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PowerMac G3 B&W No Power to Keyboard

iceman45575

iceman45575

macrumors member
Original poster
Feb 6, 2016
76
23
Silicon Valley
Hello,
I think this is the last problem with my B&W G3. When I turn on the computer to try to boot from a CD to install Tiger the keyboard doesn't turn on. If I press caps lock the light doesn't turn on. I tried that keyboard on my other computers and it works. It's not a dead USB port because I've switched it with the mouse and the mouse always has the red laser underneath it on. Anyone have a solution?
Thanks!
 
You could get an ADB keyboard and try that. Is the keyboard you have a recent Apple one?
 
Hard to tell what is going on. Does the mouse function ok? Power is getting through but is the mouse tracking across the screen as it should? Can you get a usb flash drive to mount?

Either the usb ports are faulty in some way - passing power but not data or the keyboard has some incompatibility with the B&W. I know that some recent wired Apple keyboards struggle on older hardware. Easiest way to narrow this down is to get hold of another keyboard, preferably an Apple one of a similar vintage, and give that a shot.
 
The mouse turns on, but I can't test it because it goes straight to the ? folder. I also can't test to see if a USB will mount, but it does turn on as I can see the lights turn on. I will just have to get another keyboard to try it on.
 
There may be compatibility problems with non-Apple keyboards. Apple's own Pro Keyboard doesn't work under the preinstalled OS 8.5.1!
 
Yes, but I'm not sure whether it works immediately at boot (eg. to boot from CD or get into Open Firmware). I no longer have that machine.

To clarify, the B&W originally came with a B&W-themed "short" keyboard. The Pro Keyboard is a full-sized keyboard that was released a little later.
 
Try this. Open up the B&W and detach the hard drive. This may force it to boot from the CD in the absence of any other boot device found.
 
weckart said:
Try this. Open up the B&W and detach the hard drive. This may force it to boot from the CD in the absence of any other boot device found.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately that did not work, should I try an ADB keyboard or will it do the same thing?
[doublepost=1504582951][/doublepost]I found a cheap AppleDesign ADB keyboard on eBay, do you think that would work?
 
I am loath to advise you to buy an ADB keyboard just for troubleshooting unless it is something you were planning on doing regardless. As it stands, it is hard to see where the problem lies exactly.

From above, it seems as if there is no OS installed or the Mac cannot see the hard drive as it is showing a flashing folder with a question mark. Can you get the B&W to respond to any keyboard input?

Try either of these combinations as soon as you hear the start chime:

Cmd+Opt+P+R Hold this down until you hear another chime.

Cmd+Opt+O+F Hold this down until you get an Open Firmware prompt.

If either of these work, then you might have a faulty optical drive or install disc. We can direct the Mac to boot from CD from the Open Firmware prompt so that would help narrow down the problem.
 
So none of those key combinations elicits any response at all? At this stage, another PowerMac would be helpful. You could transfer an OS9 installation from that to the B&W and see if it even boots up at all.

From what I can see you have an issue with either:

- The USB ports
- The keyboard
- The logic board - in particular the IDE ports
 
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