Powerbook G4 boot failure

Vertigo

Vertigo

Vertigo

Soldato
Joined
28 Dec 2003
Posts
16,150
Wasn't sure whether to post this in here or General Hardware but as I believe it's a software issue I opted for here.

Basically a friend's Powerbook G4 needs sorting and it's proven beyond my abilities. Basically it goes through phases where it won't book, siezing at the blue screen. At some times it will boot repeatedly with no problems, at others it will boot successfully about 5 times out of 6 and at others it just won't boot at all.

When it won't boot you can start it in Safe mode without fail, but of course it's barely usable in this mode as there are no printer drivers and so forth.

I've been through the various procedures relating to this problem on the Apple site and still the problem persists.

Another, probably related, issue is that if the lid is closed to put it into standby, then most of the time it won't recover properly when the lid is opened. The desktop appears but the machine has locked up solid.

Basically I'm now at a loss and the owner has said he wants to send it off to be properly repaired, whatever this may involve. I suspect an OS reinstall is going to be the only option but I don't know anywhere near enough about Macs to undertake this myself and don't want to get involved tbh.

Can anyone recommend somewhere to send it to be sorted? (Competitor rules permitting of course)
 
The first thing i'd try it switching the RAM or removing some of it to see if that sorts it.

On a completely unrelated topic.. does your friend have decent house insurance? ;)
 
Beepcake said:
On a completely unrelated topic.. does your friend have decent house insurance? ;)
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Given that his house is the size of Windsor Palace and walking the length of his garden would require a passport, I'd have said so :)

Basically he's not short of a few bob and doesn't mind spending whatever is needed, he just wants a recommendation on where to take it to be sorted. If that's an official Apple dealer (or even Apple themselves - can you send it back to them?) then so be it. What I don't want to do is recommend somewhere that will faff about and fail to resolve the problem.
 
How common is for RAM to "go bad" though? In my experience RAM tends to either be DOA or work forever. I spose a power surge or something could cause problems.

How good would an Apple store be in reality? Are they populated by idiots like you find in some other common high-street retail shops that will remain nameless? :)
 
Don't want to get involved with the hardware myself.

"iSupport place"? Wossat then? :)

Bear in mind that what I know about Macs could be written on a stamp :(
 
Vertigo1 said:
How common is for RAM to "go bad" though? In my experience RAM tends to either be DOA or work forever. I spose a power surge or something could cause problems.

How good would an Apple store be in reality? Are they populated by idiots like you find in some other common high-street retail shops that will remain nameless? :)
Click to expand...

I wouldn't expect it to be the RAM, as you said, normally it doesn't work from the beginning or works forever.

Best thing to do would be to boot from target disk, and then see if it still has the same issues, you can do that yourself if you have a firewire external drive, or an apple store/service center could do that for you. Also run the AHT, it does some tests on different components and may pick up something, but it isn't always that great at picking up faults.

If it works fine in tdisk mode then next step is recovery, or HDD replacement.

Otherwise it would probably be a logic board fault (could be ram, but more likely to be logic board). Which can be expensive as apple like to give £300-500 stock prices for them.

[edit]
I should read the last line of posts more often, if your near High Wycombe, email in trust.
 
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