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emac start up problem

I was using my internet the other day when my computer froze on me, i was unable to turn it off with the power button as it just went into sleep mode. so i turned it off at the surge protector and waited a few minutes then tried again. my computer again froze as soon as i turned on the internet and again i turned it off at the surge protector. thinking i would just watch a movie on my itunes i once more turned it back on but this time i only got to the screen that asked for my password. i attempted to type it in but nothing showed up and it once more froze. i turned it off and left it for the remainder of the day.
the next day i tried to start it again but it only got about half way through the loading bar before it stopped working. again it was turned off for most of the day until my mom suggested i try control, apple, and 'P' since she had been told that by a member of tech support for her computer sometime ago. when i did this the screen became a lighter shade of blue but that was it. i finally managed to get it to turn off with the power button yesterday but it doesn't do anything. today i got the little rainbow spinny thing and then later a cursor but no load bar or anything else.
if you know how to fix this please please help!!

emac, G4 Power PC, Mac OS X (10.4.11)

Posted on Aug 29, 2010 11:44 PM

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Posted on Aug 30, 2010 1:42 AM

G'day,

#1 - Best way to turn the computer off when it hangs, is to press the power button for 5-10 seconds. It will then power down. I believe it's a marginally better option than the power plug.

#2 - Open the RAM hatch and look for bad capacitors. Sounds like it MIGHT be them...

cheers

cosmic
21 replies

Aug 30, 2010 7:59 AM in response to kourtney13

Welcome!

As the Hobo mentions, some eMacs with 1G and 1.25G processors and USB 2.0 logic boards are plagued with a problem that manifests itself as leaking capacitors. Before going much farther, check your serial number against this list of ranges in which the problem could exist:

• G8412xxxxxx- G8520xxxxxx
• YM412xxxxxx - YM520xxxxxx
• VM440xxxxxx - VM516xxxxxx



When you look in the RAM door as Hobo recommends, bad capacitors can look like this:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/houlihan/146258714/

The Apple Repair Extension Program that covered the repair at no cost to the owner unfortunately expired over a year ago. The cost to fix is much higher than a used eMac is worth, unless you live in the western US. If you do, there is an option through a firm in Oregon that can repair, not replace, the logic board for a flat fee. Post back if you are in Northern CA, Oregon, or western WA.

Aug 30, 2010 7:31 PM in response to kourtney13

Hi,

Yes the last model eMacs 1.42Ghz were over that capacitor defect I think.

There could be many reasons for your computer freezing, but doing a hard shut down like you have may cause some software problems so it would be a good idea to run Disk Repair from the 10.4 DVD just to ensure your OS is back in order.

Procedure is to insert the Install DVD 1 into the drive and then select Restart; when you hear the chime hold down C key until the apple logo appears.
This will take you to the installation software, but you do not want to install.
Select your language, then go up to the top menu bar and navigate to the Disk Utility application.
Select the hard drive on the left, then go to the First Aid pane where you can click on Repair Disk.
If it finds errors, repeat the process until it reports no errors.
After these repairs, quit the Installer, and restart normally.

Once restarted normally run Repair Permissions from the Disk Utility application found on your hard drive in Application/Utilities.

Aug 30, 2010 9:56 PM in response to kourtney13

I agree with roam--I've never heard of a bad logic board in a 1.42. Nice machine, and the ATI 9600 video chipset supports Core Image so should work with 10.5 nicely if you need it. You can also install the newer 1G RAM modules for a max RAM of 2G. However, you need to buy these larger modules from a Mac-savvy RAM vendor, preferably online. I added one 1G to our eMac 1.42 to give a total of 1.25G RAM. Not a hint of trouble with this much RAM. If interested, post back and I'll link the two online vendors I trust to send me the right thing first time.

If you have never done any maintenance steps, that would be the next step after you get up and running with roam's suggestions. Look at the list of articles on this page:

http://thexlab.com/faqs/faqs.html

focusing on those having "maintenance" in the title. Actually, the entire article collection is a treasure trove of Mac happiness.

Has the eMac been unplugged every night, or turned off at a power strip or battery backup? That can drain the little logic board battery (also called the "PRAM" battery) normally used for short-term retention of settings during a power outage or short move. A dead battery can create startup issues in some Macs. A replacement is only US$5 online, and you can access it through the RAM door.

Aug 31, 2010 2:08 AM in response to roam

i would put the disk in but i can't even get the disk door to open.is there a way to open the drive without just hitting the eject key on the keyboard? i turn it on and get the blue screen that shows up before the start up bar comes on and that's it. i do frequent checks with my tech tool deluxe, at least once a month or more, but have never had any problems or repairs needed.

Aug 31, 2010 7:51 AM in response to kourtney13

Glad to hear you got it running diagnostics in Safe Mode!

For future reference, you can manually open the optical disc tray by holding the mouse button down while starting up. In case that doesn't work as advertised, you can also pry the optical door open with a fingernail or X-Acto knife, then insert a straightened heavy-duty paper clip or #0 hex driver/key into the hole next to the optical tray proper to press the manual eject lever inside the drive.

Aug 31, 2010 8:54 PM in response to kourtney13

When you were using the internet the other day and your computer froze, was this after you just installed something or changed something? Can you remember what you were doing at the time. Could offer a clue.

If you disconnect everything except keyboard and mouse will it start in normal mode?

When you reinstalled the OS in Safe mode i presume it restarted OK then. Did you choose Archive and Install or Erase and Install. You may need to do the later to delete some bug in the archived version.

Aug 31, 2010 9:40 PM in response to roam

i was in the middle of watching an episode of true blood actually. the computer won't start in normal mode with nothing except the keyboard and mouse i've tried. i never have anything else besides those and my ipod cord anyway.
i did archive and install since i don't have my pictures and my work backed up. the only thing that i ever download is updates for safari and itunes and java. would these mess things up??

emac start up problem

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