one sick mac, one novice doctor

spo3 · 02-19-2009, 05:54 AM

Been given a sick mac to try and fix
powerbook g4 17" 1.5GHz/512MB/80G/Superdrive.

Press start key - get mac chime and then perhaps two secs after, a sickly beeping sound accompanied by a click coming from under the speaker on the left side.

This continues until eventually I get a file in the middle of the screen flashing the finder icon and a question mark - the beeping stops and then this is all that happens.

I do not have the installation disks at the moment - I have asked my friend for them and he says that he will have to find them again.

What are the first steps I could take to try and fix this computer barr bringing it to the dealership or putting a bullet through it's motherboard - the beeping noise sounds that sick!!!

Thanks in advance
spo3

gsahli · 02-19-2009, 10:22 AM

You'll need the install DVD/CD to startup and repair the hard drive (the ? and folder symbol means no OS found).
You can also run the hardware test:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=114112

trevor · 02-19-2009, 11:13 AM

The click coming from under the left speaker sounds like the hard drive needs more "repair" than can be done with a software program.

(Note the hard drive in the bottom left corner.)

I strongly suspect that you will need to replace the hard drive. The PowerBook G4 17" uses a 2.5" ATA (not SATA) hard drive, which can be easily purchased from any good online computer store. Just for one example here.

Trevor

spo3 · 02-19-2009, 03:40 PM

thanks for the tips -
firstly , I will get the discs of the guy and do a "hardware diagnostic"- new lingo- and then see where that leads.
I suspect a new hard drive might be the answer - i think he dropped it and is not telling me for fear of looking like a prat -
again, cheers for the tips
spo3

spo3 · 02-23-2009, 03:22 PM

got the disks and ran both a standard and advanced hardware check - no problems detected - continued and came to 'installer' - intro, read me, license - and then, select destination...
but there is no volumes being shown in the window for me to select...

Is it a soft or hardware prob...?

And the clicking and the sick beeping have stopped...hmmmmm?
Any ideas?

matthewclower · 02-23-2009, 03:30 PM

If your clicking went away, that is a good sign and probably means that it wasn't what most computer users fear to hear from their computers. A certain clicking sound coming from a hard drive generally means that an arm (used to read from the disk) is unable to maintain it's position on the internal discs. This doesn't always damage the integrity of the data on the disk, depending on when and where it occurs. You would experience sporadic difficulty reading and writing to certain parts of the disk and the problem can only get worse. The best advice one can give is to ensure that you have everything that is important on the drive backed up if it isn't already, either replace the drive immediately or use it until you "have to" replace it. It's also fair to note that this problem isn't something that will go away, so if your clicking went away, that means that it was probably something else and nothing to worry about. cheers

EDIT: I misunderstood at first

If the clicking went away... and you can't access the drive at all... it's likely the HD is totally dead. That's an important piece of information I overlooked initially.

Quote:

Originally Posted by spo3


	got the disks and ran both a standard and advanced hardware check - no problems detected - continued and came to 'installer' - intro, read me, license - and then, select destination... but there is no volumes being shown in the window for me to select... Is it a soft or hardware prob...? And the clicking and the sick beeping have stopped...hmmmmm? Any ideas?

spo3 · 02-23-2009, 03:30 PM

and I have gone into disk utility through installer but the same problem is there - no disk to select (except, of course, the cd in the drive)

havoc · 02-23-2009, 03:40 PM

good news is that hard drives are not that expensive and you do the install yourself with the right tools. Buy yourself a new drive, a set of mini torx screw drivers and look for powerbook g4 17 takeapart in google and have some fun. You'll probably find the screw drivers right on the takeapart site. I plucked up the courage to do this to my old mac and was surprised to find it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. Now I take them apart and fix bad drives at work all the time.

Good luck!

spo3 · 03-02-2009, 05:34 AM

after a bit of research, I have decided to purchase the harddrive here in denmark, but I just wanted to make sure that I am getting the right one

can you check out this link please - much appreciative

http://www.anymac.dk/gen3/main.php?i...=menu&id_ok=13

matthewclower · 03-02-2009, 11:52 AM

Yes, you require a 2.5" ATA (not SATA) drive. Any of the top three listed in the link you posted would work just fine.

spo3 · 03-12-2009, 08:16 AM

hello again,
received the hard drive and have just started the comp. up again with the new harddrive in place. Inserted the installation disk and "Installer" started, but when it ask me to "select a destination volume to install mac osx software", there are no disk images to select....

What now? Is the problem somewhere else other than the HD? Any ideas much appreciated...

(ps, first time opening up a comp. and yeah, it was fun!)

NaOH · 03-12-2009, 08:37 AM

You may need to format the internal drive. When you're going though the Installer process, after a couple steps the Menu Bar appears. I believe there is a Utilities menu. Use this to select Disk Utility.

Once in Disk Utility you can format the internal drive, a process that should be done so the drive format is Mac OS Extended (Journaled). If my memory is correct, you'll select the drive on the left, then click the Erase tab to the right. From there you can assign the format.

Once you complete this process, which is very fast, you just quit Disk Utility. You'll be back in the Installer, and you should now be able to select your drive for installation of the OS.

spo3 · 03-12-2009, 09:20 AM

Hi naOH,
did as you said and the disc shows in installer but with a white exclamation mark on a red background and it says "you cannot install mac osx on this volume. you cannot start up your computer sing this volume"

Any ideas???

spo3 · 03-12-2009, 09:35 AM

restarted the comp. and the hd image appears ok - now installing with fingers crossed

spo3 · 03-12-2009, 10:05 AM

one sick comp. back in working order!
Thanks for all the help everybody.

