[GENERAL_SMILEY]

...I know, I know you shouldn't write stupid subjects like this etc... But I think it could possibly be true.

I have this blue Ibook, very early, possibly the first model produced. It was my brother's, he found it too slow, so generously I swapped it for a spare Imac DV, as I had never owned a laptop before.

He was running Jag on it already, but it was also full of MP3s, warez and whatever - so naturally I wanted to start afresh, so I tried a clean install with original Jag disks. On such a slow computer I knew it would take hours, so I left it went and did something constructive - possibly work - when I came back the screen was black, the computer was on but the screen was completely dead. Interesting, I thought, no problem I'll reboot, computer starts up fine, as in HD wirrs etc... Screen still dead. Boot from Cd, screen still dead. Single user mode, screen dead. I can kind of prove it's working by remebering where the eject menu is and navigating to it blindly and succesfully ejecting CDs, therefore i'm pretty sure the underlying system is sound, (In fact i'm pretty sure if i could get SSH working, and knew more about unix, I could use it headless).

The machine is really old, I've tried everything I know, so i assume the monitor has broken on me - or the hinge cable or whatever, which i've heard is weak. I presume my brother got out while the going was good, and swapped me a ringer, that died barely a few hours after he'd run off with my IMac.

This was about four months ago, it's been sitting donig nothing since then. Today on Slashdot I read the following:
"My buddy bought some Imac with firewire for $150 bucks. AV version I think it was called. Anyways he brought it over, I patched his OS9 to its latest patches. He had it for about 2 weeks until the monitor gave out.

So of course, he brings it back to me. Having never ripped one of these things open I was excited at the prospect of tinkering around with some new hardware. Before I grabbed a screwdriver I called apple.

tech: No matter what the problem is, hold the special programmers button on the side, it erases the nvram which will make your monitor work because it has a bad analog board.

After several attempts at this and failing he gave me something else to try.

tech: press the apple key + q r a t during bootup, again this will fix your problem.

Well, again that lead nowhere.

So with the help of my fine freind google, I found a PDF service manual and some more docs. I converted the imac into a pile of electronic parts, pressed some magic button inside and still, black screen..."

Now I know it is an Imac in the quote, but it sufficently interested me to look at the ibook sitting mournfully on it's shelf, alone and fundamentally unloved, and think "Can I fix it?", "Where is the programmer's button on an Ibook?", "What if some of those clever chaps at MacNN can help me?"

Basically I still feel it's probably a hardware problem - and therefore too expensive to be worth fixing - but does anybody have any nifty Apple Tech tricks I should try?

[melman101]

I know this might be a longshot, i know the newer white ibooks have a vga adapter to plug a monitor in. If so, does your's have that? Then you can plug it into another monitor and see if it works. Also I know this is a stupid solution, but is the brightness all the way up? =) Just checking some things out. Hope this helps

[Mithras]

Have you tried booting from an OS 9 install disc?

Does the hard disk spin up at all, or does the iBook not react at all when you press the power button?

Yeah, check the brightness thing. I had an iBook that was at a medium brightness settings in OS 9, but was completely black in OS X.

[GENERAL_SMILEY]

Originally posted by Mithras:
Have you tried booting from an OS 9 install disc?

Does the hard disk spin up at all, or does the iBook not react at all when you press the power button?

Yeah, check the brightness thing. I had an iBook that was at a medium brightness settings in OS 9, but was completely black in OS X.

Hard disk spins, seems able to boot from CD, including tech tool. but monitor doesn't do sweet FA whatever system. Also if I push the power button, and then hit return it smoothly turns itself off.

Man how I wish that it was brightness setting, I would just piss myself laughing if i'd let it sit there four moths thinking it was broken - I tried it and the brightness changed from black to lightish gray.

No external monitor port either, it is a really early blue clam ibook.

Am really looking for somebody to supply an Apple tech PDF for these early models, or possibly info on where the programmer switch is etc...

[invisibleX]

Lets think like troubleshooters.

Now presuming that there weren't any earthquakes or other physical shaking then its almost impossible that its hardware, unless something burnt out.

Figure out how to open it up. Disconnect the HD and try starting it up. If that doesn't work try it without the ram. Theoretically that should work. If it doesn't it'll require disconnecting the monitor.

How much would you sell it for?

[invisibleX]

Lets think like troubleshooters.

Now presuming that there weren't any earthquakes or other physical shaking then its almost impossible that its hardware, unless something burnt out.

Figure out how to open it up. Disconnect the HD and try starting it up. If that doesn't work try it without the ram. Theoretically that should work. If it doesn't it'll require disconnecting the monitor.

