Re: Need A Little Advice Please
Fred, Still messing with those old iMacs, huh? I must have gone through 3-400 of those guys back when I was fixing them up and giving them away to schools and kids. Gave away 1,000 from 2002 until 2015. Then I had back surgery and no longer could lift those old, heavy iMacs, eMacs, G3 AIOs, G5 towers, etc. One thing that I didn’t put in my description, because it hadn’t appeared at the time, is the little rubber band-type drive belt that motivates those rollers. The belt gets glazed and should be removed and cleaned too. Isopropyl alcohol (91%, preferably) will work. Also, clean the little pulleys. That almost always takes care of the drives that don’t quite perform perfectly every time. On the other hand, those drives are almost old enough to vote and buy booze in some states, and nothing that moves keeps working forever. (When is the last time you saw a perpetual motion machine?) Jim > On Apr 25, 2019, at 8:20 PM, Fred Potter wrote: > > Jim — Thanks from the future for these wonderfully detailed instructions. I > just used to them to attempt a repair on a 1999 iMac which would almost > always fail to eject. > > It was partial success in my case. About half the time I'll get a complete > ejection now, and the other times the disc comes out just enough to grab it > and pull it the rest of the way. I think my biggest problem isn't worn > rollers, but rather that the rubber rollers aren't snug on the metal dowel > and they sometimes spin freely. > > Best, > Fred > > On Wednesday, March 8, 2006 at 6:08:19 PM UTC-8, Jim Scott wrote: > > On Mar 8, 2006, at 2:05 PM, Thunder 1 wrote: > > > > I will be cracking the case and extracting the CD from the slot- > > loading > > drive, and will also attempt to clean the rollers(?) on the drive. > > I've downloaded > > a file to guide me in tearing the computer apart and putting it back > > together > > again. I figure that as long as I'm taking this baby apart, I will > > check/replace > > other items at the same time (RAM, Battery). A few questions that I > > would > > like answered first, if anyone can help: > > > > 1. What is the nominal output voltage of the battery? Suggested > > replacement voltage? > > (I know I saw answers to this question somewhere on some list a while > > back, but can't > > seem to find the link ...). If I need to replace it, any particular > > type/brand/store I should > > look at? > > > > 2. The CUDA switch: What is it and what does it do, exactly? Do I need > > to reset > > the CUDA before putting my iMac back together again? > > > Bill, > > 1. It's a 1/2 AA battery, 3.6 V nominal output. A new one will test > out at about 3.7 V. Any brand 1/2 AA with 3.6 V nominal output will > work. Radio Shack carries them, and all kinds of vendors sell them > online as "computer clock batteries". > > 2. Once you get the bottom cover and the perforated shield off, > you'll be looking straight at the logic board. The CUDA button is > just below the battery and on line with the RAM slots on the left > side of the board. On all 350-700 G3 iMac logic boards I've seen, > it's a tiny black button in a very small silver case. It's always a > good idea to push the CUDA button after replacing the PRAM battery, > or any component. It resets the logic board to factory defaults, and > causes the logic board to identify every component on first reboot > after a reset. This comes in very handy when you replace a hard > drive. Replacing the PRAM battery almost does the same thing, but it > doesn't reset the logic board. > > 3. You'll need to disconnect the IDE cable from the logic board, and > the power cable from the hard drive. Remove the 4 screws holding the > HD/CD drive carrier to the aluminum divider panel and remove the > carrier. Pay attention to how the CD drive comes out of the carrier > after you remove the 4 screws that hold it in place. Use pieces of > marked masking tape to help you get everything oriented properly on > assembly. > > 4. I've taken apart quite a few CD/DVD drives in slotload iMacs. It's > really very simple to do. First, remove the two screws holding the CD > drive IDE adapter to the CD case at the back. Then remove the two > tiny brass-colored screws, one on each corner near the front of the > case on the sides. You'll need a very small Phillips screwdriver with > a fat handle to get the screws out. Don't strip the heads! With the 4 > screws out, gently use a thumbnail to pry the top cover apart from > the bottom of the CD casing at the very front on each side. Voila! > The top cover comes up and off in a smooth lifting motion to
Re: new modem for Comcast and Airport Extreme
I replaced a last-generation Time Capsule and 4 Airport Express units with a Netgear Orbi and two Orbi satellites. Finally, we’ve got stable, reliable and fast wi-fi (100 mbps) everywhere in our 2-story house, garage and yard. Firmware upgrades have made Orbi the wi-fi mesh network to beat. Do an online search for “wi-fi mesh networks” and study up. Apple has abandoned us yet again, but the good news is that the new mesh network devices are far superior to any outdated Airport device, and at a reasonable cost. Jim Scott, Eureka, CA Sent from my iPad > On May 28, 2018, at 2:52 PM, janesprando@comcast > wrote: > > Comcast has sent me a new xFI Gateway modem (we have Internet, TV and > Telephone with them). > > My iMac is at one end of the house --- near a window and outside wall. The > Internet does not reach the whole house nor upstairs. I have 1 Airport > Express a few open rooms away from the Extreme. It helps, but marginally, > even though there are open spaces beyond the Express. > > I have the Comcast modem connects >iMac. > Airport Extreme connects > modem > Airport Extreme - Airport Express > > My question is since Apple is discontinuing internet devices, should I go > ahead and unhook the Airport Extreme? > > Suggestions? > > Jane > -- > You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group > for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. > The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette > guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml > To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com > To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com > For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist > > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "iMac Group" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "iMac Group" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
Re: 2008 imac won't start
I wouldn’t bother with a clean install of Yosemite at this point. Whatever RAM you use, make sure both sticks have the same specs and are made by the same manufacturer. IOW, a matched pair. RAM from different manufacturers or that isn’t perfectly matched can do weird stuff, intermittent and otherwise. The most common problem is that each stick will have a different latency, which will cause boot hiccups or intermittent freezes.. G3 iMacs were notorious for being very picky about needing matched pairs of RAM sticks. It’s possible mismatched RAM is one of your problems, but don’t be surprised if you install a matched pair and still get no video. Dust buildup inside an iMac — or any other electronic device — is like wearing a heavy insulated jacket in the middle of August in Florida. It causes heat strokes that kill electronics, especially video cards that tend to run hot because of all the juice that flows through the micro circuitry. Jim Scott > On Mar 31, 2018, at 9:50 PM, fishjoy...@gmail.com wrote: > > One other piece of info-- > I can get a startup chime when I use two 1GB RAM cards. The screen will stay > black, but I can connect through Teamviewer. > This is the same when I use either (but not both) of my 2GB RAM cards (so I > assume that both of them are good) . Using both of the 2GB RAM cards, I do > not get a startup chime, screen stays black, and I cannot connect remotely. > > I do not have the adapter to connect a second monitor to the 08 imac, but I > will get one. Once I get one, do you think it would do any good to do a clean > install of Yosemite? > Thanks, > Joe > > On Monday, March 26, 2018 at 8:27:21 PM UTC-6, fishj...@gmail.com wrote: > Hi all, > My mom's 2008 iMac with Yosemite and 4 GB RAM will no longer start. (Sorry > that I don't more specs, but it won't start) > When I push the power button, all I hear is a clicking sound near the optical > drive. No startup chime. > > What I have tried: > If I unplug the machine, and remove the two 2GB RAM cards and then try to > start, I get the "no RAM present" tone. > If I then unplug it, put one of the RAM cards in, and then push the power > button, I hear the startup chime, but the screen is dark. > > I have tried booting from a flash drive with Yosemite, and booting from the > AHT disk, but to no avail. > > The same thing happened last week, and I kept swapping RAM cards out with > some old 1 GB RAM cards from a previous machine. Somehow, it eventually > started and the screen came on. > I was able to run the Apple Hardware Test, which gave this error: > 4MOT/2/4004:HDD -1392, and a subsequent running of the AHT gave the same > error, with -1384 at the end. > > After searching the internet, some folks said that the error was a HD fan > error. Some suggesting vacuuming as much dust out as possible, which I did. > Then I ran the AHT again, and it found no errors. > I also ran Disk Utility, which found and corrected permissions errors. It did > not indicate other problems. > > The machine worked fine for about a week, but today when I tried to wake it, > I got a black and white checked screen. I had to force it to shut down, and > now it will not start again. I get the same clicking sound near the optical > drive. However, if I pull out one of the RAM cards, I can get a startup > chime, but I still have a black screen. > > Any thoughts on this issue, or how to troubleshoot it? > Thanks! > Joe > > > -- > You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group > for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. > The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette > guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml > To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com > To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com > For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist > > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "iMac Group" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist --- You received this
Re: 2008 imac won't start
Hi John, I gave up on “shadetree” BGA reflows years ago, but YMMV. My reflows worked for a while, then died for good. Another issue with the 2008-era iMacs is that occasionally the “coolant” (ether, I’m told) leaks out of the tubes running to and from the fins and the heat sink proper. Same problem with G4 iMacs, which also are pretty efficient little stationary Hoovers and can choke themselves to overheat death. Jim Scott, Eureka, CA > On Mar 30, 2018, at 2:00 PM, 'John Carmonne' via iMac Group > <imaclist@googlegroups.com> wrote: > > > On Mar 30, 2018, at 10:53 AM, Jim Scott wrote: > >> >> In the case of your 2008 iMac, in addition to all of the above, the cooling >> fins of the heat sink can be clogged by dust, etc. over time as the air >> intake vents directly below the card and heat sink assembly are hoovering up >> stuff from the desktop. This leads to overheating and eventual failure of >> the BGA. Reflowing the BGA doesn’t work because by the time the problem >> shows itself, too many of the microscopic traces inside the chip have been >> damaged by arcing. That’s why a more permanent repair involves replacing the >> chip with a new one. But new chips are hard if not impossible to find, and >> my favorite eBay bad chip repair/replace guy refuses to work on those old >> iMac video cards because he can’t guarantee a reflow and he can’t obtain new >> chips that will work with the card. >> >> Been there, done that a number of times. It’s time to ewaste that iMac, in >> my experience. >> >> Jim Scott, Eureka, CA >> > > I have recently fixed a number of these iMacs may sound crazy but it worked > for me. It's free and at this point you have nothing to lose. > > Take the card off the heat sink and clean all the paste off. > Pre heat oven to 390 F (pre heat is important) > Place card on 4 small aluminum foil balls at the corners > Bake for 7 mins > Open door and let board cool don't touch it or move it. > When cool reinstall (don't forget to apply new paste). > > I have also found some with faulty fans so check the fan working before you > put it all back together. > > > > John Carmonne > Yorba Linda CA > 92886 USA > MacPro 2.66 Quad Nehalem > -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "iMac Group" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
Re: 2008 imac won't start
It’s the video daughtercard. A bad/faulty/dying video card will thwart boot. The RAM card thing makes sense because only one stick makes it easier for the EFI boot sequence to progress to a startup chime. Or, there’s a conflict between the two sticks that wasn’t apparent until now. Or both. The AHT does not detect a faulty video card; it only detects the presence or absence of that card. The only way to be certain it’s the video card is to replace it with a known good one. Good luck finding one of those today. iMacs of that vintage are notorious for failing/failed video cards. It’s amazing yours lasted this long. The problem is basically the same one that affected G3 white iBooks and many G4 iBooks and PowerBooks. Many newer laptops made by Apple … and devices made by other manufacturers … also are affected. It’s a failing of the solder joints holding the video chip to the board. The technique for affixing the hundreds of tiny solder balls to the chip and thence to the board is known as BGA or Ball Grid Array. Thus sometimes a video problem can be corrected by reflowing the solder. But if the solder is bad, or the board flexes (G3 white iBooks, with their 50+ screws holding all the bits and pieces together, were notorious for this; the advent of aluminum and plastic Unibody cases helped), or too many heat up/cool down cycles are experienced, the chip will come loose again anyway. In the case of your 2008 iMac, in addition to all of the above, the cooling fins of the heat sink can be clogged by dust, etc. over time as the air intake vents directly below the card and heat sink assembly are hoovering up stuff from the desktop. This leads to overheating and eventual failure of the BGA. Reflowing the BGA doesn’t work because by the time the problem shows itself, too many of the microscopic traces inside the chip have been damaged by arcing. That’s why a more permanent repair involves replacing the chip with a new one. But new chips are hard if not impossible to find, and my favorite eBay bad chip repair/replace guy refuses to work on those old iMac video cards because he can’t guarantee a reflow and he can’t obtain new chips that will work with the card. Been there, done that a number of times. It’s time to ewaste that iMac, in my experience. Jim Scott, Eureka, CA > On Mar 27, 2018, at 6:11 PM, fishjoy...@gmail.com wrote: > > Thanks for the idea. However, this one (a 24" also) will not boot into Safe > mode. > In fact, I cannot get even a startup chime unless I pull one of the RAM cards > out. It doesn't matter whether the left one is in or the right one is in, if > I only have one RAM card in, it will produce the startup chime. However, I > still have a black screen. > > I did try to set up an appointment at an Apple store, but since it is 10 > years old, they would not look at it. > > A couple of questions: > • If it is the video card, does the RAM card thing make any sense? > • If the video card was going out, should the Apple Hardware Test have > told me that when I ran it last week? > • Is there any way to be certain that the problem is the video card? > Thanks! > > > On Tuesday, March 27, 2018 at 8:11:50 AM UTC-6, ValterV wrote: > Il giorno 27/03/18 03:17, "fishj...@gmail.com" ha scritto: > > > The machine worked fine for about a week, but today when I tried to wake > > it, I got a black and white checked screen. > Bummer. That screen makes me think about a damaged video card. > > I had a similar issue with an Early 2008 24" iMac: red vertical stripes > appeared all over the screen (bad video card), and the iMac froze on > startup. > > When I tried to boot in Safe mode, though (hold Shift key during startup), > it did boot up. So I thought the video drivers were conflicting with the > (now) bad video card, hence the freeze at boot. > I disabled all of the drivers, and the iMac would boot fine (although screen > redraw was sometimes slow). > > You can try booting in Safe mode and, if working, you may try my workaround. > > Here's what I did: > - Remove all AMD/ATI kexts in /System/Library/Extensions > (it depends on your video card maker and model; mine was ATI Radeon 2600) > - Terminal: Touch "System/Library/Extensions" > - Delete "System/Library/Caches/com.apple.kext.caches" (in Finder) > - Reboot > > I wrote more details here: > http://www.mac-forums.com/apple-desktops/341784-imac-vertical-lines-screen-f > rezees-boot.html#post1762659 > > > > > -- > You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group > for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. > The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette > guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/n
Re: iMac G4 700MHz fans acting oddly (running as soon as plugged in)
All iMac G4s have only one fan, which starts running as soon as the computer is turned on and continues running at the same speed until the unit is turned off. As iMac G4 cooling air enters from the bottom of the case and exits at the base of the chrome stalk, it acts as a vacuum cleaner. If you take it apart and get rid of all the dust bunnies and crud buildup on the fan blades and in the entrance and exit ports for air, you'll get a quieter iMac. On the other hand, perhaps the fan bearing, which is probably getting close to 15 years old, is wearing out and adding to the noise. If you do take the case apart, be sure to remove the old thermal pad material and replace it with thermal paste so that heat generated by the cpu and gpu can be piped up to the fan properly. Good luck! Jim Scott On Fri, Jan 6, 2017 at 5:58 PM, Joshua Kelly <squashua.ke...@gmail.com> wrote: > Hi, > I've been having a very strange issue with my original 700MHz iMac G4 flat > panel recently in which the fans decide to start spinning at low speed the > moment I provide power to the system - even before pressing the power > button. > > I've reset PRAM, NVRAM, and even the PMU to no avail. > > I'd really appreciate any help or ideas related to this. While the fans > are remarkably quiet, it does get a little annoying after a while, haha. > > Joshua Kelly > @thejsa_ > > -- > You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a > group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. > The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our > netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml > To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com > To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com > For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/ > group/imaclist > > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "iMac Group" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "iMac Group" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
Re: Digest for imaclist@googlegroups.com - 7 updates in 1 topic
On May 5, 2015, at 5:13 AM, Colin Yarwood colin.yarw...@gmail.com wrote: Thanks Jim - my Hifi is close by and its speakers are around the room. Ill try that before I get inside. If I turn the speaker sound out preference off won’t that cut the scratchy cackle? The iMac G3 models were designed in such a way that insertion of headphone or external speaker jacks into one of the ports automatically kills sound out on the internal speakers. However, if one of those ports has been damaged, that feature may not work properly. In your case, try plugging in your external speakers. If the scratchy internal speakers go dead, you’re golden. If not, the sure fix is to physically disconnect the two internal speakers, either by disconnecting them at the connectors at the speakers, or by clipping the wires coming out of the speakers. Enjoy! Jim -- -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups iMac Group group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
Re: What do you use your (old) iMac for in 2015?
On May 4, 2015, at 8:21 AM, Colin Yarwood colin.yarw...@gmail.com wrote: Neil, I just bought a Flower Power G3 iMac in nice nick to take the place of an old blue iMac G3 older which stopped for no apparent treason years ago and was put into store. I spoke to a friend who suggested I go and buy a new old one and I found the Flower Power. I have updated it to 10.3. My plan is to use it for all my music from LPs EPs 78s cassettes etc. Annoyingly the speakers are very scratchy. All the advice I read suggests iMac G3 is not an easy machine to engage in surgery on. Any thoughts on mending the Flowerpower speakers? Colin in UK Speakers in slot-loading G3 iMacs tend to go bad because the flexible plastic/rubber material disintegrates. I stopped giving away G3 iMacs to kids about 18 months ago because I no longer could find good speakers. First-Gen iMac G3s are still in good shape, but don’t fit slot-loaders. However, you can still enjoy your flower power iMac if you use a pair of external speakers. Just make sure to disconnect the internal speakers so they don’t buzz, rattle and make scratchy noises as the metal centerpieces vibrate against the magnets. Jim Scott, Eureka, CA -- -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups iMac Group group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
Re: I get to buy a new computer!
. I’ve played around with a 240 GB SSD inside a USB 3.0 Mac with a 3 TB external hard disk drive, and the combination can’t be beat as a speedy, inexpensive consumer-level setup. So you might want to consider an iMac with at least a 240/256 GB SSD, to be augmented with an inexpensive ($100 or so) 2 or 3 TB USB 3.0 external drive. Most people don’t need an internal hard drive in a desktop larger than 256 GB for the OS and applications anyway. But if you’re like me and have pretty big photo, music and video collections, it makes no sense to store them on an internal hard drive with 1 TB or less space. That’s why my next iMac will have a 512 GB internal SSD, and I will use an external USB 3.0 or better RAID setup for storage. Have fun picking your next iMac! Jim Scott Eureka, CA -- -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups iMac Group group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
Mac and iOS-Friendly Printer
Hello, Is there a brand that is particularly more Mac-friendly and iOS-friendly than the others? We need to replace an old printer. In past years, we have used Canon, Epson, and HP and I know things have changed. Now, I want to look at several brands for both photo and text work: Canon, HP, Epson, and Brother. I want to avoid something that is too PC-oriented. Thanks, Al Poulin I recently decided to cut my paper and ink costs for ordinary black and white printing. I chose to go with a Samsung Xpress M2830DW laser printer. I bought it at Staples for less than $100. It works well with all our various Mac desktops and laptops, as well as with our iOS devices because it’s a native AirPrint printer. It also has a USB port, thus is hard-wired to my main desktop iMac. It’s fast, and will accept just about any paper/printable material you can feed into it. The black text and other images are super sharp and crisp, unlike whiskery inkjet printers. What’s more, it can be set to automatically print on both sides of a piece of paper, and it does so quickly with its built-in duplexer. The OEM toner cartridge will print about 1200 pages, and I have a 3000-page toner cartridge bought on Amazon for $40 sitting on the shelf when the time comes. Really nice machine, and it’s also NFC ready, so that when I get an Apple Watch or an iPhone 6 I can just tap the device on the printer to print out whatever strikes my fancy. I learned about the Samsung through an article here: http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-cheap-printer/ http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-cheap-printer/ The Wirecutter actually recommends the Samsung Xpress M2835DW, but the M2830DW is virtually identical and is the model sold by big chains like Staples. About a year or so ago I was looking for a good color inkjet printer with AirPrint capabilities so we could print wirelessly from various spots around our home. I bought Canon MG6220, which prints photos as well as text pages, and also copies and scans. It works well as an AirPrint device. I also have it hard-wired via USB into my local LAN. Like the Samsung, it also has a built-in duplexer and saves paper by printing on both sides. Again, I buy ink cartridges in bulk from Amazon at very reasonable prices. It has 6 ink cartridges (Cyan, Yellow, Magenta, Black, Grey and photo Black) and prints very good photos as a result. New models of the MG6220 have the same form factor and capabilities, so you’ll have to do some research. As far as inkjet multifunction printers/copiers/scanners go, this Canon is the best one I’ve ever used. Good luck in your search. Jim Scott in Eureka, CA -- -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups iMac Group group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
Re: Login issue...
