KGD

Q: Erraneous Display (iBook G4 12")

I am suddenly getting this erroneous display where all or part of the screen is highly pixilated.  Is it the display that may need replacement or perhaps some wiring needs changing?

 

ibookg4.jpg

iBook, Mac OS X (10.4.11), 1.2 GHz G4

Posted on Sep 25, 2014 10:45 AM

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Q: Erraneous Display (iBook G4 12")

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  • by K Shaffer,Solvedanswer

    K Shaffer K Shaffer Sep 25, 2014 12:58 PM in response to KGD
    Level 6 (14,244 points)
    Desktops
    Sep 25, 2014 12:58 PM in response to KGD

    There is a possibility the graphic processor may have issues;

    in some model builds iBook white G3 and G4, there were a

    few solder joint problems and a re-flow or reball fixed them.

     

    What happens if you go through the PMU reset sequence?

    •Resetting PowerBook and iBook Power Management Unit (PMU)

     

    There also is a PRAM/NVRAM reset; this page changed recently

    to show Mavericks info, but the instructions should be the same:

    •OS X Mavericks: Reset your computer’s PRAM

     

    However, to see if the internal display is at fault, you could

    test the graphic processor with an external display via an

    adapter; if you have one or can find the correct one for this.

     

    The display is the last link in the chain, so it may not be defective

    if the backlight and liquid crystal panel both appear to be OK.

    The data getting there appears to be corrupted due to some

    defect, that may be more involved to troubleshoot than repair.

     

    For a modest fee, there still are companies who do most repairs

    on almost all Apple portables with rarer models an exception due

    to parts and systems availability issues. wegenermedia and

    maybe powerbookmedic, among others. However, for sake of

    more practical usefulness, the MacBook series 2006-2010, is a

    better investment if one has no need to run Legacy Mac OS apps.

     

    The sites powerbookmedic and ifixit.com have guides to look into

    the complexity of most repairs in these tightly-packed portables;

    a problem with a repair, is the possibility of further damage that

    results from attempting to solve the first known problem...

     

    Good luck & happy computing!

  • by KGD,

    KGD KGD Sep 25, 2014 2:33 PM in response to K Shaffer
    Level 2 (499 points)
    Video
    Sep 25, 2014 2:33 PM in response to K Shaffer

    I plugged in the external monitor connector and all works fine now. - both displays.  I also discovered that I need to keep this unit due to the legacy PPC software - older versions of Dreamweaver and Fireworks in particular.

  • by K Shaffer,

    K Shaffer K Shaffer Sep 25, 2014 3:02 PM in response to KGD
    Level 6 (14,244 points)
    Desktops
    Sep 25, 2014 3:02 PM in response to KGD

    Good to hear there is a hopeful outlook to that situation.

    Would not hurt to reset the PMU, or the PRAM.

     

    With older portables, the cable to the display from the

    body of the computer can become weak, so the inverter

    cable and/or inverter (or reed switch/cable, on some)

    can contribute to some issues. Usually winking out.

    The display would usually go black or lose data and

    stay white, a result of flexing the display lid, if so.

     

    So there could likely be a weak item somewhere in the

    graphics circuitry to consider in the future. A specialist

    such as wegenermedia can repair most issues in-house

    but they are in the state of SC. Worth a flat-rate box and

    padding, or whatever their suggested method, if shipped.

     

    Hopefully you can get fair use, and back up all content

    before having the unit serviced. Perhaps a full clone.

     

    Good luck & happy computing!

  • by KGD,

    KGD KGD Sep 25, 2014 3:08 PM in response to K Shaffer
    Level 2 (499 points)
    Video
    Sep 25, 2014 3:08 PM in response to K Shaffer

    How would I reset the PMU or PRAM?

  • by K Shaffer,Helpful

    K Shaffer K Shaffer Sep 25, 2014 6:27 PM in response to KGD
    Level 6 (14,244 points)
    Desktops
    Sep 25, 2014 6:27 PM in response to KGD

    These blue links to Apple Support articles cover those topics,

    per my previous post above where first mentioned...

     

    What happens if you go through the PMU reset sequence?

    •Resetting PowerBook and iBook Power Management Unit (PMU)

     

    There also is a PRAM/NVRAM reset; this page changed recently

    to show Mavericks info, but the instructions should be the same:

    •OS X Mavericks: Reset your computer’s PRAM

     

    Hopefully these can help, or maybe further diagnose the issue.

    Good luck & happy computing!

  • by KGD,

    KGD KGD Sep 25, 2014 6:38 PM in response to K Shaffer
    Level 2 (499 points)
    Video
    Sep 25, 2014 6:38 PM in response to K Shaffer

    Thank you so much!