My 7-year-old G4 17" Powerbook won't boot via it's onboard LCD display...but a second monitor will. I'm assuming the monitor should be replaced, or perhaps a video card?
What's typically the problem associated with these symptoms?
Thanks for any help.
Terry D
PowerBook, Mac OS X (10.5.8), G$ 17"
Step one is to boot the computer and shine a light through the "Apple" window on the back of the display and see if you see anything happening on the display. This may be a little tricky, but the best time to do this is during the boot process when usually things happen in the center of the screen. (I am assuming that you have already tried the brightness control, as I have had problems with the TiBooks going to minimum brightness on boot for some reason as yet unknown to me, though I can still at least see some detail on the screen.)
Now, if the display is actually changing when you are providing an artificial backlight, then you are maybe in luck a little bit, since it is likely that the so-called Inverter Board has crapped out. These can be replaced with varying degrees of difficulty from almost trivial to a little involved. Find your machine here on the iFixit site for more information and a guide to changing the board.
The other possibility is that the fluorescent panel panel has itself died, which would require a much more involved repair and probably would not be worth it.
Step one is to boot the computer and shine a light through the "Apple" window on the back of the display and see if you see anything happening on the display. This may be a little tricky, but the best time to do this is during the boot process when usually things happen in the center of the screen. (I am assuming that you have already tried the brightness control, as I have had problems with the TiBooks going to minimum brightness on boot for some reason as yet unknown to me, though I can still at least see some detail on the screen.)
Now, if the display is actually changing when you are providing an artificial backlight, then you are maybe in luck a little bit, since it is likely that the so-called Inverter Board has crapped out. These can be replaced with varying degrees of difficulty from almost trivial to a little involved. Find your machine here on the iFixit site for more information and a guide to changing the board.
The other possibility is that the fluorescent panel panel has itself died, which would require a much more involved repair and probably would not be worth it.
PB Screen Dead? Won't Boot, But Second Monitor Will
