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Level 1

5 points

Power Mac G4 not turning on after clean shutdown, works otherwise.

My Power Mac G4 does not turn back on after a clean shutdown, but turns on after being disconnected from the power. If I shut it down cleanly (Apple menu -> Shutdown), it shuts down, but then the power button does not work. After unplugging the computer and plugging it back in, the computer is able to power on successfully. I have reset the PRAM and have reseated the PSU connector.

I am using Mac OS X Tiger 10.4.11, but the same problem occurs under Mac OS X Leopard 10.5.8. I don't think the operating system really matters with this type of issue though, because the power button literally will not respond until I unplug and replug the computer.

Any suggestions?

Jonathan Alfonso’s Power Mac G4

12/22/13 2:07 PM

Hardware:

Hardware Overview:

Machine Name: Power Mac G4

Machine Model: PowerMac3,6

CPU Type: PowerPC G4 (3.3)

Number Of CPUs: 2

CPU Speed: 1.42 GHz

L2 Cache (per CPU): 256 KB

L3 Cache (per CPU): 2 MB

Memory: 2 GB

Bus Speed: 167 MHz

Boot ROM Version: 4.6.0f1

Serial Number: XB3101EMN1Y

Network:

Internal Modem:

Type: PPP (PPPSerial)

Hardware: Modem

BSD Device Name: modem

IPv4:

Configuration Method: PPP

IPv6:

Configuration Method: Automatic

Proxies:

Proxy Configuration Method: Manual

ExcludeSimpleHostnames: 0

FTP Passive Mode: Yes

Auto Discovery Enabled: No

Built-in Ethernet:

Type: Ethernet

Hardware: Ethernet

BSD Device Name: en0

IPv4:

Configuration Method: DHCP

IPv6:

Configuration Method: Automatic

Proxies:

FTP Proxy Enabled: No

FTP Passive Mode: Yes

Gopher Proxy Enabled: No

HTTP Proxy Enabled: No

HTTPS Proxy Enabled: No

RTSP Proxy Enabled: No

SOCKS Proxy Enabled: No

Ethernet:

MAC Address: 00:0a:95:9c:64:40

Media Options:

Media Subtype: none

Built-in FireWire:

Type: FireWire

Hardware: FireWire

BSD Device Name: fw0

IPv4:

Configuration Method: DHCP

IPv6:

Configuration Method: Automatic

Proxies:

Proxy Configuration Method: Manual

ExcludeSimpleHostnames: 0

FTP Passive Mode: Yes

Auto Discovery Enabled: No

Ethernet:

MAC Address: 00:0a:95:ff:fe:9c:64:40

Media Options: Full Duplex

Media Subtype: autoselect

AirPort:

Type: AirPort

Hardware: AirPort

BSD Device Name: en1

IPv4 Addresses: 192.168.1.134

IPv4:

Addresses: 192.168.1.134

Configuration Method: DHCP

Interface Name: en1

Router: 192.168.1.1

Subnet Masks: 255.255.255.0

IPv6:

Configuration Method: Automatic

DNS:

Domain Name: hsd1.fl.comcast.net

Server Addresses: 192.168.1.1

DHCP Server Responses:

Domain Name: hsd1.fl.comcast.net

Domain Name Servers: 192.168.1.1

Lease Duration (seconds): 0

DHCP Message Type: 0x05

Routers: 192.168.1.1

Server Identifier: 192.168.1.1

Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0

Proxies:

Proxy Configuration Method: Manual

ExcludeSimpleHostnames: 0

FTP Passive Mode: Yes

Auto Discovery Enabled: No

Ethernet:

MAC Address: 00:0d:93:ef:b8:69

Media Options:

Media Subtype: autoselect

Software:

System Software Overview:

System Version: Mac OS X 10.4.11 (8S165)

Kernel Version: Darwin 8.11.0

Boot Volume: Macintosh HD

Computer Name: Jonathan Alfonso’s Power Mac G4

User Name: Jonathan Alfonso (alfonsojon)

ATA:

ATA Bus:

MAXTOR STM3500630A:

Capacity: 465.76 GB

Model: MAXTOR STM3500630A

Revision: 3.AAE

Serial Number: 9QG5RHPR

Removable Media: No

Detachable Drive: No

BSD Name: disk0

Protocol: ATA

Unit Number: 0

Socket Type: Internal

OS9 Drivers: No

S.M.A.R.T. status: Verified

Volumes:

Macintosh HD:

Capacity: 465.64 GB

Available: 458.51 GB

Writable: Yes

File System: Journaled HFS+

BSD Name: disk0s3

Mount Point: /

ST3200822A:

