I was given an Apple Ibook G4 model number A1134 as a gift recently although I have a little problem. Okay make that more like a medium sized, problem maybe even large. Issue is I dont have the password to the former owners user account.

Apple Ibook G4

Model Number: A1134

Operating system: Mac OS X

Is there a way to reset the laptop itself from factory settings?

Or bypass the password login?

Or anything at all i can do or was this gift pointless?

SOMEONE HELP A PC USER OUT!!! IVE NEVER HAD A MAC BEFORE, IM LOST!!

⟐ Commented February 10, 2021 at 12:16 MST

⟐ Commented June 20, 2018 at 11:41 MST

⟐ Commented March 09, 2018 at 20:20 MST

⟐ Answer deleted May 26, 2012 at 14:20 MST

I've got an iBook 12" G4 1GHZ machine that chimes, goes into option mode fine, etc., but when I attempt to boot from the HD, CD, or external firewire drive, I get the Apple icon with progress wheel, and then it goes to a blank blue screen and nothing happens. I've gone so far as to put a known good hard drive with Tiger inside the machine, but still it stalls on the blank blue screen. I've run into many machines with this problem over time and would love to hear it's not simply a bad motherboard. I've tried PRAM/PMU resets, changing the DC-in, changing the RAM, and pretty much all the typical stuff.

Thanks!

Thanks for the tip. The memory isn't any unusual amount. The hard drives are definitely good. I think it's a logic board issue...it's just hard to give up on it, because it behaves perfectly in option mode, etc., and in the back of my mind it feels like there must be a way to fix it. I would say it's the hard drive's IDE cable, except that trying to boot from an external drive has exactly the same result.

⟐ Answer deleted September 21, 2017 at 16:17 MST

Customer changed his user and root passwords from installation DVD because he forgot his old one. Customer has been known to take a nip or two. Unit boots up to log in screen. When new password is entered nothing happens. It does not go on nor does it shake. Would not go to target mode nor boot from internal DVD. I dropped in a formatted brand new 320 drive. Boots to very slowly blinking folder with question mark. Screen seems dimmed. Will not see DVD internal or external drive. Tried external keyboard to no avail. Will not reset PRAM with internal or external keyboard commands. Removed additional RAM, no results. Made image of old drive and image will not open on another Mac with the new password. I can't think of anything else to do.

⟐ Edited June 23, 2010 at 12:57 MST

I have already replaced the hard drive once with another one form the same model computer and it worked for a while (two weeks), but now it has exactly the same problem. i have also reinstalled the software with no luck.

the strange thing is that sometimes it does boot perfectly and sometimes this happens right after i have just had the problem with startup?

I have run out of ideas for what to do.

⟐ Answered February 16, 2019 at 8:54 MST

Anyway, I've had a few machines do this over the last couple years, and while it's not a huge horrible problem, it would be interesting to know what causes it. The machine has a fresh OS, so it's not a tweak to the button settings, etc.

⟐ Commented December 30, 2013 at 4:40 MST

Is it possible to swap boards within the same model family? IE, can I upgrade a 933MHz to a 1.33GHz board?

EDIT: Here's a more detailed setup- I have a 14" iBook clocked at 1197MHz. I got it for free, as it appears that the previous owner spilled who knows what on the logic board. Everything else appears to be okay- it seems that only the memory circuit is fried. So, I think that the LCD, keyboard, power, etc. should work fine. I have the opportunity to get another 14" model for very cheap, and all I'd need is the logic board. If it is a slower (or faster) board, will it work with the parts I have from this iBook?

⟐ Answered June 11, 2010 at 7:17 MST

I can only assume it's a logic board issue, because I've tried everything I can think of. There are a lot of machines like this, and it's frustrating to let them go, because they seem like they are close to working, and it feels like I'm missing something.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

⟐ Answer deleted February 21, 2010 at 23:47 MST

Symptoms:

• external screen works
• iBook runs normal
• Apple Hardware Test cannot find any problems
• Screen brightness is at full
• LCD screen works except the backlight. If I shine at the screen with a flashlight I can see all that all the pixels are working and showing the same image as the external screen.

I have tried the following:

• changed inverter board
• changed inverter cable, this cable was most likely the original problem. The insulation on a few wires was completely gone.
• changed the LCD panel for one with a know working backlight.

