Q: Power Macintosh 4400/200 (7220) – No video output

Some older Macs, including ones from that approximate period, could fail to show any video in the absence of a working PRAM battery so don't be too quick to rule that one out. Apple once had an article showing models that did this but I found others not listed the showed the same behavior.

Hey! The article hasn't been nuked like so many others that deal with older Macs:

Macintosh Computers: Low Battery Can Cause No Video

You should definitely replace the battery on the motherboard, because it's an alkaline (4.5-V, Rayovac 870, 871, or equivalent) that will leak, after it becomes completely discharged.  I've seen Performa 6400s that were badly damaged, because the motherboard is vertically-oriented and the leaking alkaline solution dripped down the board, corroding the components in its path.  The battery is secured to the motherboard with velcro, so it helps to use a non-conductive tool (like a popsicle stick) to hold down the plastic-toothed base that's stuck to the board, as you lift up on the battery.  Some of those Mac-to-VGA adapters have a set of 10 DIP switches, and I had the best luck with that type.

Apparently, Rayovac has replaced the now-discontinued 870/871 with the 840, available at parts-express.com.  That's good to know, because we've been mentioning the 870/871 for 15+ years now.  If you Google "Rayovac 870," you'll see links to past Forum topics.  Anyway, as you're undoubtedly aware, you can take (3) 1.5-v AA batteries and connect them in series, to provide the necessary 4.5 volts.  Some users bought a plastic AA battery holder from an electronics store and transferred the black/red leads w/connector from their dead battery, to the battery pack they created.  I'd use lithium AAs, because they won't leak like a dead alkaline battery will.

As for the Mac-to-VGA adapter with (10) DIP switches, I used these settings:  Flip up (ON) switches #1, 4, 6, 7, and 8.  That always worked for me with multi-scan CRT displays and a variety of older Power Macs.  Depending on the amount of installed VRAM, you can enjoy higher screen resolution and greater color depth.  The specs for your Power Mac 4400/200 are also listed at everymac.com.

Nicolas,

I have bad news and good news.

Bad News: I found only one website that claims to have the DevNotes for the 440 but it is not one with which I have any familiarity, and that concerns me. Many sites offering "free" manuals also give you free malware.

Good News: I just found the PowerMac 4400 Developer Notes stored on an older Mac in the "Geriatric Mac Museum"--our spare bedroom. It does not include takedown and service steps, but does show some valuable info like pin-outs for the video that might be useful to you.

It is a pdf file that is approximately 500 KB and is in English. Is your internet connection fast enough that a file that size will clog your system? If so I can e-mail it to you. Don't post an e-mail address in open forums here. Rather, unhide it in your profile long enough for me to send, then rehide it once you receive the file.

Any email from me should be easy to spot as my address includes my user name here.

Allan

Allan,

Once upon a time, the developer notes could be found at http://developer.apple.com/documentation/Hardware/hardware2.html.

Generally speaking, someone may possibly want to test an Internet archive (wayback machine) when trying to locate older documents.

Jan

Tried that earlier, Jan. Most of the third-party sites claiming to have that DevNote also use the same link. It's a dead link now. Thanks anyway!

You can also just use electrical tape to bundle (3) AA batteries together, and then solder a wire across the bottoms for connection to the black battery lead and do the same across the tops of the batteries, for connection to the red battery lead.  Obviously, a plastic battery holder into which you can insert the batteries would be easier.  Have you removed the VRAM card and cleaned its gold-plated or tinned contacts, front & back?  Oxidization can occur on them, causing problems such as you're experiencing.  Do you know which type of VRAM card is installed in the slot (next to the left side of the computer)?  It could be a 1 or 2 MB EDO DIMM or a 1, 2, or 4 MB SGRAM DIMM.

I suppose that you have no idea if this 4400 was functioning correctly, the last time the owner used it?  For better graphics, I'd suggest installing a Mac-compatible PCI graphics card  The Apple/ATI Rage 128 found in the Blue & White G3s is a good choice, and it has 16 MBs of VRAM.  The PC versions of any of these older graphics cards won't function in your 4400, because they must be programmed with a Mac ROM.  More than 10 years ago, I bought several ATI Rage Pro (Mac) PCI graphics cards for use with my older Power Macs.  The cards had 4 MBs of onboard SGRAM and a slot to accommodate ATI's proprietary 2 or 4 MB SGRAM card.  I typically installed a 4 MB card, to provide 8 MBs of SGRAM.  It was a nice upgrade, over the onboard GPUs found in those models.  Check all of the memory DIMMs, to be sure that they're compatible: 64-bit wide, 168-pin unbuffered 3.3-v EDO (60ns), with a 1K or 2K refresh rate (4K isn't supported).  Is an L2 Cache card installed in the slot?  If so, make sure that it and the memory DIMMs aren't oxidized on the pins.  If so, gently clean them with a soft (white) eraser and blow off any rubber shavings, prior to re-installation.