User Name
Password
AppleNova Forums » Genius Bar »

Powerbook Fell Flat


Register Members List Calendar Search FAQ Posting Guidelines
Powerbook Fell Flat
Page 1 of 2 [1] 2  Next Thread Tools
MacHead05-Inf
New Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Durham,NC
Send a message via AIM to MacHead05-Inf Send a message via Yahoo to MacHead05-Inf  
2005-06-16, 14:02

In a bit of a bind here...Earlier today I pulled this, what i thought was a cool table to sit my powerbook on, out of the closet...it was doing fine for about two hours, then when i went to check mail the table just folded up and fell.....the powerbook never moved....but immediately I saw these lines just run across the screen...So when i go to boot it up...it just sits there with the apple and the spinning wheel.. Not sure what to do now...it is out of warranty! never did purchase applecare.....any suggestions?

17 inch powerbook 1.33Ghz
80gb hard drive
512MB ram
DVD-R/RW
Mac OS 10.4.1
  quote
Brad
Selfish Heathen
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Zone of Pain
 
2005-06-16, 14:08

Well, since you're in Durham, you could just take it to the Apple Store at South Point and see if the Genius Bar techs will give you any free advice. There are a few other authorized Apple service outlets around Raleigh/Durham too.

From a fall, it could have been damaged in any of countless ways. A cable inside could have been jarred loose... the hard drive might have been damaged... or something else.

First, though, I'd try to boot from one of the Mac OS X Install CDs or the Hardware Test CD that should have been included when you purchased your PowerBook. If they can successfully boot your system, then it's probably just a hard drive issue.

Let us know what happens when you try that and we'll advise a next step for you.

The quality of this board depends on the quality of the posts. The only way to guarantee thoughtful, informative discussion is to write thoughtful, informative posts. AppleNova is not a real-time chat forum. You have time to compose messages and edit them before and after posting.
  quote
nassau
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
 
2005-06-16, 14:09

could be logic board malfunction which i think is ~$1100 to fix.
applecare would not have saved you in this.

i feel for you.

Last edited by nassau : 2005-06-16 at 14:10.
  quote
ghoti
owner for sale by house
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Charlotte, NC
 
2005-06-16, 14:10

I don't think AppleCare covers accidents (edit: damn you, nassau! ). Do you have an insurance? Maybe it will cover it.

What do you mean by lines across the screen? And did you shut the PB down, or did it do that itself?

Last edited by ghoti : 2005-06-16 at 14:11.
  quote
Kickaha
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
 
2005-06-16, 14:11

Logic board malfunctions are almost always from production defects, and rarely from falls. Motherboards can't really *fail* from physical shock. Hard drives, cable connections - those are all physical pieces that can be affected much more easily.

No sense scaring the guy any more than he probably is.
  quote
nassau
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
 
2005-06-16, 14:12

i've seen it happen countless times my friend. let's just hope i'm dead wrong on this.
  quote
atomicbartbeans
reticulating your mom
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Send a message via AIM to atomicbartbeans  
2005-06-16, 14:17

Wait a minute... could you describe exactly what happened to the Powerbook?

The table fell... did the PB fall off the table, did it stay on the table when it fell, did it fall on an edge or a corner...

I'm having a hard time visualizing this.

You ask me for a hamburger.
  quote
nassau
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
 
2005-06-16, 14:22

i think the legs of the table collapsed and the table fell flat down on the ground, meaning the comp didn't move in x or y angles - only in Z! :smokey:



Quote:
Originally Posted by ghoti
(edit: damn you, nassau! )
i just saw it after i had posted and was... hm that's not what i meant to say, actually it's the damn opposite!
  quote
MacHead05-Inf
New Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Durham,NC
Send a message via AIM to MacHead05-Inf Send a message via Yahoo to MacHead05-Inf  
2005-06-16, 14:37

here is my once nice powerbook!

http://tinypic.com/5zlchu
  quote
Brad
Selfish Heathen
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Zone of Pain
 
2005-06-16, 14:38

YIKES. Yeah, your screen (at the least) is broken. Physically.

That's going to be an expensive repair.
  quote
Kickaha
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
 
2005-06-16, 14:43

Oh snap. No pun intended.

Yeah, that's a $600+ repair. Damn, that sucks.
  quote
Stevuh
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Send a message via AIM to Stevuh  
2005-06-16, 14:45

yeah i had an issue with this once at work and i was told to have the screen replaced (Tibook) it was gonna be about $500. it's probably gonna be more for you because your not a school system or i assume and ADE (2 of my bosses were), and it is a larger better screen. sorry man!

if it isn't starting up still after that (may just be that the screen is locked up and won't display anything else) you gonna want to look into a new HD.

first thing i'd to though is look into aand buy a computer desk, J/K.

GL man, yeah this kind of stuff sucks.

"History will be kind to me because i intend to write it" -- Winston Churchill

I am prepared to meet my Maker. Whether my Maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter. -- Winston Churchill
  quote
MacHead05-Inf
New Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Durham,NC
Send a message via AIM to MacHead05-Inf Send a message via Yahoo to MacHead05-Inf  
2005-06-16, 14:49

im thinking of selling it on ebay as parts and reinvest in a newer model.......+ APPLECARE
  quote
_Ω_
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Send a message via AIM to _Ω_  
2005-06-16, 14:58

If you can get it to boot you could use it as a desktop with an external monitor (or so I believe)
  quote
ast3r3x
25 chars of wasted space.
 