On Sep 25, 2014, at 9:06 AM, Bruce Johnson john...@pharmacy.arizona.edu wrote: An odd one, I haven't run into before. A 2008 27 iMac was updated to 10.9.5 yesterday, and when it came back up, no user could log in. It accepts the username and password, the little spinny gear starts right up, and that's as far as it gets, never goes off the login screen. Verbose boot shows no unusual notices. Booted into recovery volume, Disk utility says the drive is OK, I even repaired permissions, nothing unusual there. Didn't fix it. Was able to get to the syslog via terminal in recovery, nothing unusual at all, in fact, nothing after the login window appears. Permissions look ok for the users directories. I haven't run Diskwarrior yet, but I'm unsure that would help, because Disk Utility thinks the volume has no errors. I'm worried that the Open Directory database may be borked. Does anyone know if that can be managed from the recovery volume, or when connected to another Mac in FW target mode? -- Bruce Johnson The first 27 iMac came out in late 2009. Based on the age of the machine, I suggest running Drive Genius 3 to scan for bad sectors as well as for read/write integrity. The update may have put a critical bit of code on a bad spot on the disk, which jibes with your borked suspicion. Jim Scott Eureka, CA -- -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups iMac Group group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
Re: Apple iMac G4 700mHz M6498
On Jun 3, 2014, at 7:59 AM, Bruce Johnson john...@pharmacy.arizona.edu wrote: On Jun 2, 2014, at 12:11 PM, pmgraph1...@gmail.com wrote: Hi, I am new to the group. I was given an Apple iMac G4 15 700 Mhz #2. Mac OS X, but not sure of version. I don't know the log in so I can't access anything. Need to know how to change admin log in and password without system discs. Is it possible? Thanks in advance for advice. Hold down the 'S' key while booting, which brings you into single user mode, as root. It will be a strictly command line interface. enter, *exactly*, every slash, space and dot just as it is, the following three lines, hitting the return key after each one: mount -uw / rm /var/db/.AppleSetupDone reboot What this does is reset the Mac to think that there are no accounts, and when it reboots, you will be prompted to create a new administrative account to log in, as if it were brand new. -- Bruce Johnson If anyone has tried this and it didn't work because you couldn't get to the command line/root prompt, it's because Bruce forgot one little but very important instruction: To get into single user mode, start the Mac, then right after the chime, hold down the 'Command' key adjacent to the space bar and the 'S' key. That will result in a black screen with white text. Then very carefully input the three lines of text exactly as Bruce has shown above. Jim Scott Eureka, CA -- -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups iMac Group group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
Re: iMac G5 crashes/doesn't wake up
to an Intel iMac. Early 2006 and newer Intel iMacs are much better machines, and their prices are quite reasonable. But avoid 17 Intel iMacs (most have or will have bad LCDs), and be quite leery of any 24 Intel iMac (BGA failures of video chips on daughterboards). Hope this helps. Jim Scott Eureka, CA -- -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups iMac Group group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
Re: 24 Intel iMac video failures
On May 6, 2014, at 5:42 PM, GMail Valter Psicof valter.psi...@gmail.com wrote: Il giorno 06/05/14 20.27, Jim Scott ha scritto: be quite leery of any 24 Intel iMac (BGA failures of video chips on daughterboards). Jim, are you talking about ANY 24 Intel Macs, or just the earlier versions? Because I own an Early 2009 24 Intel Mac, 2.93 GHz with an ATI Radeon 4850 graphic card, and - knocking on wood! - it runs beautifully. I bought it used a year ago, and when I was looking for one, I noticed that older (Early 2008) 24 Intel Macs with higher-end video card (the GeForce 8800), were highly prone to failure (due to overheating of the graphic card, mostly). Since I do gaming, I didn't want to give up the powerful video card, so I went to the subsequent Early 2009, that didn't report above average rates of failures (AFAIK), even with the higher-end video card. Do you know something about Early 2009 24 iMac that I should know? :-) I noticed that the Northbridge chip goes very hot (up to 75° C) but, using smcFanControl and tweaking the fans speed, I manage to keep it under 70° C. I make no claims to omniscience. I was speaking from experience and generalizing. As with any device, specific examples and certain models seem to have more or fewer problems. Let your experience and research guide you. However, it is well known that overheating and improper cooling are the enemy of BGA chips. One thing that causes overheating is dust buildup on cooling fans and in ducts. If your iMac were mine, I'd take it apart and clean out the dust. I'd also replace the thermal paste/pads, especially where that hot-running Northbridge chip is concerned as the factory paste/pad may have deteriorated. Jim -- -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups iMac Group group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
Re: Help please: slow iMac
twice) and after the last chime I hold down the Shift key and let the iMac start up in Safe Mode. The PRAM resets startup parameters to factory default and the Safe Mode clears out a bunch of caches that may be eating up memory. The very last thing I do after all the above is to restart the iMac, go into Disk Utility, and then run Repair Permissions. I did all of the above on a client's late-2006 iMac several weeks ago. She was complaining about how slow her iMac had become. I swapped out the matching pair of 1 GB RAM sticks for a matching pair of 2 GB RAM sticks ($50 a pair from Data Memory Systems in New England). (Matching RAM tends to run faster and better than RAM that isn't matched, like yours.) That helped somewhat. The iMac passed all the tests above, including several hours each of DG3 read and write integrity tests. BUT, her 250 GB hard drive had less than 10 percent free space and was about 60 percent fragmented, so we dumped some data onto an external drive and defragmented the disk. Her iMac now performs as it did when she bought it in early 2007, if not a bit faster. Somewhere in all the above is your answer/solution. OTOH, it's possible your machine also could benefit from a fresh install of the OS. Apple Service Diagnostics can be found online, but Apple does not officially approve of anyone other than Apple trained and certified technicians having access, which is why I'm not giving you any URLs. Drive Genius 3 and Disk Warrior are pricey third party utilities in the $100 range, but are worth every penny for someone like me. Have fun! Jim Scott Eureka, CA -- -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups iMac Group group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
Re: assorted questions
On Mar 3, 2013, at 9:32 AM, Ben Kernan bkpro...@yahoo.com wrote: I need a free or shareware full featured word processor like Nissus Writer was under OS9. Ben Kernan: 24I-Mac 4/2.8/700, graphite g-4 1gig/400/52, iPad 2/64/wifi, iPhone 4gs/64 - Dedicated Mac user since 1990 Bean is a pretty good plain old word processor. If you want more, look at Open Office. Both are free. Jim Scott -- -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups iMac Group group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
Re: eMac recap
On Oct 21, 2012, at 5:52 PM, D. Fabel lists.dfa...@earthlink.net wrote: I know it's not an iMac, but it looks similar, so I thought I'd ask here. Has anyone ever replaced the bad capacitors on one of these? I have access to a nice digital Weller soldering iron and would consider myself fair with basic soldering. Or I would consider letting someone near me with experience do this. Your thoughts? Doug Portland, OR G4 eMacs are a lot easier to work on than G5 iMacs where capacitor replacement is concerned. I've replaced caps on about a dozen eMac logic boards so far, with 100 percent success. Can't say that about G5 iMacs. :^( eMacs require ordinary solder/desolder skills, unlike iMac G5s, which have multilayer boards and use no-lead, high-temp solder. I've discovered that it's smart to replace only those caps that have bulging tops, whether they're leaking or not, or caps that are tilted from failure at the bottom rubber seal. You can go ahead and replace them all, but in my experience it's a waste of time. The most likely source of bad caps in an eMac (ATI and higher) is the down converter, which is plugged into the logic board on the side opposite the ports. There are 12 caps on the down converter board, and I've seen up to 9 bad ones ... and no bad caps on the logic board. Since the down converter powers both drives as well as the logic board, the range of symptoms is awesome. There are kits sold for logic board replacement caps, but none are available for down converters. A good used down converter is getting pretty hard to find, and what new ones are out there are more expensive than a working eMac is worth. I've managed to cannibalize bad down converters for good caps and salvage a few that way. But sooner or later I'm going to be forced to buy individual caps. Good luck! Jim Scott Eureka, CA -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: eMac recap
On Oct 21, 2012, at 8:18 PM, Jonas Ulrich jonasulrich3...@gmail.com wrote: You just have to be careful working on eMacs, there is a chance of getting zapped. I'm not sure exactly how, but that's what I've always been told. You'd have to look it up to be sure. -Jonas eMacs are no more lethal that any other all-in-one computer with an exposed CRT, power supply and other sources of potential electrical mayhem once the case is removed. iMac G3s and eMacs have a quite similar layout, with the power/analog/video hardware on the top side of a divider board, and the logic board/hard drive/optical drive and downconverter on the bottom side. I've been inside hundreds and hundreds of iMacs and eMacs, always practicing proper precautions around the power/analog/video area, because that's where the zapping is most likely to occur. Though logic board and downconverter capacitors carry a small charge, it dissipates quickly once a computer is shut down and unplugged. So there's little danger when replacing capacitors. Jim -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: cloned iMac Indigo won't boot
On Aug 16, 2012, at 8:34 PM, rebtevye wipeda...@gmail.com wrote: USE CASE: Supporting a grade school Mac lab and am trying to make a consistent load for all of the iMacs (G3, Indigo, 500MB RAM), with OS 10.4 and OS 9.2.1 PROCESS: I followed the recommendations in How to Clone Mac OS X to a New Hard Drive, using Carbon Copy Cloner instead of SuperDuper. To simplify this operation, I connected the target iMac to the source machine using a firewire cable, and starting it in [T]arget disk mode. RESULT: The transfer went very well, however, when I disconnected the two machines and tried to boot the target iMac, the gray OSX startup screen came up briefly, then a black square ~2 x 3 popped up on the screen and the computer shut down. When this has happened in the past, I started up from a OSX install disk and re-installed the OS. This time, I tried booting in Safe Mode (hold Shift after chime, and release at gray apple), and the computer booted up, starting me at a user selection/login screen. When in Safe Mode, I ran Disk Utility and confirmed permissions were OK. I also reset PRAM on the next restart. Still, the computer either gave the black warning screen, or just went dark and shut off. Any other suggestions? I would rather not re-install from scratch on every computer, plus I like the advantage of having the same 'student' and 'admin' user accounts on every iMac in the lab. What you are experiencing is a kernel panic. In G3 iMacs on which OS X has been loaded, this usually means bad or incompatible RAM. To successfully run OS X on a G3 iMac, both sticks must be the same speed, have the same latency and preferably be made by the same manufacturer. IOW, they should be identical in all performance characteristics, except capacity, i.e. they can be of different sizes (64 MB, 128 MB, etc.) I have successfully done exactly what you are attempting to do, and also in a grade school Mac lab. Since OS X 10.4 is very picky about RAM, and does all sorts of strange things when it doesn't like the RAM, the first thing I do with a G3 iMac is to put it on its side and open the RAM door. Then I boot it from the Apple Hardware Test disk. If the iMac chimes and boots with the installed RAM, that's a good sign. If it beeps or refuses to chime and boot, I substitute RAM until it does chime and boot. If the iMac chimed and booted, I then check to see if the specs of the two sticks are identical. Both must be matched, with the same latency (CL: 2.5 etc.), and with the same PC100 or PC 133 numbers. The amount of RAM on each stick can vary, but the specs must be identical *in that particular iMac*. Mismatched latency can really play havoc with a G3 iMac running OS X, as can mismatching PC 100 with PC 133. Data moves at different speeds because of the mismatch and sooner or later OS X cries Help! and that's the kernel panic screen you see. (When I've got a large number of iMacs, I usually put all the available RAM -- 512 MB is optimal -- into a big pile and laboriously test pairs of sticks using just one iMac. As I identify specification-matching pairs, I mark them AHT OK and put them in an iMac. It's a lot of work, but it's the only way to ensure the iMac will run OK with OS X 10.4. OS X 10.3 and earlier versions were much more forgiving of mismatched RAM, but not good ole Tiger. If, after sorting out the RAM you still have problems, check to make sure the iMac slot-loader's firmware has been updated to (IIRC) 4.19f1 or something like that. I still find G3 iMacs that have never had their firmware upgraded to the latest. Since Apple's Software Update stopped being available to G3 iMacs online this year, you may have to dig into apple.com's support website a bit to find and download the firmware updater. Have fun! Jim Scott -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: No Mouse with AHT
IIRC, 2.5.7 and/or 2.5.8. Jim Scott Sent from my iPad On Jan 19, 2012, at 9:24 PM, Jonas Ulrich jonasulrich3...@gmail.com wrote: I've used the AHT on an identical machine before, and the mouse worked. Which version of ASD works on these machines? Thanks! -Jonas -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: Upgrade processor?
On Jan 10, 2012, at 6:23 PM, John Carmonne wrote: On Jan 10, 2012, at 6:00 PM, Jim Scott wrote: On Jan 10, 2012, at 8:03 AM, JOHN CARMONNE wrote: I read on Everymac that the processors in the white iMacs are swappable. I have a iMac 20 2.0 Core Duo and would like to put in a 2.16 Core 2 Duo. Has any one done this? John Carmonne Yorba Linda CA 92886 From iMac Core Duo 2.0 Yes, I've upgraded a Core Duo processor in a white iSight iMac to a Core 2 Duo processor. The processor fits into a socket and is thus removable. That's the good news. The bad news is that you have to disassemble the iMac to remove the logic board so you can get at the screws that clamp the heat sink over the processor. It's an almost complete disassembly, so you would be well advised to obtain an Apple service manual for the iMac in question. Don't forget to use fresh thermal paste -- I like Arctic Silver. If you're planning to do this so you can run OS X 10.7 Lion, you need to understand that the Lion installer doesn't care a whit about what processor you've installed. It looks for the Model Identifier in About This Mac (iMac8,1, for example) and compares the one it finds with the list of models on which Lion can be installed. So even if your upgraded now-Core 2 Duo iMac otherwise runs perfectly, the Lion installer will not install directly and will give you the old white circle with a slash screen to show its displeasure. However, there is a workaround to get Lion up and running on Lion-incompatible Intel Macs with Lion-compatible Core 2 Duo processor upgrades. Here's a detailed explanation of how to do it I wrote last August to explain how I did it to some clients who wanted me to upgrade their iMac and their Mac Mini from Core Duo to Core 2 Duo. Here's the process. Keep in mind this was written in the very first days of Lion, so you may already have a USB Lion thumb driver installer, and thus can skip to Step 8: Thank you Jim for the details in line 9 and 10 they are very important to know. I've been using the thumb drives but haven't run into this issue yet so this will save me a lot of hair pulling. My main reason for the original question was if there was any other pitfalls on the MOBO between the models other than the sockets being the same. Now would any know where I gat get a Core 2 Duo 2.16 processor besides pulling one from a machine? You're welcome, John. Sorry about the repeat of a good chunk of the text in my original post. I've got a Magic Trackpad next to my shortie bluetooth Apple keyboard, and for some reason that causes very strange things to happen to my e-mail text from time to time. Usually I catch it, but this time I didn't. Doesn't happen when I'm using a word processor, only with e-mail. Go figure. There are no other pitfalls to be encountered, other than the usual disassembly/assembly stuff that has to be done just so to avoid problems. Once you get to the bare cpu, all you have to do is insert a tiny flat blade screwdriver into the slot, turn it 180 degrees, and the cpu is loose and ready to be lifted out. Lots nicer than the old lift-the-lever sockets of olden dayes. I bought my Core 2 Duo cpus on eBay for quite reasonable prices, so there's no need to buy a complete Mac and strip it. Just make sure that the cpu you're buying is compatible with the socket. A 2.16 Core 2 Duo mobile chip should be a perfect, worry-free choice. Have fun! Jim -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: Upgrade processor?
On Jan 10, 2012, at 8:03 AM, JOHN CARMONNE wrote: I read on Everymac that the processors in the white iMacs are swappable. I have a iMac 20 2.0 Core Duo and would like to put in a 2.16 Core 2 Duo. Has any one done this? John Carmonne Yorba Linda CA 92886 From iMac Core Duo 2.0 Yes, I've upgraded a Core Duo processor in a white iSight iMac to a Core 2 Duo processor. The processor fits into a socket and is thus removable. That's the good news. The bad news is that you have to disassemble the iMac to remove the logic board so you can get at the screws that clamp the heat sink over the processor. It's an almost complete disassembly, so you would be well advised to obtain an Apple service manual for the iMac in question. Don't forget to use fresh thermal paste -- I like Arctic Silver. If you're planning to do this so you can run OS X 10.7 Lion, you need to understand that the Lion installer doesn't care a whit about what processor you've installed. It looks for the Model Identifier in About This Mac (iMac8,1, for example) and compares the one it finds with the list of models on which Lion can be installed. So even if your upgraded now-Core 2 Duo iMac otherwise runs perfectly, the Lion installer will not install directly and will give you the old white circle with a slash screen to show its displeasure. However, there is a workaround to get Lion up and running on Lion-incompatible Intel Macs with Lion-compatible Core 2 Duo processor upgrades. Here's a detailed explanation of how to do it I wrote last August to explain how I did it to some clients who wanted me to upgrade their iMac and their Mac Mini from Core Duo to Core 2 Duo. Here's the process. Keep in mind this was written in the very first days of Lion, so you may already have a USB Lion thumb driver installer, and thus can skip to Step 8: 1. Using a Lion-compatible Core 2 Duo or better Mac running OS X 10.6.8 that’s received all its latest Apple updates, click on the App Store icon in the Dock and buy OS X 10.7 (Build 11A511). When the almost 4 GB download is complete, it will appear in the Applications folder as Install Mac OS X Lion. 2. Right click on this installer icon, then select Show Package Contents, go to SharedSupport and find InstallESD.dmg. That’s the OS X 10.7 Lion installer. 3. Hold down the Option key, click on InstallESD.dmg and drag a copy of the installer to the desktop. (NOTE: If you upgrade your 10.6.8 Mac to Lion before doing steps 2. and 3., the Install Mac OS X Lion folder will disappear from Applications and you’ll have to re-download the Lion installer from the App Store. Pulling a copy of InstallESD.dmg to the desktop avoids this problem; you can delete it or move it to a backup drive to save space later.) 4. Open Disk Utility, then click on InstallESD.dmg and drag it to the left pane. 5. To burn a DVD, insert a DVD into the optical drive, select InstallESD.dmg, select Burn under Images in the menu bar, and burn the DVD. You will not use the DVD to upgrade your original Core Duo Mac to Lion, but you might as well make one now. 6. To make a bootable USB thumb drive, you will need one at least 8 GB in size. Insert it into a USB port, then select it in the left pane in Disk Utility. Click on the Partition tab, choose 1 Partition, choose Mac OS Extended (Journaled), name the drive Lion USB Installer or whatever you want, click on the Options button and select GUID as the partition type. Then tap on Apply and Disk Utility will erase and format your thumb drive so it will be bootable by any original Core 2 Duo or better Intel Mac. 7. Now you’re ready to install the OS X 10.7 InstallESD.dmg image on your USB thumb drive. Click Restore in the right pane of Disk Utility, then choose InstallESD.dmg as the Source by clicking on it in the left pane. Click on the USB thumb drive in the left pane and drag it to the Destination window in the right pane. Tap on Apply and Disk Utility will create an OS X 10.7 bootable installer on your USB thumb drive. 8. Obtain an external hard drive, preferably one with a USB 2.0 interface. Connect it to a known OS X 10.7-compatible Intel Core 2 Duo or better/newer Mac. Use Disk Utility to partition the drive in GUID, and name it whatever you wish. See 12. below for a suggestion about setting up a backup partition at this time. 9. Insert the USB Lion thumb drive into a port on your Lion-compatible Mac and use the InstallESD.dmg file to install OS X 10.7 Lion on the external USB 2.0 drive. The USB thumb drive will show up on the desktop as Mac OS X Install ESD; you do not have to boot from the thumb drive although it is bootable. Simply click on the white icon to launch the Lion installer, which needs a native Lion-compatible host Mac to run the installer. 10. When Lion has been installed, test it by booting from the USB external drive (hold down the Option key during restart and select the external
Re: Corrupted Files?
