The expert at the computer store wrote me this:
"Sounds like one of two problems, either something in the firmware or power manager is messed up, or we have a bad logic board. Let's hope for the sake of your pocket book it's not a motherboard."
(This struck fear and foreboding into my heart.)
"print this mail"
(which I did)
"Resetting Open Firmware:
1. Restart computer, hold down four keys (Apple Option O F)
2. This will get you a bunch of text and a prompt " > "
3. Type reset-nvram hit enter and o.k. should appear
4. Type set-defaults hit enter and o.k. should appear
5. Type reset-all hit enter, system should reboot."
I did all this, and boy was that first one painful. All it did was mess up the time slightly and I had to reset the clock.
"6. Did this fix it? If not:
Resetting Power Manager
1. Power system off
2. Remove power cord from back of unit
3. Open unit"
(He said to look at the picture, but the picture he sent didn't come, and the manual gave exactly opposite advice--to unplug everything EXCEPT the power cord, while he said to unplug ONLY the power cord, so I had to call him and have him walk me through it.)
"4. Unplug Power from the Motherboard, press tab on side of connector and pull away from board. (See picture)
5. Unplug / remove battery (See picture)
6. Press the PMU Reset button (PRESS ONLY ONCE) (See Picture)
7. Wait 2 minutes
8. Plug in Battery, Power to board, close unit, power on, set date and time, and hopefully this fixes it. If not, come see me."
As soon as I quit laughing--because a warning came up that the date was before 2001--the computer said it was 4:00 p.m. on December 31, 1969, quite a BIT before 2001--and fixed the date and time,--I checked and THIS WORKED! Now my Canopus converter (which was showing imperfectly, if at all, but was working) shows up fine and so does the LaCie unit! I already have to drive the 70 miles anyway, as the VCR I planned to use for the dubbing has quit (it must have "heard through the grapevine" that everything in this process has given trouble at some point and didn't want to be left out) and the repair shop is in the same community as the computer repair shop. But carrying a little old VCR is no problem, while I was having the most horrible visions of hauling a two-ton Mac down there for the second time in two months, then maybe finding out it's NOT the Mac but still having to pay to learn this, and, since the return time has expired for the place where I bought the LaCie, contacting LaCie (which hasn't even responded to my support requests!) and trying to cram the sorry thing down their throats. BOY, am I a happy camper today!
