iFixit - Answers With Device "iMac G4"

iMac G4: Can I put an Intel Mac Mini into a G4 Lampshade iMac?

Sat, 15 Jun 2019 16:27:54 -0700

I have been toying with this idea for a while and its about time that I do something about it... I want to make an intel mac mini powered Lampshade iMac...

I know its been done before but I cant seem to find the data or pinout sheets for the lampshad LCD display to DVI and I was wondering if anyone knows where I can find a guide on doing this? (I saw one a couple years back, but I didnt have a mac mini then...)

⟐ Commented June 15, 2019 at 16:27 MST

iMac G4: Updating the iMac G4

Sat, 21 May 2011 22:00:01 -0700

Is it possible to bring the iMac G4 close to 2010 speeds and memory capacity for less than the cost of a MacBook Pro?

⟐ Answered May 21, 2011 at 22:00 MST

iMac G4 15" 700 MHz EMC 1873: Where is PMU reset button?

Sun, 28 Nov 2021 14:21:15 -0700

Computer will not turn on, tried shift/option/command, doesn't work. was told to try to reset the PMU on logic board.

⟐ Answered November 28, 2021 at 14:21 MST

iMac G4: iMac G4 PRAM Battery

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:51:43 -0700

Can the PRAM battery be replaced on the motherboard of a G4 iMac?

⟐ Edited December 10, 2009 at 17:51 MST

iMac G4: Any known recent repair guides for iMac G4 1.25ghz 17"?

Sat, 28 May 2016 07:33:34 -0700

Hello All,

I am just about to do a RAM and Hard Drive upgrade on my iMac G4 1.25ghz 17" and am wondering if anyone has information on available repair guides. I see that an iFixit guide for that model is still in progress (fantastic!). the only guide that I could find is this one:

http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/systems/iMac_...

Also, as I do the upgrade, I'd be happy to supply information and photos to iFixit, if that would be a help.

Thanks,

Randy

⟐ Commented May 28, 2016 at 7:33 MST

iMac G4: iMac G4 making loud beep after optical swap and Tiger upgrade

Wed, 07 Aug 2013 00:31:19 -0700

Hi! I replaced a customer's dead Superdrive in an iMac G4 1GHz, wiped the hard drive and upgraded him to Tiger, and threw in an additional 256MB, for a total of 512MB. I also installed an Airport card, connected to my wifi, and updated the machine to 10.4.11. I used it for two days after the procedure, and all seemed fine. He's telling me that yesterday he was using the machine, and it make a startlingly loud beep, and showed text on the screen, and he had to kill the power to get it to stop. Today he tried running Software Update, but in the middle of the process he got the "you must shut down" box. I told him to reset the PMU and PRAM, and it seems stable for now, but I'm not feeling so confident. If he calls back I think I'll have him pull the additional RAM I put in, and reset the PRAM three times.

Any ideas as to what I could have done wrong? Thanks in advance!

John

⟐ Answer deleted August 07, 2013 at 0:31 MST

iMac G4 15" 700 MHz EMC 1873: Cause of Error trying to connect to Wifi?

Mon, 08 Jul 2019 00:14:51 -0700

I recently got a 700 MHz iMac, with 384 MB RAM. Previous owner had Ubuntu running in it, and had no sound. I installed an Airport card and did a fresh install of Tiger. It now has sound but I can't connect to the office router. It sees the router fine, but after I type in the password, I get a message saying "There was an error trying to connect to the router." How can I remedy this? The OS is fully updated. Incidentally I get the same problem when using my 867 Mhz Powerbook Titanium that also has Tiger. If I use a LAN cable from the router to each machine, I can connect fine to the Web.

⟐ Answer deleted July 08, 2019 at 0:14 MST

iMac G4 17" Model M9168LLA: Tried open firmware password reset shown here & doesn't work, ideas?

Mon, 23 Sep 2013 03:18:13 -0700

The answer here was under "How do I reset the open firmware password on my Mac?"

I think I've done exactly as the instructions said, but maybe I missed a step?

I have pulled the easy to access RAM from the base of the iMac and zapped the PRAM, but can't get past the lock and arrow icons. The Command-Option-PR PRAM set doesn't do anything - no chimes as is usual. Clicking the Option key thereafter just takes me back to the dreaded lock and arrow. I mistakenly set my startup to NetBoot and now can't get it back to restart from the hard drive... help! The CD drive isn't working correctly either so holding down the D key doesn't get me anywhere either.

⟐ Answer accepted September 23, 2013 at 3:18 MST

iMac G4 17" Model M9168LLA: Why is my iMac G4 not powering up (after a power outage)?

Fri, 20 May 2022 05:53:56 -0700

Hi,

Our imac G4 is not powering up after a power outage during the night. It is connected to a surge protector. Other devices, connected to the same surge protector are working. We have tried the following:

1. turn off switch, unplug from surge protector, replug, turn on.

2. Take out power cord from the mac, and press the "on" button simultaneously while putting the power cord back in the mac. We waited for 10 seconds but nothing happened.

No sounds/smells.

Please help!

Thanks,

Barna

⟐ Commented May 20, 2022 at 5:53 MST

iMac G4 15" 700 MHz EMC 1873: Trying to reinstall OS

Sat, 28 Dec 2024 16:40:21 -0700

Hello everybody (again).

I previously posted about a fault with my g4 not turning on, which has now been sorted. But now I'm faced with another problem!

I bought it from eBay, faulty and the fault has been sorted. But now I don't have the login password and I'm having trouble reinstalling the OS. I have all of the original discs but when I insert the install disc and hold C nothing happens, it just loads up to the login screen. I'm using a Windows keyboard but that's never been a problem in the past. My guess is a faulty CD drive but before replacing that I was wondering if anybody has any tips for me? Maybe a way of creating a usb drive that I can install the OS from? Or another idea is to install the OS on an external drive and clone it to the internal drive, but I'd need directions on how to do this. I have plenty of iMacs and Macbooks lying around if that helps?!