On Nov 19, 2011, at 9:50 PM, JohnCarmonne wrote: On Nov 19, 2011, at 9:15 PM, Amanda Ward wrote: Hi All… Recently I've had problems with files I've downloaded not opening because the file is corrupted or has an invalid checksum. Also found files that I've downloaded in the past and successfully installed are now corrupted, etc, etc… Most recently the backlog of updates from software update have failed to open. I have no clue of what is causing this. Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Amanda Model Name: iMac Model Identifier: iMac8,1 Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo Processor Speed:2.4 GHz Number of Processors: 1 Total Number of Cores: 2 L2 Cache: 6 MB Memory: 4 GB Bus Speed: 1.07 GHz Boot ROM Version: IM81.00C1.B00 SMC Version (system): 1.29f1 OS 10.7.1 To begin with I'd run permissions repair and DiskWarrior just to get that out of the way. On Dec 2, 2011, at 3:16 PM, Amanda Ward wrote: Thanks to John and Jim for their response!!! What I've done since my first post: Ran disk utilities. Found 1 permission error in an iTunes directory. Repaired that. Verify disk reported no errors. Then I nuked and reinstalled just the OS (10.6). Tried to update to 10.6.8. Cannot expand the file. The file may have been corrupted Re-nuked and reinstalled just the OS. Tried to update from a file downloaded on another computer. Cannot expand the file. The file may have been corrupted Re-nuked and reinstalled just the OS. Ran Drive Genius 3 verify. Disk appears to be okay. DG 3 scan found no bad blocks. Re-nuked and reinstalled the OS. Restored from the earliest Time Machine Backup. Still the same problems. Ran Disk Warrior 4.3. Smart status was okay. There were directory errors… rebuilt and replaced. There were file errors reported, but I'm not sure what DW did about them. Still the same problems. Files are corrupted or have invalid checksums. I dunno!?!?! Amanda Hmmm. Drive Genius 3 verify is the same as running Disk Utility's verify. Did you run the DG3 Integrity Checks (read and write, random and sustained)? I've found that hard drives that start getting wonky but will pass a verify check and a bad sector scan sometimes have read and/or write problems, especially slowdowns. Run the DG3 tests for hours. That should ferret out any read/write problems. If not, then something is causing your 10.6.8 update downloads to be corrupted. Try getting the download through a Mac at a friend/relative's house. Are you downloading to an external drive or to a thumb drive: maybe that's where your problem lies? Or it could be a USB or firewire port/bus problem. You did try purging caches by starting in Safe Mode (hold down shift key a log time)? Have you tried AppleJack 1.6 for Snow Leopard? It's also got a very thorough deep clean of caches option that may do the trick. Neither one should be necessary if you've done a proper nuke and pave with a clean OS install, but without using Migration Assistant or Time Machine to import any of your other apps and data. What I find puzzling though is that a nuke and pave with 10.6 works OK, but the problem occurs when you try to update to 10.6.8. Does the problem occur if you run other 10.6 updates, but not the 10.6.xx update? Have you tried using another user account set up as administrator? Do a nuke and pave of the OS only, then run the 10.6.8 download update as that test user. Good luck! Jim Scott -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: Corrupted Files?
On Nov 19, 2011, at 9:15 PM, Amanda Ward wrote: Hi All… Recently I've had problems with files I've downloaded not opening because the file is corrupted or has an invalid checksum. Also found files that I've downloaded in the past and successfully installed are now corrupted, etc, etc… Most recently the backlog of updates from software update have failed to open. I have no clue of what is causing this. Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Amanda Model Name: iMac Model Identifier: iMac8,1 Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo Processor Speed:2.4 GHz Number of Processors: 1 Total Number of Cores: 2 L2 Cache: 6 MB Memory: 4 GB Bus Speed: 1.07 GHz Boot ROM Version: IM81.00C1.B00 SMC Version (system): 1.29f1 OS 10.7.1 Boot from Lion's Recovery HD and run disk repair and/or verify in Disk Utility. If it finds errors that it can't repair, run DiskWarrior 4.3, the version compatible with Lion. You probably will find some volume information and directory errors. If not, run Drive Genius 3 and scan for bad sectors, then run it again and do the read and write integrity check tests. My advice is based on experience, and on a hunch that your hard drive may be failing. You are careful to do backups of your data, right? Assuming you are, and the backups are bootable, what happens when you boot from your backup drive? HTH, Jim Scott -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: Time machine preferences
On Nov 15, 2011, at 1:58 PM, Ben Kernan wrote: I can't seem to figure out how to change Time Machine's preferences... I really don't want it doing a backup of my drive every hour, once a week would be fine. BTW I am backing up to an 80 gig drive... Yea, I know I should get something bigger, but I haven't gotten there yet. Just took the thing out of storage today... Ben Kernan: 24I-Mac 2/2.8/700, graphite g-4 1gig/400/52, iPad 2/64/wifi, iPhone 3g - Dedicated Mac user since 1990 If all you want is a weekly backup, then you'd be better advised to use Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper and use it to do that. Once CCC of SD do the first clone/backup, it will do incremental backups on whatever schedule you choose. Either program also lets you specify what you do and don't want to backup. And you will have a bootable backup in case of a system crash. A good rule of thumb is to have a backup drive with at least as much storage capacity as the drive that's being backed up, BTW. Time Machine does not create a bootable backup, although you can use it to restore all your files in case of a disaster requiring a complete nuke and pave reinstall of the OS. Time Machine's main value is that it gives you an hour-by-hour snapshot of all the data on your Mac. Which means that if you mistakenly deleted something at 1 p.m. and discovered it at 5 p.m., you could go into Time Machine, navigate back to the undeleted files at 12 p.m. and recover them. It's saved my bacon more than once since I started using it. I find that having a bootable CCC daily backup on one external hard drive, and an hour-by-hour non-bootable Time Machine backup on another external hard drive (I use a 2 TB Time Machine) gives me all the backup I need. However, I also do regular backups on a third hard drive via CCC which I keep in a different location in case of fire, theft, earthquake, stupidity. YMMV. Jim -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: emac 700Mhz Opinium
As a retired editor who never got less than an A in spelling in school, I'd just like to state that Opinium is not the way the word opinion is spelled. That's just in case someone, somewhere gets the mistaken impression that Opinium is correct because it's in print (so to speak) and thus far has been unchallenged in this thread. My opinion is that an eMac with 700 MHz and 1 GB of RAM running OS 10.4.11 with all updates is about as slow as I would choose to go with a Mac on the internet. Jim Scott -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: emac 700Mhz Opinium
On Nov 8, 2011, at 12:11 PM, Bruce Johnson wrote: On Nov 8, 2011, at 12:29 PM, Jim Scott wrote: As a retired editor who never got less than an A in spelling in school, I'd just like to state that Opinium is not the way the word opinion is spelled. That's just in case someone, somewhere gets the mistaken impression that Opinium is correct because it's in print (so to speak) and thus far has been unchallenged in this thread. Perhaps he's merely searching for the soothing narcotic effect of getting other's opinions on the matter :-P Ah so. Sort of like the difference between plain ole aluminum and high-falutin' aluminium? :^) -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: 17'' 800 G4 iMac, suddenly no video
On Nov 3, 2011, at 11:53 PM, a1 wrote: So what are the standard steps for this situation. iMac was on, I came back in the room and the screen was utterly black. Rest of computer seems to respond i.e boots, cd drawer opens, even seems to go into sleep mode and wake. But no video. Hope this isn't fatal since its my fave mac! If you shine a bright light onto the screen while the iMac is running, do you see faint video images? If the answer is yes, then you most likely have a bad inverter, which is inside the LCD case. If the answer is no, then either the LCD died (unlikely) or there are one or more broken wires inside the neck (likely and not uncommon). It's also possible the LVDS cable came loose from its connector on the logic board, but that's highly unlikely unless the iMac has been opened up recently. You also could have a combination of bad inverter and broken/shorted wires inside the neck. If you get video on an external monitor, then you know the video chip's OK. If not, then you're looking at a loose video chip which means logic board replacement. HTH, Jim Scott -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: No cord at start up.
On Nov 2, 2011, at 5:14 PM, Bruce Hazzard wrote: Hi, I am hoping someone has a answer. When I start up my iMac I hear no cord. It seems to run find. But there is no reassuring cord. Can someone help me. Thanks Bruce Hazzard On Nov 2, 2011, at 10:22 PM, Jim Scott wrote: No cord? No start. Plug in a power cord, and it should start. Then you'll hear a chord. :^) If not, try several PRAM starts. Jim On Nov 3, 2011, at 6:17 PM, Bruce Hazzard wrote: First, The computer is plugged in. I did try zapping the pram and that worked. Thank You for your help. You're welcome. I work on a lot of iMacs. The no-chime symptom usually is an indication that your PRAM battery is weak, particularly if the iMac's been unplugged for a while. Check the battery with a voltmeter and replace with a new one if it's below the voltage printed on the battery (3 V or 2.6 V). Jim -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: Stuck RAM
On Nov 1, 2011, at 5:21 PM, John Carmonne wrote: On Nov 1, 2011, at 5:13 PM, Christopher Satterfield wrote: There are clips on the side you push outwards, correct? I've never seen stuck ram before. The clips are up and I've worked on a lot of iMacs and have seen several with ram that just wont budge. I was hoping for a solution other that taking a chance with the pliers. It's a mechanical problem and that requires a mechanical solution. Or you can try some of the late Steve's magical thinking. Some RAM manufacturers don't adhere to size standards as religiously as they should, which is why you're looking at a too-tight interference fit that requires a brute force resolution. HTH, Jim -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: No cord at start up.
On Nov 2, 2011, at 5:14 PM, Bruce Hazzard wrote: Hi, I am hoping someone has a answer. When I start up my iMac I hear no cord. It seems to run find. But there is no reassuring cord. Can someone help me. Thanks Bruce Hazzard No cord? No start. Plug in a power cord, and it should start. Then you'll hear a chord. :^) If not, try several PRAM starts. Jim -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: Incorrect Number Of Thread Records
On Sep 15, 2011, at 6:09 PM, Tina K. wrote: On 2011/09/15 17:54, Jim Scott so eloquently wrote: Sounds as if you've got either a hard drive problem or a directory problem, or most likely the latter caused by the former. I would boot from the OS X install disk and run Disk UtilityFirst AidRepair Disk until it has fixed everything or until it says it can't fix it. If Repair Disk fixes everything, then your machine should boot from the hard drive. If it doesn't, then beg, borrow or buy a copy of DiskWarrior that's appropriate for your version of OS X. DiskWarrior is absolutely superb at fixing the type of problems you report. If DiskWarrior doesn't fix the problem, then you very likely have a failing hard drive, a not uncommon problem. If it is indeed a failing HDD, shouldn't the first step be to back it up before trying to repair the directory? Normally, you would be correct: back it up first. However, in the case in this thread, that is not possible because the user can't even boot from the hard drive. Jim Scott -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: New iMac
On Aug 21, 2011, at 10:49 AM, Fred Thiel and Janet Thiel wrote: I've been looking for a new iMac. The new 2.7GHz quad core i5 21.5 inch monitor iMac is what I've got my eye on, but I can't find out if it has Snow Leopard on it. I don't want Lion at this time. Does anyone know for sure what OS and where I can get it? There are still quite a few new unsold iMacs with OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard on them. Here's one source: http://www.macconnection.com/IPA/Shop/Product/Detail.htm?sku=11822923cac=FeaturedHome. That particular link shows a great price on a new previous-generation 10.6 iMac with 27 screen. Look around on that site for others. Here's a link to a good price guide. It's a good starting place to find what's out there that's new and that meets your requirements. But there are lots of other sellers of iMacs, many of whom undoubtedly still have some 10.6 new iMacs in stock. Good luck and happy hunting! Jim Scott -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: Dead-ish G5
On Jun 10, 2011, at 4:00 PM, Amanda Ward wrote: A lot of time on my hands has prompted me to look into why my iMac G5 (first gen) quit working. Posting the symptoms here got the opinion the power supply took a header. It was supposed to have had the PS replaced before I bought it, but hey! I don't mind putting another PS in the unit, but I have questions... I see a few power supplies on eBay, but I'm unclear on which ones will work... Interchangeability between models? Specific part numbers? Amanda, You don't say whether your iMac G5 (first gen) is a 17 or a 20 model. Each model had a specific power supply with a specific part number because of the requirements to power a specific-size LCD. Note: I've tried using a 17-inch power supply in a 20-inch and vice-versa; it doesn't work. Note: Power supplies can be interchanged between the first-gen iMac G5 and the second-gen iMac G5 ALS (ambient light sensor) models of the same screen size. If putting a second-gen ALS power supply into a 1st-gen iMac you will have to remove the ALS sensor and cable. However, the power supplies for the third-gen iMac G5 are completely different and cannot be used with earlier G5 iMacs such as the one you have. According to Apple service manuals here are the part numbers: 20-inch iMac G5: -- 1st gen: 661-3289 -- 2nd gen (ALS): 661-3625 17-inch iMac G5: -- 1st gen: 661-3290 -- 2nd gen (ALS): 661-3627 That said, there are other part numbers out there. The crucial thing is that the power supply be the correct one for your screen's size. Good luck. iMac G5 models are filled with all sorts of wicked problems, from bad capacitors on logic boards *and* in power supplies, to thermal sensor issues, to GPU cold solder joints, to optical discs that launch onto the desk (Surprise!). Fortunately, Apple has long since worked out all those issues. I consider all white iMac G5s to be booby-trapped beta test beds. :^) Jim Scott Eureka, CA -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: more issues with core duo
On Apr 18, 2011, at 12:08 PM, John Hobbs wrote: On 18 Apr 2011, at 09:36, william wrote: My core duo imac which was having problems with video artifacts and shutdowns has presented a new problem. Now i am unable to boot up. It goes to the screen with the Apple logo then the wheel just spins over and over. I am able to boot up on my Snow Leopard cd, from which i have repaired disk and repaired permissions. It says both are ok, but i still cannot boot past the Apple logo window. Is this the end, or are there more things i can do to try to extend its life for a few months till i can get another intel imac? For now i am back on my G4 imac running Tiger. Feeling alot less powerful, but much more secure. Thanks for any suggestions. -william My suggestion would be buy an external firewire hard drive, install Snow Leopard and use this as startup disc. It won't be money wasted as you can continue to use it when you get your new Mac. Question. When you boot from CD (DVD) does the internal drive show up and can you access the files on it? Good Luck John An external hard drive as a boot device may work, but I suspect it won't. Based on your description, your iMac was having video problems, including on-screen artifacts and shutdowns. The problem now has worsened to the point where it will light up the screen while running in a low-video-demand state (grey screen with spinning wheel, from a disc in an optical drive), but will freeze when the iMac is tasked with meeting the full video demands of OS X. All of those symptoms mean you've got faulty video circuitry on your logic board, and you can expect the problem to worsen to the point you won't get a chime and the screen won't light up. And that means a new logic board, unless you want to try having one of many repair facilities on eBay and elsewhere give a whack at fixing the problem. This usually involves reflowing the hundreds of tiny solder balls that affix the video chip to the logic board, thus healing one or more broken/cold solder joints that caused your initial artifacts, then shutdowns and now refusal to boot to the OS X desktop. Some vendors offer to reball or replace all the solder joints; check their references carefully if you decide to go this route. Another way to verify my suspicion is to power on the iMac, then hold down the Shift key until it boots into Safe Mode. My hunch is that, at this point, it probably will get to the desktop. Why? Because the video demands of OS X in Safe Mode are not much more than they are before the boot sequence tries to switch to the OS X blue screen. Yet another way to confirm a bad logic board/video issue is to connect an external monitor. (You may have to boot into Safe Mode to set it to work properly.) If the external monitor displays the same artifacts and symptoms as your internal monitor, then you know it's the logic board/video circuitry. Based on your description, I do not expect your machine will boot and run with an external monitor connected. However, I have seen one or two cases where the built-in LCD was the problem and not the video circuitry/logic board. In those cases, someone had been inside the Mac earlier and caused the problem/failure somehow. And yet another way to confirm my diagnosis is to boot from the Apple-supplied disc that contains the Apple Hardware Test. Run both Quick and Extended tests, and I suspect the tests may freeze at the point near the end where the video tests run, displaying a FAILED notice at the same time. But maybe not, because the test is running in the low-video-demand mode. I've seen many Macs pass the AHTs yet have definite video issues. Good luck. Jim Scott -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: core duo or core 2 duo?
On Mar 23, 2011, at 5:13 PM, william wrote: Basically I'm just wondering whether a 64-bit os is a big deal? My instinct is to get an intel imac as cheaply as possible, but i might change my mind if there is substantial advantage in having the c2d. Thanks much! The biggest advantage is that a Core 2 Duo or better will be required to run OS X 10.7 Lion, due out this summer. That's not gospel, yet, but that's what people who are working with Apple as developers have been saying. So if that's true, then the advantage is in being able to use the latest OS. There are a lot of Core 2 Duo machines out there that can be had for less than $1,000, so there are lots of options where buying cheaply is concerned, Jim Scott -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: iMac G3 processor swap? 500 up to 600 Mhz...