Capacity: 186.31 GB

Model: ST3200822A

Revision: 3.01

Serial Number: 3LJ078AZ

Removable Media: No

Detachable Drive: No

BSD Name: disk1

Protocol: ATA

Unit Number: 1

Socket Type: Internal

OS9 Drivers: No

S.M.A.R.T. status: Not Supported

Volumes:

Time Machine:

Capacity: 185.99 GB

Available: 136.84 GB

Writable: Yes

File System: Journaled HFS+

BSD Name: disk1s2

Mount Point: /Volumes/Time Machine

ATA Bus:

PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-105:

Capacity: 2.64 GB

Model: PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-105

Revision: A506

Serial Number: BLDL034723WL

Removable Media: Yes

Detachable Drive: No

BSD Name: disk2

Protocol: ATAPI

Unit Number: 0

Socket Type: Internal

OS9 Drivers: No

S.M.A.R.T. status: Not Supported

Volumes:

Mac OS X Install DVD:

Capacity: 2.64 GB

Available: 110.27 MB

Media Type: DVD-R

Writable: No

File System: HFS+

BSD Name: disk2s2

Mount Point: /Volumes/Mac OS X Install DVD

Audio (Built In):

Built In Sound Card:

CODEC: Texas Instruments TAS3004

Sample Rate: 44.1 KHz

Number of Inputs: 1

Number of Outputs: 4

Devices:

Input:

Type: Line Level Input

Output:

Type: Headphones

Output:

Type: Internal Speaker

Output:

Type: External Speaker

Output:

Type: Line Level Output

Diagnostics:

Power On Self-Test:

Last Run: 12/22/13 12:51 PM

Result: Passed

Disc Burning:

PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-105:

Firmware Revision: A506

Interconnect: ATAPI

Burn Support: Yes (Apple Shipped/Supported)

Cache: 2000 KB

Reads DVD: Yes

CD-Write: -R, -RW

DVD-Write: -R, -RW

Burn Underrun Protection CD: Yes

Burn Underrun Protection DVD: Yes

Write Strategies: CD-TAO, CD-SAO, CD-Raw, DVD-DAO

Media:

Media Type: DVD-R

Blank: No

Erasable: No

Overwritable: No

Appendable: No

FireWire:

FireWire Bus:

Maximum Speed: Up to 800 Mb/sec

Graphics/Displays:

ATI Radeon 9000 Pro:

Chipset Model: ATY,RV250

Type: Display

Bus: AGP

Slot: SLOT-1

VRAM (Total): 64 MB

Vendor: ATI (0x1002)

Device ID: 0x4966

Revision ID: 0x0000

ROM Revision: 113-99702-122

Displays:

Acer AL2017:

Resolution: 1400 x 1050 @ 60 Hz

Depth: 32-bit Color

Core Image: Not Supported

Main Display: Yes

Mirror: Off

Online: Yes

Quartz Extreme: Supported

Rotation: Supported

Display:

Status: No display connected

Memory:

DIMM0/J21:

Size: 512 MB

Type: DDR SDRAM

Speed: PC2700U-25330

Status: OK

DIMM1/J22:

Size: 512 MB

Type: DDR SDRAM

Speed: PC2700U-25330

Status: OK

DIMM2/J23:

Size: 512 MB

Type: DDR SDRAM

Speed: PC2700U-25330

Status: OK

DIMM3/J20:

Size: 512 MB

Type: DDR SDRAM

Speed: PC2700U-25330

Status: OK

PCI Cards:

usb:

Type: usb

Bus: PCI

Slot: SLOT-5

Vendor ID: 0x1033

Device ID: 0x0035

Subsystem Vendor ID: 0x17c6

Subsystem ID: 0x0036

Revision ID: 0x0041

usb:

Type: usb

Bus: PCI

Slot: SLOT-5

Vendor ID: 0x1033

Device ID: 0x0035

Subsystem Vendor ID: 0x17c6

Subsystem ID: 0x0036

Revision ID: 0x0041

pci17c6,e1:

Bus: PCI

Slot: SLOT-5

Vendor ID: 0x1033

Device ID: 0x00e0

Subsystem Vendor ID: 0x17c6

Subsystem ID: 0x00e1

Revision ID: 0x0002

Power:

System Power Settings:

AC Power:

System Sleep Timer (Minutes): 10

Disk Sleep Timer (Minutes): 10

Display Sleep Timer (Minutes): 10

Sleep On Power Button: Yes

Automatic Restart On Power Loss: Yes

Wake On AC Change: No

Wake On LAN: Yes

Wake On Modem Ring: Yes

USB:

USB Bus:

Host Controller Location: Built In USB

Host Controller Driver: AppleUSBOHCI

PCI Device ID: 0x0035

PCI Revision ID: 0x0043

PCI Vendor ID: 0x1033

Bus Number: 0x3b

Microsoft® Digital Media Pro Keyboard:

Version: 1.10

Bus Power (mA): 500

Speed: Up to 1.5 Mb/sec

Manufacturer: Microsoft

Product ID: 0x00b0

Vendor ID: 0x045e

USB Bus:

Host Controller Location: Built In USB

Host Controller Driver: AppleUSBOHCI

PCI Device ID: 0x0035

PCI Revision ID: 0x0043

PCI Vendor ID: 0x1033

Bus Number: 0x1b

Kensington USB/PS2 Wheel Mouse:

Version: 1.00

Bus Power (mA): 500

Speed: Up to 1.5 Mb/sec

Manufacturer: Kensington

Product ID: 0x102a

Vendor ID: 0x047d

USB Bus:

Host Controller Location: Expansion Slot

Host Controller Driver: AppleUSBOHCI

PCI Device ID: 0x0035

PCI Revision ID: 0x0041

PCI Vendor ID: 0x1033

Bus Number: 0x15

USB Bus:

Host Controller Location: Expansion Slot

Host Controller Driver: AppleUSBOHCI

PCI Device ID: 0x0035

PCI Revision ID: 0x0041

PCI Vendor ID: 0x1033

Bus Number: 0x35

USB High-Speed Bus:

Host Controller Location: Expansion Slot

Host Controller Driver: AppleUSBEHCI

PCI Device ID: 0x00e0

PCI Revision ID: 0x0002

PCI Vendor ID: 0x1033

Bus Number: 0x55

AirPort Card:

AirPort Card Information:

Wireless Card Type: AirPort Extreme

Wireless Card Locale: USA

Wireless Card Firmware Version: 405.1 (3.90.34.0.p18)

Current Wireless Network: Alfonso

Wireless Channel: 3

Locations:

Automatic:

Active Location: Yes

Services:

Internal Modem:

Type: PPP

IPv4:

Configuration Method: PPP

IPv6:

Configuration Method: Automatic

Proxies:

Proxy Configuration Method: 2

ExcludeSimpleHostnames: 0

FTP Passive Mode: 1

Auto Discovery Enabled: 0

PPP:

ACSP Enabled: 0

Display Terminal Window: 0

Redial Count: 1

Redial Enabled: 1

Redial Interval: 5

Use Terminal Script: 0

Dial On Demand: 0

Disconnect On Fast User Switch: 1

Disconnect On Idle: 1

Disconnect On Idle Timer: 600

Disconnect On Logout: 1

Disconnect On Sleep: 1

Idle Reminder: 0

Idle Reminder Time: 1800

IPCP Compression VJ: 1

LCP Echo Enabled: 1

LCP Echo Failure: 4

LCP Echo Interval: 10

Log File: /var/log/ppp.log

Verbose Logging: 0

Built-in Ethernet:

Type: Ethernet

BSD Device Name: en0

Hardware (MAC) Address: 00:0a:95:9c:64:40

IPv4:

Configuration Method: DHCP

IPv6:

Configuration Method: Automatic

AppleTalk:

Configuration Method: Node

Proxies:

FTP Proxy Enabled: 0

FTP Passive Mode: 1

Gopher Proxy Enabled: 0

HTTP Proxy Enabled: 0

HTTPS Proxy Enabled: 0

RTSP Proxy Enabled: 0

SOCKS Proxy Enabled: 0

Built-in FireWire:

Type: FireWire

BSD Device Name: fw0

Hardware (MAC) Address: 00:0a:95:ff:fe:9c:64:40

IPv4:

Configuration Method: DHCP

IPv6:

Configuration Method: Automatic

AppleTalk:

Configuration Method: Node

Proxies:

Proxy Configuration Method: 2

ExcludeSimpleHostnames: 0

FTP Passive Mode: 1

Auto Discovery Enabled: 0

AirPort:

Type: IEEE80211

BSD Device Name: en1

Hardware (MAC) Address: 00:0d:93:ef:b8:69

IPv4:

Configuration Method: DHCP

IPv6:

Configuration Method: Automatic

AppleTalk:

Configuration Method: Node

Proxies:

Proxy Configuration Method: 2

ExcludeSimpleHostnames: 0

FTP Passive Mode: 1

Auto Discovery Enabled: 0

IEEE80211:

AllowNetCreation: 1

JoinMode: Automatic

MAC Address: 00:0d:93:ef:b8:69

Modems:

Modem Information:

Modem Model: Dash2

Interface Type: USB

Modulation: V.92

SKU Name: UCJ

Hardware Version: 1.0F

Firmware Version: APPLE VERSION 2.6.6

Driver: InternalUSBModem.kext (v2.6.6)

Country: B5 (United States, Latin America)

PowerMac3,6-OTHER, Mac OS X (10.4.11), Dual boot with Mac OS X Leopard

Posted on Dec 22, 2013 11:16 AM

Best reply

BDAqua

Level 10

239,249 points

Posted on Dec 22, 2013 2:57 PM

Hello Jonathan,

From my experience I'd say it's a bad Capacitor in the PSU or Logic board that needs to bleed down before the SMU works right.

