⟐ Answered October 23, 2024 at 16:04 MST

I got this iBook G3 Clamshell from the local hackerspace in my city. It had the "vinegar syndrome" on the LCD and I took it apart to replace it.

However, I realized that, even with a bad LCD, I should still get a Mac chime when booting. This one doesn't do it.

A few facts:

1. Charging light turns on and gets orange when there's a battery plugged in.
2. Battery seems to be dead
3. I took the laptop apart so that I only have the logic board, DC-in, headphones plugged in so I can hear the chime (I was also testing with composite out plugged to a TV) and an HDD without its cover, so I can see whether it is spinning.

With the battery plugged in:

• Sometimes when I try to turn it on, I hear noise on the headphones but the HDD doesn't spin. I have to force it to shut down. Charging light turns orange after shut down, when HDD stops.
• Sometimes when I try to turn it on, the HDD spins just a little and I hear a noise on the headphones indicating that the laptop powered off
• Sometimes the HDD spins and keeps spinning. The mechanical head moves to the middle of the HDD as if it was trying to read something.

*

*

Without the battery plugged in, it's basically the same behavior, but the charging light never turns orange.

I also tried resetting the PRAM (cmd option P R), PMU (holding power, holding reset, holding control shift option).

Heck, I'm almost doing some kind of ritual like this to make it work lol.

I checked the super capacitor as mentioned in this video and it doesn't look leaky. There's nothing leaky or weird on the logic board btw.

Please help me.

⟐ Commented June 12, 2024 at 18:25 MST

TL;DR: My iBook G3 only displays white screen, previous owner says he turned it on for a while then screen turned white. Need help repairing it.

⟐ Commented March 15, 2024 at 10:49 MST

I can’t see if the computer powers on with the battery, because it has been dead for a very long time, and the computer won’t charge it.

Does anyone know what could be wrong with the computer?

⟐ Commented October 08, 2023 at 12:03 MST

But the thing is it came preloaded with software (OS9) and I wanted a clean install so I went to MacOS9Lives and downloaded their 9.2.2 universal iso

http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php...

It booted fine I managed to reformat the HDD and was installing OS9 and everything seemed alright… But then the screen started to flicker and the laptop died…

I restarted it but only got a blank screen… It's not black or white but a pale shade of blue and it won't show the boot selection screen neither show a blinking folder just blank…

CD still sounds like it's booting holding the C key but screen won't change - always that pale shade of blue…

Anyone has any hints on what could be wrong here…?

Mind you it was working just fine prior to trying to reinstall the system though.

I'll post a picture so what I described wont be as vague… Don't know how it can be backlight if the screen is lit up like I said but here's the picture:

Also I'm assuming a HDD failure wouldn't prevent it from showing the selection screen at boot and it would probably show the question mark folder and if it had faulty RAM it wouldn't even turn on right…?

I'm really hoping it's just something loose inside - fingers crossed!

It was a major pain to open it up even with a guide (sooo many screws and different bits!) but at least it’s clean and thermal pads replaced. And since I was ‘there’ I removed the logo cover so now the Apple in the back sort of glows :)

Sad thing is the display remains the same… at this stage I’m assuming it’s a faulty LCD so I’ll source one from a iBook snow 12” and go for the ‘high-res’ mod as well why not…

⟐ Answer accepted September 29, 2023 at 6:13 MST

I know that mac make sounds to inform that kind of problem is happening. But yhis i don´t know.

Thank´s!!!!

⟐ Commented February 25, 2023 at 22:25 MST

I replaced the LCD screen according to this nice instruction in https://ibookmod.livejournal.com/559.htm.... I used model number LTN121X1-L02 LCD screen from Aliexpress.

However, I got the screen attached and I guess this is normal. I should change the setting to see the proper display.

Then, I found this site but just pictures were shown with no explanation (attached).

https://www.flickr.com/photos/46722368@N...

Can you help how I can modify the setting to see the proper screen?

Thank you so much in advance.

⟐ Commented February 10, 2023 at 21:55 MST

⟐ Commented January 29, 2022 at 20:04 MST

Thought it may help.

Will the firewire duplicate some of the

USB functions, maybe faster.

Thank you, Leland

⟐ Answered December 04, 2020 at 10:52 MST

Thanks David

⟐ Commented October 16, 2020 at 6:24 MST

never mind I have fixed the issue

⟐ Edited by author April 14, 2020 at 14:55 MST

I just bought an iBook G3 clamshell graphite firewire model m6411

it's in a very good condition, nothing is broken or so.

but when I turn it on it works but no chime at the beginning and a black screen

here is a video I took of the problem

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdKdAZQO...

I've red around in the forums with no lock

I've reset the PMU and it didn't solve it

I've tried it with and without the battery and it didn't solve it

I've replaced the Ram even tho the iBook dose not make any "beeps" at start but still no luck

any idea what might be the problem and is there anything to try doing?

thanks!

⟐ Commented January 10, 2020 at 5:33 MST

I have OS 9 1.1 and can’t get in because I do not know the password. How can I get in, change the password or do away with the password?

Thank you!

⟐ Answered December 09, 2019 at 12:47 MST

So I'm lost, probably spent 12-15+ hours on this so far. My theory is something in the hardware is reporting 1024x768, which the chipset on this iBook can't handle. Maybe there's a jumper tripped? It looks like 800x600 when the Apple logo or Happy Mac logo is on the screen, it's just that once the OS loads the graphics drivers, the screen goes out. My other iBook, iBook 1, is cruising along no probably this whole time. Firmware was updated to the latest version a long long time ago.

Thanks for any suggestions!

Identifiers: Firewire - M7721LL/A* - PowerBook2,2 - M6411 -

System 10.3.9 & 9.2.2 320MB RAM.

During Spring break I decided to get this old one up and running. Everything is doing great with the exception of the wireless net work (ethernet runs fine). I was amazed at just how well this old jewel runs Adobe CS programs.

I have forgotten how or even if I can hook it up with my existing network or what I need to do to get it to work.

@danj I looked at your answer on this post but it appears this machine has just the (802.11) original A, how to i get my wireless to work

⟐ Answer accepted March 26, 2019 at 11:30 MST

⟐ Answered October 25, 2018 at 18:18 MST

Could you help me identify a charger that would work with this computer? Thanks!

Additional info:

24v 1.875 v max (written in big letters on the bottom!)

This is the graphite g3 iBook, NOT the white g4 version.

⟐ Answer accepted September 20, 2018 at 5:30 MST