On Mar 7, 2011, at 12:56 PM, Zeke wrote: I have an ancient 600 Mhz G3 iMac SE -- slot-load -- that I have been using as an iTunes server for quite some time. (It was , also, just fine for light web browsing.) Unfortunately, the CRT/power supply has just gone kaput. For $40, I have been able to purchase a working 500 Mhz iMac but, aside from a working CRT, I think it has a tic less performance across the board. Is the extra speed worth me taking everything apart to create a true Franken G3 or should I just pull the harddrive and 1G of RAM from the first machine, put it all in the slower chassis, and call it good? At BEST I'm going to get a running 600 Mhz G3, with 1G of RAM, running 10.4.11 and iTunes 9.2.1, which would be great with me. If the worst isn't a noticeable difference... There really isn't a very noticeable performance difference between a 500 and a 600 MHz G3 iMac doing things like e-mail and web browsing. But every little bit helps, of course. What you really want to make sure of, though, if you do try the swap, is that you're swapping an IBM 600 MHz logic board into an IBM 500 MHz chassis. Here's why. There were two different cpu manufacturers for G3 iMac 500 MHz logic boards: IBM and Motorola. The heat sink for the cpu is affixed to the bottom side of the perforated aluminum divider board, directly above the cpu of course. However, because of a difference in not only cpu size but also cpu logic board location, an IBM logic board will not mate properly with a Motorola heat sink, and vice versa. The penalty for a mismatch is a very fried cpu, very quickly, as I learned long ago. IBM was the only cpu used in 600 and 700 MHz G3 iMacs. So what you need to do, since the cpu is on the top side of the board, is remove the 500 MHz logic board and determine if the cpu is an IBM (which it will say right on the chip) or a Motorola, which you'll need 20-15 eyesight to see with your naked eye, or a magnifying glass. The Motorola chip is much smaller than the IBM. The IBM heat sink sits in a little recess in the divider board; the Motorola heat sink is a small rectangle of aluminum screwed/glued to the divider board. If your 500 MHz iMac is also an IBM machine, then the swap will be very easy. Remove the 600 MHz logic board with attached upconverter board and put it into the 500 MHz chassis. You might want to add just a teeny tiny bit of thermal paste on the heat sink to account for the compression of the thin thermal pad and the likely mismatch between the new cpu and its new heat sink. But if there's a mismatch between the 600 board and the 500 heat sink, all is not lost. You can really disassemble the two iMacs and transplant the 600 logic board AND 600 divider board into the 500 chassis. That will require discharging the two CRTs to avoid an unpleasant tingle. (OK guys, here's where you usually hijack this thread and rant on about whether the juice inside a CRT with a modern flyback transformer will kill you or not. Please don't.) I suggest you do some Googling for proper take-apart procedures, or find the appropriate Apple Service Manual, if you're going to disconnect the divider board with PAV attached from the iMac and discharge the CRT in the process. You have been warned. What I've done in situations like yours is to choose the best CRT (no burn-in, crisp focus, no scratches, etc.) AND its PAV (if working) and mate it with the best logic board, hard drive, optical drive and case plastics. I've sometimes had to swap the divider boards around to get an IBM/IBM or Motorola/Motorola match. One other point to consider: Not all 500 MHz G3 iMac logic boards came with 16 MB video chips. I've seen some with the 350-450 MHz 8 MB chips. If memory serves, somewhere along the way during the 500 MHz run Motorola boards switched from 8 MB to 16 MB. IIRC, all IBM G3 iMac logic boards had 16 MB VRAM. There's a big difference between the two if you're running OS X, which needs all the VRAM it can get in a G3 iMac. And one final point: There also were two different PAV boards. One does have a slide switch to select the appropriate CRT manufacturer (LG and CPT, IIRC); the other doesn't and will work with only one CRT brand. I'll bet you thought your idea would be simple to implement, right? Have fun, but do try to get an Apple Service Manual. Jim Scott -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: iMac G5 startup problem
On Nov 5, 2010, at 4:56 PM, Jean-Claude Touzin wrote: Ref. OS 10.5.8 Name iMac G5 Model PowerMac8,1 Processor PowerPC G5 (3.0) Speed1.8 GHz CPU 1 Cache 512 Ko RAM 1 Go Bus speed 600 MHzROM version 5.2.2f4 UUID --1000-8000-000D93B9ABC2 Hi, One of my friend with the iMac above is having lots of trouble to start his machine first time in the morning. It seems that unplugging from the wall and plugging back, then pushing the start button in the back many times is the only way to go. This is a haphazard process meaning that it can start after a few tries or after many. Once it has start in the morning, restarting for the rest of the day is OK. Only other problem on this iMac was trouble to awake after sleep. My friend disabled the sleep function as short cut solution. Can this startup problem caused by an hair crack somewhere that is wider when cold? Waiting for any help you can provide, JC PS On my suggestion, the iMac has been cleaned up with ONYX, because it was slow has molasse. It is now OK. Also I make him try the Command-Option-P-R incantation to no avail. If you need more info just ask. But pardon my FrenchGlish. The startup problem sounds very much as if it's caused by a dying/dead CR2032 clock battery which either is not keeping parameter items in memory, or is corrupting PRAM. Replace the current battery with a new one and I'll bet the startup problems go away. The clue is that once the iMac starts successfully restarting for the rest of the day is OK because the PRAM is maintained by house electricity. Finally, if your friend is unplugging his iMac or otherwise disconnecting it from the electrical outlet over night, the iMac then looks to the battery to maintain PRAM, which it apparently cannot do. HTH, Jim Scott -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: considering a used iMac
On Sep 20, 2010, at 5:18 PM, Midnight rider wrote: Out of curiosity, I just got an iMac G4 1.25Ghz. I do have the mini display adapter, and would it work to extend the desktop or would it just duplicate it? the screen's a 17. Just checked several sources freely available to anyone, and they all say video mirroring only or words to that effect. That means you get the same image on the external monitor as on the built-in monitor. Duplicate in other, other words. Same thing on all three screen sizes of G4 iMacs. Jim Scott -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: considering a used iMac
On Sep 20, 2010, at 6:16 PM, Ashgrove wrote: If all works out, my line of iMacs should be happy. In fact, I have 5 iMacs, and one eMac that could be considered an iMac. eMac G4 700 iMac G5 1.8 20 iMac G3 350 iMac G3 600 iMac G3 233 original Bondi Blue iMac G4 1.25 Interesting collection. I see that a lot of us suffer from TTMS (Too Many Macs Syndrome). I'm still envious of that 20 screen. And Jim got himself this year a 27 model, the rascal... ;-) Actually, Felix, I got my 27-inch 3.06 GHz iMac on October 22, 2009, only a couple of days after they were announced. That's not quite a year ago, and it's already been superseded by a newer, improved version. But it's still got that ginormous LED-backlit 27-inch screen which makes almost two of my still-under-AppleCare 20-inch Aluminum 2.4 GHz iMac. Yep, Felix, that's called piling on. Heh-heh. :^) And, let's see, I've got 3 Pismos, 2 Clamshells (with great batteries), 17 G3 iMacs from 233 to 700 MHz waiting for new owners through my Macs for Kids giveaway program, 2 G5 iMacs rescued from the angry capacitor gods, and iPods, iPads ... well, the symptoms just never seem to stop or even go into remission, happy to say. And my wife's still using that Mac Mini I bought from you several years ago. Jim Scott -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: iMac G4 black monitor
On Aug 26, 7:07 pm, Jim Scott jesco...@gmail.com wrote: On Aug 23, 2010, at 11:27 AM, pink74slk wrote: I have an iMac G4 USB2.0 and the monitor does not lit anymore. I replaced the inverter and still the same black monitor. I then have bought the cable VGA adapter and connect the iMac to my TV, and here the facts: just keep in mind that after the backup I did, I formatted the HDD so if turn on the iMac, the TV will be black as well, no signal transmitter instead starting up the iMac from the boot DVD Leopard, the TV monitor is white. Carlo, A white screen means that the screen is getting power, and that your inverter is OK. However, your screen is not getting data, which means that there's a problem in the circuit from your logic board video cable connector to the LCD. The most likely problem is that the video cable is not properly connected to the logic board, or to the LCD, or both. However, if the cable is securely connected to the logic board and the LCD, the next most likely problem is a break in the video cable (also known as the LVDS or low voltage data signal cable) between the logic board and the LCD connector. Because of the way the cable is snaked through the iMac G4's neck, which can flex and swivel, this is a common occurrence. The fix is to replace the neck with a new one. If you do this, make certain you get an exact replacement. There were a bunch of different necks for the iMac G4, depending on screen size and logic board/cpu version, so be careful. Just any old iMac G4 neck may not work. There's a tag on the cable, which will require an Apple Service Manual to decode, that identifies the neck in your machine. It's on the logic board end. Match the code on that tag, and you've got the right neck. Aren't iMac G4s such sweethearts to work on? No wonder Apple moved on to the current cantilever pedestal AIO flat panel form factor rather quickly. Jim Scott On Aug 29, 2010, at 6:36 AM, pink74slk wrote: Thank you Jim, please correct me if I did not understand your explanation. The LCD monitor of my iMac G4 never turns white, it always remain black since the failure happened. The only white signal is on the TV screen, when booting up from DVD Leopard, and the LCD it is slightly black. Any more insights, or what you told me earlier is still applicable? thank to you and everyone is contributing/commenting. regards, Carlo Carlo, Let me try again. A white screen with no data almost always means the inverter is getting power and illuminates the screen. No data on the screen means the data signal cable isn't working -- it's broken internally or disconnected or not connected properly. From your description, you've got a problem with the low voltage data signal cable not delivering data to the built-in LCD of your iMac G4. I suspect the cable is broken or shorted inside the neck. But it could be disconnected or not connected probably to the logic board, or to the LCD itself. There also could be a problem with the inverter cable. Have you tried shining a very bright light on the screen after the iMac has booted? If you can see any images -- even faintly -- that means the inverter cable has broken/shorted, probably inside the neck As for your connection to the TV, it's clear that power is getting to the screen, which is why it turns white. But the video signal or data isn't getting there. This could be because there's a problem with the video circuitry on your iMac's logic board, or a problem with the adapter cable or video out port, or because the video cable to the LCD in the iMac is shorting out the video circuitry. Or it could be a simple incompatibility between the iMac and the TV (and you don't say what kind of TV -- flat screen or tube). Try connecting the video out port to a regular VGA computer monitor instead of your TV. Borrow one if need be. If you can't get video on the monitor, then disconnect the video cable to the LCD from the logic board, which will require some disassembly/reassembly of the iMac. I've had situations where disconnecting the video cable from the logic board made the external monitor work, so it's worth a try. If after all of this you still cannot get a video signal on the external monitor, then you may have a bad iMac logic board. However, based on the fact your TV screen does go white, I suspect that your logic board/video circuitry is OK and that connecting to a standard VGA monitor will work, which means the no-video problem with the LCD is from the logic board end of the video cable to the LCD itself. Hope this helps. It's a bear trying to diagnose this way, but I've given it a try. Jim -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml
Re: iMac G4 Adding RAM+HDD+SuperDrive... Tips?
On Aug 26, 2010, at 11:06 AM, Tina K. wrote: J. R. Rosen wrote: Got a 20 G4 (USB2) iMac the other day, and am going to put in 2 sticks-O-RAM (1gb + 1gb). So while I was in there, I thought I'd add a 500gb HDD and a 24x DVD RW. That's about as far as you can carry upgrades, as it already has bluetooth and wifi. I have printed the article on Accelerate Your Mac about the do's and don'ts, and I've been following the latest posts about the thermal paste. My question is... as y'all have been actively inside the G4 dome (Jim and Tina), are there any tips, tricks, or other nuances you could throw my way to help me through this endeavor? Any: if I had only know about that then kind of things, or is it pretty straight-forward? One think to keep in mind right off the bat is that an ODD much, or possibly any, larger than the OEM unit will not fit into the carrier. I believe it was a Pioneer 106 that Apple put in those machines but I could be mistaken. Also the stock HDD is a 5200 RPM unit so if you install a 7200 RPM drive there will be more heat generated, you will probably want to keep the inlet outlet clean and hopefully keep it in a cool environment. Dis/reassembly is pretty straight forward. The outer user cover is a no brainer but be careful with the inner factory cover as it houses the MoBo and has several wires and cables attached to it. The first gen G4s had a cable that ran to the ODD/carrier that often broke upon disassembly but Apple corrected that on the USB 2 models. You will want to keep an eye on the Airport antenna wire during dis/reassembly too. Oh, and of course don't ruin all your work with a static jolt! Get all the dust bunnies out while you're in there. Replace the 1/2 AA clock battery with a new one, unless the one in there tests at 3.6 volts or slightly higher. Pay attention to the jumper settings on the optical disk drive (ODD) and hard disk drive (HDD). Set the new ones the same way, but be prepared to open it up again and reset them. I've set new ODDs and HDDs the same way as Apple did, only to find that some manufacturers' products don't always behave the same way as original equipment. Be aware that there are two different physical sizes of RAM sticks, with the longer 184-pin PC2700 stick mounted in a logic board slot and the shorty 200-pin PC 2700 SODIMM in the bottom user-accessible slot. If you can't find PC2700, PC3200 also will work. In fact, I've found PC3200 sticks that were installed in G4 Macs by Apple that were advertised as having PC2700 memory. Replace the thermal paste or pads with new top-quality thermal paste before you put it back together. Apple specifies using a T-15 Torx bit on the four case bolts, and that they should be torqued to 17 inch-pounds. I use my automotive tools to do that, but I've also successfully used a T-15 screwdriver and really cranked down on those bolts. Whatever you do, make sure those bolts are so tight that you can't easily loosen them by hand. That should be enough torque to clamp the heat sink/pipe pieces together properly. Be careful when torquing, as the six-point openings in those bolt heads are easy to strip out/misshape. I usually put 4 half-inch rubber feet on the bottom of an iMac G4 to raise it above the desktop and get better cooling/air flow. It doesn't take much to block those cooling holes in the base, and this at least gets keyboard and mouse cables out of the equation. Avoid putting too much stress on the neck and LCD. Apple techs use a fancy styrofoam holder, but I found that a firm pillow works just as well. I put the pillow on a table, then lay the back of the LCD and neck on the pillow. That puts the base of the iMac in the appropriate vertical position for disassembly while also preventing rolling movement. Have fun! -- Jim -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: iMac G4 Adding RAM+HDD+SuperDrive... Tips?
On Aug 26, 2010, at 1:01 PM, J. R. Rosen wrote: As far as the thermal paste, I have heard not to over-do putting it on, but there needs to be enough the seat the parts together for proper cooling. And to definitely not block the cooling shafts that are in those blocks, or pads that conduct the cooling. The thermal paste I purchased is GELID Solutions Thermal Compound. The feedback from purchasers was really good, so I chose this as it comes with a little spatula to spread the compound. Any secrets in applying the paste to where it doesn't seep into the cooling ducts? I haven't opened it up yet, waiting for the parts and the time, so I don't know how big or small those duct holes are. I guess you could roll-up a small piece of paper and put it in the hole, then let it expand to size, then paint the paste around that. I don't know, but am open to your learned suggestions. Yep, just a little dab of the thermal paste will be all you need. And don't worry about cooling ducts. There's no such thing where the thermal paste is applied. What you will see when you take the bottom case away from the top (pull it gently toward you and then rotate it down from the top, and make sure the optical drive door is rotated to the right about 90 degrees first) is that you have to disconnect a bunch of cables and wires in order to separate the bottom part with the logic board, etc. from the top or dome part. Note carefully how all those cables are routed before you start disconnecting them. Be warned that in your model it is difficult to remove the video cable from the logic board. Why? There is a black cap over the actual connector which keeps the connector firmly in place. It is glued to the logic board with sticky tape-type stuff. You have to carefully pry the black cap up and off the board without damaging anything around it before you can disconnect the video cable. My advice would be to disconnect everything *but* that video cable, then put a wadded up towel or something similar under the logic board assembly to take the stress off the video cable. You may have to rotate the dome part to get the right and least stressful position. You'll find that will give you enough space to get to everything, and you'll save yourself a major headache and prevent posssible damage. With the bottom of the computer resting on the towel, look at where the four T-15 bolts come through the bottom case. You will see that the bolts go right through the two pads where old thermal pads/paste/film needs to be removed and replaced. You will not see any cooling ducts. You will see an enclosed cooling pipe leading from the cpu area over to both pads. That pipe is filled with a material that facilitates rapid transfer of heat. So don't worry about using anything more than a small ball of thermal paste on each pad. Spread it thinly until each pad surface is coated. Keep in mind that only a very thin coat is needed to fill the microscopic hills and valleys of the two mating surfaces on each pad. Enjoy! -- Jim -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: G3/233 worth the restore?
On Jul 9, 2010, at 12:41 AM, leo wrote: I bagged an original Rev A Bondi-blue G3 off ebay to find it was worth well less than their original asking price. I could manage to refurbish it, but I'm reluctant to spend any more money on it. Screen image is off center and I cant find any adjustment Only user adjustments to hardware directly are to the flyback transformer (focus and brightness). If and when you get it running, you may discover that the screen geometry is off and that you can reset it to factory default and then adjust, using the software, to your preference. Or it's possible the hardware itself is messed up. In which case, either find a donor machine or give up. Hard drive is missing Uses ATA/IDE, with up to 120+ the max available. CD Drive is feeble, and spins up only if held pressed in, and the computer doesn't seem to register the OS 9 disk once it does spin up. I see this a lot. Replace the optical drive with a good one. Thats about the worst of the problems with it, cosmetically, its worn, but the internals look good and dusted out cleanly. I'd love to refurbish it, but am reluctant to order a CD drive for it with the screen mal-adjusted like it is, and I cannot find any adjustments on any inch of the case, inside or out. Is this old guy worth the trouble for a little nostalgia? They're nice little machines, once you get the bugs out. I fix them up and give them away to kids as standalone games/learning machines all the time. Make sure you check and replace the clock battery, which should read 3.6 volts or slightly higher. Toss one that's less than 3 volts. -- Jim Scott -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: G5 iMac - Replaced caps, same problem
On Jun 26, 2010, at 3:16 PM, Elliott Price wrote: I inherited a G5, 20 iMac. It had bulging capacitors, and upon power on, it worked, but had spasmatic video artifacting. After replacing some, then all the capacitors, the problem still persisted, although it was much better. Then, I got hold of a spare power supply that was a working pull, and it works almost perfectly; but the video artifacts show up occasionally while booting when it's still on the grey Apple loading screen. While in Target Disk Mode, the artifacting is HORRIBLE. Once it boots, however, it runs fine, and ran for almost two days straight with no problems. So my question is, does anyone know why this is still happening? Should we try getting a new power supply? I'm going to use it as it is, but it irks me to know that it could fail anytime... hmm... Any isights would be appreciated! I also know it's not the RAM, HD or whatever. It's definitely related to either the caps on the motherboard, or the power supply. It's probably the quality of the resolder job. I've got a similar situation with a 20-inch pre-ALS G5 iMac. I replaced the caps in both the power supply and on the logic board. For a few days it ran OK, then started throwing random kernel panics, triple beeps/flashes on startup, weird intermittent artifacts. Then it ran OK for a couple of days, then started doing stuff again. I could induce artifacts by simply gripping the case tightly, so that led me to remove the logic board and double-check all my caps' solder joints. I found several that showed just the slightest bit of movement on one or both legs when I wiggled the can. So I resoldered those caps, and all was well for a couple of months, then it started again. I suspected RAM (2 1 GB sticks), and determined which stick worked in which slot. Then I resoldered. This time I removed all the logic board caps, cleaned up as best I could, and resoldered. My theory is that because I was using a different solder than the original lead-free solder Apple used, the bond between solders wasn't good and tended to loosen with heat/cool cycles as the iMac was used. The resoldering seemed to work. I used the bejeebers out of that iMac for a week or so this past March. Some days it ran as a jukebox; others I used it to watch DVD movies. I ran endless ASD Open Firmware and OS loops. I ran Apple Hardware Tests, AppleJack and Memtest until I couldn't stand the full-throttle fan noise any more. I thrashed the hard drive with Drive Genius 3 tests. Verified the PRAM battery was 3+ volts. Swapped out the optical drive with another known-good one. Ran it with just the mouse and keyboard. Nada. Nary an artifact or kernel panic or RAM beep/flash. I set it aside during April and May as my workbench filled with a constant stream of Macs. I brought it back to my workbench and plugged it in a week or so ago. It immediately chimed (it's always chimed), then started with the three beeps/flashes again. I removed the original suspect RAM stick and it booted and ran flawlessly. I put both RAM sticks in an eMac and ran Memtest for a whole night. Not a problem. Put them back in their original slots, and beep, beep, beep. Rats. Removed the stick from the suspect slot, and it ran OK. So don't feel like the Lone Ranger. It could be we've got one or more weak solder joints lurking. It could be that the logic boards suffered some internal damage before we replaced the caps. Or it could be -- and this is my current thesis -- that PGE is sending voodoo signals to G5 iMacs, and only G5 iMacs, in neighborhoods where Russian spies have been living undetected. -- Jim Scott -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: Capacitor problems
