You think this display problem is from World of Warcraft? [Video]

[Ryuukumori]

Please take a moment to look at this display problem video on a PowerBook G4 I had tried fixing for a friend. I had fixed the screen by calibrating the LCD settings, but once World of Warcraft was launched on the laptop, this happened. It is the second time this error has occurred. I have NO IDEA how to fix it. I have tried the calibration again, but had no luck. Even that, it was nearly impossible to see anything since the display is so messed up.

http://img531.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pbvid6166945vs8.flv

I have tried reinstalling Leopard, but when it prompts me to restart, the disc pops out and it takes me back to the desktop, with no changes. I have no idea how to fix this. I know it isn't likely to be a hardware problem. But I did notice this happens when WoW is attempted to be played.

By the way, this old laptop has no running warranty or AppleCare. Need advice.

 

[fireb0x]

It is either the display, the logic board, or a corrupted file system.

If you hook up the powerbook to an external monitor and the external monitor has those lines appear while it is happening on the laptop, then that eliminates the monitor.

The fact that your disc keeps popping out of the drive when you restart tells me that it is more likely the logic board. I say this from experience, having repaired several hundred macs.

However, one thing to try is to turn the mac on and hold down the option button until you see a screen that shows your hard drive pop up. When you see this screen, insert the leopard install disc and wait a minute to see if it pops up. If it doesn't come up or ejects the disc right away, then you for sure have a bad logic board, which is likely also the problem with the display.

If you end up being able to boot into the disc, then reinstall leopard. If the issue goes away, then you may have solved it. If it occurs again, then I would be 99.9% sure it is the logic board.

Bad logic board + no applecare = You get a new laptop! Yay! Be happy!

 

[Ryuukumori]

It is either the display, the logic board, or a corrupted file system.

If you hook up the powerbook to an external monitor and the external monitor has those lines appear while it is happening on the laptop, then that eliminates the monitor.

I have tried this with a CRT monitor. Lines are existent on both the laptop screen and the external monitor.

The fact that your disc keeps popping out of the drive when you restart tells me that it is more likely the logic board. I say this from experience, having repaired several hundred macs.

However, one thing to try is to turn the mac on and hold down the option button until you see a screen that shows your hard drive pop up. When you see this screen, insert the leopard install disc and wait a minute to see if it pops up. If it doesn't come up or ejects the disc right away, then you for sure have a bad logic board, which is likely also the problem with the display.

If you end up being able to boot into the disc, then reinstall leopard. If the issue goes away, then you may have solved it. If it occurs again, then I would be 99.9% sure it is the logic board.

Bad logic board + no applecare = You get a new laptop! Yay! Be happy!

This sounds reasonable. However, I have also tried the "hold option" key, and when the hard drive shows up, the computer freezes. I will try this again though, and insert the disc then. I will update this post when I do.

Heh, a new MBP would be sweet! Need scholarships though. Heck no I won't spend that much out of my pocket... Hooray for college!

 

[fireb0x]

The fact that it freezes when the HD shows up in disk select mode tells me that you most definitely have a bad logic board.

However, there is still the slim chance that resetting the PRAM might help this issue. If you reset the PRAM, there exists a SLIM chance that the HD will show up without freezing the computer. In case you don't know how to reset the PRAM, do the following:

1. Shut Down Computer Completely
2. Power On Computer and IMMEDIATELY hold down Command + Option + P + R
3. Keep holding it down. The unit will restart several times in the course of a few seconds (this is normal). Hold down these keys until you hear the MAC chime 3 times.
4. After the 3rd time let it go and then hold down the option key again to try and get into boot select mode.

You may also want to check the Apple Knowledge Base about resetting the PMU on your specific unit. The PMU is different from the PRAM and in some cases can solve dumb issues.

Neither will solve the display issue, but either of them COULD solve the freezing boot select screen. If you can solve that issue, successfully load the leopard disc, and then do a reinstall, then you can test to see if it really is the logic board or the OS.

PLEASE NOTE:

You can skip all the reinstalling hassle if you have a friend with a mac. Put the other person's mac in target disk mode (Hold down T on startup) and then (if you can get the boot select screen to work), boot up the friends hard drive and doing some video intense type things. If these lines happen, then you can be assured its a logic board. If not, then go the opposite way. Put the YOUR mac into target disk mode, boot into it using the friend's computer. If you get the issue, then you know it's the OS.

Since you have a powerbook, you need to find another friend with a powerbook or other PowerPC based mac. You can't boot to an Intel Mac's HD using a PowerPC mac.

Hope some of this info helps.

Please also note, I really do think it is your logic board.

Have fun!

 

[Ryuukumori]

Coming back to this thread.

Thank you for your help fireb0x. I have tried all these options, but to no prevail. I have no doubt it is almost guaranteed a hardware problem, more specifically the logic board. I can almost guarantee it is hardware, even though I wasn't able to try Target Disk mode.

I have unsuccessfully managed to reinstall Leopard, so gave Tiger a shot, and it worked. Unfortunately, the display error is STILL there, even on a fresh Tiger install.

Any last words on this somewhat bleak situation? By the way, this laptop does not belong to me, but a friend. I am fixing it for him in hopes when he upgrades, I can keep this as an experimental machine.

Thanks for any help out there.

 

[fireb0x]

Final word is that it is a bad logic board. Fresh install of Tiger eliminates software, you testing with an external monitor eliminates the monitor, a hard drive would not cause issues like this, especially when you installed tiger and leopard and had the same issues. Since you can't seem to get the disk to stay in, the option boot screen freezes, and the fact that other basic logic board type functions seem not to work tell me the following:

100% Sure this is a logic board issue. My advice is to check ebay or website that sell refurbished mac parts. If you are confident that you can replace a logic board in a powerbook (From experience doing this, it is not an easy thing to do if you haven't ever done it), and if the price of the logic board is right (It probably won't be), then try replacing the logic board.

The smartest thing to do though would either be to sell this thing on ebay for as much as you can get for it and put it toward a new mac, or keep it and use it as a backup computer that you know you can't rely on except for in absolute emergencies, in which case you would need to buy a new computer anyway.

Ultimately, I think the smart thing for your friend to do is to get a new laptop if he can afford it. If not, use this one until he can afford one or until the damn thing dies completely. Haha.

It is all up to whether or not he is willing or able to pay for a new laptop. If he doesn't have the money, use that laptop till he has enough. If it dies in the process, well then he is forced into a decision.

Good luck though, I am just glad I could help you solve this. Definiitely a bad logic board.... final answer!