Join Date: May 2004
Send a message via AIM to ast3r3x  
2005-06-16, 15:00

Quote:
Originally Posted by MacHead05-Inf
im thinking of selling it on ebay as parts and reinvest in a newer model.......+ APPLECARE
AppleCare won't protect from this.

Your screen is fried, you could buy a screen and install it yourself, I don't think it would be that hard to do.

Did it start from a CD? If that works, it's almost definitely the HD, which isn't expensive to replace...relatively of course.
  quote
MacHead05-Inf
New Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Durham,NC
Send a message via AIM to MacHead05-Inf Send a message via Yahoo to MacHead05-Inf  
2005-06-16, 15:04

this is my backup plan right now

  quote
MacHead05-Inf
New Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Durham,NC
Send a message via AIM to MacHead05-Inf Send a message via Yahoo to MacHead05-Inf  
2005-06-16, 15:10

Ok.. I was able to boot it up with my Mac 10.4 DVD...now what?
  quote
_Ω_
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Send a message via AIM to _Ω_  
2005-06-16, 15:17

Run the hardware test
  quote
windowsblowsass
Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: williamsport,pa
Send a message via AIM to windowsblowsass  
2005-06-16, 15:17

get a n new hd and screen
  quote
atomicbartbeans
reticulating your mom
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Send a message via AIM to atomicbartbeans  
2005-06-16, 15:19

Now you can claim on eBay that it's not completely b0rked up, and just needs a new HD and screen (probably accurate).

I only hope that you won't need to use your backup plan for too long...

You ask me for a hamburger.
  quote
Stevuh
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Send a message via AIM to Stevuh  
2005-06-16, 15:33

what's wrong with trivial pursuit?


. . . ohhh... wait a minute you ment the PeeCee lappy... nm
  quote
nassau
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
 
2005-06-16, 18:39

just want to make sure, what we're seeing on your screen - are those actual fysical cracks or graphic distortion?

looks pretty obvious that it's fysical though...
  quote
Kickaha
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
 
2005-06-16, 18:53

Yeah, I'd say it's fysical. Basically, the screen is phucked.
  quote
LudwigVan
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Minnesota
 
2005-06-16, 20:57

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kickaha
Yeah, I'd say it's fysical. Basically, the screen is phucked.


I'll have to remember that one.
  quote
tomy82
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
 
2005-06-17, 03:10

Usually when the thing under the apple keeps on turning, its just means that it doesn't find the OS to boot on. Did you try to start it pressing ALT key.. this will display the different things you can boot on. If you're lucky, you'll find there Mac OS X
  quote
FFL
Fishhead Family Reunited
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Slightly Off Center
 
2005-06-17, 03:18

Quote:
Originally Posted by MacHead05-Inf
Ok.. I was able to boot it up with my Mac 10.4 DVD...now what?
Try Disk Utility - First Aid - Repair Disk.
  quote
Stevuh
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Send a message via AIM to Stevuh  
2005-06-17, 14:25

if it can't find the os it will display a blinking system foler and a question mark. if it keeps spinning that means that there is something not booting right/ gets hung up somewhere in the boot process.

"History will be kind to me because i intend to write it" -- Winston Churchill

I am prepared to meet my Maker. Whether my Maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter. -- Winston Churchill
  quote
MacHead05-Inf
New Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Durham,NC
Send a message via AIM to MacHead05-Inf Send a message via Yahoo to MacHead05-Inf  
2005-06-17, 15:36

After booting into OS i was able to run disk utility and all was fine.......I archived and install Tiger again, but after it came to restart....It HUNG! with the apple and spinning wheel
  quote
LudwigVan
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Minnesota
 
2005-06-17, 18:45

Is there a boot log of some sort MacHead05 can view? Perhaps that can point him in the right direction. (I don't know the Mac OX well enough to know if there is such a creature.)
  quote
FFL
Fishhead Family Reunited
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Slightly Off Center
 
2005-06-17, 21:25

remove and reseat your RAM chips.

zap PRAM and reset NVRAM.

also, boot with option key from the original PowerBook DVD that came with your machine, and run the Apple Hardware Test.
  quote
Posting Rules Navigation
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Page 1 of 2 [1] 2  Next

Post Reply

Forum Jump
Thread Tools
Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Does the new 15" PowerBook boot up more slowly? Dave Marsh Genius Bar 12 2005-02-25 00:05
HD Powerbook Planned? 709 Speculation and Rumors 36 2005-02-20 04:35
Sooo.. G5 Powerbooks out in April. RC23 Speculation and Rumors 4 2005-02-03 23:25
New 15'' PowerBook Full Review Messiahtosh Apple Products 32 2005-02-02 19:48
New PowerBook del-uks Speculation and Rumors 11 2005-01-22 15:25


« Previous Thread | Next Thread »

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 09:16.


Powered by vBulletin®
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004 - 2024, AppleNova