02-19-2009, 05:54 AM	#1
spo3 Prospect Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 28	one sick mac, one novice doctor Been given a sick mac to try and fix powerbook g4 17" 1.5GHz/512MB/80G/Superdrive. Press start key - get mac chime and then perhaps two secs after, a sickly beeping sound accompanied by a click coming from under the speaker on the left side. This continues until eventually I get a file in the middle of the screen flashing the finder icon and a question mark - the beeping stops and then this is all that happens. I do not have the installation disks at the moment - I have asked my friend for them and he says that he will have to find them again. What are the first steps I could take to try and fix this computer barr bringing it to the dealership or putting a bullet through it's motherboard - the beeping noise sounds that sick!!! Thanks in advance spo3

02-19-2009, 11:13 AM	#3
trevor Moderator Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Boulder, CO USA Posts: 19,854	The click coming from under the left speaker sounds like the hard drive needs more "repair" than can be done with a software program. (Note the hard drive in the bottom left corner.) I strongly suspect that you will need to replace the hard drive. The PowerBook G4 17" uses a 2.5" ATA (not SATA) hard drive, which can be easily purchased from any good online computer store. Just for one example here. Trevor __________________ How to ask questions the smart way \| Pssst. Wanna play some FuMafia?

03-02-2009, 11:52 AM	#10
matthewclower Triple-A Player Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Gilroy, Ca Posts: 138	Yes, you require a 2.5" ATA (not SATA) drive. Any of the top three listed in the link you posted would work just fine. __________________ Matthew Clower MacBook Pro 3,1 - 4GB RAM \| iPhone 3G MB704LL - 16GB \| iPod Touch MB376LL - 32GB http://twitter.com/matthewclower http://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewclower

02-19-2009, 10:22 AM	#2
gsahli MVP Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Chicago Posts: 1,264	You'll need the install DVD/CD to startup and repair the hard drive (the ? and folder symbol means no OS found). You can also run the hardware test: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=114112

02-19-2009, 03:40 PM	#4
spo3 Prospect Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 28	thanks for the tips - firstly , I will get the discs of the guy and do a "hardware diagnostic"- new lingo- and then see where that leads. I suspect a new hard drive might be the answer - i think he dropped it and is not telling me for fear of looking like a prat - again, cheers for the tips spo3

02-23-2009, 03:22 PM	#5
spo3 Prospect Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 28	got the disks and ran both a standard and advanced hardware check - no problems detected - continued and came to 'installer' - intro, read me, license - and then, select destination... but there is no volumes being shown in the window for me to select... Is it a soft or hardware prob...? And the clicking and the sick beeping have stopped...hmmmmm? Any ideas?

02-23-2009, 03:30 PM	#7
spo3 Prospect Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 28	and I have gone into disk utility through installer but the same problem is there - no disk to select (except, of course, the cd in the drive)

02-23-2009, 03:40 PM	#8
havoc Prospect Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Canada Posts: 35	good news is that hard drives are not that expensive and you do the install yourself with the right tools. Buy yourself a new drive, a set of mini torx screw drivers and look for powerbook g4 17 takeapart in google and have some fun. You'll probably find the screw drivers right on the takeapart site. I plucked up the courage to do this to my old mac and was surprised to find it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. Now I take them apart and fix bad drives at work all the time. Good luck!

03-02-2009, 05:34 AM	#9
spo3 Prospect Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 28	after a bit of research, I have decided to purchase the harddrive here in denmark, but I just wanted to make sure that I am getting the right one can you check out this link please - much appreciative http://www.anymac.dk/gen3/main.php?i...=menu&id_ok=13

03-12-2009, 08:16 AM	#11
spo3 Prospect Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 28	hello again, received the hard drive and have just started the comp. up again with the new harddrive in place. Inserted the installation disk and "Installer" started, but when it ask me to "select a destination volume to install mac osx software", there are no disk images to select.... What now? Is the problem somewhere else other than the HD? Any ideas much appreciated... (ps, first time opening up a comp. and yeah, it was fun!)

03-12-2009, 08:37 AM	#12
NaOH Hall of Famer Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 3,852	You may need to format the internal drive. When you're going though the Installer process, after a couple steps the Menu Bar appears. I believe there is a Utilities menu. Use this to select Disk Utility. Once in Disk Utility you can format the internal drive, a process that should be done so the drive format is Mac OS Extended (Journaled). If my memory is correct, you'll select the drive on the left, then click the Erase tab to the right. From there you can assign the format. Once you complete this process, which is very fast, you just quit Disk Utility. You'll be back in the Installer, and you should now be able to select your drive for installation of the OS.

03-12-2009, 09:20 AM	#13
spo3 Prospect Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 28	Hi naOH, did as you said and the disc shows in installer but with a white exclamation mark on a red background and it says "you cannot install mac osx on this volume. you cannot start up your computer sing this volume" Any ideas???

03-12-2009, 09:35 AM	#14
spo3 Prospect Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 28	restarted the comp. and the hd image appears ok - now installing with fingers crossed

03-12-2009, 10:05 AM	#15
spo3 Prospect Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 28	one sick comp. back in working order! Thanks for all the help everybody.