LukeLindblom

Q: Power Macintosh G3 No Post

I recently acquired a Power Macintosh gG3 desktop (the one that a monitor sits on top of), and i plugged it in and pressed the power button, and I heard the Mac Chime. I ordered a DB-15 to VGA adapter so I could try it with a monitor, and there was nothing. No chime. There are lights and the fans are spinning. Ive tried removing PCI cards, swapping RAM, resetting the Motherboard, and everything else I can think of. Right now, all it does is spin the power supply fan when I press the power button. The hard drive was spinning before, but it doesn't now. From What I can find, it was made in 1998.

 

Any help would be appreciated. I included a picture of the computer, so you can see the model. (The RAM and PCI cards are removed for the Logic Board picture)IMG_5537.jpgIMG_5536.jpg

MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X El Capitan (10.11.2), 16GB RAM, 15", 512GB SSD.

Posted on Jan 4, 2016 9:05 AM

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Q: Power Macintosh G3 No Post

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  • by K Shaffer,

    K Shaffer K Shaffer Jan 5, 2016 3:37 AM in response to LukeLindblom
    Level 6 (14,340 points)
    Desktops
    Jan 5, 2016 3:37 AM in response to LukeLindblom

    Sorry to happen across this discussion as I'm about to go offline;

    the time here is 2:30 AM local time, so I'm unable to offer advice

    and since some time has passed I don't remember that detail...

     

    Did you check the connections of any questionable items to be

    sure they are doing their job; if not recently removed/replaced

    a connector may be not fully in contact (display adapter, etc)

     

    If you happen to have a copy of an official service guide (apple)

    as a download pdf document, they sometimes show that detail.

     

    I have a few links to look for that kind of resource online but I

    cannot attest to the content of such downloads as they may be

    doctored by someone with another agenda. Did iFixit cover that?

     

    general information to look through

    http://tinyurl.com/misc-manuals-pdf

     

    Anyway, it's been a long day so far.

    Good luck & happy computing!

  • by Jeff,

    Jeff Jeff Jan 5, 2016 9:47 PM in response to LukeLindblom
    Level 6 (11,559 points)
    Jan 5, 2016 9:47 PM in response to LukeLindblom

    Are you referring to a white jumper on the hard drive or to the white jumper block installed on the motherboard?  If the former, the hard drives and optical drives must be configured as Master (Single) or Slave, but not Cable Select.  If the latter, this page gives detailed info concerning the multiple settings affected by the jumper block on the motherboard.  There were 4 of them, each having a different color and designed for each different processor speed in the beige G3s:  (Red - 233 MHz, White - 266 MHz, Black - 300 MHz, and Green - 333 MHz).  I noticed in your photo that the audio I-O card isn't installed in the PERCH slot.  While the computer will boot with it missing, it won't function correctly.  It should be installed.  The Accelerate Your Mac website has a lot of useful info in their "G3 Zone" section, including this page with troubleshooting tips.

  • by LukeLindblom,

    LukeLindblom LukeLindblom Jan 6, 2016 8:29 AM in response to Jeff
    Level 1 (32 points)
    Desktops
    Jan 6, 2016 8:29 AM in response to Jeff

    It is a wide jumper on the logic board. It is one piece, and it spans about 16 pins. I took it off before and I just want to make sure it's on right. I know the hard drive jumpers are right- I know how those work. And the audio I/O card is installed, I just took it out for that picture. There's also a USB card. There was a FireWire card but I got rid of it because nobody uses FireWire anymore, and it eliminates one more possible problem.

  • by LukeLindblom,

    LukeLindblom LukeLindblom Jan 6, 2016 8:42 AM in response to LukeLindblom
    Level 1 (32 points)
    Desktops
    Jan 6, 2016 8:42 AM in response to LukeLindblom

    When I Power it on, all that turns on is the power supply fan. If I pull the IDE for the hard drive out of the motherboard WHILE THE POWER SUPPLY IS RUNNING, the hard drive starts spinning. The RAM is tested, the monitor is tested, so is the hard drive, and power supply. Does it seem like a bad logic board? I left it for several days with no PRAM battery and unplugged, but that didn't fix it.

