Fixing a Powerbook G4

[Minjin]

I've been asked by a friend of a friend to fix their Powerbook G4. Apparently it stopped working about a year ago and they just shelved this computer and picked up a new Macbook Pro. I'm still trying to get more info about this computer but I was told it needed a new hard drive. If I try to boot it up, the screen goes solid gray for a while and then a single small folder appears in the middle of the screen interchangeably with a question mark. I'm guessing that means that it can't find the operating system so the diagnosis may indeed be correct.

From looking around, I believe it to be this model:

http://www.everymac.com/system...erbook_g4_667_dvi.html

I've taken it apart and the HDD is in my hand but I realized that I have no real way of testing it. I can hook it up to my computer (I haven't yet) and see if BIOS recognizes it (which is normally good enough) but I have no way of reading the drive. I can't seem to find any live cds that can read it either. I'd rather not just make the assumption that the drive is bad. I'm going to see if I can get the cds that came with the Powerbook to do a hardware test that I've read about. I guess I'll need them anyways to reinstall the OS.

Any suggestions or hints? I was hoping to find a linux live cd to run on the Powerbook for testing but I'm not sure what will run on it. I'm guessing there aren't any apple live cds...

 

[Tyranicus]

OK. The hard drive is probably dead. The folder and ? does indeed mean that it can't find the OS. As for testing the drive, you have a few options. You can download an Ubuntu live CD for PowerPC here. The OS X install discs will also work as a pseudo live CD if you can find them. You can't browse the web and whatnot, but you can run Disk Utility, and see if the drive can be repaired. Also, if you plug the drive into your PC, you can download a free trial of MacDrive, a program that allows Windows to read HFS+.

 

[Tegeril]

That flashing icon indicates that it cannot find a startup volume to boot from. You can very quickly diagnose the drive if you have a bootable OS X installer. Just start up to it (if you can get to the installer the remaining hardware is likely in functional shape) and run the Disk Utility application. Drive listed in red? SMART is failing.

I believe you can get Yellowdog Linux for PPC.

 

[Minjin]

Thanks for the PowerPC live linux cd links. For future info, does one exist for PCs that can read the Mac file system?

I was sitting here pondering the situation, tapping the HDD in my hand, and I noticed that it has an internal clink. Doh. Never seen a drive make noise without being bad so I guess I won't waste any more time. Now, I've read that there's a drive size limit of somewhere around 130gb so the following should work. Can anyone confirm?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16822148130

 

[Tyranicus]

That drive should work just fine. Any mini IDE drive of a small enough capacity will work.

 

[Minjin]

I replaced the hard drive and tried installing OSX. It didn't find the new drive. I tried the OS 9 disk instead. It didn't find the new drive. I said crap, then put in powerpc ubuntu, which saw the drive and is now currently installed. I don't know what's going on with this thing.

Oh and the lack of a hardware cd eject button was driving me crazy.

 

[TheStu]

Originally posted by: Minjin
I replaced the hard drive and tried installing OSX. It didn't find the new drive. I tried the OS 9 disk instead. It didn't find the new drive. I said crap, then put in powerpc ubuntu, which saw the drive and is now currently installed. I don't know what's going on with this thing.

Oh and the lack of a hardware cd eject button was driving me crazy.

The entire system should respond to the eject key on the motherboard. It will even do so without an OS installed. It is not a driver thing, the 'bios' of the system recognizes it. Of course, there is no BIOS, but the point remains.

 

[Tegeril]

Also, if you can't get the disc to eject, hold the mouse button down on restart, keep holding it till it kicks the disc out.