Trying to revive my powerbook G4

[ovbacon]

So as the description, I'm trying to revive my newly recovered powerbook G4 (12"). After a home remodel I re-discovered my old iPhone 3G and this powerbook. The 3G has been revived but this little notebook is a different beast.

First I could not find the power cord so I ordered one from Amazon (I know I hate sending wealthy people up to space but hell I live out in the sticks and wanted it fast).

Awesome... with the power it needed it started but kinda froze on the Apple logo screen.... OUCH not good.

 

[ovbacon]

Ok, so I tried something else and hell you can have it do a hardware test... did that

 

[ovbacon]

The extended test comes back as GOOD but well.... seriously how can that be.

 

[ovbacon]

So I still have the original instal disk so I thought I just reinstall the thing..

But when I get to "select destination disk" it stays empty... (insert sad face)

 

[ovbacon]

So when I rebooted it to look at the hardware test I noticed that the default boot drive is the optical drive.
I'm curious to hear what people think and if anyone has a solution... Because it kinda looks like the internal HDD is dead... but I'd really like to survive this baby.

 

[Doq]

This entire ordeal screams "dead HDD", start to finish. I'd try a drive replacement first before anything more nuclear.

 

[ovbacon]

This entire ordeal screams "dead HDD", start to finish. I'd try a drive replacement first before anything more nuclear.

Thanks, that is what I was thinking and I was obviously seeking confirmation or an answer. 👍

 

[Pedro Passamani]

It sure does look like a faulty drive, but does it at least appear under Disk Utility? Maybe an initialization can take care of it.

 

[MysticCow]

I do remember when I had a dying hard disk. When it was booted into the Mac OS, it would run decently and then all of a sudden you'd hear "CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA." It was a very audible (read: FRIGGIN LOUD ENOUGH TO MAKE YOU JUMP, OK?????) clicking noise.

I'd replace the drive first and see what happens.

 

[ovbacon]

It sure does look like a faulty drive, but does it at least appear under Disk Utility? Maybe an initialization can take care of it.

There is no Disk Utility in this version of OSX... (edited from OS9)

 

[Wild Hare]

Booted from your OS X Install Disk (your post #4 above) after you select English (or whatever) go to the very top menu bar, pull down menus… and you may find “Disk Utility”. But chances are that if it isn’t showing up in the installer window… your HD may indeed be deceased.

However… it is showing up in the bootpicker (#2 above) as “Macintosh HD”?

 

[MysticCow]

There is no Disk Utility in Mac OS9

There is Disk First Aid. But no Utility.

DFA isn’t as thorough as Utility anyway…

 

[Wild Hare]

OP has an OS X Installer disk. Is he attempting to install OS 9?

 

[ovbacon]

Sorry for the confusion on OS9.. just trying to get into the HD or reinstall OSX 10.2

But it seems that it would have been better to keep it out of the light of day as the screen just died as well

 

[TheShortTimer]

...the screen just died as well

What do you see, is it a blank display on the screen without any activity at all?

Do you still hear the Mac chime when the laptop powers up?

 

[MysticCow]

If all else fails you can “clamshell mode” the laptop and hook up an external monitor.

 

[ovbacon]

Still powers with chime but screen has zero response.

 

[Doq]

I would've been with Mystic on this if it weren't for it being a Twelve and thus requiring a dongle to connect an external display.

Did the display just spontaneously stop working? It may also be that the backlight is zeroed, which will turn it off. Try pulling the boot picker up (hold Option for about 10-15 seconds after chime) and shine a bright light through the Apple logo to see if you can see anything.

 

[TheShortTimer]

Still powers with chime but screen has zero response.

Then the following scenarios could've transpired:

• The inverter (aka backlight) has died.
• The GPU has failed.

You can determine whether it's the former by following the advice by @Doq to shine a light at the display after the chime has emitted and check for signs of an image. If can see anything then you'll have to decide whether you want to dismantle the PowerBook and replace the inverter (I would) or use it in clamshell mode with an external monitor as @MysticCow has suggested.

If you haven't already got one, Mini-DVI cables from my experience, are easily and inexpensively found on eBay or elsewhere. If there are no signs of an image then it's almost certain that the GPU has failed and this can be confirmed by testing the PowerBook with a Mini-DVI cable connected an external monitor and checking whether anything is displayed.