Will not start up

I thought might be worthwhile resetting PRAM but cannot remember the key presses for this
quietguy wrote on :

Hi All

Just looking for ideas and suggestions

My daughter (500km away) rang looking for help with her Mac - was working fine, then when she tried to turn it on today had no joy at all.

On pressing the on button (G4/400 tower) at first seems normal - can hear the HD spin up - ring around monitor button goes green, but screen still black - then ring around monitor button goes orange, screen still black - then just sits there like that doing bugger all.

She (is Mac savvy) tried booting from CD - same scenerio

Tried booting with ext off - same scenerio

I thought might be worthwhile resetting PRAM but cannot remember the key presses for this

All ideas and suggestion welcome

David

David Angelovich replied on :

PRAM: CMD-OPT-P-R

"quietguy" david1133@redacted.invalid wrote in message news:41ABB43E.7CF614E7@redacted.invalid

Hi All

Just looking for ideas and suggestions

My daughter (500km away) rang looking for help with her Mac - was working fine, then when she tried to turn it on today had no joy at all.

On pressing the on button (G4/400 tower) at first seems normal - can hear the HD spin up - ring around monitor button goes green, but screen still black - then ring around monitor button goes orange, screen still black - then just sits there like that doing bugger all.

She (is Mac savvy) tried booting from CD - same scenerio

Tried booting with ext off - same scenerio

I thought might be worthwhile resetting PRAM but cannot remember the key presses for this

All ideas and suggestion welcome

David

quietguy replied on :

Thanks mate

David

David Angelovich wrote:

PRAM: CMD-OPT-P-R

"quietguy" david1133@redacted.invalid wrote in message news:41ABB43E.7CF614E7@redacted.invalid

Hi All

Just looking for ideas and suggestions

My daughter (500km away) rang looking for help with her Mac - was working fine, then when she tried to turn it on today had no joy at all.

On pressing the on button (G4/400 tower) at first seems normal - can hear the HD spin up - ring around monitor button goes green, but screen still black - then ring around monitor button goes orange, screen still black - then just sits there like that doing bugger all.

She (is Mac savvy) tried booting from CD - same scenerio

Tried booting with ext off - same scenerio

I thought might be worthwhile resetting PRAM but cannot remember the key presses for this

All ideas and suggestion welcome

David

Ben Golding replied on :

In article 41ABB43E.7CF614E7@redacted.invalid, quietguy david1133@redacted.invalid wrote:

My daughter (500km away) rang looking for help with her Mac - was working fine, then when she tried to turn it on today had no joy at all.

On pressing the on button (G4/400 tower) at first seems normal - can hear the HD spin up - ring around monitor button goes green, but screen still black - then ring around monitor button goes orange, screen still black - then just sits there like that doing bugger all.

She (is Mac savvy) tried booting from CD - same scenerio

Tried booting with ext off - same scenerio

I thought might be worthwhile resetting PRAM but cannot remember the key presses for this

I just had something similar to this happen on my mac and took it in to the repair people. Turns out it was the on-board battery and without that, it couldn't boot because it couldn't read the PRAM (which I believe is battery powered). Replaced the battery and it's back to normal.

Apart from paying for the visit to the shop ...

Ben.

Bill Dixon replied on :

On 30/11/04 2:28 PM, in article bgg-2A461D.14285930112004@redacted.invalid, "Ben Golding" bgg@redacted.invalid wrote:

In article 41ABB43E.7CF614E7@redacted.invalid, quietguy david1133@redacted.invalid wrote:

My daughter (500km away) rang looking for help with her Mac - was working fine, then when she tried to turn it on today had no joy at all.

On pressing the on button (G4/400 tower) at first seems normal - can hear the HD spin up - ring around monitor button goes green, but screen still black - then ring around monitor button goes orange, screen still black - then just sits there like that doing bugger all.

She (is Mac savvy) tried booting from CD - same scenerio

Tried booting with ext off - same scenerio

I thought might be worthwhile resetting PRAM but cannot remember the key presses for this

I just had something similar to this happen on my mac and took it in to the repair people. Turns out it was the on-board battery and without that, it couldn't boot because it couldn't read the PRAM (which I believe is battery powered). Replaced the battery and it's back to normal.

Apart from paying for the visit to the shop ...

Ben.

I agree that it seems to be the battery.

Watch out for Apple pricing on these. You are looking at around $26.

There are two types:

A 4.5 volt alkaline which is black and cube shaped. I have not been able to find an equivalent although I have heard/read that 3 x 1.5 volt ones can be used. Cases for these can be obtained from Dick Smith. I have purchased these but not tried it out so far.

The other type is a 3.6 V, half AA size, which can be purchased from Jaycar and works just as well. The part number is SB1770 and the price is $9.95.

HTH

Bill (NOT from Bill and Ben!)

quietguy replied on :

Thanks Bill and Ben for the ideas.