I'd love for an answer to my problem as its in brand new condition and has every piece of original packaging, etc..

Thanks in advance

⟐ Commented December 28, 2024 at 16:40 MST

iMac G4: How do you replace second RAM card?

Fri, 29 Jun 2018 04:59:16 -0700

I am looking to upgarde my ram and have learned that the 2nd ram card in my computer is not user friendly. How do I replace it?

⟐ Answer accepted June 29, 2018 at 4:59 MST

iMac G4: DVD CD ROM Reading Disc Problem

Tue, 15 May 2018 05:12:23 -0700

Everytime I place a CD or DVD into the IMAC G4 DVD Drive it states Supported Disc Not Available.

⟐ Answer accepted May 15, 2018 at 5:12 MST

iMac G4: Died while asleep after power went out

Tue, 04 Mar 2014 09:54:23 -0700

My Imac G4 was put into sleep mode on Sunday evening. Monday morning our power went off and on twice suddenly. Now the Imac will NOT power up. I took it to the Apple store in SLO. They say that repairs would be very very expensive. I have data on my Imac that is very important to me, and I run an application off the Classic environment for my business. A clone of the hard drive was placed on an external drive for me by the Apple store. If I buy a G4 or G5, can I run the classic environment? Can I do this by loading 10.4 instead of the 10.5 on the machines I am looking at? I don't want to buy a new machine only to find out I cannot run my classic program. Help!

⟐ Answer accepted March 04, 2014 at 9:54 MST

iMac G4: Fried motherboard 2 years old

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 12:09:39 -0700

The motherboard is fried. Can I repair it myself?

⟐ Answer accepted January 27, 2010 at 12:09 MST

iMac G4 17" Model M9168LLA: iMac G4 17" 1.25 GHz DEAD. Help me, please.

Wed, 14 Jun 2023 04:16:58 -0700

After some years, I decided to switch on my old and beautiful iMac G4 17" 1.25 GHz. No signs of life. I tried to disconnect all cables, hold power button for 10 seconds and replug the power cord. No sings of life. I tried to press ONCE the PMU button (close to ariport slot). No sings of life. I tried to replace the little battery inside (close to RAM slot). Still no sings of life... Any ideas?! Thank you so much!

⟐ Commented June 14, 2023 at 4:16 MST

iMac G4: Installing airport in an iMac G4

Wed, 02 Mar 2016 13:35:46 -0700

I have an older G4 Imac All-In-One, running on OS X 10.3 currently, and I would like to install an airport card. I tried to use a USB wireless connection but am given an error code that the ethernet cable is not connected. Can some one help me hook up the vintage desktop Mac so I can get the internet?

Thank You

⟐ Commented March 02, 2016 at 13:35 MST

iMac G4 17 800 MHz EMC 1936: Why won't the internet (wifi) work?

Thu, 20 Mar 2014 23:14:47 -0700

I installed a airport card into my machine, selected my wifi network, but when i tried to go to any website it says, "the specified server could not be found". What should i do?

The computer has internet explorer 5:2 and running Mac OSX 10.2

⟐ Answered March 20, 2014 at 23:14 MST

iMac G4: My apple won't boot past the startup screen.

Sat, 19 Feb 2011 11:12:39 -0700

Now I know that this question already appeared but the answer said to boot from the install disc. I would do this but I can't open the disc drive from the startup screen.

⟐ Answered February 19, 2011 at 11:12 MST

iMac G4: How can I remove the 17" panel shield from the plastic back of display

Sat, 13 Apr 2024 17:32:31 -0700

The Service Source book for the iMac G4 (imac_usb2-updated.pdf) covers both the 15" and 17" display sizes. It describes how to remove the panel shield for the 15" display, but not the 17" panel shield that is held in entirely differently - many small, plastic catches all around the metal shield. What is the trick to remove it without breaking the plastic back of the display housing?

⟐ Commented April 13, 2024 at 17:32 MST

iMac G4 15" 700 MHz EMC 1873: iMac G4 won't boot, fan twitches

Wed, 21 Apr 2021 08:20:54 -0700

Alright guys, so I'm having some troubles with an old flowerpot iMac. About a month ago I knocked a glass of water on the desk where the computer is sitting. There was no splash to speak of, the water just spilled around the base of the iMac. I immediately pulled the plug, but didn't feel like doing much more, as it was 3AM. Anyway, I left it like that for over a week before plugging it back in and trying to turn it on. Well, it didn't boot. I was kind of surprised because it was a relatively small amount of water and I didn't think it would get inside from under the base.

Now, I'm far from an expert, so I did some Googling and tried resetting the PRAM on the switch on the motherboard to no avail. I also checked the CMOS battery, which seems to still have power in it. Today, I decided to take apart the iMac for the heck of it. I cleaned it to the best of my capabilities and reseated the RAM. Tried turning it on while it was taken apart and noticed that the fan twitches when I plug it into an outlet. Nothing happens when pressing the power button. I don't see any blown capacitors on the motherboard or psu. I tried turning it on without the HDD and optical drive connected, just in case, and again the fan twitched when I plugged it in.

Any help is appreciated!

Edit: Here's the base and both sides of the motherboard. I don't see anything around the vent holes, save for a bit of dust.

Edit 2: Alright, so the photos got scaled down while uploading. Here's a Google Photos album with the full-size images: https://photos.app.goo.gl/TiF1wUOPPoC3OI...

⟐ Commented April 21, 2021 at 8:20 MST