Need Help Getting Powermac G4 Working Please

[goof]

I bought a used Powermac G4 base unit yesterday, never had a Mac before and it just needed a HDD and ram but I've been building PC's for quite a few years now so thought it wouldn't be a problem

So I stuck in an extra HDD I've got (40G Maxtor, currently FAT32 formatted) and took a 128MB PC100 Crucial stick from my bro's PC (wasn't sure about compatibility here but thought it'd be worth a shot). Then also plugged in my Microsoft USB keyboard (I know, I'm really pushing it now ).

Powered on the system, mobo LED comes on, fan spins up, as does HDD - doesn't appear to be pushing a signal to the monitor though (which stays in standby), no beeps or anything. It has an ATI rage AGP card btw, and I don't see any obvious reasons why this wouldn't be functional.
Out of interest I then tried booting without the ram stick in, which produced one beep - so at least I know the system is operating and perhaps that it doesn't have a problem with my ram. Then tried resetting the CMOS, but no help there.

If anyone could give any tips I'd be grateful - even if it's a short and sweet "you can't use that HDD/keyboard/ram you ass"

[daverobev]

What type of powermac is it? If its a 133 FSB, RAM could be the problem.

Try resetting the PRAM, ah you'd have to figure out the windows equivalents of cmd-opt-P-R....try holding windows-alt-p-r on power up. You're looking for a chime, hard disk spin down, then spin up again while holding those keys all the time, then another chime. If you keep them held down you'll get the repetition of the PRAM being reset.

You say its agp. Only the first G4s with AGP used PC100, I believe. I'd need more info.

[goof]

Hi Dave,

Thanks for the help
It's a 400Mhz CPU (says "dual" on the heatsink, but's that's maybe just the heatsink type, eh?). I figured that'd only be 100Mhz FSB but please let me know if I'm wrong - I have some PC133 somewhere (I think) so will hopefully be able to test that anyway.

I'm guessing to reset the PRAM I'll probably need a real Mac keyboard - I'll try as you suggested but can hopefully get hold of a Mac keyboard sometime next week.

[daverobev]

No, should be PC100 then. Its not anything funny like registered memory, is it? TBH, macs like having their PRAM reset, so...alternatively you could pull the battery for 20 minutes or so, and press the CUDA button (usually a little red button, on the mobo)...basically resets every piece of stored information so the computer will redetect everything on boot...

[goof]

Hi Dave,

No, pretty sure it's not registered but will try another dimm just incase.
Have just pulled out the battery (Apple sure don't do things in halves, a big duracell type thing, not like a PC's watch battery ).

I don't appear to have a red button, just a little grey one next to the battery, which was what I pushed yesterday believing it was akin to the CMOS. Will leave half an hour and see...

In the event I do get the thing to boot, will it be ok with having my MS keyboard/FAT32 formatted drive in it?

[goof]

Just tried booting again having left the battery out for an hour, but still no luck unfortunately. Will try the different RAM later, weird though isn't it?

And would you say it's unlikely to be a gfx card problem, seeing as there's no BIOS beeps from it? I figured the card would be ok as it won't have been clocked and the PSU is still fine so won't have suffered a blow out.

[daverobev]

Mate, Macs don't have BIOSes in the same way as PCs do....is it a Mac graphics card you are using? If not, thats why, Mac cards and PC cards are not interchangeable.

You're getting nothing at all? No chime? A sort of second long bbbbrrroonggg or drrrronnnng or something (!).

[goof]

Hi Dave,

I figured it wasn't a "bios" in the same sense.
No, it's using the Ati Mac card that came with it. There's no beeps/chimes at all - the monitor just stays in standby (as opposed to the "no signal display", which comes on when I pull the VGA lead out of the card).

And as I said, I know the beep system must be working as it did when I pulled the ram out...

[joshwa]

maybe it's your gfx card - you could try getting one off ebay?

your hd should be fine - they use the same hard drives as pcs - just "made for apple" stickers are on them. i put a spare (ide) hd in an old style imac when the hd on it died - and reinstalling the OS worked fine.

[goof]

Thanks Josh - yeah, it's looking like it could be the gfx card despite my doubts.

Had a look on ebay there and they can get a bit pricey Will keep my eyes open though - if anyone has anything for sale please lmk!

Edit: Out of interest, can PC PCI graphics cards be used?

[goof]

Update:

Managed to get hold of a used PCI matrox card for the Mac and still can't get an image on screen
Again tried pushing the little PRAM button, then tried removing the battery for an hour but still, nothing.

Can't figure this out - can anyone offer any further help?
Doesn't make sense as everything else would suggest the mobo is ok...

[daverobev]

Well, take everything out except the gfx card, cpu and one stick of ram.

Then try booting with cmd-opt-p-r.

Is the battery dead? Some macs won't boot if the pram battery is dead dead. Don't think it applies in this case, but...

If you're not getting a chime, its bad, I think. I THINK it would chime even with bad gfx. A chime is like...hello, there's some life here, even if not everything is up.

Could the cpu or mobo be dead?

[goof]

Hi Dave,

Still not got hold of a Mac keyboard so haven't been able to try that yet.

Dead battery is a good possibility I had considered myself, going to see if I can get one today.

Re. the chime, well, the beep system obviously works hence the mobo can't be dead. As there's no beeps on power up it could suggest all the hardware is fine and it possibly is the blooming battery! But I'll hopefully be able to confirm that today.

[jamski68]

Hi,
Im pretty shure its your memory, you cant use pc memory in a mac even though it fits in the slot. Look on eBay, tad more expensive than normal memory.

James

[Stoo]

rubbish, it takes standard sdram dimms.

this might be of help? - http://www.2ndchancepc.co.uk/g4-mac-upgrade-guide.html

[DovyDigital]

I recently had a similar problem, this is how I fixes it.

I removed all but one stick of ram, unplugged the HardDrive and CD Drive cables.

I also unplugged the wifi connector (this one had that).

I removed the Logic Board battery and went down to radio shack to make sure it was giving a 3.6 volt.

I then came back, put in the battery, and held down the PMU Reset button for 7 seconds.

I then powered it on. I heard the bootup hum, but after that for the first time I heard the wirring of the HD and a click on the speaker. Shortly later the screen came up. Took about 5 seconds for it to come on screen though.

Hope this helpes!

Dovy
me@dovyp.com