Does anybody have some tips on how to repair my beloved iBook? Does anybody know where to look on the logic board?

Thanks for reading and all ideas are welcome.

Arjen

⟐ Answer deleted September 19, 2022 at 0:18 MST

I have one iBook G4 (A1133) here. I got this for a very cheap price.

The problem that I got is, it is not booting, nothing on screen, no any start up sound, the fan is running at full speed(So loudly!) and when i press the caps lock, it's still lit up.

I think it is not yet completely die.

Is it possible to fix this?

⟐ Answered July 06, 2020 at 8:38 MST

I have copied the .DMG file of the Mac OS X 10.5 install disk to my external USB hard drive and made sure its a bootable drive, so my question is.... If i hold down Option (alt) key and select the drive, will it install OS X as ive planned?

if it helps any, the iBook's hard drive has been wiped and there is NO operating system installed at the moment.

⟐ Commented April 30, 2014 at 15:19 MST

(iFixit works well on a phone)

I was typing in pages '06 when the screen froze and the keyboard and trackpad stopped working. i held the power button to turn it off and now when i try to turn it on i always get 3 beeps and after that the sleep light flashes 4 times every few seconds. it doesn't give me the chance to try fsck -fy or hold c with a hardware test disc. do i need to reimage?

⟐ Commented October 27, 2011 at 10:10 MST

Thanks for any help you can give me.

⟐ Answer accepted December 06, 2009 at 8:25 MST

Here is what I have tried so far.....replaced the hard drive, replaced the logic board, replaced the AC Adapter, replaced the fan, replaced the memory, and bought new CDs for Panther OSX 10.3. I can get it to show target mode with another Mac, but it does not show a HD, just the CD. I have noticed the fan never starts up, but don't know if that is normal or not. I'm at a total loss, and appreciate any advice.

⟐ Answered September 02, 2018 at 11:50 MST

I have read about the "shim" fixes, and loose chips, it does not appear to be the same thing. There's no apparent graphics problem, i.e., lines or blanking out. Applying pressure to the components has no effect.

BTW, I reinstalled the original 30 GB drive, have the same problem.

Does anyone know about the transfer pads on the heat sink? Do they go bad? This does look like an overheating situation, and the graphics chip is a strong candidate. It doesn't feel excessively hot on the outside, though.

Any ideas OTHER THAN the logic board? I'd like to try everything else first.

Thanks for any advice.

⟐ Answer deleted January 05, 2015 at 9:22 MST

⟐ Answered January 02, 2010 at 15:22 MST

This began when I attempted to use my daughter's usb "internet stick", which is from a company in Mexico called telcel. The stick is from Huawei Mobile Connect, model E160 HSDPA. FCC ID: QISE160, CEO 682.

I'd love to be using my laptop again and look forward to any repair suggestions.

Susan

Thank you for your reply, bad news that it is. Now shoot me.

Please tell me my stuff is still in there and re-triveable. Seriously. I went to Cambodia and stuff. And some other stuff I'd rather not lose.

That said, to the rt of the screen is a topic, "Which Philips screws on left edge of keyboard area?

In step 28 of the iBook g4 Logic Board Replacement guide, the...

", which tells me the logic board can be replaced. This would be the perfect time to upgrade my RAM and install OSX 5.6.whatever. Yes? I have not researched the cost of these things.

OTOH, what's the chance there is an interupt by the i-stick? Was it simply coincidence that the color thing happened at the moment the stick was inserted? Might that be reversible? Oh! And does the sequence of the colors indicate a specific problem (similar to the beeps with a pc)?

Thanks again.

Good News. She's fixed. My son looked it up online & called from Korea. Following his instructions, I held down ctrl/apple/r/p during the initial boot from off and whala... I'm typing this on it now. So, it was something to do with a power source being totally depleted or something. This very cool geek guy I met (who writes for Mac OS) explained it to me. Except the part where the exclamation/1 key doesn't work everything seems to be fine. I can live with that for now. Yay (exclamation point). I do need to upgrade to 10.4, which might be a problem to find. Otherwise, thanks everyone for your advice.

⟐ Answer accepted November 02, 2013 at 11:11 MST

⟐ Commented July 04, 2025 at 9:04 MST