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My Powerbook's screen is dead?
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BlueRabbit
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Join Date: May 2004
Location: San Francisco, CA
 
2008-09-24, 23:38

I think my Powerbook finally broke down for good earlier today, but I just want to see if there's any chance that it's not a hardware failure. It's a Rev. B 12" Powerbook, running 10.5.5 with 1.25 GB of RAM and all updates installed except the Java update that came out earlier today.

Earlier today it kernel panicked out of nowhere, but it was a pre-10.2-style kernel panic with words scrolling on the screen. After I force-shutdown and rebooted the computer chimed and the fans/hard drive started, but the screen was dark. Pressing the volume up/down buttons made noise come out of the speakers, so it looked like it was running and (probably) at the login screen. I think the graphics card is dead, since plugging it into my monitor doesn't do anything either. Is there any chance that the kernel panic just messed up some startup file, and it's a software problem?
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PB PM
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Join Date: Oct 2005
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2008-09-25, 01:21

Chances are rather low that is not a hardware problem, given the way events took place.
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babyb
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Join Date: Oct 2005
 
2008-09-25, 06:43

Quote:
Originally Posted by BlueRabbit View Post
After I force-shutdown and rebooted the computer chimed and the fans/hard drive started, but the screen was dark. Pressing the volume up/down buttons made noise come out of the speakers, so it looked like it was running and (probably) at the login screen.
Ok if i understand this correctly the kernel can contain driver information about the devices connected to the computer (the GF card being one for those) an incorrectly configured Kernel (too high a screen res chosen) could in that case, stop any output from being displayed.
It sounds to me (reading your description) that the main components are working correctly. So can you boot the machine into verbose mode?
On the chime hit the V key and see if you get any screen output (line of text only) from there. If you get output, your GF card is fine, just your Kernel is shafted... how you'd recover from that is another question...

Resetting the pram should reset the display settings so if that hasn't worked it's possible that the entire kernel is borked....

do you get display out when booting from a CD?
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scratt
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2008-09-25, 09:15

Hardware Test DVD / CD? Do you have one?
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BlueRabbit
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Join Date: May 2004
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2008-09-25, 15:08

This morning I booted the computer and it seemed to work fine, only to have another kernel panic with scrolling text after about five minutes (while writing a reply to this thread, actually). Maybe the graphics card is having some sort of overheating problem? I'm wary of sticking anything into the DVD drive, since I don't want it to get trapped in there.

babyb: I'll try verbose mode and resetting the pram when I get back to the computer this afternoon.

In any case I'll probably shift over to a loaner computer until Apple releases new MacBooks. Does anyone know if Firewire Target Disk Mode is dependent on the graphics card at all?
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Wyatt
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Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Near Indianapolis
 
2008-09-25, 15:16

It shouldn't be dependent on graphics. The only thing it displays is the Firewire logo, and I'd imagine target mode works without it. It works without a monitor on desktops, so I think it would make sense for it to work with a dead card or display in a laptop.
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scratt
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2008-09-26, 03:24

Quote:
Originally Posted by BlueRabbit View Post
I'm wary of sticking anything into the DVD drive, since I don't want it to get trapped in there.
Well, there is a way to eject any DVD / CD with a pin and the DVD/CD slot... Basically the normal eject arm that a button would fit on is just inside there..

Also any CD/DVD that is in there will be ignored at boot time unless you specifically tell the PowerBook to boot from it...

But it seems that you have a plan now anyway.

'Remember, measure life by the moments that take your breath away, not by how many breaths you take'
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babyb
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Join Date: Oct 2005
 
2008-09-26, 04:02

you can also eject disks by holding down the mouse button on boot-chime.
Scratt' method really should only be used in the event of a "no power" failure.

And yes Firewire (Target Disk Mode) can be run to recover data in the event of a GF card/display failure.
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