Another narcoleptic PowerBook - possible reasons?

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Another narcoleptic PowerBook - possible reasons?

Hi all,

My PowerBook G4 15" 1-1.5GHz has developed a case of going to sleep as soon as it's booted.

I can wake it but after 1 second it returns to sleep. Within the 1 second awake intervals I have found no report of 'overtemp' in the Console log. I have also had it running without the keyboard and trackpad connected, and also without the PRAM battery connected. I'm not sure if that's recommended but it didn't solve the problem anyway. I have tried resetting the PMU (holding power button for 5 seconds) but I'm not sure it actually did anything. I should also point out that I tried replacing the PRAM battery, which also didn't change anything.

The problem developed after I opened up my PB because it was getting very hot. I put it back together (after just having a look inside and not actually taking anything out) and the sleeping problem started, and also the trackpad stopped working. This made me think it was the trackpad temp sensor but I can't actually locate it on the 1-.15GHz model - any ideas?

At one point I did get the trackpad working but the constant sleeping problem still occurred. Would I be right in saying that this means it is a software issue and that the hardware is OK? I tried to re-instal OS X 10.5.4 but my PB won't boot from the DVD. Trying from an iMac in Firewire Target mode also failed.

I was thinking about buying a replacement palm rest with keyboard and trackpad but I've read that the problem still might occur.

Does anyone know any other possible reasons or solutions for the problem?

Regards,

Ben

PowerBook, Mac OS X (10.5.8)

Posted on Apr 6, 2014 4:19 AM

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Answer 1

a brody

Level 10

82,841 points

Apr 8, 2014 11:50 AM in response to B Lewis

If target disk mode fails, it clearly is a hardware issue, or the firmware is damaged.

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Answer 2

B Lewis Author

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Apr 9, 2014 7:07 AM in response to a brody

Thanks for your response a brody,

I managed to get the two machines to talk using taret disk mode and copied files from my PB to my iMac, but couldn't use my iMac to install Mac OS on my PB. Does this still mean it's a hardware issue or damaged firmware?

Thanks

Ben

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Answer 3

a brody

Level 10

82,841 points

Apr 9, 2014 8:49 AM in response to B Lewis

couldn't use my iMac to install Mac OS on my PB

Which one has the broken optical drive?

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Answer 4

B Lewis Author

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Apr 9, 2014 11:57 AM in response to a brody

Ah no, the optical drive is fine (powerbook) - it's just I can't boot from the DVD and if I try to re-instal Mac OS from the DVD it restarts, as it should, but then boots as normal from it's HD and not the DVD.

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Answer 5

B Lewis Author

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Apr 20, 2014 1:57 PM in response to B Lewis

I have tried using a different palm rest (keyboard/trackpad) and I still get the sleeping problem. So it's not anything to do with the magnetic sleep sensor. Any other ideas? This is really starting to drive me crazy...

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Answer 6

a brody

Level 10

82,841 points

Apr 21, 2014 4:41 AM in response to B Lewis

Well Target Disk Mode boots only work in the following manner:

If you set let's say a MacBook Pro in Target Mode, its optical drive can be used to boot the Powerbook, and install to the Powerbook a Powerbook compatible operating system. That includes the retail 10.4.6, 10.5, 10.5.1, 10.5.4, and 10.5.6, or the original Powerbook compatible CD.

But you can't try to set the Powerbook in target mode, and install the operating system from the MacBook Pro.

The problem with doing this, is the Powerbook can't run the software from a MacBook Pro's installer discs, or 10.5 or later as installed on a MacBook Pro, or have GUID partitioning done to it.

The machine with the Firewire logo is the one that is nothing more than a very expensive external optical or hard drive. Once it is out of Target Disk Mode whatever drivers get installed on it have to be compatible with it.

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