iFixit - Answers With Device "PowerBook G3 Lombard"

PowerBook G3 Lombard: How to restore factory Mac OS 8.6 on Lombard without a DVD-ROM drive?

Fri, 28 Jul 2023 15:47:45 -0700

I got a Lombard 400mhz yesterday but it's missing its DVD-ROM drive. As you may know, booting from USB is impossible on this specific PowerBook model. I do not have a HDI-30 to DB-25 SCSI cable, but I have the Lombard restore CD image and the original 6GB IDE HDD still spins (but it only has Mac OS X installed on it).

I want this Lombard restored to its factory software (Mac OS 8.6). How can I proceed? I have tried BootMania on a MDD G4, but I cannot add or create any disk image in BootMania for some reason (the CREATE IMAGE button is always grayed out).

How would I proceed?

Uhm, unless I misunderstand you, HFS+ was introduced with Mac OS 8.1 in 1997. The PowerBook G3 Lombard shipped in 1999 with Mac OS 8.6 so it supports both HFS and HFS+ drives natively. Also, don't worry, we can try anything you want with the 6GB IDE HDD, I've dd'ed it to a disk image, formatted the whole drive and flashed the disk image back in it and the Lombard still boots OSX just fine as if the drive was never formatted, so we're ready to try anything with that 6GB IDE HDD.

Tomorrow, I will try to go to a local electronics shop to see if I could find a 25 years old HDI-30 to DB-25 SCSI adapter or cable. This would enable me to use a PiSCSI or a SCSI2SD both of which I own. Even if such an adapter cost 30$, it would still be much cheaper and easier to buy than an unobtainium Lombard DVD-ROM drive that still reads anything lol

I found a HDI-30 to DB-25 SCSI adapter for the Lombard in an electronics shop that had very, VERY old parts. This was their last adapter and the box was as yellow as a banana! ;-) But it worked and I installed Mac OS 9.2.2 thru my PiSCSI. Thanks.

⟐ Answer unaccepted July 28, 2023 at 15:47 MST

PowerBook G3 Lombard: Use the laptop screen as a usually screen

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 05:26:22 -0700

Hey, i want to remove the screen from this laptop. I want to remove it because I would like to use it as a usually screen and connect it to my iMac. Is this possible with an adapter or something?

⟐ Answer accepted February 20, 2010 at 5:26 MST

PowerBook G3 Lombard: Inverter Boards and their different blinking habits

Sun, 03 Jan 2010 22:26:11 -0700

Howdy all! I know quite a bit about Lombard PowerBooks and Pismo PowerBooks, but I don't know the answer to this question.

I'm pretty sure that the inverter boards for each model is compatible with one another, but I know that the Lombard sleep like blinks a green light, and the Pismo's green light fades on and off.

If I put a Pismo inverter board, then the Lombard would have a fading light, wouldn't it? Likewise, if I put a Lombard inverter into a Pismo, the light would blink instead of fade, correct? Thanks so much!

⟐ Answered January 03, 2010 at 22:26 MST

PowerBook G3 Lombard: Schematics for the PowerBook g3 lombard?

Sun, 07 Jul 2024 16:02:30 -0700

My powerbook g3 lombard won't turn on and I don't know why. The fan does not spin and the cpu doesn't get hot when I try to turn on the computer. I also tried replacing the 10v 100uf tantalum capacitors but it didn't make a difference. Not even the service manual helps.

⟐ Commented July 07, 2024 at 16:02 MST

PowerBook G3 Lombard: What buttons to get to boot config screen?

Thu, 16 Mar 2017 14:27:40 -0700

Hello. I hope someone can tell me the keys used to reach th boot configuration setting at startup? Thank you for your time.

⟐ Commented March 16, 2017 at 14:27 MST

PowerBook G3 Lombard: How to remove the battery?

Mon, 24 Oct 2016 17:14:36 -0700

How does one go about removing the battery? there seems to be a button on it but pushing it has no effect other than making the green lights go on, I've seen a great how-to on other computers and was hoping there was one for this old lady as-well.

⟐ Answer deleted October 24, 2016 at 17:14 MST

PowerBook G3 Lombard: Can't finish the startup process

Sun, 12 Jul 2015 07:15:31 -0700

Hi there

i'm the proud owner of a G3 Lombard (even with an exchangeable floppy disc reader) which has hibernated in my drawer for a long time. Startup process isn't able to finish (with and without extensions) due to i think the harddisc stops spinning before completing the loading of the system (OS 9.2). I managed to clear even the PRAM...but that changed nothing ... and this powerbook has precious software to read old Canvas files for me

thanks for helping me out

bernard from France

PowerBook G3 Lombard: Keyboard has no efect on boot-up

Thu, 09 Apr 2015 12:05:43 -0700

I have a PowerBook G3 (400) Lombard with OS9 installed. Now I've been trying to install OSX 10.3 with no avail.

Neither pressing C, T or ALT seem to have any effect, it still boots straight to OS 9. I can hear the DVD drive starting but that's all. It would seem as though the keyboard is first recognised after OS 9 has booted...

I did try changing the start volume to the DVD drive which cause a alternating mac OS face and a question mark for a couple of seconds before it returned to booting OS 9 again.

Also I

Now what I would really like is to install OSX on a USB stick and leave the OS 9 alone...

Any ideas? I would be grateful for any help.

Regards, Steve.