On Jun 29, 2010, at 11:03 AM, Jason Brown wrote: I was reading about that on slashdot. We have a constant stream of GX270s that I have to replace the caps on. It is a lot cheaper than buying new boards. A suggestion that I have that seems to work well. When soldering new caps on, also have a desoldering iron on hand. After you have soldered the new caps, trim the leads and then follow along each lead with the de-soldering iron. DONT squeeze the bulb, just heat up and melt the solder and move to the next. I have found that this will spread the solder better than just heating it alone and it takes the solder that is excess from the other leads and moves it to the leads that need more. I have gotten a perfect solder job every time on over 100 boards so far with this method. I've successfully used that trick on a lot of Macs. But for some reason it doesn't work very well on iMacs and eMacs that were made using lead-free, high-temp solder, despite what type of solder is used in the re-cap procedure. -- Jim Scott -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: eMac
On Jun 21, 2010, at 12:12 PM, Elliott wrote: I've done a lot of googling, and I can't find anything related to this problem with an eMac: When you turn it on, it beeps 5 times, then flashes the power LED 5 times, pause, 5 times. The fan comes on, but the display never does. I tried a different RAM module, in both RAM slots with the same result. There is no HD in it currently. Is this what happens when the caps go bad? Would replacing them help, or is the logicboard already damaged? A quick Google for eMac error beeps coughed up this URL: http://www.welovemacs.com/whdoallthbme.html Here's the relevant information you are seeking. It could be that your processor died, or it could be that you have the dreaded bad capacitor problem which very well could be why you're getting the error code. So you might have a perfectly good cpu. -- Jim Scott Quoted from the We Love Macs web site: What do all those beeps mean at start up? Products introduced after October, 1999 use a revised set of power on self-test beeps during startup. The power on self-test resides in the ROM of the computer. This test runs whenever the computer is turned on after being fully shut down (the power-on self-test does not run if the computer is only restarted). If a fault is detected during the test, you will not hear a normal startup chime. Instead, the system will beep as explained below. If you experience one of these beeps, you may call your Apple Authorized Service Provider for additional troubleshooting assistance. 1 beep = no RAM installed 2 beeps = incompatible RAM types 3 beeps = no good banks 4 beeps = no good boot images in the boot ROM (and/or bad sys config block) 5 beeps = processor is not usable In addition to the beeps, on some computers the power LED will flash a corresponding number of times plus one. The LED will repeat the sequence after approximately a 5-second pause. The tones are only played once. Note: In this case, a flash is considered to be 1/4 second or 250 ms or greater in length. -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: iMac G3 - reluctant CD drive
On Jun 24, 2010, at 5:23 PM, Andrew Main wrote: I'm working on a 600MHz iMac G3 whose CD-RW drive has a hard time intaking and ejecting discs; it ejects the disc partway, then strains for a while as if the 5V (?) it's getting from the computer just isn't enough to push it all the way out, then pulls it in and mounts it again. Does anyone know, is there anything can be done about this? Lubrication? Or suggestion where I can get a good replacement cheap? This is a common iMac G3 slot-loading optical drive problem. The cause is stuff (lint, dust, cooking grease, tobacco smoke, etc.) embedded or coated on the rubber drive rollers that grip a disk to inject/eject it. Occasionally, the rubber band drive belt used in some designs also gets coated. The result is a gradual loss of gripping power. Eventually, the disk won't come out at all. The fix is to remove the drive, take off the top and clean the rollers and, if equipped, the drive belt. Blow out any dust, etc., lightly brush the laser lens with a soft brush with fine bristles, then reassemble. I've successfully used isopropyl alcohol and Goof-Off. I use Goof-Off when the rollers have hardened a bit because it softens the rubber. There also are commercial products that are used to rejuvenate drive rollers in printers, which get coated with fine paper particles and fail to grip the paper, or get hardened from age. Good luck! -- Jim Scott -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: Advice on selling Imac G5 as whole or parts
On Jun 22, 2010, at 7:50 AM, fanatamac wrote: Hi group, My Imac G5 20 inch, 1.8 recently turned into vacuum cleaner mode; won't recognize the hard drive no matter what. Would appreciate advice on selling - better to list as a whole system for fix or parts, or part it out and sell the components individually? Everything but the board is in great condition. Thanks for your time, Matt Roland Matt, What you've got is a parts machine which probably has a logic board suffering from the bad capacitor plague that affected most iMac G5s. If the iMac still chimes and attempts to boot before it goes into vacuum cleaner mode, there's a good chance that replacement of the 25 or so capacitors on the logic board will restore it to life. But there's also a chance that it won't, especially if failing caps managed to damage video circuitry. Your iMac also could have a problem with the video inverter if the screen won't light up. If I were you, I'd first try to sell it locally as a parts machine. Failing success there, I'd then offer it to LEM Swap members as a whole machine. If no one wants to pay the shipping charges plus a modest price for the parts (LCD, optical drive, hard drive, RAM, bluetooth/Airport/modem cards, power cable, fans, etc.), then I'd part it out. Of course, having the original Apple shipping box will make things easier all around as the LCD is a delicate piece of equipment that can be damaged all too easily in transit in a non-Apple box. I've successfully revived several G5 iMacs and eMacs by replacing capacitors on the logic board as well as in the power supply. It's hard work because Apple started using lead-free, high-temperature solder which means hobbyist-level removal/replacement of caps isn't easy. Good luck! -- Jim Scott -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: iMac G5 won't power up
On Jun 17, 2010, at 5:30 PM, Clark Martin wrote: I acquired an iMac G5 20, no camera (A1076), it doesn't power up. On plugging in the power cord one diagnostic LED comes on. Resetting the SMC doesn't help. PRAM battery is good. According to Apple test procedure it's a bad logic board. One set of caps was blown out, I replaced them (after much trials and tribulations). All the others looked okay. Does anyone know a likely culprit, fix, test? According to the original owner it was taking more and more attempts (button presses) to start up before it wouldn't start at all. The problem very likely is bad capacitors in the power supply, as well as on the logic board. I've gotten the first diagnostic LED to come on in that generation of G5 iMac, which simply means enough power has gotten to the logic board to turn on the light. But after replacing the power supply capacitors (which I got here http://jimwarholic.com/2008/07/how-to-repair-apple-imac-g5.php), I got three lights and the iMac booted, even though there were more than a dozen leaking/bulging caps on the logic board. I've also done the same thing and gotten only two lights and some whirring from the hard drive. All the caps on the logic board looked OK, which is no guarantee they're working correctly by the way. After replacing the caps, I got three LEDs and the iMac booted. The caps in the power supply are much easier to replace than those on the logic boards, as you probably know. Make very sure that the replacement caps are soldered solidly to the boards. I examine the soldered legs of my replacements with a magnifying glass while gently wiggling the cap. It's very difficult to get new caps correctly soldered since Apple used lead-free solder with a high melting point during manufacture. As you already know, it's a trial/error/tribulation process. Reviving G5 iMacs can be a real trip. I recently got 4 17-inch G5 iMacs from the tech at the local Mac shop. He couldn't get them to boot and run reliably, so he gave them to me. I got all 4 up and running, even to the point of getting the POST chime. But, one had a bad inverter. One had a bad LVDS cable connector. Two had had only the five 16-volt caps on the logic board replaced. Two had bad power supplies. Two would not pass either Apple Hardware Test and consistently threw video artifacts and reported the same video error, which is typical of G5 iMacs that have suffered internal video chip damage because of bad caps/power supply problems. Long story short, after a lot of parts swapping around I managed to get two solid G5 iMacs out of the four, and those two had all caps replaced on both logic boards and power supplies. So you've got a lot of fun waiting to eat up hours and hours of your life. And all because someone stole an incomplete recipe for capacitor electrolyte from a Japanese company in the early 2000's. What's really evil, though, is that you can't tell a bad cap from a good one. I've had iMacs with obviously bad (bulging tops, leaking electrolyte, tilted because the bottom seal had blown) capacitors on the logic board run just fine. And I've had iMacs with pristine-looking logic board caps fail to boot even with a known-good power supply. Jim Scott -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: G5 iMac caps
On May 28, 2010, at 2:26 PM, N.Shani wrote: Elliott, electrolytic and aluminum are one and same. It is the electrolyte that leaks from the caps. The story is an old one: stolen cap recipe that was poorly implemented. Regards, Naftali On Thu, May 27, 2010 at 18:53, Elliott Price callmemrp...@gmail.com wrote: Just a few questions about replacing the capacitors in a G5 iMac. 1. What type of capacitors should I get to replace them? Obviously, the same voltage and model number, but if I remember, there's a couple different kind; electrolyte, aluminum, and whatnot, and the dry kind are better? 2. Should I replace just the bulging ones, or replace all of them? There are 23, and only 5 are actually bulging; only one is actually leaking. I'm leaning towards just replacing all of them, but it really depends on cost. I'm just wondering if there's a good chance the others will go bad, or after this long all the ones that are going to go bad already have? You should replace ALL the caps, with the same kind that are installed now. A capacitor can look good and be faulty, so don't go by looks alone, especially when dealing with iMac G5 and eMac G4 capacitors. There are a number of places online that sell cap sets, including eBay. Here's a good place to start: http://jimwarholic.com/2008/07/how-to-repair-apple-imac-g5.php I've successfully bought and installed capacitors from Jim Warholic as well as from eBay vendors. You're most likely to have success if the iMac still boots and runs, even if for only a few seconds -- in my experience. Dead as a doornail iMac G5s that don't chime and light up the screen most likely have suffered terminal damage to the logic board. (Been there, replaced all the caps, only to find the iMac was dead, dead, dead.) HTH, Jim Scott -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: video issues with iMac G5
On May 24, 2010, at 5:16 PM, wiref...@gmail.com wrote: I had posted a message here a couple of days ago about a display issue on my friend's iMac G5. Today, I took a photo of this issue. http://dl.dropbox.com/u/3089450/imac_issue/IMG_0611.JPG I have a first-gen iMac G5 20-inch that had video issues that looked very much like that, at one point. I resolved them by replacing all the capacitors on the logic board. It took me several resolder attempts before I got all 25 caps properly soldered, but the iMac's video display now is as stable and almost as pretty as it was when new. (Almost refers to fact that the smokey white line across the bottom from the left side to about mid-point -- which I have seen on a lot of G5 iMacs -- was unaffected by all the work.) :^} Jim Scott -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: G3 having trouble with target disk mode.
On 3/29/10 6:31 PM, Christian Wacker wrote: Well, as most of you probably forgot, I upgraded the systemboard in my G3 from 350 to 400mhz, and added the firewire package that came along for the ride. Now i've got a conundrum. It won't boot into target disk mode. I hold down T and it'll get to the point where it's supposed to go to target disk mode, and restart. Is there some reason that the G3 350mhz chassis won't let it go to target disk mode, or is it just a screwed up board? On Mar 30, 2010, at 8:23 PM, Christian Wacker wrote: Should have probably mentioned that this is a G3 iMac, does that fix anything pertaining to my question? Those G3 400 MHz iMac boards with built-in dual firewire ports should boot in Firewire Target Disk mode if you hold down the T key as soon as you hear the chime. It sounds as if you've got either a bad logic board, or a bad keyboard, or most likely a faulty USB port or cable. Try switching the keyboard to the other USB port. Also try switching the keyboard. There's nothing in the rest of the ex-350 MHz iMac that would prevent booting in FTD mode. -- Jim Scott -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist To unsubscribe, reply using remove me as the subject.
Re: Price check for G4 eMac
On Mar 29, 2010, at 3:18 PM, Christian Wacker wrote: School is selling an entire bunch of these suckers, and I don't want to torque off the LEM Swap nannies with a Price Check post, so Ill ask here first. We've got about 25 G4 eMacs, in relatively iffy condition, most have atleast some damage to the speakers, and the keyboards and mice are hopeless. They have: 1.25ghz G4 processors 40gb HDDs, CD-ROM drives, 256MB ram, 17 CRT Monitors, Fresh install of 10.4.0 ALL 16 disks plus XCode disk for restoration purposes (Or if you're insterested in modifying disk 1, for using on all machines, includes Garage band, iLife, and a demo of Office 2004) A keyboard and mouse, condition: doorstopish. Manuals and books, never opened. No guarentees that there won't be stuff that shouldn't be shoved inside them. we had one blow up upon servicing, because of a few pens, and $2 in change being dropped into it. shorted out and started smoldering, another has doritos (you can tell from the smell) and some might be growing mold) How much would these be worth? Also, how much for a parts machine that's got either a bad ODD, or has capicitor problems? I recently purchased a complete 1.25 GHz eMac in perfect working condition with a bigger hard drive, Combo drive and 1 GB RAM for $75. Comparable prices on eBay range from $75 to $150, plus shipping (big $$$). Damaged, iffy machines are worth whatever someone wants to pay for them (i.e., little to nothing). If each of these eMacs can be demonstrated to boot and run without video or other problems, and the three capacitors that can be seen inside the bottom access hole aren't bulging/leaking/tilted, then they might be worth $50 in as-is condition. Less to free for those that are damaged or have running problems. Besides, the darn slippery things weigh 50 pounds and don't have built-in hand grips like the G3 all-in-ones. -- Jim Scott -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist To unsubscribe from this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscribegooglegroups.com or reply to this email with the words REMOVE ME as the subject.
Re: iMac G5 1.8Ghz 20' capacitor replacement
On Thu, Mar 25, 2010 at 1:27 AM, Clark Martin cm...@sonic.net wrote: On 3/24/10 2:20 PM, Bruce Johnson wrote: On Mar 24, 2010, at 12:31 PM, Jim Scott wrote: The most difficult part -- aside from my steep soldering learning curve ascent -- was removing the original capacitors. Apple used lead-free solder in those iMacs, and I literally burned up several solder guns of increasingly higher heat capacity before I got one that could melt the original solder enough to free the bad caps. You need to get a decent temp regulated soldering iron, Harbor frieght used to have one for about $40, a quick googling finds them at $30-$120-ish. One of the mistakes people commonly make in soldering is using too small a soldering iron. What happens with a too small iron is the iron heats things up but the heat is conducted away to fast. The heat spreads out and damages things but it either doesn't reach the melting point of solder or it takes too long. For this sort of job I would probably use a 25W iron or perhaps a 40W, depending on the size of the caps. Of course the other big mistake is to use too much heat. I had successfully soldered and desoldered a number of components on a lot of boards before I took on my first iMac G5 project. But Jim Warholic http://jimwarholic.com/2008/07/how-to-repair-apple-imac-g5.php cautioned that a super-hot iron with quick heat recovery was necessary to melt the lead-free solder used on the iMac G5 logic board. He recommended at least a 60 watt iron. He was right. My 45-watt Radio Shack iron didn't do the job. Then I moved up to a 75 watt Weller. No go. Then to a 100/140 watt Sears gun. No go. Then finally I achieved success with a 130 watt Weller with a turbo trigger that could deliver short bursts of 930 degree F. heat. Even then I had to wait between capacitors for the iron to recover sufficient heat to melt the next two capacitors legs free. Removing original caps from iMac G5 boards is very hard to do, and Warholic was spot on with his warning and his advice. There's something about those boards and the solder used that's different. Try desoldering a cap on one and you'll understand. -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist To unsubscribe from this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscribegooglegroups.com or reply to this email with the words REMOVE ME as the subject.
Re: Upgrade from G4 iMac -to?!?
On Sat, Mar 6, 2010 at 8:18 PM, Brian McDonald bmcdonaldph...@gmail.comwrote: Great info Jim snip I'm springing for the 24 iMac (2.8 750GB 4GB Ram and 256mb VRAM) for about 1K shipped. I think this one is the winner, even though I'm horribly sad to see my iMac G4 go. Thanks so much for all the help, and your insight is incredibly thoughtful and appreciated! Again, you're welcome. You're making a wise choice by getting the 24-inch Intel iMac instead of the 20-inch. Enjoy! Jim Scott -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: Upgrade from G4 iMac -to?!?
On Mar 5, 2010, at 12:29 PM, Brian McDonald wrote: My lovely (and personal favorite) iMac has just started failing. It's come back with disp/13/2 error and I know there's no turning back now. So my question is, I have just over 1K saved up. I'm currently bidding on a 20 2.0 C2D (2007) iMac. I'm willing to go as high as $700, if I don't win I'm open to all options. So with Apple having refurbished iMacs 21.5 models for 1K should I just fork up the savings and get something with a warranty? Or is a G5, or intel iMac a good cost effective machine for a freelance photographer like me? Only you (and your bank account) can answer that question. But ... I'd not invest any money in a G5 iMac, mainly because of two things: they have rotten reliability and they're limited to running OS 10.5. That then pushes you into an Intel iMac. Apple refurbs are always a good deal, but I'd look carefully at the video and hard drive specs of the two current 21.5 models. Yes, the entry level model goes for $1,000 as an Apple Store refurb, but if you care about getting the best video display and storage room for your photography needs, the next step up is a pretty good deal for only $300 more. Buy the best LCD/video you can get; you might regret buying bottom line in the future. On the other hand, you might want to consider a previous-generation iMac with more bells and whistles for the same money. Whatever you decide, make sure you can run Snow Leopard today ... and tomorrow's OS when it comes zinging at us in the not too distant future. Good luck in your hunt. Jim Scott -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: Indigo iMac DV 600 stops at a white screen
On Feb 8, 2010, at 9:56 PM, Kevin Avery wrote: Put the hard drive you want to use into the iMac. Then hold down the T key while powering on the iMac. If a yellow firewire icon starts bouncing around on a blue screen, you're in business. Connect the iMac to your Power Mac G4 with firewire cable, then start up the PowerMac and use its Disk Utility to partition t the iMac's hard drive. Once that's done, use the G4's DVD to install OS X 10.4 on the iMac. Again, good luck! Jim Scott Thanks to everyone here, I have a working G3 iMac almost ready to go for my Mom! I think she will be thrilled. :) I did as Jim outlined above. installed the HD in the iMac, connected it to my G4 Powermac via firewire, started the iMac up in Target Disk Mode, ran the install DVD from the G4, repartitioned the iMac drive, ran the install, shut them both down, disconnected the firewire cable, booted up the iMac and all is good! Now I just need to add some software to it and probably get an airport card so she can tap into her apartment complex's provided wifi. Anyone have any suggestions for free software that a 70ish retired lady would like? I need to find her a solitaire game for sure, because her last computer was a Windows box years ago and she played a lot of solitaire on it. :) I really appreciate everyone's help! Thanks, Kevin Avery Excellent! Nothing like good old-fashioned persistence to get something done. I'm a 70ish retired gentleman, and there is a ton of free software out there. My favorite solitaire game, which is about as close to the original Windows 95 etc. Solitaire as you'll find, is Solitaire XL. There's also MacSolitaire and a bunch of others. I also like Mahjongg games, and MyMahjGL is my favorite of those. I also like Double, which is a kind of Mahjongg. Just Google for download . You also can do a Google for free OS X games to find lots more. One of the best sites for free, shareware and trialware games is the Apple download site: www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/games/. I also recommend Anacron for running cron jobs in the background without fail, and SMARTReporter for a constant check on hard drive health. It also would be good to install AppleJack for those rare occasions when your Mom has a problem and you're not able to be right there. I've talked many a person through running AppleJack over the phone on Macs I've sold or given to them. The Version Tracker web site is good for finding and downloading stuff like that. Whatever you download, make sure it's compatible with OS X 10.4. I've lost a lot of old favorites as my Macs have progressed up the OS X hierarchy to 10.6.2. Did the optical drive in the iMac 600 start working? If it didn't, you might want to find a DVD drive, which also reads CDs. If your Mom ever needs to reinstall OS X 10.4 or boot into the install DVD to fix something, a DVD drive will come in very handy. Glad you got the iMac up and running. Jim Scott -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: Indigo iMac DV 600 stops at a white screen
