a USB device that has been plugged in. It will keep retrying. (Port 2 of hub @ location: 0x1a000000)

Thanks a lot for your help

Vince (from Paris, France)
 
pieguz said:
vince64 said:
Hi,

Got the same problem as Sawtooth811 and vince64 after a replacement of the top case in my :apple: Powerbook 12" 1.5 Ghz.
Any advice for me? :(
Thanks a lot for your help
Pietro
Click to expand...

Even though I've sold my PowerBook G4, I've known what the situation was after fully repairing and selling my last two 12" PowerBooks last year. You HAVE to find another PowerBook G4 track pad pulled specifically from another 1.5GHz 12" PowerBook G4, because the older track pads (i.e. 1.33GHz and under) will NOT work with it, like it would for iBook G4s with different clock speeds. I definitely suggest searching on eBay, like I have. If I have known this before, I would have made a lot more money by repairing my very first 1.5GHz PowerBook with that issue. :mad:
Click to expand...
 
Sawtooth811 said:
The question in this thread has been solved and answered.

:D
Click to expand...

I am too attached to my powerbook to think of selling off! I would try to think of some other solution ... I reinstalled the old top case and now the touchpad has taken to make the defect more: the first 10 minutes, that is cold, the touchpad works perfectly, then begins to falter, practiced until it stops altogether. It makes me think of a memory that is filling ... In fact if I put the PB to sleep, that is if I close the screen, then resumed for another while, and then relock. If I try to reset the whole palm of my hand, it hangs! I'll try to reopen this thread with the hope that some mac user can help to shed light on this long-standing flaw! Good shaken. Peter :confused:
 
Sawtooth811 said:
You HAVE to find another PowerBook G4 track pad pulled specifically from another 1.5GHz 12" PowerBook G4, because the older track pads (i.e. 1.33GHz and under) will NOT work with it, like it would for iBook G4s with different clock speeds.
Click to expand...

Since no one has stated why this is, I thought I'd throw it out there. The older trackpads are ADB and the newer ones are USB. So you can't interchange them.
 
PB G4 1.5Ghz models use USB controller to connect a trackpad. Previous models use PMU99 Power controller. That's why the topcase from 1.5 model couldn't be used on any other model.
 
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