Any apple techs here?

ryan brown

ryan brown

lOwEr CaSe Member
EDIT: I just spent $250 on a new video card, installed it and some extra RAM, started the computer, and it's STILL NOT WORKING.

The computer starts up and everything sounds fine (not sure about the "chime", because I had the volume off when it died), but I get no picture, no keyboard keys do anything, nothing happens.

I also just tried starting it in Firewire Target Mode conected to my laptop, and it did not work. I got nothin'.

Also just took out my main hard drive, booted it to my laptop via USB, and it works fine.

Any other idea's here? What else could it be?



My computer just pooped out on me this morning, and I'm right in the middle of a project with a really tight deadline.

I posted over at the apple forums also, but so far, not a lot of luck.

I'm on a Powermac G5, dual 2.0. This morning the computer was working just fine. I left for a couple hours, came back, pressed the mouse to bring it out of sleep, and there was no display on either of my monitors.

I forced a shutdown, and restarted thinking it was just a fluke... but once I restarted, no picture on either monitor. The monitor says there is no signal coming in from the computer.

Everything sounds normal with the machine, so I tried turning up the volume from the keypad, but didn't hear anything. Tried ejecting the superdrive; nothing.

Like I said, everything SOUNDS normal upon startup, and it even came out of sleep mode when I hit the mouse (I heard it startup), but I'm getting no response of any kind and no video out.

I've already rest the PRAM, PMU, and tried to startup from the optical drive with discwarrior, but nothing is working.

Any ideas here?
 
Last edited:
Have access to another video card to try? Or maybe another monitor? I've had problems with Apple display power supplies before......
 
let me just go ahead and get this out of the way. Is the VGA screwed all the way in? If its not that simple which it probably isnt then ill bet its something bigger then just a video card or monitor since you say you dont hear anything when you turn the volume up and down. May be a good time to upgrade to intel because chances are its going to be an expensive fix.
 
Have you tried to start up using the System CD/DVD?

And what are the other specs of your machine? Have you upgraded RAM? Installed new hard drives? Video Cards? Which monitors are you using?

I'm not an Apple tech, but I did drive by a Holiday Inn Express earlier.
 
I'd do the following:

1) Try another video cable. I've got a poop load of them... you should too.
2) Unplug everything and leave it sit for a bit - then restart.
2a) by unplug everything I mean EVERYTHING from the cpu
3) pull out the video card and blow it out
4) Start up with only the keyboard, mouse and monitor hooked up.

Anything?

CaptM
 
I had a similar experience when a stick of RAM went bad in one of my machines a while back.

Do what Mench says first, then I'd remove any user-installed RAM.
 
Ok... just tried startup from disc to no avail.

Tried two seperate monitors and cables; nothing.

Stock machine except for an extra gig of RAM installed a couple years ago.

Two older CRT monitors that ARE working, but not getting a signal from the computer.

I'll try pulling out the video card and blowing it out next.


One thing that boggles me here. The machine was in sleep mode> I PRESSED THE MOUSE BUTTON AND HEARD THE COMPUTER "WAKE UP". The mouse is plugged into the keyboard.

I press butons on the keyboard and get no response, but I press a button on the mouse and the computer reponds?? how is that even possible??

Gotta run an errand, then I'll try removing the video card.

EDIT: I'll also try taking out the aftermarket ram when I remove the video card. For some reason, I was thinking bad RAM too... I've heard it can cause some really bizzare issue's...
 
Arrrggg!

No luck. I took the video card out and blew it off, took out all aftermarket RAM, hooked everything up in my living room to different outlets with a completely different monitor. Same thing. Computer makes all the sounds like it's starting and running perfectly, but no video out, and no response from the keyboard.

What's next here? I have to take it to an apple store?

Could a bad primary hard drive cause this? I'm thinking no because that doesn't have anything to do with the video out, right? And then I think its a bad video card, but that doesn't have anything to do with the keyboard keys not responding, right?
 
Ryan...

I was told by someone who had the same issue... it's the video card. Pop a new one in there (yeah, if you don't have one you'll need to buy one) and all should be good.

CaptM
 
Sounds like the video card to me. Especially if you're hearing the startup chime and the HD spinning. I get wacky wake-from-sleep issues a lot with my MBP that causes me to do a forced reset, but it's always come back to life on reboot.

One other thing to try -- use another Mac, connect the two via Firewire and try booting yours into Firewire Target Mode. If you can get your machine to appear on the other Mac, that's a good sign it's the video card.
 
Thanks a lot everyone... I'm off to see about getting a new video card. I'll post here when I've changed it out.
 
EDIT: I just spent $250 on a new video card, installed it and some extra RAM, started the computer, and it's STILL NOT WORKING.

The computer starts up and everything sounds fine (not sure about the "chime", because I had the volume off when it died), but I get no picture, no keyboard keys do anything, nothing happens.

I also just tried starting it in Firewire Target Mode conected to my laptop, and it did not work. I got nothin'.

Also just took out my main hard drive, booted it to my laptop via USB, and it works fine.

Any other idea's here? What else could it be?
 
Ryan take out the new ram first of all and then reset the old ram and try the old video card. If that doesn't work then try the new video card after re-setting the ram. Ram can need to be reset on this machine from time to time. I run a G5 2.0 with 5.5 gigs of ram. It might also be the power supply that has partially gone bad. I had one go bad that would start up part way but not the video card. There is a reset button someplace that is hard to find for the pram that you can reset. I have seen it be the ram more then once on this model G5.

My best buddy Eddie is the most knowledgeable person I know about apple and I'm pretty good but he has owned every model they have made. He supports and buys apples for 3 newspapers and over the years has proven to be indispensable so I will ask him when he gets out of meetings he's in.

It might be a couple of hours but when I talk to him I'll respond back again.

Good luck
 
Awesome. Thanks Michael.
I did already tried reseting the pram to no avail. Tomorrow I'll change out the the battery all together...

How do you reset RAM?
 
If its not running in target mode that means no processor. The power supply has two parts to it and it sounds like the one of them has stopped working. There about six different voltages on the power supply that feed different things. You have to be careful because a bad power supply can put out to much voltage. You can burn things up like video cards so be careful. Power supply's can be hard to get overnight unless your lucky. Good luck finding one in your area. This comes from my buddy Eddie as well.
 
OK, thanks. I think I'll take it into apple for a diagnosis, then go from there. Hopefully they can tell me exactly whats wrong with it, then I can fix it myself.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top