  • by Allan Jones,

    Allan Jones Allan Jones Jan 6, 2016 8:51 AM in response to LukeLindblom
    Level 8 (35,141 points)
    iPad
    Jan 6, 2016 8:51 AM in response to LukeLindblom
    Its probably an old PRAM battery, but from my PC experience, that won't cause it not to POST, will it? It should just reset the date/time. I don't have much experience with old macs...


    To add to the others' wisdom, the Beige G3 was the most demanding on all Mac models on PRAM batteries. I still have two Beige Beasts and found that a used PRAM battery that would work fine in an older or newer Mac would not allow a Beige to boot. So, in spite of cost issues, try a new one.


    The Beige was the last of the "Old World ROM" Macs and thuse relied most heavily on what was written to PRAM.


    Another Beige quirk is the "Personality Card" or A/V card. If not present in the PERCH slot (I'm seeing that slot empty in the image) or even if it is a little loose, the computer will do a clever imitation of a broken brick. Logic board diagram here:


    http://www.macgurus.com/products/motherboards/mbppcg3desk.php



  • by LukeLindblom,

    LukeLindblom LukeLindblom Jan 6, 2016 9:02 AM in response to Allan Jones
    Level 1 (32 points)
    Desktops
    Jan 6, 2016 9:02 AM in response to Allan Jones

    That is the same motherboard/Logic Board, but I don't know where to get that PRAM battery. I can't seem to find them on eBay. Could someone send a link?

     

    Also, will that DB-15 to VGA adapter configuration work? The reviews on Amazon said it worked...

     

    Thank you!

  • by LukeLindblom,

    LukeLindblom LukeLindblom Jan 6, 2016 9:06 AM in response to LukeLindblom
    Level 1 (32 points)
    Desktops
    Jan 6, 2016 9:06 AM in response to LukeLindblom

    It used to chime through the built-in speakers when you pressed the power button, and make the crash sound if there was no RAM. Now it's just the fan.

  • by Allan Jones,

    Allan Jones Allan Jones Jan 6, 2016 9:25 AM in response to LukeLindblom
    Level 8 (35,141 points)
    iPad
    Jan 6, 2016 9:25 AM in response to LukeLindblom

    BDAqua gave you a link to the correct battery sold by OWC. Please review his answers.

     

    Do you have the card that is supposed to occupy the PERCH slot??

     

    Another look at your image shows no VRAM in the VRAM slot. Do you have that module?

  • by BDAqua,

    BDAqua BDAqua Jan 6, 2016 9:55 AM in response to LukeLindblom
    Level 10 (123,618 points)
    Jan 6, 2016 9:55 AM in response to LukeLindblom

    Not sure what jumper you're speaking of, but is this it?

     

    http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/G3_OC/tims.html

  • by LukeLindblom,

    LukeLindblom LukeLindblom Jan 6, 2016 11:16 AM in response to Allan Jones
    Level 1 (32 points)
    Desktops
    Jan 6, 2016 11:16 AM in response to Allan Jones

    Yes I have a whisper personality card in the PERCH slot.IMG_5872.JPGIMG_5873.JPG

  • by Jeff,

    Jeff Jeff Jan 6, 2016 3:49 PM in response to LukeLindblom
    Level 6 (11,559 points)
    Jan 6, 2016 3:49 PM in response to LukeLindblom

    "If I pull the IDE for the hard drive out of the motherboard WHILE THE POWER SUPPLY IS RUNNING, the hard drive starts spinning."

     

    Sometime, it can be a simple mistake that one can make when reassembling the computer.  From your description of this problem and the last photos that you've provided, are you sure that you plugged the hard drive's IDE cable into the motherboard slot and hard drive correctly?  Is the cable's outer conductor with the red tracer plugged into the hard drive, so that it's next to the power connection?  Where connected at the motherboard, it appears that the red tracer is located on the left, which is correct.  Have you tried a different ribbon cable?

  • by Jeff,

    Jeff Jeff Jan 6, 2016 4:09 PM in response to LukeLindblom
    Level 6 (11,559 points)
    Jan 6, 2016 4:09 PM in response to LukeLindblom

    "It is a wide jumper on the logic board. It is one piece, and it spans about 16 pins. I took it off before and I just want to make sure it's on right."

     

    The jumper block has a small registration groove on its side, next to the hole that's inserted over Pin 1.  Pin 1 is marked on the motherboard — at the lower right corner of the pins, when viewed from the front of the computer.

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