On Feb 7, 2010, at 10:15 AM, Bruce Johnson wrote: On Feb 6, 2010, at 11:26 PM, Jim Scott wrote: Try an Open Firmware reset of the video RAM. snip set-defaults reset-nvram reset-all Just to head off future confusion, I'll be pedantic here. This procedure dies NOT reset the 'video RAM'. That is volatile, its contents go away when the computer shuts down. the 'nvram' stands for 'Non-Volatile RAM', that is, stuff that stays remembered between shutdowns, and is stored in special memory chips on the computer, kept alive by the PRAM battery. (PRAM, stands for 'Parameter RAM' and is another name for NVRAM, as it stores the parameters the computer needs to boot up to it's previous state, hardware wise, like video settings, boot disk, and the current date and time, when they're set differently than the defaults. If a Mac ever gets past the initial boot stage (you see the gray apple or the gear) the PRAM is not the problem. This procedure WILL reset the video settings, so it'll work IF the problem is that the display settings are set to something the display cannot handle; however, I've never seen mis-set screens go all white, they usually switch off...what typically happens is the computer 'bongs' the screen comes up, then immediately switches off. Some monitors (the iMac screen does not do this afaik) will display a warning that the signal is out of range. Having to do things like this is most often a sign that the battery that maintains these settings is dying. The lower than nominal voltage makes it easier for the data in the nvram to get corrupted. Some Macs will boot just fine without such a battery (at the cost of having the boot volume, display settings and date and time reset to the default every boot time) but most require that trickle of voltage to turn on. Bruce, Thanks for the clarification. Since you are a professional, your knowledge and experience, and especially your ability to express things clearly, are always appreciated. Thank you. My terminology wasn't correct, but you correctly state my real objective, which was to give an Open Firmware path to reset the video settings, which aren't that difficult to corrupt. The causes of corrupted video settings depend on the computer's architecture as much as they do on things like improper shutdowns, faulty hardware and the presence of a clock/PRAM battery. White iBooks, for example, don't have a clock battery. They also tend to have video chip problems. That is why the Open Firmware resets on a dual USB iBook often will bring up video on the screen again when all else fails. In my hobby, which is resuscitating Macs and giving them to kids, schools, the needy, etc., I deal almost exclusively with troubled Macs whose histories are unknown. If a Mac doesn't chime and boot to the desktop the first time I push the power button, or if it does boot but has problems, I automatically do the Open Firmware resets noted above. Many times, that's all that is needed to clear things up. Several times, it has let a slotloading iMac with a white screen hang boot normally on restart. (Yes, CRT iMacs do not display a signal out of range warning.) Since most of the Macs I work on currently tend to be first- and second-generation iMacs, the very first thing I do with a new patient -- after that initial power-on test and Open Firmware resets -- is to test the battery for proper voltage. I actually had one yesterday that showed absolutely no voltage whatsoever. Usually there's still a little bit left. If a battery replacement is needed, I put in a new one, push the cuda button (only once!), then try to start the iMac again. If it boots and runs, I then watch carefully for color shifts (usually the video board), snaps/crackles/screen flashes/etc. (usually but not always the flyback transformer), and screen geometry. After 15-20 minutes of running time, I adjust the screen geometry to factory default and readjust the focus. I do all this in OS 9 since OS X's video demands make it impossible to get a crisp screen focus. iMac DV models have a built-in external VGA port, which I've used many times as a diagnostic tool. If the external video is OK and the built-in video screen isn't, then I know the problem isn't in the logic board but is somewhere in the PAV circuitry. So if the iMac DV 600 in this thread can deliver OK video to an external monitor so that the Open Firmware screen can be seen, then that alone has narrowed the white screen hang reasons considerably. Jim Scott -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more
Re: Indigo iMac DV 600 stops at a white screen
On Feb 7, 2010, at 12:52 PM, Kevin Avery wrote: OK, here is the status so far; All of the troubleshooting have done in the past on this iMac has been in the dark, now in the daylight the white screen looks sort of grey. I was able to boot it into Open Firmware, I actually could see the words on the iMac screen. So I issued the above statements one at a time, hitting return after each one, no help, still a white/grey screen I have reset the PRAM using Option-Apple-P-R and let it bong 4 times, same result. Hooking up an external monitor shows input signal out of range, that is on 2 different 15 flat panel LCD monitors, one is an NEC and the other is a Compaq. I have no other monitors in the house to test with. I have been holding down the C key when trying to boot, i am pretty sure that I dont need to at this point because I should be getting the folder icon that comes up when it can't find a boot device. I have also removed and reseated the RAM. And I actually have removed the third party RAM and left in just the 128mb of Apple branded RAM. Still the same result. I removed the battery, it is definitely bad, it tested at 0.66 v DC, and is supposed to be 3.6 v DC. I tried to boot it without the battery and have gotten the same white/grey screen result. I appreciate all of your time and advice. What should I try next? Here's what the Apple Service Manual says about a grey screen: Troubleshooting Symptom/Cure Tables: Startup Problems Before the Finder Gray Screen In a “Gray Screen Raster” situation, you will get a normal startup boot chime and the system will have a green LED. The display, however, will have a solid gray screen with no cursor or desktop displayed. Possible Cause Possible Fix Corrupted system software. - Boot off the system CD that came with the unit. Do you see a normal screen display now? Yes: Reinstall system software. (You must use the system software CD that came with the unit to get the correct version of Mac OS.) No: Go to next step. The PMU chip or logic board needs to be reset. - Press the PMU chip on the logic board with the AC power cord disconnected. (See “The PMU Chip” and “Resetting the PMU on the Logic Board” mentioned earlier in this chapter.) - Connect the power cord and power on the system again. Do you have power to the system now? Yes: Test the unit with MacTest Pro and return the computer to the customer. No: Plug in the AC power cord and reset the PMU chip again. Do you have power to the system now? Yes: The battery is likely bad, check the battery. No: Go to the next step. Bad video cable connection. - Verify that the CRT video board and video board cables going to and from the power/analog board are securely attached. If the problem persists go on to the next step. Bad SDRAM - Reseat/replace the SDRAM with known-good SDRAM. Bad logic board - Replace the logic board. Bad power/analog/video board - Replace the power/analog/video board. Bad CRT -Replace the CRT. The fact you're getting a chime/bong indicates the iMac is passing the basic system startup check, which is located in the ROM chip. You've replaced the battery, but may not have pressed the cuda (PMU reset button) to do the PMU reset. You may have a bad PAV board. OF video pretty much says the logic board, CRT and video cable connections are OK. Your two LCDs may not be capable of displaying the OF video output, which is pretty low res. I'll be they could display video if you could get the iMac to boot from either the optical drive or the hard drive. Try this, which has worked a couple of times for me when I ran into a similar startup problem: 1) Disconnect the optical drive and try to boot from just the hard drive alone. Don't press any keys. 2) If that doesn't work, reconnect the optical drive, put a boot disk into it, and try to boot the machine while holding down the Option key. If that gets a screen with a choice of boot drives, select one. 3) If that doesn't work, disconnect the hard drive and see if the machine will boot from the optical drive. I've had cases where something in either the optical drive or hard drive was kaflooey (tech term) and was preventing a boot. It took a lot of trial and error and, finally, what the hell, might as well disconnect one before I had success. If none of the above work, disconnect both hard drive and optical drive and try to boot from an external hard drive via firewire, or a boot disk in an external firewire optical disk. Connect your external monitor during this attempt. If none of the above work, buy another iMac and use yours for parts. Life is too short to keep beating yourself up over a 8-9 year old computer. Jim Scott -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml
Re: Indigo iMac DV 600 stops at a white screen
On Feb 7, 2010, at 3:11 PM, Elliott Price wrote: I think his problem is that it *doesn't* have an HD, and he's trying to boot it from the optical drive... Check to make sure the CD is a CD, and is bootable by that iMac. If it's a system specific disk that's not for an iMac G3, that could be causing the trouble. Are you sure it's a DV model? If it's a 350Mhz Indigo model, it'll only run 10.3, and not 10.4 (without Xpost facto) The sticker on the bottom lists the system stats. You might see if you can find an OS 9 disk to try out, since all G3 iMacs can boot into OS9, and OS9 was only on CD. Oops for me too. I had to go to my Google webmail folder to find the original post, which said the seller took out the hard drive. Doncha hate that? You're right, Elliott. If he's trying to boot from a machine-specific grey disk that's not for that *exact* model of iMac, it won't boot from an optical drive. Also, if the drive is CD, a DVD won't work either. Or the drive could be faulty, or the CD/DVD could be faulty. There are so many variables that the mind boggles. If the iMac were mine, I'd take off the bottom case and the EMI shield. Then I would verify that it's a 600 MHz board by reading the factory printing on the right side of the board just above the drive tray. Then I would pull the drive tray and look at the label on the optical drive to ascertain exactly which one it is: CR- (CD read-only); CW- (CD read and write); DVD (DVD read-only). Then I would put a retail copy of OS 9.2.1 in the drive and try to boot it. Some 600s will boot from 9.1 while others need 9.2, and the only way to know which one works is to try. The good news for Kevin is that it's either a drive issue or a right boot CD issue, based on everything he's reported. Jim Scott -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: Indigo iMac DV 600 stops at a white screen
On Feb 7, 2010, at 4:17 PM, Kevin Avery wrote: My guess is hold down option on boot and choose the firewire drive? The disks I have are from the iMac 600 I had a long time ago. The iMac is long gone but I still had the CDs. :) That one might have been a DV model though, I know for sure it was a 600, just not sure if it was SE or DV or anything else it could have been. Yep, hold down option as soon as it chimes/gongs. OS 9 and OS X requirements changed during the availability of 600 MHz G3 iMacs, and your disk set might not work with the new 600. Best of luck to you, Kevin. Jim Scott -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: Indigo iMac DV 600 stops at a white screen
On Feb 7, 2010, at 8:48 PM, Kevin Avery wrote: I do have one more idea, I have a Powermac G4 dual 450 running 10.4.11 and I just picked up a PowerMac G5 1.6 running Leopard 10.5.8. Is there any way I could use either of these machines and put the hard drive I want to put in the iMac G3 in it and load the OS on the drive then install it in the iMac. I am thinking that this would not work. I don't really want to spend any money on this old machine. I may just give her my old G4, I just picked the G5 up last week and have switched back to Mac from my Windows based notebook. I certainly missed using OS X on a daily basis. I wish I could buy a new MacBook, but it just isn't in the budget! If there is any way I could load the OS from another computer please let me know. Would Firewire target mode be any help? Somehow I don't think so. Put the hard drive you want to use into the iMac. Then hold down the T key while powering on the iMac. If a yellow firewire icon starts bouncing around on a blue screen, you're in business. Connect the iMac to your Power Mac G4 with firewire cable, then start up the PowerMac and use its Disk Utility to partition t the iMac's hard drive. Once that's done, use the G4's DVD to install OS X 10.4 on the iMac. Of course, if the iMac won't boot into firewire target disk mode, you can try installing 10.4 on the hard drive while it's in the Power Mac, then move it to the iMac. That would/should work, assuming you set the iMac hard drive to slave while in the Power Mac and then set it to master for use in the iMac. Again, good luck! Jim Scott -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: iMac DV SE - Green Blink after CUDA Reset
On Feb 6, 2010, at 12:33 PM, Clark Martin wrote: On 2/5/10 1:34 PM, Caleb Cupples wrote: Clark, I pulled the battery first, so I'm sure it's the power supply, now. Now, my next question, to the list is, how much would a new power supply set me back? Odds are finding a used iMac would be the cheapest route, you just need to find out which machines use the same power supply. AFAIK the slot loaders all use a compatible power supply but I wouldn't put any money down on that. Clark's right. What you're looking for is a PAV board (power/analog/video) that mounts underneath the CRT on top of the perforated aluminum divider panel. Most PAVs I've seen for sale on eBay come with the big silver video board thingie attached via cables. The PAV is not the upconverter board, which is directly attached to the logic board (on the bottom side of the aluminum divider panel). Note that there are two PAV boards for the G3 slotload iMacs. There were providers of CRTs, LG and CPT. The LG name is embossed into the black plastic molding on the CRT neck. The CPT molding on the CRT neck has no identifying name at all. Here's what the service manual says about identifying the boards: There are two power/ analog/video boards in service stock. The part numbers are 661-2465 and 661-2466. These boards must be exchanged like-for like. The 661-2465 board can be identified by the presence of a switch at location SW901, located near the flyback transformer. Here are the switch instructions: If the computer has the analog board with the switch, the switch must be set for the type of the CRT (LG or CPT) tube in the computer. If the power/analog/video board or the CRT are replaced, make sure to set the switch to the appropriate position. So, if you've got an LG CRT, either PAV assembly will work. Just slide the switch on the 661-2465 to the end marked LG. If you've got a CPT CRT, you must have the 661-2465 board; the 661-246 board will not work. You can easily determine which CRT and PAV board you've got by shining a bright light through the case in the area underneath the handle. Good luck ... and check back with us for proper CRT discharge procedures since I'm sure you don't want to get zapped. Jim Scott -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: iMac DV SE - Green Blink after CUDA Reset
On Feb 6, 2010, at 6:56 PM, Caleb Cupples wrote: On Sat, Feb 6, 2010 at 2:55 PM, Jim Scott jesco...@gmail.com wrote: What you're looking for is a PAV board (power/analog/video) that mounts underneath the CRT on top of the perforated aluminum divider panel. Most PAVs I've seen for sale on eBay come with the big silver video board thingie attached via cables. The PAV is not the upconverter board, which is directly attached to the logic board (on the bottom side of the aluminum divider panel). Note that there are two PAV boards for the G3 slotload iMacs. There were providers of CRTs, LG and CPT. The LG name is embossed into the black plastic molding on the CRT neck. The CPT molding on the CRT neck has no identifying name at all. Here's what the service manual says about identifying the boards: There are two power/ analog/video boards in service stock. The part numbers are 661-2465 and 661-2466. These boards must be exchanged like-for like. The 661-2465 board can be identified by the presence of a switch at location SW901, located near the flyback transformer. Here are the switch instructions: If the computer has the analog board with the switch, the switch must be set for the type of the CRT (LG or CPT) tube in the computer. If the power/analog/video board or the CRT are replaced, make sure to set the switch to the appropriate position. So, if you've got an LG CRT, either PAV assembly will work. Just slide the switch on the 661-2465 to the end marked LG. If you've got a CPT CRT, you must have the 661-2465 board; the 661-246 board will not work. You can easily determine which CRT and PAV board you've got by shining a bright light through the case in the area underneath the handle. Good luck ... and check back with us for proper CRT discharge procedures since I'm sure you don't want to get zapped. Thanks, I'm now looking for the 661-2465 board, simply because I don't know which one it is, so I think it's easier to go with the one that's guaranteed to work. Fortunately, I've spent a lot of time lately inside of my SE/30, so I think I have the procedure down pretty well, I think. So, any clues on how much this board will hurt my wallet? Here's one that's a Buy It Now on eBay for $39.95. Other prices range up to $80. The second photo down shows the LG CPT switch in the upper right corner. http://cgi.ebay.com/Apple-iMac-G3-Analog-Video-Board-Ching-Sheng-820-1145_W0QQitemZ200404262887QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMotherboards?hash=item2ea9065fe7#ht_5093wt_1167 Happy bidding! Jim Scott -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: Indigo iMac DV 600 stops at a white screen
On Feb 6, 2010, at 10:12 PM, Clark Martin wrote: On 2/6/10 12:52 PM, Kevin Avery wrote: I have an indigo iMac 600 DV that I was recently given. There is not a hard drive in it currently. I put an original iMac grey CD in it to see if it would boot. I get the startup bong, but then it goes to a white screen and just stays there. I only tried to boot it off the CD to see if it would boot. Does it require a hard drive to boot? I thought if it couldn't find a hard drive it would get to a screen with the missing folder icon. The guy who gave it to me said it was working before he pulled the drive. I was hoping to set this thing up for my Mom to use. No, without a harddrive and with or without a CD it should still boot to the grey screen with the flashing question mark (and go on if a boot CD is in the drive). Startup bong - good White screen - bad That it bonged is a good sign. It says the CPU is up and running. That the screen is white implies a video problem. I would try the usual, PMU reset or at least a PRAM zap. You might also try reseating the RAM. I don't think that's it but it's a good idea anyway. Try an Open Firmware reset of the video RAM. Press the power button. As soon as the iMac chimes/bongs, press and hold down the Option, Command, O and F keys. When the light grey Open Firmware comes up (it will take a while), take your fingers off the four keys. At the prompt, type this series of three lines, hitting the Enter/Return key at the end of each line: set-defaults reset-nvram reset-all As soon as you hit Enter/Return after the last line, the iMac will chime/bong and restart. If corrupted nvram was the problem, or if parameter memory was confused, this should get your iMac to boot to the desktop. This has worked for me countless times in getting iMacs, iBooks and other Macs with video-related startup issues/symptoms to boot. Good luck! Jim Scott -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: iMac DV SE - Green Blink after CUDA Reset
On Feb 5, 2010, at 2:40 PM, Kasey Smith wrote: On Feb 5, 2010, at 6:47 AM, Caleb S. Cupples wrote: Hey all, I've got an iMac DV SE that I revived, and it worked well for two weeks or so, but after bringing it with me across the state, I plugged it in and got a chime and then a pop. Now, the only sign that something is going on inside is that when I hit the CUDA reset, and then apply power, the green light on the front blinks briefly, but the machine doesn't respond to the power button. I suspect it's the power supply, since it's acting very similar to my 1.6 GHz G5, before I replaced the power supply on it. So, am I on the right track? Thanks, Caleb Sounds like something on the PAV board blew, i know the tray load iMacs will not start up if the PAV board doesn't pass the boot diagnostics... I agree. If the iMac had been making occasional snapping or crackling noises, accompanied by screen flashes, then it most likely was the flyback transformer giving up the ghost in one last giant short-out. Of course, it also could be something on the logic board or daughtercard. I just brought back to life a trayloader that had two problems: a dead flyback transformer *and* a daughtercard that had shorted itself out due to corrosion of solder joints toward the outside of the card caused by sitting too long in unheated storage in a rainy climate. Who knows, one might have led to the other or vice versa. YMMV. Jim Scott -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: iMac Rescue Newbie
On Jan 22, 2010, at 7:49 AM, Tim Stephens wrote: On Fri, Jan 22, 2010 at 12:00:44AM -0500, Wallace Adrian D'Alessio wrote: On Thu, Jan 21, 2010 at 11:42 PM, Christian Wacker pizzaboy...@gmail.comwrote: If anyone can tell me how to coax it to spit up the DVD for a test with a CD I would appreciate it. It keeps cycling so there is never an icon and the other methods don't work. I find no eject pinhole either. There is no eject button. IIRC, there is an eject pinhole disguised in the slot at the right hand side of the drive. Apple's technote is here: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3007 I also note, http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2285, which has a couple more tips should you not manage to get the above working. Tim is exactly right. If you take a straightened paper clip or other slender stick and put between the fuzzies on the far right side of the slot, you'll find the eject switch. It's just a plastic covered bump, but if you press it carefully, you'll feel it give as the contacts meet each other. It's kind of like the feel of a Mac Mini switch. Practice finding and pressing it while the iMac is off, then do it while it's running. You'll hear the optical drive's inject/eject motor run. If that doesn't eject the disk, the pull-it-out-with-two-plastic-credit-cards trick *might* work, *if* the rubber eject roller is able to grip the disk enough to get it partially out. If that doesn't work, then either the rubber eject roller is so coated with lint/dust/dreck that it has no grip on the disk, or the little rubber band-like roller drive belt has broken or lost its ability to grip its pulleys. A simple cleaning of the roller and drive belt (I use Goof-Off because it restores the rubber's sticky quality) will get things in working order again. Jim Scott -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: iMac flip-out--aack!
