[druber]

I've got a G4 1.2Ghz iBook (768RAM/60GB HD) that is six months beyond Applecare's coverage. It is running 10.4.9 with all updates done. This is my third iBook, after the first two died after repeated logic board and other repairs. I've seen logic board problems, and this looks different.

Basically, while using the machine the screen goes black. Usually the backlight stays on, but sometimes it switches off. This seems to happen at random times--sometimes very quickly after waking it from sleep or booting it up, sometimes I've been using it for an hour or two. If I close the lid, the machine doesn't sleep. Plugging in an external monitor doesn't produce a picture on the external screen. This has happened when I am not touching the machine at all, and moving the screen hinge back and forth has had no effect.

Worse, when I try to reboot the machine it acts bizarre. Often times there is no boot chime. Sometimes the fan kicks on and stays on until I cut the power. Four times out of five, at best, the machine fails to boot. I've removed the battery and all cables except the power cable. Booting in target disk mode is just as problematic--this was never the case when I had previous logic board/motherboard issues. The only detail of any note is that the date/time always resets to 1969 on restart.

I've run Tech Tool Deluxe's hardware tests, and it passes them all. Disk Utility was able to find a hard drive error, but it was also able to repair it. I've repaired permissions, run MacJanitor, done every maintenance function I could think of. I backed up the hard drive with Carbon Copy Cloner, erased it and did a clean install of 10.4. Ran all the upgrades that Software Update presented, started reinstalling software apps starting with the Adobe CS2 Suite. It chugged away for a couple hours through several restarts as apps were installed. Then, again, the screen went black and it was unresponsive, required several tries to get a startup chime, let alone reboot.

Any ideas? I'm stumped. I'll be glad to leave the iBook series behind, but not like this.

[trippinvicious]

maybe a graphics card issue???

[frdmfghtr]

Have you tried resetting the SMC (I think that's what it's called--all I remember is there's some sort of low-level controller that gets reset to fix certain things). My old iBook never had issues like this so I'm not familiar with it.

Sorry you're having such a bad run with the iBooks. Maybe you just have a good magnetic personality

[druber]

The SMC seems to exist only in Intel Macs. The PMU seems to be the PowerPC equivalent, and yes I've reset it. I've also reset the PRAM. After 8 tries it finally starts up, works happily for twenty minutes, then goes blank. Can't keep it on long enough to try to set up VNC, but I don't have much hope of that. If holding down the power button won't switch it off, I'd say the machine is locked up in some way.

Thanks for the ideas. Keep them coming....

[Gankdawg]

Try this: ibook G4 logic board fix

My iBook G4 wasn't booting at all unless I squeezed the case just left of the trackpad. I did Corey's fix and it's working again now with no problems.

Check out the DIY Logic board thread is this forum but ignore the G3 posts.

[druber]

I know some people have been using their 500mhz Dual-USB iBooks for 5 years or more without a hitch and that my experience is not the norm. But it's disgusting to hear Apple tech support say, "We've fixed the problem in the [next generation laptop]," and see the same fail-point time after time.

This to say that when I put pressure on the iBook just left of the trackpad, it boots. When I release that pressure it sometimes switches off immediately, which suggests that the two are related. I don't know if I'll put in a shim. I'll start with a clamp if I can come up with one, see if that provides reliable operation. It's one thing if you get interrupted while watching a show or listening to music. It's another when you're writing a paper and would lose portions even with auto-save features switched on.

In the meantime, I sure won't be buying another Mac portable. Any suggestions on a replacement? Any iPod-like devices that support a portable keyboard and can save to a USB flash drive for $300 or so? I can't see buying a 5-year-old iBook at that price, and I'm not feeling any motivation to spend three times as much on a MacBook.

[Gankdawg]

[QUOTE=druber;3371094 It's one thing if you get interrupted while watching a show or listening to music. It's another when you're writing a paper and would lose portions even with auto-save features switched on..[/QUOTE]

I hear you there. Luckily, my iBook is my secondary machine, purchased for $400 and only used for surfing while watching TV and for watching movies while traveling. But try Corey's fix -- it worked for me and it's very easy to disassemble the bottom to do the repair.

And always keep a backup of course.