Jonathan8787

Q: I currently have a Mac Desktop Pro, and I can hear the fan, but nothing shows up on the monitor?? Help me please?

I can hear the fan running extremley loud, but when I turn on the monitor, it shows up as a dark screen. We have a group at school that delivers school news throughout the TVs in our school and we have been using a really old iMac g3 and we would like to use the Mac Pro, but it will not show anything on the monitor. Please Help Us!

iMac, Mac OS 8.6 or Earlier, Please help.

Posted on Feb 27, 2013 3:40 AM

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Q: I currently have a Mac Desktop Pro, and I can hear the fan, but nothing shows up on the monitor?? Help me please?

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  • by a brody,

    a brody a brody Feb 27, 2013 12:21 PM in response to Jonathan8787
    Level 9 (66,781 points)
    Classic Mac OS
    Feb 27, 2013 12:21 PM in response to Jonathan8787

    The iMac G3 is not a Mac Desktop Pro.  The iMac G3 is an iMac PPC.  Those machines are so old their 3.6V 1/2 AA battery inside probably is long dead.    If nothing else is wrong with them, replacing that battery from Radio Shack can frequently revive them.  The batteries die after about 4 years.

  • by Grant Bennet-Alder,

    Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder Feb 27, 2013 2:06 PM in response to Jonathan8787
    Level 9 (60,707 points)
    Desktops
    Feb 27, 2013 2:06 PM in response to Jonathan8787

    When you attempt to start it up, do you get the CHIME?

     

    Is the power-on light flashing?

  • by Jonathan8787,

    Jonathan8787 Jonathan8787 Feb 28, 2013 4:49 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 28, 2013 4:49 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

    Nope. No Chime. Yes when I hold the button in it stays white but when I let go it turn of then blinks twice every 5 seconds or so?

  • by Grant Bennet-Alder,

    Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder Feb 28, 2013 5:04 PM in response to Jonathan8787
    Level 9 (60,707 points)
    Desktops
    Feb 28, 2013 5:04 PM in response to Jonathan8787

    Blinking power indicator tells you there is not enough WORKING RAM DIMM memory to start up.

  • by Jonathan8787,

    Jonathan8787 Jonathan8787 Feb 28, 2013 5:16 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 28, 2013 5:16 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

    What does that mean? Im not that tech kind of guy,

  • by a brody,

    a brody a brody Feb 28, 2013 5:21 PM in response to Jonathan8787
    Level 9 (66,781 points)
    Classic Mac OS
    Feb 28, 2013 5:21 PM in response to Jonathan8787

    DIMM memory is the kind that sits on a board with computer chips inside the computer's case.     That would indicate either the board got loose, damaged, or shorted.      These sit inside slots.   Installing them requires taking static electricity precautions, such as getting a special wristband, and touching the plugged in power supply of a computer that is turned off that is connected to a third prong plug.     Below is an image of such a module, made by one of the better vendors who makes them.   But being as you aren't an expert, it probably is best that you bring the machine into a specialist who can identify your machine and ensure the right module is inserted properly:

    DIMM.jpg

  • by Grant Bennet-Alder,

    Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder Feb 28, 2013 5:22 PM in response to Jonathan8787
    Level 9 (60,707 points)
    Desktops
    Feb 28, 2013 5:22 PM in response to Jonathan8787

    1) the memory DIMMs were stolen by some other department

    2) the memory DIMMs have failed.

     

    You need somebody who is tech savvy to figure out what model this is. There are two rough classes:

     

    2008 and previous has the RAM DIMMs on two little daughter cards.

     

    2009 and later have the RAM DIMMs on the end of the processor shelf, which can be slid out.

  • by a brody,

    a brody a brody Feb 28, 2013 5:24 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder
    Level 9 (66,781 points)
    Classic Mac OS
    Feb 28, 2013 5:24 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

    Grant, if they have an iMac G3, those vary in size depending on vintage.

  • by Grant Bennet-Alder,

    Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder Feb 28, 2013 5:29 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder
    Level 9 (60,707 points)
    Desktops
    Feb 28, 2013 5:29 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

    This very dense article shows all the types of the Mac Pro in succession, and how to replace the memory RAM DIMMs in each one. It is hard to read because one model flows into the next:

     

    Mac Pro: How to remove or install memory

     

    You need to know which model this is to get the right DIMMs. It may be written on a little tag near the backpanel. If you find that tag, but it seems like gibberish, post the text here and readers will help you decipher it.

  • by Grant Bennet-Alder,

    Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder Feb 28, 2013 5:33 PM in response to a brody
    Level 9 (60,707 points)
    Desktops
    Feb 28, 2013 5:33 PM in response to a brody

    a brody-

     

    I read that they are currently doing their production using an iMac G3, and "found" a Mac Pro they are trying to get going.

     

    Check the wording in the original post and tell me if you think I'm all wet.

  • by a brody,

    a brody a brody Mar 2, 2013 12:09 PM in response to Jonathan8787
    Level 9 (66,781 points)
    Classic Mac OS
    Mar 2, 2013 12:09 PM in response to Jonathan8787

    Jonathan,

    A bit of what's confusing me and Grant is what exactly is connected where?  We wonder if you have the terminology correct.

    iMac G3s are really old machines that look like, and may come in a variety of case colors, but still have this generic shape:

     

    imac g3.jpg

    Mac Pros are desktop machines that look like:

    Mac Pro.jpg

    From your initial post, it sounds like you are getting the TV feed normally on an iMac G3, as shown above, and are trying to get it on a Mac Pro desktop.

    TV feeds often come in Quicktime, Realplayer, or Windows media player playback, and sometimes Adobe Flash.    Do you have any idea what video format the TV feed is sent at? 

     

    For instance, Mac Pros do not support the older Quicktime Indeo Video format because it required a plugin only made for Classic, which the iMac G3 supported.  And Indeo went out of business.    Newer formats you would not have such a problem.      Could this be part of your problem?   I didn't see the Mac Pro on your initial post, so I wasn't exactly sure what was being hooked up where.

     

    Are the computers themselves all working?  Or are you trying to hook an iMac G3 to a Mac Pro and get video off of it?  Or do I have what you are trying to do all wrong?

  • by Jonathan8787,

    Jonathan8787 Jonathan8787 Mar 2, 2013 12:24 PM in response to a brody
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 2, 2013 12:24 PM in response to a brody

    Mac Pro.jpg<<< This is the tower that isn't working.

     

     

    That tower is connect to this >>>>>images.jpg

     

    I think you are mistaking me for my other post about an iMac G3 that I recently purchased.

  • by a brody,

    a brody a brody Mar 2, 2013 12:27 PM in response to Jonathan8787
    Level 9 (66,781 points)
    Classic Mac OS
    Mar 2, 2013 12:27 PM in response to Jonathan8787

    I see, some old Apple monitors do need some hard to find adapters to connect to the new machines.     Have you tried simply connecting the Mac Pro to a DVI monitor to see if it still doesn't work?

  • by Jonathan8787,

    Jonathan8787 Jonathan8787 Mar 3, 2013 5:18 PM in response to a brody
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 3, 2013 5:18 PM in response to a brody

    Brody: Yes. Many times. Its just that darn tower that keeps actin' up. It just gradually gets louder over time. I left it on for 15 minutes and roared like a jet engine!

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