On Dec 7, 2009, at 3:36 PM, William Spencer wrote: Hi there: The newer of the two machines listed below has decided to enter a parallel universe. It will not boot to the regular login screen but instead goes straight to my son's desktop after just a couple of seconds worth of a grayish screen I've never seen before, with a horizontal progress-bar-looking sort of thing visible at the bottom of the screen. The menu across the top of the screen is no longer visible, the mouse pointer moves but will not open or close anything, there is no way to command-tab through apps (even if there are any open), and the only way to shut down is to hold down the power button. I plan to dig up the original discs and see if I can boot from there, and then see what happens...maybe repair permissions or something. I think I have an old copy of Tech Tools floating around someplace, but I don't even know what version, let alone if it will function properly on this thing. Push comes to shove I can take it down to the genius bar tomorrow night, but not before then. Any advice gratefully accepted, the sooner the better. *** Bill Spencer in Maryland IMac Core Duo 2.4 ghz/1 g RAM/Snow Leopard IMac Core Duo 1.83 ghz/1 g RAM/Snow Leopard Sounds as if the directory is munged, perhaps from one or more improper shutdowns, and that the iMac's booting in a hybrid EFI/OS mode. Running the latest version of DiskWarrior for SL (4.2) should clear it up, but if you don't have it, try booting from the Snow Leopard install disk. Then try repairing the disk using Disk Utility. It's probably not a permissions issue, but you can run that too. If Disk Utility repairs the hard drive, keep running the repair function until it stops repairing. Then quit the SL installer and see if it will boot normally. If it doesn't, then reboot from the SL install disk and reinstall SL, then update. The reinstall actually will do an archive install, so you won't lose anything. If that doesn't set things right, then by all means take it to the Genius Bar. What it's doing now is very unusual, and possibly could indicate a faulty hard drive or some other hardware problem. Let us know what transpires. Jim Scott -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: horizontal lines
On Nov 28, 7:36 am, sgcole...@comcast.net wrote: Hi I'm at my sister's house looking at her imac and there are horizontal lines across the screen. She is disabled (had a stroke and has severe speech center damage) and can't tell me when this started or what she was doing at the time. 2 GHz Power PC G5 17 flat panel iMac running 10.4.11 (2GB RAM, 250GB HD) Can anyone point me in the right direction to start looking for a solution? If this is fixable is it worth the cost. She just bought this machine used 6 months ago. She is on a fixed income and I can't afford to buy a new machine for her either. Why not try connecting an external monitor to the iMac and setting it as the primary monitor to see if it is the screen that is the problem... You will need an adaptor to plug in another screen, but they are not expensive and are useful later... Mark On Nov 29, 2009, at 1:08 PM, sgcole...@comcast.net wrote: Thanks for the suggestion. I'll see if I can borrow one from work. I don't have any problems with taking this thing apart if I can get good directions and what ever is wrong is obvious enough for me to diagnose (with help from the experts on this list. Years ago this list helped me replace the hard drive in my 400mhz iMac, after the repair person wanted $500 for the job. Sheri C Horizontal lines on the screen indicate video problems. It could be the video chip circuitry, or it could be the infamous bad-capacitor problem. It also could be bad capacitors in the power supply. Google iMac G5 capacitors and you'll get a raft of hits. The fact you've got video on the screen confirms the inverter is OK and that the data signal cable is OK. If the horizontal lines move up and down or come and go, it's highly doubtful it's an LCD/screen problem. Mark's suggestion to connect an external monitor also should confirm the internal LCD is good or bad. If the lines also appear on the external monitor, that will confirm the problem is inside the iMac, most likely a bad/failing logic board, to which the video chipset is soldered. Since iMac G5s had a known problem with bad capacitors (the Apple logic board replacement program closed about a year ago), you're very likely looking at a failing logic board. It's possible to replace the bad capacitors, which may well cure the problem. However, that may not fix the problem if the video circuitry has been damaged. I know; I've replaced capacitors on two iMac G5s and that did not fix the problem. It did fix the problem on a third iMac G5. A replacement capacitor kit costs about $50 and it's a lot of work to dismantle the iMac and then remove and replace 25 or so capacitors. It's not a job for the inexperienced, especially since the no-lead solder used to mount the capacitors makes removal very difficult. (Google iMac G5 Jim Warholic for more details, to buy replacement capacitors, and to learn what's involved.) New iMac G5 logic boards are very expensive. Used ones may or may not work, so caveat emptor there. There are several eBay vendors who have advertised a repair service for iMac G5 logic boards, but I have no personal experience with them and can neither recommend nor advise caution. My experience is that iMac G5s and white iBook G3s are the most failure-prone Apple products of this decade. I've wasted more dollars and time than I care to think about in the process of trying to repair too many of them. Jim Scott -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: G3 Imac and OS X
On Nov 21, 2009, at 6:03 PM, Tom Coradeschi wrote: At 12:29 PM -0800 11/21/2009, Jasiu wrote: I know that there is something that I need to download before attempting to install OS 10.3 on a slot loading G3 Imac. But I don't have the link, can anyone help? Thanks There's a firmware update, can't give you the list readily, but somewhere on apple's website. You will also need XPostFacto to trick the installer into letting you install OSX on that machine, I am pretty sure. You can download it from http://eshop.macsales.com/OSXCenter/XPostFacto/Framework.cfm The 4.l.9f1 firmware update, as I said earlier, is available from Apple. All that is needed is to go online using OS 9.x, then use the Software Update control panel to see what updates are available. Of course, you should check first in Apple System ProfilerProduction informationBoot ROM version. The 4.l.9f1 firmware update may be installed already. It is not necessary to use XPostFacto to install OS X on ANY slot-loading G3 iMac. Jim Scott -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: Droolworthy new iMac
Hey Felix, Sounds as if you need a body bib. :^) Yep, this 27-inch iMac is absolutely gorgeous in every way. The screen is so much better than my 20-inch mid-2007 aluminum iMac's that I can't believe the difference. There's also 69% more real estate too. Another nice feature is that Apple has figured out the cooling thing. The cpu temp rarely gets over 100 degrees F., which means it runs 10-20 degrees F. cooler than the 20-inch iMac, which runs about 40 degrees F. cooler than my 20-inch G5 iMac. I imagine the cooling system was designed to handle quad-core cpus, but I'll take the lower temps on mine as evidence it should last a long, long time. My only complaint so far has to do with the Magic Mouse. The sharp edge on the top tends to hurt my fingers if I grip it too tightly while mousing around. If secondary click functionality is turned on, my right index finger tends to wander past the center point and I wind up doing right clicks when I mean to do left clicks. That never happened with my wireless Mighty Mouse because the trackpea kept my finger from wandering too far right. Scrolling is a wonderfully smooth act. However, I have to turn off the with momentum feature when reading my online USA Today. The software USA Today uses is way too sensitive. However, I can read two pages side by side, then scroll down and the next two pages pop up, etc. My wife thinks my excuse about aging eyes needing the large screen is kind of lame, but who cares? :^) Your old Mac Mini is still going strong, but my grandson has thrown it over in favor of the 20-inch iMac. Cheers! Jim On Nov 8, 2009, at 6:45 PM, Ashgrove wrote: Jim, Congrats on your successful scheming. The new iMac IS absolutely droolworthy. That 27, 2560x1440 LED screen is the only reason I'd buy a desktop computer ever again. Swimming in drool, Felix On Oct 21, 9:27 pm, Steve from Raleigh s...@nc.rr.com wrote: Jim, Good for you! I'm envious, but impressed, and I hope you enjoy the heck out of your new machine. And good for your grandson, too! Well, you can be a droolin' dreamer or you can be a satisfied schemer. I started saving up towards a big-screen LED-backlit iMac a couple of years ago, with my scheme being to be ready when Apple finally got around to making them. Shortly after the Apple Store came back up on Tuesday, I ordered a 27-inch Late 2009 iMac with the 3.06 GHz processor, 4 GB RAM, 1 TB HD, bluetooth keyboard and Magic Mouse, Apple Remote and AppleCare. It's now about halfway between the LA area and Sacramento on a Fed Ex truck on I-5, and should be at my front door about 11:45 tomorrow morning. My mid-2007 aluminum 20-inch iMac will move down the counter to my grandson's spot in my home office, replacing the Mac Mini. So you can be foolin' around droolin', but it takes action to get satisfaction. :^) Jim Scott --~--~-~--~~~---~--~~ You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist -~--~~~~--~~--~--~---
Re: Droolworthy new iMac
On Oct 21, 2009, at 11:57 AM, Elliott Price wrote: Haha. You guys crack me up. But I agree... Somehow I wish my 2Ghz Core 2 iMac would conk out. But then, I really love this little guy, and unfortunately I don't have an abundance of cash right now... What! You're not supposed to unplug the computer to shut it down?? -Elliott Price Mac Computer Repair - Santa Barbara Graphic Design - Artwork Setup Websites - Low Cost Custom Websites On Oct 20, 2009, at 11:32 AM, Bruce Johnson wrote: On Oct 20, 2009, at 11:19 AM, Clark Martin wrote: Not trying for very subtle are you Bruce. Come on... Iron Filings But...but...but...but the bright sparkly flashes are so pretty! But the memory idea is good. It was really tight, so I spit on it to lubricate it. (Based on a true story: How Bruce Learned Not To Use Lung Power To Blow Out A Memory Slot I fried a (pretty expensive, at the time) 128 MB dimm in my 7600. Well, you can be a droolin' dreamer or you can be a satisfied schemer. I started saving up towards a big-screen LED-backlit iMac a couple of years ago, with my scheme being to be ready when Apple finally got around to making them. Shortly after the Apple Store came back up on Tuesday, I ordered a 27-inch Late 2009 iMac with the 3.06 GHz processor, 4 GB RAM, 1 TB HD, bluetooth keyboard and Magic Mouse, Apple Remote and AppleCare. It's now about halfway between the LA area and Sacramento on a Fed Ex truck on I-5, and should be at my front door about 11:45 tomorrow morning. My mid-2007 aluminum 20-inch iMac will move down the counter to my grandson's spot in my home office, replacing the Mac Mini. So you can be foolin' around droolin', but it takes action to get satisfaction. :^) Jim Scott --~--~-~--~~~---~--~~ You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist -~--~~~~--~~--~--~---
Results and Tips from 3 iMac G5 Capacitor Replacements
With regard to a recent thread on G5 iMac capacitor replacements, here are some things I've learned, now that I've replaced the capacitors in three first-generation iMac G5 computers. My record so far: 1 win, 2 losses. The win was a 20 1.8 GHz first-generation G5 iMac that still chimed and booted, but shut down, very hard, with many video artifacts after 15 seconds of running. I replaced all the caps in the power supply that Jim Warholic suggested at his web site, and all 25 on the logic board. There was a period of several days after replacement where occasional minor video glitches of a very brief nature happened a few times. This happened less frequently each day until there were none at all. I'm calling that a burn-in period. Then my grandson took it home and used it for a couple of weeks. Suddenly last Friday, on the first start of the day, it chimed and booted. Then the display exhibited all kinds of weird video artifacts, it beeped loudly three times and shut down hard. Both RAM sticks had died, simultaneously. I replaced them, did some Open Firmware magic finger tricks on the keyboard, and it booted and ran normally again. It also passed both Apple Hardware Tests as well as both Apple Service Diagnostic tests, Drive Genius 2 hard drive tests, and the while- booted Tech Tool Deluxe tests. All of this took hours, with the fans running at full tilt. It then ran without a problem for two days and now is back at his place, looking quite innocent but with its white chin stuck out in quiet defiance of the odds. My guess is that the generic RAM sticks (2 x 512 MB) were damaged during the original series of problems that led to the failure to boot and run normally. Probably power surges or fluctuations caused by the bad/dying capacitors weakened them, and they couldn't handle the stress of running normally for very long after the cap replacements. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the second pair of RAM sticks don't go belly up several weeks from now. :^) The two losses were also 1.8 GHz iMacs, one 17 and the other 20. Both had crashed hard and refused to start. The 17 wouldn't even turn on the front panel light; the 20 did, but that was all. Each had the same five bulging/leaking caps on the logic board, and more than half the caps in both power supplies were bulging/leaking. I replaced caps on both logic boards and power supplies. When power was plugged in with the back panel/stand removed, the first diagnostic green light on the logic board came on in each one, indicating the logic board was seeing the correct power. When the on-board power/start button was pushed, the front panel light came on and diagnostic light no. 2 flickered briefly, but nothing else happened, with one exception. That exception was with the 17 iMac, where the hard drive began running. But light no. 3, which indicates the logic board is talking with and sending energy to the LCD, never came on. I swapped the good power supply out of my grandson's 20 G5 into the other 20 G5, and it showed the same symptoms as the 17 on attempted starts, with the hard drive running. So the second G5 power supply has problems that were not corrected by capacitor replacement. Neither of the loser iMacs chimed, nor did the optical drive do that zingy noise thingy, nor did either light the LCD. My conclusion is that a power surge or other uncontrolled electrical charge zapped both logic boards in the run mode (diagnostic light no. 2 circuit), and possibly in the LCD power circuit. However the inverter from the bad 20 did work in the good 20. So, FYI, if you're going to try the capacitor replacement trick, you'd better do it while the iMac's still able to chime, boot and run, even if only briefly. Otherwise, you're very likely going to be left with a substantial pile of usable parts, and good capacitors that have to be removed (rrrggghhh!). -- Jim Scott --~--~-~--~~~---~--~~ You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist -~--~~~~--~~--~--~---
Re: Replacement Caps for G5 Imac
Richard, Here's the Jim Warholic site: http://jimwarholic.com/2008/07/how-to-repair-apple-imac-g5.php Preventative? Hmmm. Take off the back cover, remove and clean out the top two fans and any other dust you see. Remove the mid-plane (see Apple's own DIY guides for this at www.apple.com) and clean out the dust from the cpu/gpu G5-marked air duct. Then clean out the dust from the bottom fan that feeds into the duct. Look at all capacitors on the logic board. Note how many are bulging and/or leaking electrolyte. See Warholic's site for copious information on this subject. Remove and disassemble the power supply. Compare it to Warholic's power supply photos to identify which one you have (the photo of the EE power supply is mine, by the way). Note how many of the Warholic- numbered capacitors are bulging/leaking. If your iMac were mine, and I noticed any leaking/bulging caps in the power supply, I would replace them now rather than wait before they failed and caused damage to the logic board. I also would do the same with leaking/bulging caps on the logic board, especially the five directly above the power supply noted by Warholic. Be aware that even caps that look OK could be bad. However, the one G5 iMac I restored to good health was the only one of the three that had *no* bulging/leaking caps on the logic board. But I did replace them anyway. Cheers! Jim On Oct 5, 2009, at 4:52 PM, Irena Richard Jenkins wrote: Jim I saw the lengthy post on the iMac list. Thanks very much! I have filed it against a future problem with my machine. I currently have no concerns with my machine ... but I am anxious about future problems. Could you please advise the URL for that site which details which caps to replace? Thanks. Would you suggest some preventative replacement of the suspect caps ... BEFORE there are issues? I ask this because i have the habit of leaving my machine on for hours at a time at home. Thanks for your help... Richard -- Irena Richard Jenkins Canberra AU Linux on a Mac ... delightful! + +++ --~--~-~--~~~---~--~~ You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist -~--~~~~--~~--~--~---
Re: Results and Tips from 3 iMac G5 Capacitor Replacements
On Oct 5, 2009, at 4:55 PM, Isaac Smith wrote: So, FYI, if you're going to try the capacitor replacement trick, you'd better do it while the iMac's still able to chime, boot and run, even if only briefly. Otherwise, you're very likely going to be left with a substantial pile of usable parts, and good capacitors that have to be removed (rrrggghhh!). I think before I really try any capacitor replacement, I'm going to look around locally and see if I can borrow someone's good power supply. Just to check—putting in the power supply won't risk damage to my iMac or their PSU, correct? There are no guarantees of anything in life, of course (my disclaimer). But I swapped a bad but re-capped power supply into a good re-capped iMac, and a good re-capped power supply into a re- capped bad iMac and nothing untoward or bad happened. (And nothing good happened either.) As the saying goes, YMMV (your mileage might vary). See my reply to Irena and Richard Jenkins on a related subject for more tips. -- Jim Scott --~--~-~--~~~---~--~~ You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist -~--~~~~--~~--~--~---
Re: Swapping logic boards in G3 iMacs?
On Oct 4, 2009, at 1:39 PM, Christian Wacker wrote: My school is throwing out a bunch of old G3 iMacs with bad PSU\CRT issues (logic boards are still good) I have a 350mhz G3 Blueberry Most of the systems are iMac DV systems Could I put one of the DV boards in my system? -Christian This has been covered many, many times on this list. The short answer is that you can put any G3 350-450 MHz logic board into any other original G3 350-450 iMac. All these have Motorola cpus. You also may be able to swap a 500 MHz G3 iMac logic board into your 350, IF it has a Motorola cpu. But there also were 500 MHz IBM cpu G3 iMac logic boards. WARNING: G3 500 Mhz iMac logic boards with IBM cpus will fit, but the cpu will not match up with the Motorola cpu's heat sink, which will cause the cpu to self-destruct very quickly. The same holds true for 600 700 MHz IBM G3 iMac logic boards. So, you can swap any Motorola logic board with any other original Motorola G3 iMac, and you can swap any IBM logic board with any other IBM G3 iMac, but you can't swap an IBM into a Motorola or vice versa. CAUTION: However, what you can do is swap logic boards and the matching perforated divider boards with appropriately positioned heat sinks into any G3 350-700 iMac. Of course, you have to completely disassemble the iMac to do this. And in the process, you have to disconnect the high-power lead from the flyback transformer to the CRT. This means you have to discharge the CRT using proper tools and safety technique. If an iMac hasn't been plugged in for a long time, there's not much chance of getting zapped. However, if the iMac's been plugged in recently for testing, there well may be some seriously aggressive electrons waiting for you to complete a circuit to ground with your body. -- Jim Scott --~--~-~--~~~---~--~~ You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist -~--~~~~--~~--~--~---
Re: Vigorous disk ejector?
On Aug 24, 2009, at 9:52 AM, Bruce Johnson wrote: Someone brought in their G5 imac for me to check (she's got HD issues), and I booted from an OS X DVD. When I rebooted, I held down the mouse button to eject it and it kicked the disk right out onto the desktop...is this common? I've never run into it... Yep, I've got one right here by my left side that thinks it's a skeet machine too. Apparently this affected first-generation iMacs. To later models Apple added a kind of foam baffle between the drive and the case slot fuzzy which slowed down the disk's progress. Dunno, but that might even be an Apple service part that can be retrofitted. Another solution is to tape a little basket to the side of the iMac, which is what a friend did. My guess is that, when new, the fuzzy was stiff enough to permit retention of the ejected disk in the slot. Then, as time and use loosened up the fuzzy, there was not enough friction to keep the disk from flying through the air. It's quite a shock when the disk comes sailing out and bounces across the desk that first time, isn't it? :^) Jim Scott --~--~-~--~~~---~--~~ You received this message because you are subscribed to Low End Mac's iMac List, a group for those using G3, G4, G5, and Intel Core iMacs as well as Apple eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to imaclist-unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist?hl=en Low End Mac RSS feed at feed://lowendmac.com/feed.xml -~--~~~~--~~--~--~---
Re: Vigorous disk ejector?
On Aug 24, 2009, at 10:37 AM, Jim Scott wrote: On Aug 24, 2009, at 9:52 AM, Bruce Johnson wrote: Someone brought in their G5 imac for me to check (she's got HD issues), and I booted from an OS X DVD. When I rebooted, I held down the mouse button to eject it and it kicked the disk right out onto the desktop...is this common? I've never run into it... Yep, I've got one right here by my left side that thinks it's a skeet machine too. Apparently this affected first-generation iMacs. To later models Apple added a kind of foam baffle between the drive and the case slot fuzzy which slowed down the disk's progress. Dunno, but that might even be an Apple service part that can be retrofitted. Another solution is to tape a little basket to the side of the iMac, which is what a friend did. My guess is that, when new, the fuzzy was stiff enough to permit retention of the ejected disk in the slot. Then, as time and use loosened up the fuzzy, there was not enough friction to keep the disk from flying through the air. It's quite a shock when the disk comes sailing out and bounces across the desk that first time, isn't it? :^) Found the fix. It's on page 25 of the publication Apple Service Source iMac G5, 20-inch, Updated 30 Nov 2006: Optical media ejects to the desktop 1. Try cleaning the disc. If it is dirty or scratched, it may not mount. 2. Try a different disc. 3. Install the microfoam shim (922-7671) on the inside of the front bezel. Refer to Take Apart/Optical Drive/Front Bezel/ or Microfoam Shim sections for complete instructions. Enjoy! Jim Scott --~--~-~--~~~---~--~~ You received this message because you are subscribed to Low End Mac's iMac List, a group for those using G3, G4, G5, and Intel Core iMacs as well as Apple eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to imaclist-unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist?hl=en Low End Mac RSS feed at feed://lowendmac.com/feed.xml -~--~~~~--~~--~--~---
Re: G3 Slot Loading Imac
On Aug 19, 2009, at 6:47 PM, pangab...@aol.com wrote: Press the end of a paperclip gently into that little hole on the outside of the loading tray. Rob Bell This doesn't work with slot-loading iMacs. Or with any slot-loading macs, for that matter... Best thing to do is as Clark suggested and hold the mouse key at startup. Or, if you can boot it into the firmware, (hold down option as it boots, if you get boot device icons that's the firmware) then as soon as the cursor no longer indicates loading, press Apple+E on the keyboard, (or the eject key on newer keyboards) and the drive will eject the disk. (If it's not physically stuck). It depends on which model of iMac it is, I believe later model slot-loaders had the option firmware. -Elliott Slot-load G3 iMacs have a built-in eject button. It is located at the extreme right side of the slot and is built into the drive itself. When new, the tiny round hole in the fuzzy at the end of the disk slit was quite visible. By now, wear and tear probably has obscured the hole. But the button behind the hole is still there. Using a straightened paper clip, or a plastic video adjusting tool (my favorite), poke it gently into the far right side until you feel resistance. Push a little harder and you should feel and maybe even hear a click as the button moves or gives. Don't push too hard as the button is covered by a flexible plastic membrane and it can be ruptured. If a disk is in the drive, pushing the button should activate the eject mechanism, causing the disk to eject. If you push the button and hear a lot of whirring but the disk either doesn't eject or doesn't eject completely, the rubber drive roller and/or drive belt may have picked up too much lint, dust, etc. and need to be cleaned. Or the drive belt (which looks like a square-cut black rubber band) may have broken. HTH, Jim Scott --~--~-~--~~~---~--~~ You received this message because you are subscribed to Low End Mac's iMac List, a group for those using G3, G4, G5, and Intel Core iMacs as well as Apple eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to imaclist-unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist?hl=en Low End Mac RSS feed at feed://lowendmac.com/feed.xml -~--~~~~--~~--~--~---
Re: Bondi Blue HELP
John, It was installed in an iMac donated to me for my giving-Macs-away-to- kids-and-schools activities. Jim On Aug 12, 2009, at 9:30 AM, Jasiu wrote: Jim, where did you find that daughtercard? On Jul 29, 2:14 pm, Jim Scott jesco...@gmail.com wrote: On Jul 29, 2009, at 11:00 AM, Jasiu wrote: Can I replace the MB on the 233MHS tray loading Imac with a faster one? Yes, but it's the daughterboard you want to replace -- the one inside that shiny perforated cage. You can replace the 233 with a 266 or 333 MHz card. There also were aftermarket third-party cards that were even faster. For example, I've got a Powerlogix daughtercard for a tray- loading iMac with an IBM PowerPC 750L (G3) 500 MHz processor. It came out of an iMac running OS X 10.3 pretty quickly. Jim Scott --~--~-~--~~~---~--~~ You received this message because you are subscribed to Low End Mac's iMac List, a group for those using G3, G4, G5, and Intel Core iMacs as well as Apple eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to imaclist-unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist?hl=en Low End Mac RSS feed at feed://lowendmac.com/feed.xml -~--~~~~--~~--~--~---
Re: Bondi Blue HELP
On Jul 29, 2009, at 11:00 AM, Jasiu wrote: Can I replace the MB on the 233MHS tray loading Imac with a faster one? Yes, but it's the daughterboard you want to replace -- the one inside that shiny perforated cage. You can replace the 233 with a 266 or 333 MHz card. There also were aftermarket third-party cards that were even faster. For example, I've got a Powerlogix daughtercard for a tray- loading iMac with an IBM PowerPC 750L (G3) 500 MHz processor. It came out of an iMac running OS X 10.3 pretty quickly. Jim Scott --~--~-~--~~~---~--~~ You received this message because you are subscribed to Low End Mac's iMac List, a group for those using G3, G4, G5, and Intel Core iMacs as well as Apple eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to imaclist-unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist?hl=en Low End Mac RSS feed at feed://lowendmac.com/feed.xml -~--~~~~--~~--~--~---
Re: AirPort card for imac G4?