View in context

41 replies

alfonsojon Author

Level 1

5 points

Dec 22, 2013 8:28 PM in response to BDAqua

Will do. 🙂

For now, it's my main desktop and it works fine for most things, but it might be time to invest in a new Mac soon.

alfonsojon Author

Level 1

5 points

Dec 24, 2013 7:59 PM in response to alfonsojon

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5110652

That guy seems to have the exact same problem as me. I'll try his fix (without electrocuting myself!) and I'll report back with any news.

BDAqua

Level 10

239,249 points

Dec 24, 2013 9:41 PM in response to alfonsojon

Great find, do keep us posted! :_

alfonsojon Author

Level 1

5 points

Dec 28, 2013 10:55 PM in response to BDAqua

I ordered a new PRAM battery from OWC and hopefully that fixes it. If not, I am just going to buy a new power supply because I fear that performing the procedure he suggested without any know-how with power supplies puts a risk both to me and the power supply.

I'll keep you updated as I work on this, thanks for the help.

BDAqua

Level 10

239,249 points

Dec 29, 2013 11:23 AM in response to alfonsojon

Looking forward to it. 🙂

alfonsojon Author

Level 1

5 points

Dec 30, 2013 1:54 AM in response to BDAqua

Got myself some Chrismas presents. I got a multimeter so I can test the power supply, so hopefully it's just the PRAM battery. If not, it'll be time to test the PSU.

When I'm done with this, I'm probably going to order new fans to quiet this thing down. As usual, I'll keep you posted.

alfonsojon Author

Level 1

5 points

Jan 3, 2014 5:08 PM in response to BDAqua

Unfortunately, the PRAM battery did nothing. I will order a new power supply.

BDAqua

Level 10

239,249 points

Jan 3, 2014 6:41 PM in response to alfonsojon

OK, good luck with it.

Some voltages & pinouts here...

You can convert an ATX PSU for use on a G4...

http://atxg4.com/sawtooth.html

http://atxg4.com/gige-da.html

http://atxg4.com/quicksilver.html

http://atxg4.com/mdd.html

http://atxg4.com/

alfonsojon Author

Level 1

5 points

Mar 13, 2014 1:49 PM in response to BDAqua

The Power Mac died today, refused to power up after a shutdown for good. Considering how expensive power supplies are for this Mac now, I'm probably going to have to replace it. Not sure if I should go for a Mac Pro or a Power Mac G5. I understand these machines are old, but they really were the bomb for the time and were amazing at getting the job done, so I appreciate how well these systems perform, even to this day considering their age.

BDAqua

Level 10

239,249 points

Mar 13, 2014 1:57 PM in response to alfonsojon

Yeah, tough decision, but likely easier if you consider your SW needs, a Mac Pro would be faster, last longer, but likely require all new software, if you have PPC SW that does everything you need, like I do, then a cheap G4 or G5 might be far easier to swallow. 🙂

alfonsojon Author

Level 1

5 points

Mar 13, 2014 2:55 PM in response to BDAqua

I'm not sure. A Power Mac would easily replace the G4 that I have, but a Mac Pro would replace both my main work computer and my Power Mac, although it would really hurt my wallet.

The good news is it just decided to boot back up again, but I have my doubts as to how long it will last.

BDAqua

Level 10

239,249 points

Mar 13, 2014 4:39 PM in response to alfonsojon

Well, in my case, the software is far more costly then the hardware. 🙂

alfonsojon Author

Level 1

5 points

Nov 29, 2014 7:25 PM in response to BDAqua

Very late reply, but I had the PSU repaired and it's running like a dream again; it's even quieter now!

Apparently, my noisy fans were due to the PSU as well. Glad to have my Mac back!

BDAqua

Level 10

239,249 points

Nov 30, 2014 11:36 AM in response to alfonsojon

Great to hear, hanks for the report & good luck! 🙂

Dec 3, 2014 6:06 PM in response to alfonsojon

just wanted to chime in here, very useful thread. I have had the very same behavior that you described with my G4 Dual 1.25GHz MDD, for a long time I could not get it to start up at all unless I briefly unplugged from the power, then it would start up. Now, the light on the front panel goes out as soon as I removed my thumb from the button and no start up. I have a replacement power supply that I bought a while ago, but have not yet installed it. This gives me hope that the power supply can be replaced. I have been thinking about moving on from the G4, but will give the power supply a try. I just have not been into tinkering with this machine as much as I used to with my G3 Desktop.

Power Mac G4 not turning on after clean shutdown, works otherwise.