| MDD Dual G4 Startup woes [message #291689] |
Mon, 08 June 2015 19:26  |
Digital Bill
Messages: 1
Registered: June 2015
Karma: 0
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Junior Member |
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Dual 867 G4 MDD
Machine Model: PowerMac3,6
I have a dual G4 MDD with a startup problem. It’s been “finicky” for a
while, requiring holding the power button for a few seconds to start up –
and not a soft touch at that; when I say “holding” I mean
*holding*/*pushing* hard – so upon returning home from the long Memorial
Day weekend I decided to open it up and give it a thorough cleaning of the
dust and dirt and cat hair. But when I went to start it I got only a brief
flicker of the power button light before…nothing. And subsequent attempts
don’t even generate that much activity.
Web research has pointed me all over the place: the power button itself, a
CUDA reset, the PRAM battery, the power supply or the logic board. I’m no
stranger to cracking open the case and tinkering, but I’d at least like to
know where to start before I do.
I picked up a new PRAM battery and a MDD chassis from OWC. My plan is to
try the PRAM/CUDA trick first, then explore swapping the power switch
itself since the one on the empty chassis seems WAY lighter to the touch
than mine ever was. (I never really could understand why it took so much
pressure on that switch in the first place. Perhaps that’s been the cause
all along?)
ANYWAY, I recall a discussion from last August or so about similar problems
one of you was having, so I wonder if you can shed any light on what might
work for me based on what ultimately proved to be the solution for you.
Can you help? Or, as a “vintage” or “obsolete” machine (in Apple’s eyes) am
I just out of luck? If worse comes to worst and it comes down to an eBay
scavenger hunt and some serious DIY time, so be it. But, hopefully not.
Thanks,
Bill Wilson
Wilson-Lewis-Wilson Design
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| Re: MDD Dual G4 Startup woes [message #291690 is a reply to message #291689] |
Mon, 08 June 2015 20:07  |
Bruce Johnson
Messages: 319
Registered: August 2012
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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On Jun 8, 2015, at 4:26 PM, Digital Bill <wlwdesign@gmail.com<mailto:wlwdesign@gmail.com>> wrote:
picked up a new PRAM battery and a MDD chassis from OWC. My plan is to try the PRAM/CUDA trick first, then explore swapping the power switch itself since the one on the empty chassis seems WAY lighter to the touch than mine ever was. (I never really could understand why it took so much pressure on that switch in the first place. Perhaps that’s been the cause all along?)
ANYWAY, I recall a discussion from last August or so about similar problems one of you was having, so I wonder if you can shed any light on what might work for me based on what ultimately proved to be the solution for you.
Can you help? Or, as a “vintage” or “obsolete” machine (in Apple’s eyes) am I just out of luck? If worse comes to worst and it comes down to an eBay scavenger hunt and some serious DIY time, so be it. But, hopefully not.
You’re on the right track. The PRAM/Cuda trick costs nothing, the battery can be eliminated by removing it and trying to start it up. They’ll boot without a battery, and with a good battery, but not with a failing battery.
Given the power switch has always required a lot of pressure, that’s the next place I’d look(and honestly, given your description, I’d consider replacing it first if you have a replacement to hand). The next obvious candidate is what the power switch is attached to, which is the PS. The logic board is actually the last thing I’d suspect.
It is a way-old machine, and there are a host of issues it could be. Fixing it is dependent entirely on your willingness to hunt down old parts and spend $ and time fixing it, compared to the costs of getting a newer system.
Picking up a machine that can run the current version of software and OS is not insanely expensive, and probably within the time/money envelope of fixing the old one with used parts (which will still have increasing issues dealing with the ‘modern’ world).
If you have old software you need to keep running that’s another thing, but as a general use system I’d not spend a ton of time or money on it myself.
--
Bruce Johnson
University of Arizona
College of Pharmacy
Information Technology Group
attery.
Institutions do not have opinions, merely customs
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| Re: MDD Dual G4 Startup woes [message #291724 is a reply to message #291689] |
Tue, 09 June 2015 00:46 |
Clark Martin
Messages: 156
Registered: August 2012
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Senior Member |
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I know this applies to at least one Mac, possibly this one (it's been a while since I've been inside my MDD), look to see if the motherboard has two buttons on it. If it does, one performs a CUDA reset and the other turns on the power. I can't recall if it is marked but give each one, in turn, a push.
KK6ISP
Yet another designated driver on the information super highway.
> On Jun 8, 2015, at 4:26 PM, Digital Bill <wlwdesign@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> I have a dual G4 MDD with a startup problem. It’s been “finicky” for a while, requiring holding the power button for a few seconds to start up – and not a soft touch at that; when I say “holding” I mean *holding*/*pushing* hard – so upon returning home from the long Memorial Day weekend I decided to open it up and give it a thorough cleaning of the dust and dirt and cat hair. But when I went to start it I got only a brief flicker of the power button light before…nothing. And subsequent attempts don’t even generate that much activity.
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| Re: MDD Dual G4 Startup woes [message #291730 is a reply to message #291724] |
Tue, 09 June 2015 02:29 |
Peter Devlin
Messages: 13
Registered: December 2012
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Junior Member |
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On 09/06/2015 05:46, "Clark Martin" <cmmac@sonic.net> wrote:
> I have a dual G4 MDD with a startup problem. It¹s been ³finicky² for a while,
> requiring holding the power button for a few seconds to start up and not a
> soft touch at that; when I say ³holding² I mean *holding*/*pushing* hard so
> upon returning home from the long Memorial Day weekend I decided to open it up
> and give it a thorough cleaning of the dust and dirt and cat hair. But when I
> went to start it I got only a brief flicker of the power button light
> beforeŠnothing. And subsequent attempts don¹t even generate that much
> activity.
My guess would be PS with the gradual fail and current lack of response
- shouldn't be too expensive to try another though.......
Pete
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