I thought I'd mention that for my 7300 I use 3x AA batteries mounted in a holder - the original died about 5 years ago, and not being willing to pay the big bickies bought one of those AA holders fitted with 3x AAs - and of course it has been working well since then.

David

Bill Dixon wrote:

On 30/11/04 2:28 PM, in article bgg-2A461D.14285930112004@redacted.invalid, "Ben Golding" bgg@redacted.invalid wrote:

In article 41ABB43E.7CF614E7@redacted.invalid, quietguy david1133@redacted.invalid wrote:

My daughter (500km away) rang looking for help with her Mac - was working fine, then when she tried to turn it on today had no joy at all.

On pressing the on button (G4/400 tower) at first seems normal - can hear the HD spin up - ring around monitor button goes green, but screen still black - then ring around monitor button goes orange, screen still black - then just sits there like that doing bugger all.

She (is Mac savvy) tried booting from CD - same scenerio

Tried booting with ext off - same scenerio

I thought might be worthwhile resetting PRAM but cannot remember the key presses for this

I just had something similar to this happen on my mac and took it in to the repair people. Turns out it was the on-board battery and without that, it couldn't boot because it couldn't read the PRAM (which I believe is battery powered). Replaced the battery and it's back to normal.

Apart from paying for the visit to the shop ...

Ben.

I agree that it seems to be the battery.

Watch out for Apple pricing on these. You are looking at around $26.

There are two types:

A 4.5 volt alkaline which is black and cube shaped. I have not been able to find an equivalent although I have heard/read that 3 x 1.5 volt ones can be used. Cases for these can be obtained from Dick Smith. I have purchased these but not tried it out so far.

The other type is a 3.6 V, half AA size, which can be purchased from Jaycar and works just as well. The part number is SB1770 and the price is $9.95.

HTH

Bill (NOT from Bill and Ben!)

Nikki replied on :

In article 41AC3F13.5D28900C@redacted.invalid, quietguy david1133@redacted.invalid wrote:

Thanks Bill and Ben for the ideas.

I thought I'd mention that for my 7300 I use 3x AA batteries mounted in a holder - the original died about 5 years ago, and not being willing to pay the big bickies bought one of those AA holders fitted with 3x AAs - and of course it has been working well since then.

David

Bill Dixon wrote:

On 30/11/04 2:28 PM, in article bgg-2A461D.14285930112004@redacted.invalid, "Ben Golding" bgg@redacted.invalid wrote:

In article 41ABB43E.7CF614E7@redacted.invalid, quietguy david1133@redacted.invalid wrote:

My daughter (500km away) rang looking for help with her Mac - was working fine, then when she tried to turn it on today had no joy at all.

On pressing the on button (G4/400 tower) at first seems normal - can hear the HD spin up - ring around monitor button goes green, but screen still black - then ring around monitor button goes orange, screen still black - then just sits there like that doing bugger all.

She (is Mac savvy) tried booting from CD - same scenerio

Tried booting with ext off - same scenerio

I thought might be worthwhile resetting PRAM but cannot remember the key presses for this

I just had something similar to this happen on my mac and took it in to the repair people. Turns out it was the on-board battery and without that, it couldn't boot because it couldn't read the PRAM (which I believe is battery powered). Replaced the battery and it's back to normal.

Apart from paying for the visit to the shop ...

Ben.

I agree that it seems to be the battery.

Watch out for Apple pricing on these. You are looking at around $26.

There are two types:

A 4.5 volt alkaline which is black and cube shaped. I have not been able to find an equivalent although I have heard/read that 3 x 1.5 volt ones can be used. Cases for these can be obtained from Dick Smith. I have purchased these but not tried it out so far.

The other type is a 3.6 V, half AA size, which can be purchased from Jaycar and works just as well. The part number is SB1770 and the price is $9.95.

HTH

Bill (NOT from Bill and Ben!)

WARNING: You may have voided the terms of your warranty, your daughter's warranty, the warranties of all the people in the state 500 kms away where she now resides, the warranties of all those reading this article ...

The AA is for Apple Abhored

Nikki

quietguy replied on :

That is OK Nikki - I can live with that quite happily

David - who wonders why Nikki thinks Apple gives a 10 year or so warranty on their computer batteries

Nikki wrote:

In article 41AC3F13.5D28900C@redacted.invalid, quietguy david1133@redacted.invalid wrote:

Thanks Bill and Ben for the ideas.

I thought I'd mention that for my 7300 I use 3x AA batteries mounted in a holder - the original died about 5 years ago, and not being willing to pay the big bickies bought one of those AA holders fitted with 3x AAs - and of course it has been working well since then.

David

WARNING: You may have voided the terms of your warranty, your daughter's warranty, the warranties of all the people in the state 500 kms away where she now resides, the warranties of all those reading this article ...

The AA is for Apple Abhored

Nikki