Is my PowerBook dying? Again.

Factor41

Factor41

Wishful Drinking
My Powerbook G3/300 (PDQ) has been working fine and dandy until just recently, possibly until installing 10.2.2, but now when its about half way through starting up the screen goes black - still on but with no backlight. Once its started up fully I can just press the brightness buttons and it comes on again and stays on, but it always does it next time I start up - even if I set it max brightness. Also, when I shutdown, just before the screen goes off, it goes white with the left-hand third of the screen in blue, and some lines - as though a picture has been stretched right the way up it (doesn't look like my desktop pic, tho it is the same blue so could be random pixels from it).

I've tried resetting memory management and fiddling with the energy saving extensions which deal with screen dimming, but it still does it. Is this a sign of impending screen death or just a glitch? I guess I can live with pressing the brightness button when I start up, but I don't it to be terminal.

Anyone seen anything similar?
 
I'm not sure about the brightness settings not remembering itself, but I am getting that weird image you are describe on shutdown as well. In fact, I've had variations of it since 10.0 when it booted up, right before the screen showed the progress window (starting services). Now in Jag since 10.2.2 its done that more (i.e. in shutdown and startup)...it seems that 10.2.2 has not been the best of OS X updates...I used to think OS X was overloading the graphics card somehow, then I thought it was just loading the driver so the screen reset, but now since it happens on shutdown (drivers aren't loaded on shutdown) I don't know.

I'd chalk the screen brightness forgetfulness up to a bad preference file somewhere. Maybe running permissions check or Verify Disk in Disk First Aid would help.
 
...oh, and by the way, I bet my G3 is a LOT slower than your "Slowest G3 in the World" :p!
 
I think I've sorted it. I started up in OS9 (which required me to move my OS9 system folder onto the same partition as X - just wouldn't use it from the other partition!) and ran disk first aid which said that all seemed fine, then started back in X and the problem had gone. Very strange. I also unplugged the SCSI cable from the back so it might have been that, even tho the CDRW it was joined to was off anyway. I guess the best policy is just to mess around a bit and eventually things will start working again. Usually does the trick.

And I bet you're wrong about the G3... Blue and White G3/400 with 512Mb and 46Gb runs slower than my Powerbook! It's got some deep-rooted psychological problems that I'm not even gonna try to fix. Just waiting for a couple of Dual G4s... and waiting...

Is your Travelstar the 5400 or 4200rpm version? I went for the faster one and it's made a huge difference from the original 8Gb, but I was guessing that was because the 8Gb had been dropped so many times. Not sure what the diff would be from the 4200.

Ta for the help anyhoo.
 
Good thing that problem is solved! :)
But...when you say the problem is gone, do you mean the screen brightness forgetting its settings, or the weird image that's displayed at shutdown? (or both?) Just wondering if you cured the weird shutdown image, because it's bugging enough to try and fix it with 10.2.2...

I actually don't really know what RPM my TravelStar is. :eek: I got the fluid bearing 20 GB model if that tells you :). It maxes out the IDE bus (about 14 MB/sec on a test I ran when I got it I think) so maybe it's 5200...how do you find out?
 
Yep, sorted both. At shutdown, the screen just goes black for a second then the power goes off like it's supposed to. Brightness sorted itself out too. I had a feeling it might have been down to using the funny SCSI cable. You got anything connected to yours on SCSI? I'm gonna try plugging it in again to figure out if it does it tonight.

I think the faster Travelstar has an X in the product code. From what I can figure the 40GN is 4200 and the 40GNX is the 5400. The 40 bit is there on all 20, 30 and 40Gb drives just to confuse.
 
Well just now my G3 powerbook 233 is a lot slower that yours guys! However, normally I run a G4 500Mhz upgrade. But since trying to install the 10.2.2 update I ran into troubles so I am back to G3, just for testing needs. :)

10.2.2 just fucked up my system. osX is just dead. So probably I have to re-install the whole lot.
 
Got the funny screen again on shutdown last night. It's nout to do with the SCSI. At least the brightness is working. For now.

Was thinking about processor upgrades, but think i'll hold fire. When then's the next update due?!
 
I get the same problem, I'm running X 10.2.2 and when the machine boots i get the grey apple and the revolving circle fine but when it tries to switch to the blue background and the initial X window the screen goes dark, i can just about see a faint outline if i squint.

The problem as far as i can see is i think.....the PRAM. My settings battery is dead, completely, utterly i just cant be arsed to change it, as this is an old Wallstreet that I use for testing things like Quark in X rather than destroying a production machine.

You may find your battery is having problems I find that booting in 9 then X stops the problem oddly. Go figure.

Messing about with the brightness key usually fixes it in X, but not always, if i get around to putting a new battery in I'll post again to say if the problem goes away.

Chris J
-------------------------------
PBook Wall street 233mhz/192mb/4gb/X10.2.2
And you think your machine is slow......
 
I have been having the same problem. I started up in OS9 (which required me to move my OS9 system folder onto the same partition as X - just wouldn't use it from the other partition!) and ran disk first aid which said that all seemed fine, then started back in X and the problem had gone
 
chrisjasper mentioned about Wallstreet battery problem. Is it usual that the battery for wallstreet slowly dies within say four years.? I have noticed my four year old Wallstreet 233MHz battery is getting discharged within few minutes.

Anybody else experienced this? Any solution other than purchasing a new battery will be appreciated
 
In reply to Manab, the battery will die over time, I have tried all the refresh options and utilities I can find and nothing will work.

That is for the power supply battery however, the battery I am talking about is the internal PRAM battery that stores settings such as time and date and network settings.

Both will die, thats just the laws of physics generally a PRAM battery does seem to last about 4-5 years, power supply batteries are more variable depending on how often they are used.

Replacing the power battery means you just have to buy a new one (not cheap)and slot it in.
Replacing the PRAM battery means taking the PB apart and replacing the battery (Cheap but bloody annoying).
 
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