How much would you sell it for? Trade possibly? I have much software that I don't use (some new stuff). If you're interested email me rjsanddls@mts.net

[CharlesS]

Originally posted by GENERAL_SMILEY:
Man how I wish that it was brightness setting, I would just piss myself laughing if i'd let it sit there four moths thinking it was broken - I tried it and the brightness changed from black to lightish gray.

Hmm, since the brightness did go up, the monitor is at least doing something.

I wonder if the connection between the computer and the monitor has come loose inside the case.

Of course, you've tried the brightness setting, but have you tried the contrast as well? If that's all the way down, it has the same effect as setting the brightness in such a manner...

Finally, the standard troubleshooting technique - zap the PRAM. Command-option-P-R at startup. Might not help, but worth a try.

[cpac]

BIG QUESTION: what do you mean by did a "clean install" with the original Jag disks? Did you tell it to do a clean system install, or did you actually reformat the drive first?

The reason I ask is because the original iBooks have only like 3GB hard drives, and I know my sisters, for one, could not have OS X installed and then have it upgraded to Jaguar without reformatting the drive.

If you really think it's just the monitor/monitor connection, I'd take it to your local Apple retailer and get them to take a look at it - many wont charge (or wont charge much) for diagnostics...

[Fallout]

I had and iMac 233 (rev. A) and all of a sudden I had the exact same problem you had...everything seemed to work except the display. Turned out the video card was fried. Bring that bitch down to your local Apple store and have them fix it...should run ya about $200. Maybe also have them install a bigger hard drive and more RAM if you plan to run 10.2.

[GENERAL_SMILEY]

Originally posted by invisibleX:
Lets think like troubleshooters.

...Disconnect the HD and try starting it up. If that doesn't work try it without the ram. Theoretically that should work. If it doesn't it'll require disconnecting the monitor.

How much would you sell it for? Trade possibly? I have much software that I don't use (some new stuff). If you're interested email me rjsanddls@mts.net

Will it start without RAM? Really, well I'll give it a go. As for trading it, not sure yet.

Originally posted by CharlesS:
Hmm, since the brightness did go up, the monitor is at least doing something.

I wonder if the connection between the computer and the monitor has come loose inside the case.

Of course, you've tried the brightness setting, but have you tried the contrast as well? If that's all the way down, it has the same effect as setting the brightness in such a manner...

Finally, the standard troubleshooting technique - zap the PRAM. Command-option-P-R at startup. Might not help, but worth a try.

My thoughts too, the monitor is doing something. Opened it up to have a look, but couldn't see any immediate problems. Could really do with one of those Apple engineer schematics.

How do I operate the contrast without being able to see what I'm doing? (I mean presumably if I was dead clever there should be a way of installing Remote Desktop on it or something)

I've zapped PRAM, and NVRAM still no luck.

Originally posted by cpac:
BIG QUESTION: what do you mean by did a "clean install" with the original Jag disks? Did you tell it to do a clean system install, or did you actually reformat the drive first?

The reason I ask is because the original iBooks have only like 3GB hard drives, and I know my sisters, for one, could not have OS X installed and then have it upgraded to Jaguar without reformatting the drive.

If you really think it's just the monitor/monitor connection, I'd take it to your local Apple retailer and get them to take a look at it - many wont charge (or wont charge much) for diagnostics...

Good point about the disks, and admittedly it was pretty cramped with Jag on it - but my brother was running it like that for awhile. Although it was over four months ago I imagine I would have chosen reformat and clean install. Also although I could imagine this causing all sorts of problems, surely it should still be able to boot off CD without screen problems?

Originally posted by Fallout:
I had and iMac 233 (rev. A) and all of a sudden I had the exact same problem you had...everything seemed to work except the display. Turned out the video card was fried. Bring that bitch down to your local Apple store and have them fix it...should run ya about $200. Maybe also have them install a bigger hard drive and more RAM if you plan to run 10.2.

mmmm... I'm starting to think this too, it's just the coincidence of it happening while installing Jag which made me briefly hope otherwise.

If it is a hardware problem, I suspect it just will not be financially viable to fix such an old Ibook, as parts for Apple laptops are always so expensive.

Also there is no Apple store in the UK as far as I know, a few resellers but they always seem to want practically your body and soul, as well as shedloads of cash, before even beginning to want to help - could just be a London experience (read Micro Anvika).

Thasnks for everyone's help.

Last call for laptop experts, are there no magic buttons hidden away which zap some obscure video ram nobodies ever heard of, no video card magic to be worked etc... ?