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Thread: Das Boot

  1. #1
    All the Certs! 11001001's Avatar
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    Question Das Boot

    Hey all-

    I haven't been around much; busy with work and the baby...

    jcmcb's (RIP) Folks just bestowed upon me his old iBook G4. While greatful for the gift, it doesn't boot. After pushing the power button, it turns on, goes to a gray screen with an apple logo and a "working" spinning thing, then the screen turns a lovely shade of sky blue, then nothing.

    It sounds as if the hard drive stops spinning after the screen turns blue. I brought it to the Apple Store, and the "Genius" told me it would cost $290 and about four weeks to have it sent out and come back working. He thinks it's the logic board.

    So... What can I do before shelling out the 300 bucks to get it repaired?

    Also, the "Genius" suggested I back up the contents of the hard drive before sending it out, but how the crap can I do this if the damed thing won't boot?

    Any help would be much appreciated.

    Thanks in advance!

    -c9
    Above ground, vertical, and exchanging gasses.
    Now you see me | Now you don't
    "Relax, Bender; It was just a dream. There's no such thing as two." ~ Fry
    sometimes my computer goes down on me

  2. #2
    Senior Member nihil's Avatar
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    Hi, 11001001

    $300 to repair what is probably Apple's design/manufacturing fault?.............. great

    Check this out:

    http://www.coreyarnold.org/ibook/

    I believe the Danish Consumer Protection authority has already (May 2007) had a go at Apple over this sort of thing.


  3. #3
    Dissident 4dm1n brokencrow's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by 11001001
    Also, the "Genius" suggested I back up the contents of the hard drive before sending it out, but how the crap can I do this if the damed thing won't boot?
    You might try removing the HDD (hard drive) from the laptop and hooking
    it up to another computer. I'm not up on Apple's hardware setup, so this
    may be easier said than done. Hooking up an HDD via usb-to-ide cabling
    is SOB (standard operating bullscheiss) in my book.

    Also, you might try dropping the attitude. Most "geniuses" work hard for
    a living and suffer thru a lot of crap from SFU's (stupid friggin' users).
    “Everybody is ignorant, only on different subjects.” — Will Rogers

  4. #4
    Senior Member nihil's Avatar
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    Apple iBooks are not particularly well made and are far from easy to work on!

    Here is a nice tutorial on how to get the HDD out:

    http://www.sterpin.net/uk/ddibookg4uk.htm

    I am assuming that a UK G4 is the same as a US one as regards basic layout.

    The logic board is a known weakness in G3 and G4s. The store drone got that right. What he didn't mention is that Apple are facing (another) class action and will doubtless belly up like they did the last time. So why pay $300?

    Of course that store can't be very tech savvy if it has to send things back to Apple?

    The drone is correct in a roundabout sort of way. The iBook has a part of its memory (128 or 256Mb) hard soldered to the logic board along with the ATi graphics. So there isn't much you can do unless it is a HDD problem or a problem with the single upgradable memory stick. Having said that, it would make sense to check those two items first, if at all possible.

    The first thing to try would be to remove the memory stick and see if it will boot.

    If you have some sort of recovery CD or Live CD see if it will boot from that. If it does then it is the HDD that is at fault.

    If you cannot pin the failure down to the removable memory or the HDD, then you will be obliged to get the logic board replaced.

    I have no idea what diagnostics and repair utilities are available for Apple laptops........... if you can find any it might be worth a try running them.

    I also dont know if you can do a repair of the OS installation (it should be OSX IIRC?)

    Good luck.

  5. #5
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    I've come across that one before and it ended up having bad sectors on the drive. Thats all! haha. You can check the drive for errors and/or just format it and put a new copy of the OS on.

  6. #6
    All the Certs! 11001001's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by nihil
    Hi, 11001001

    $300 to repair what is probably Apple's design/manufacturing fault?.............. great

    Check this out:

    http://www.coreyarnold.org/ibook/

    I believe the Danish Consumer Protection authority has already (May 2007) had a go at Apple over this sort of thing.



    ATTN: Moderators-

    Please add this to the "Johnno Saves the Day Once Again Files"

    Brother, I don't know how I can thank you. I owe you the largest debt of gratitude. I have JCMCB's computer up and running now, and you to thank. Wow. This is difficult. It booted up, and I found a picture that I had made for him he had set to the desktop image.

    You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to nihil again.
    Honestly, Buddy... Antipoint aren't enough to show my thanks anyway...
    Above ground, vertical, and exchanging gasses.
    Now you see me | Now you don't
    "Relax, Bender; It was just a dream. There's no such thing as two." ~ Fry
    sometimes my computer goes down on me

  7. #7
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    Wow so it was pretty much a bad surface mount huh...

  8. #8
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    Das Boot

    I hope that wasnt you, Libertine: this forum is for over 18s only And was that a glass of red wine?

  9. #9
    Super Moderator rlirpa's Avatar
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    Please check the date of a thread before responding

    This thread is almost 10 years old.
    Rad

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