On Jul 25, 2:51 am, williamd willi...@wyoming.com wrote: I would like to add an airport card to my G4 imac, 1.0ghz, 15-inch, usb 2.0 model. As i understand it i need an Airport Express card, but is there more than one of these? I see many listings for use on Mac laptops- would this be the same card? bill According to this Apple web page http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2256?viewlocale=en_US , your USB 2.0 iMac requires a standard Airport Extreme card. The one in my hand I pulled out of my 17 iMac G4 with USB 2.0 is about 1-7/8 wide by 2-5/16 long. The model number is A1027 and that's written on the front above the Airport Extreme lettering. Yes, there are a variety of Airport Extreme form factors in Apple laptops, including some that include bluetooth as well as wi-fi capabilities. You want the one I describe. HTH, Jim Scott --~--~-~--~~~---~--~~ You received this message because you are subscribed to Low End Mac's iMac List, a group for those using G3, G4, G5, and Intel Core iMacs as well as Apple eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to imaclist-unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist?hl=en Low End Mac RSS feed at feed://lowendmac.com/feed.xml -~--~~~~--~~--~--~---
Re: adding ram to G4 imac?
On Sun, Jul 19, 2009 at 11:26 PM, williamd willi...@wyoming.com wrote: I'm running Tiger on my G4 imac 1ghz 512 ram. Overall I'm very pleased with this setup, but i think i could get a bit better performance with a ram upgrade. Problem is, i read somewhere about the 4 bottom screws and needing a special torque wrench to replace them, else the machine supposedly overheats if these are not tightened perfectly. Can anyone confirm or debunk this? If i need such a tool, where on earth to find it? There are two ways you can add RAM to your G4 iMac. The first, user replaceable method involves using a small Phillips screwdriver to loosen the 4 captive screws that affix the bottom plate. Once the plate is removed, you can add or replace the SO-DIMM stick. The second, factory installed method involves removing the bottom plate and then using a Torx-15 screwdriver or bit to remove the 4 screws that hold the iMac's base to the top. Then it's easy to remove and replace the SDRAM stick. I also replace the PRAM battery while I'm in there. The Apple service manual shows all this very clearly, and recommends that the thermal pads or thermal paste be replaced, and that the 4 Torx screws be torqued using an inch-pound torque wrench to 17 inch pounds. Failing that, the manual says to tighten the 4 screws firmly but not forcibly by hand. I can confirm that failure to tighten the 4 screws properly will lead to cpu and/or video chipset damage. I've worked on G4 iMacs with no-go and/or video problems, and every time I found the 4 screws could be unscrewed with my fingertips. Seems someone had replaced a PRAM battery or internal RAM stick or one of the drives and didn't torque the screws properly. This meant a slight enough break in the heat pipe that prevented heat from being piped up to the cooling fan. Failing access to an Apple service manual for your iMac, simply Google iMac G4 RAM replacement and you'll find instructions online about how to properly disassemble your iMac to do the RAM upgrade (and battery replacement too, hint, hint). Torx-15 (or T-15) screwdrivers can be bought at almost any hardware store. I got mine at Sears. Or you can borrow a T-15 bit and an inch-pound torque wrench from a friend who's an auto hobbyist. I use my inch-pound torque wrench with a T-15 bit. Good luck! -- Jim Scott --~--~-~--~~~---~--~~ You received this message because you are subscribed to Low End Mac's iMac List, a group for those using G3, G4, G5, and Intel Core iMacs as well as Apple eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to imaclist-unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist?hl=en Low End Mac RSS feed at feed://lowendmac.com/feed.xml -~--~~~~--~~--~--~---
Re: Trying to breathe new life into an eMac
On May 10, 2009, at 3:15 PM, Gary Fortman wrote: The 700mhz emacs had a combo drive. Reads and writes CDs. Does not read DVDs. Sent from my eyeFone Wrong. A Combo drive reads and writes CDs, but reads DVDs. It doesn't write DVDs. Sent from my iMac --~--~-~--~~~---~--~~ You received this message because you are subscribed to Low End Mac's iMac List, a group for those using G3, G4, G5, and Intel Core iMacs as well as Apple eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to imaclist-unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist?hl=en Low End Mac RSS feed at feed://lowendmac.com/feed.xml -~--~~~~--~~--~--~---
Re: G4 iMac overheating
On Apr 19, 2009, at 1:24 PM, owen wrote: I took it apart again (this time all the way) and can't find any pinched wires. If I look thru the exhaust holes in the top, I can see the fan blades twitching - like the fan is trying to start but failing. They jerk about 1/8 inch, then fall back and bounce a little. This happens about every second. Any ideas? Either the fan isn't getting enough electricity, or it has an internal problem such as a seized bearing or shorted wiring. Can you get the blades to spin freely? At this point you probably should replace the fan unit with a known good one, preferably an Apple/G4 iMac fan. I say this because any 3-9/16-inch-square by 1-inch-deep fan that turns clockwise and blows up/away (when viewed from the label side) should work. But the horizontal slits around the fan case were designed to help suck in air from the periphery of the dome and thus enhance the iMac's cooling, so just any old fan most likely won't work as well as the Apple design. I'm not sure if all G4 iMac fans had the same specs, but one I pulled from a G4 1 GHz 15 iMac is a Superred model made by Cheng Home Electronic S., Ltd., China. It's DC 12 volts, 0.26 amp, model CHA9212DS-TF. Jim Scott --~--~-~--~~~---~--~~ You received this message because you are subscribed to Low End Mac's iMac List, a group for those using G3, G4, G5, and Intel Core iMacs as well as Apple eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to imaclist-unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist?hl=en Low End Mac RSS feed at feed://lowendmac.com/feed.xml -~--~~~~--~~--~--~---
Re: G4 iMac overheating
On Apr 19, 2009, at 2:38 PM, owen wrote: If I poke it with a plastic straw from a compressed air can, I can get a couple of blades before it stops again. If I hit it just as it is trying to turn I can get a rev or two. So it's not actually stuck, but it won't actually run. Then it's got to be an electrical issue, either internal or external. --~--~-~--~~~---~--~~ You received this message because you are subscribed to Low End Mac's iMac List, a group for those using G3, G4, G5, and Intel Core iMacs as well as Apple eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to imaclist-unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist?hl=en Low End Mac RSS feed at feed://lowendmac.com/feed.xml -~--~~~~--~~--~--~---
Re: G4 iMac overheating
On Apr 19, 2009, at 3:36 PM, Owen Strawn wrote: So if I replace it with a known good fan, it might work or it might not. Dang. - Original Message From: Jim Scott jesco...@gmail.com To: imaclist@googlegroups.com Sent: Sunday, April 19, 2009 4:41:14 PM Subject: Re: G4 iMac overheating On Apr 19, 2009, at 2:38 PM, owen wrote: If I poke it with a plastic straw from a compressed air can, I can get a couple of blades before it stops again. If I hit it just as it is trying to turn I can get a rev or two. So it's not actually stuck, but it won't actually run. Then it's got to be an electrical issue, either internal or external. On Apr 19, 2009, at 3:36 PM, Owen Strawn wrote: So if I replace it with a known good fan, it might work or it might not. Dang. Yep. That's why tinkering with Macs is called a hobby. If it works, you get the glory. If it doesn't work, you've eliminated a major source of the problem. Then you've nothing left to do but to do a continuity and impedance test on the three wires from the fan at the connector to their termination in the multiconnector that fits into the connector on the logic board. If the wires are OK all the way to the multiconnector, then the problem lies in the connector and/or circuitry on the logic board. But since the original fan is getting enough juice to make it want to start, my experience suggests that a known-good fan will solve the overheating problem. Then there's experimentation. One trick I use is to put one or two drops of very light oil on the fan's bearing. This usually involves peeling back the label enough to get the oil directly on the bearing and shaft end. I then spin the blades by hand to let the oil work its way in. More often than not, a recalcitrant fan will spring back to life. This can last anywhere from only a short time to indefinitely. Cheers! --~--~-~--~~~---~--~~ You received this message because you are subscribed to Low End Mac's iMac List, a group for those using G3, G4, G5, and Intel Core iMacs as well as Apple eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to imaclist-unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist?hl=en Low End Mac RSS feed at feed://lowendmac.com/feed.xml -~--~~~~--~~--~--~---
Re: G5 with ambient light sensor - any problems?
On Mar 11, 2009, at 12:08 PM, Judith Rosenbaum wrote: I have an opportunity to purchase a one-owner 20 G5 with Ambient Light Sensor (M9845LL/A May 2005) for a pretty reasonable price. I'm hesitating because I believe I recall a review that mentioned a problem with this version: runs hot? noisy? third generation a better machine?. I've searched but can't find the info I'm looking for and wondered if anyone has any advice. I'm using a G3 that is developing problems and would like to upgrade a bit. I use my computer for the basics: e-mail, research, photos, finances. I don't game, create videos or music. Your opinion/suggestions would be very much appreciated. I had a brand-new iMac G5 20 with ALS that I bought in May 2005. After 5 LCDs and 2 logic boards, AppleCare replaced it. The aluminum Intel iMac that replaced it has 11 temperature sensors instead of the G5's 3, and has been rock solid and trouble-free for 18 months. Apple replaced a lot of G5 iMac logic boards and power supplies because of dodgy and prone-to-fail capacitors. In just the last 2 months, I've worked on two iMac G5s for friends. The first had 5 popped capacitors and 2 were leaking electrolyte. I advised her to get something newer 'cause hers was on the way to logic board failure. The second unit was a first-generation G5 iMac which was bought as an Apple refurb. It already had a logic board replacement, yet it too suffered from bad capacitors: 5 on the logic board; 6 on the power supply board. The second one wouldn't even start. iMac G5s couldn't handle heat very well, and were/are plagued with failing capacitors. I wouldn't advise anyone to buy a used one. Go for an Intel iMac. Jim --~--~-~--~~~---~--~~ You received this message because you are subscribed to Low End Mac's iMac List, a group for those using G3, G4, G5, and Intel Core iMacs as well as Apple eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to imaclist-unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist?hl=en Low End Mac RSS feed at feed://lowendmac.com/feed.xml -~--~~~~--~~--~--~---
Re: imac G3 question
On Jan 25, 2009, at 7:33 PM, Kathy K wrote: I have an iMac G3, graphite 500 mhz, 128mb, and 30g harddrive. It is currently running OS 10.3 only. Is it possible to reinstall and add OS 9 back on it? Or classic? I haven't messed with this iMac for awhile and have forgotten the ins and outs of OS9/OSX installs. I do have two other old G3s, but we are making some trades. Now we want to set this one up for my youngest to play old OS 9 games on CD. It would be nice to leave OS X on there as well, if possible. And though the machine probably needs more ram, I don't plan to do that. Not interested in opening it up or investing more $ in it. Also, while I'm at it... at one time I had an ethernet/usb adapter on this thing. The ethernet port was broken on it when I bought it (a steal at $25 several years ago). I bought an adapter online that worked great, but after awhile the adapter broke (poorly designed). I since bought a different adapter... but could never get it to work. Any other ideas out there for getting this G3 online without an ethernet port? Kathy K The best/easiest way to set it up for a new user is to boot from an OS 9.1 or preferably OS 9.2 CD, wipe the hard drive, initialize it for HFS Extended, and use Disk Utility to check the hard drive for bad sectors. lf Disk Utility finds bad sectors, replace the hard drive. If it doesn't, then you can install OS 9.x. Then run Software Update until there are no updates. Then set all your preferences in Control Panel. Finally, install all of the OS 9 programs and games. Once you've got OS 9 squared away, insert the OS X disk and install OS X. Run Software Update until there are no more to install. Then set your preferences. Finally, attempt to launch an OS 9 program. This will start Classic. Complete the dialogue and set your Classic preferences. Note that you can set Classic to launch when the computer starts up. If you do this, then it makes perfect sense to put favorite OS 9 aliases on the OS X desktop. That makes for a pretty seamless and almost transparent ability to use OS 9 and OS 10 programs at will without a bunch of switching back and forth and waiting for OS 9/ Classic to launch. I set a room full of G3e iMacs up this way at a local elementary school lab, and the lab instructor is quite happy with the kids' ability to surf via Firefox or Safari and use old OS 9 programs without any trouble or problems. As for getting it online without an ethernet port, you can use an original Airport card (with G3 iMac adapter), or buy another USB/ ethernet adapter. I'll leave other suggestions to the fine members on this list. Good luck and have fun! -- Jim --~--~-~--~~~---~--~~ You received this message because you are subscribed to Low End Mac's iMac List, a group for those using G3, G4, G5, and Intel Core iMacs as well as Apple eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to imaclist-unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist?hl=en Low End Mac RSS feed at feed://lowendmac.com/feed.xml -~--~~~~--~~--~--~---
Re: New Mac
On Jan 9, 2009, at 2:20 PM, Amanda Ward wrote: Hi All, I finally broke down and bought a new Mac. Okay... all the Macs I've bought have been new =to me=, but this one is like really new... I'm owner number one. It's the iMac 20 2.4GHz model. I =really= want the 24 3.06 GHz, but do I really NEED it. No prolly not. I'm a little amazed at the performance increase over my G4/1.6GHz. Gregory wasn't a slouch, but Irving (the iMac) just screams! He has 1GB ram... would increasing to 2GB show a significant performance boost? I don't do a lot of heavy graphics/video/audio work... mostly watching movies while working on an occasional spreadsheet. Lastly... can an Intel Mac boot Tiger... and do it from an external Firewire drive? I ask because I have a few apps that aren't upgraded for Leopard. On the G4 running 10.5 , I could boot from the external drive with 10.4 and run them. Thanks for any advice Amanda Welcome to the Intel iMac Club! Your easiest upgrade is to max out the RAM, which is very inexpensive these days. I recently bought a pair of 2 GB sticks for my mid-2007 iMac 20 2.4 GHz for about $50, shipped, from OWC. A similar 4 GB upgrade for yours runs about the same. Even at 2 GB, you will notice an improvement, but you'll definitely see it with 4 GB. Generally speaking, a stock Mac cannot boot and run from an OS that predates the one installed at the factory. So you won't be able to boot 10.4 from an external drive and run it on your Intel iMac. And, yes, I really wanted a 24 too, but $ is $. :^) Jim --~--~-~--~~~---~--~~ You received this message because you are subscribed to Low End Mac's iMac List, a group for those using G3, G4, G5, and Intel Core iMacs as well as Apple eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to imaclist-unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist?hl=en Low End Mac RSS feed at feed://lowendmac.com/feed.xml -~--~~~~--~~--~--~---
Re: New Mac
On 9 Jan 2009, at 22:36, Jim Scott wrote: Generally speaking, a stock Mac cannot boot and run from an OS that predates the one installed at the factory. So you won't be able to boot 10.4 from an external drive and run it on your Intel iMac. On Jan 9, 2009, at 2:45 PM, Simon Royal wrote: Jim Thanks. I had forgotten that. Depending on which model she has will depend on her option for booting to 10.4 There is a 20 2.4Ghz Core 2 Duo model from 2007 that originally came with 10.4 and was later shipped with 10.5 - so therefore this model will be able to boot to an 10.4 installation on an external drive. There is also a 20 2.4Ghz Core 2 Duo from 2008, this only came with 10.5 and therefore your comment is correct. Simon Yes, assuming Amanda's is a new Intel iMac, which her comments indicated to me, it will not be able to boot from any version of OS 10.4. However, my Intel iMac, which was bought new in October 2007, shipped with OS 10.4.10 installed. And because it shipped the very day, Oct. 26, Leopard was introduced, a copy of Mac OS X Leopard CPU Drop-in DVD was included in the box. So, Amanda, if you're reading this and want to trade for an Intel iMac that will boot both 10.4.10 and 10.5.6, let's talk. Heh-heh. :^) Jim --~--~-~--~~~---~--~~ You received this message because you are subscribed to Low End Mac's iMac List, a group for those using G3, G4, G5, and Intel Core iMacs as well as Apple eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to imaclist-unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist?hl=en Low End Mac RSS feed at feed://lowendmac.com/feed.xml -~--~~~~--~~--~--~---
Re: keyboard power button issues
On Dec 18, 2008, at 11:04 AM, Clark Martin wrote: Peter Mc Court wrote: Learned ones, I just rescued a Ruby iMac (G3, 400MHz, 36GB HD, CD drive, 256MB RAM, OS9.2.1, Firmware 4.1.9) from the Uni skip. She (Ruby) is fully functional, except that I need to use the power button on the box to start her up. None of the keyboard power buttons for my other 3 iMacs (similar vintage) can start Ruby up, but they all can shut her down. I see that Ruby's power button is sits more deeply in the bezel than on the other iMacs, so I guess she has been subject to some abuse. Is there an easy fix for this power button issue? I've read that one should avoid using the power button that sits on the iMac box. Don't believe everything you read (except this :). There is nothing wrong with using the button on the computer to power the computer up. It is not recommended to use it to turn the computer off, you should use a controlled shut down instead. If the button works to initiate a shut down then the button is okay. The difference is on power up the button sends a signal through the USB connection to start the computer. This was a non-standard implementation of USB and Apple eventually abandoned it. It's possible the iMac is new enough that it doesn't implement the keyboard power on, I don't know when things changed. Me, I wouldn't worry about it, just use the power button on the computer. What Clark said, plus this: Somewhere in the 400 MHz G3 iMac production run, probably fairly close to startup of 450 MHz production, Apple stopped using power on from the keyboard. I've seen some 400 MHz units that would power on from the keyboard; others that wouldn't. I've also seen some early 400 MHz units that wouldn't run Apple Hardware Test while later units will. So it's clear to me that some major shifts in iMac G3s happened during the 400 MHz run. I've not seen that many 450 MHz iMacs, but I don't think any I saw would start from the keyboard. All 500 MHz G3 iMacs (both those with Motorola processors and those with IBM processors) will start only from the built-in power button. The same is true of the IBM-only 600 and 700 MHz. Your built-in power button may have a weak return spring, which is why it doesn't sit flush with the bezel. Or someone may have opened up the unit, fiddled with the internal power button (yep, there are two -- three actually -- the outer button pushes on the spring-loaded inner button, which has a projection that pushes the actually power button), broke something and jury rigged a fix. As long as yours works, I'd leave it alone. HTH, Jim --~--~-~--~~~---~--~~ You received this message because you are subscribed to Low End Mac's iMac List, a group for those using G3, G4, G5, and Intel Core iMacs as well as Apple eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to imaclist-unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist?hl=en Low End Mac RSS feed at feed://lowendmac.com/feed.xml -~--~~~~--~~--~--~---
Re: USB 1.1 Ports Upgrade?
Nope, not as factory equipment. Jim Scott On Dec 9, 2008, at 12:24 PM, Michael Marsden wrote: Does the Bondi have Firewire? Simon Royal wrote: Hi Is there such a thing as a firewire to USB converter. Must admit I haven't seen them, but it might give you faster USB via Firewire. Simon On 9 Dec 2008, at 18:51, ./aal wrote: --- http://www.simonroyal.co.uk and http://www.nmug.org.uk --- sent from my PowerBook G4 867Mhz, 768MB RAM, Mac OSX 10.5 --~--~-~--~~~---~--~~ You received this message because you are subscribed to Low End Mac's iMac List, a group for those using G3, G4, G5, and Intel Core iMacs as well as Apple eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist?hl=en Low End Mac RSS feed at feed://lowendmac.com/feed.xml -~--~~~~--~~--~--~---
Re: removing airport card from G4 iMac?
On Sep 15, 2008, at 7:03 PM, a1 wrote: Succinctly, can I do this easily, just by instructions and/or a visual? Any risk to the computer if I fumble it? I want to put the Airport card in my iBook, which I did find a good clear pdf for installation. Get a towel. Spread it out on the table. Get a sofa cushion or a firm pillow. Put it on the table at one end of the towel. Disconnect everything from your iMac G4. Place the iMac on the table, with the LCD face up on the pillow and the base of the white bottom on the towel facing you. The goal is to take strain off the neck and prevent the iMac from rolling. Loosen the four visible screws on the bottom of the iMac. Don't try to remove them as they are captive screws. Grab the screw heads and pull the plate off and away from the iMac. Grab the pull tab on the Airport card and pull the card out of its slot. Remove the antenna cable from the card; you may need to pry it up, gently, or use a small pair of pliers to grip it tightly enough to pull it out. Replace the bottom plate. Done. However, since you don't give the models of either the iBook or the iMac, be aware that some models of both used the original Airport card and some models used the next-generation Airport Extreme. Both cards are marked accordingly, and the Airport Extreme is a much smaller card. Neither will fit nor work in a slot designed for the other. To figure out which Airport card(s) your Macs take, download MacTracker or go to everymac.com. Good luck! Jim Scott --~--~-~--~~~---~--~~ You received this message because you are subscribed to Low End Mac's iMac List, a group for those using G3, G4, G5, and Intel Core iMacs as well as Apple eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist?hl=en Low End Mac RSS feed at feed://lowendmac.com/feed.xml -~--~~~~--~~--~--~---
