Charlie Ruggiero
- 2001.05.16
Q: My Mac will not power up. Apple repair technicians want $60
just for looking at it. That's more than I want to spend,
considering there is no guarantee that they will find the problem
or even be able to repair it! Is there anything I can do besides
paying the high repair prices?
A: Not everyone can diagnose Macintosh problems, especially
hardware problems. Even if you can figure out what is wrong, how do
you fix it? If you figure out how to fix a hardware problem, where
do you get the parts? I will look at three categories of repair for
three different groups of people: beginner, intermediate, and
advanced. First, however, I will start with some information and
tips that should help everyone.
No Startup
When computers do not power up, even the most advanced users can
become puzzled. What do you do with your computer when it does
nothing? At least when it boots, it can give you hints at the
problem source, and you can interact with it, but you can't run
Norton or run Apple's Hardware test when it doesn't boot. It almost
seems like a dead end, but it rarely is. There are four common
problems that will cause a Mac not to boot.
First: The power cable is not plugged in or there is something
wrong with the power. This sounds dumb, but many people will
accidentally turn off their power strip, or someone will unplug it,
or the power plug is dead. Check all those things. Never assume a
power plug works either.
Second: The battery on the motherboard has run out of power.
Surprisingly, this can cause a computer not to boot or cause it to
exhibit very odd behavior. You can order batteries online at many
places or go to your local electronics store (like Radio Shack). If
you show them the battery, they can order it if they don't carry
it.
Replacing the battery is usually very easy and costs only about
$10. There are a few computers out there where it's tricky (like
the Power Mac 7100 and similar
Centris and Quadra models). The
battery usually has a plastic snap-on cover over it. You can see
the battery (usually purple) through the hole in the snap-on cover.
Remove the cover and pull the battery out.
Be sure to follow proper grounding techniques when you are
touching the insides of your computer. Always turn the
computer off before removing or changing anything inside your
computer.
Third (for intermediate or advanced users): Disconnected cables
(inside and out), partially connected cables, unseated PCI/AGP/PDA
cards, unseated RAM, and other similar connections. Go through your
motherboard (following safety measures for static) and check all
the connections. Gently push down on SCSI or IDE cables, make sure
the PCI cards and RAM are not on a tilt.
Fourth (for intermediate or advanced users): Some piece of
hardware is damaged. RAM seems to be very susceptible to damage
from static electricity and power surges. Pull out the RAM, one
stick at a time, to see if the computer's starts.
Sometimes the power supply will burn out or the fuse will blown
in the power supply. Unless you have some electrical engineering
skills, you may have to buy a new, used, or refurbished power
supply. Disconnect hardware that is not essential to the computer's
operation and see if it will boot. If it does, add them back one by
one until you find what is wrong.
Basic Troubleshooting
Beginner: Try to find someone who has an interest in Macs
and has used them for a long time. See if they can offer any help
with your problems. Do not let just anyone touch your computer,
however. Try to get a feel for their knowledge.
Check online discussion groups, sites like this one and Accelerate Your Mac! have significant
amounts of technical information for a wide variety of Macintosh
computers. You can also check Apple's technical information
database. You can search by keyword and usually find some common
problems that may be specific to your computer.
Check the cables on the outside of the Mac to see if any are
loose are disconnected.
If you still can't solve your problem, shop around for the best
price on computer repair. Try to get an estimate for the repairs
that need to be done so you can be sure buying a new computer or a
similar used computer does not cost the same amount.
Intermediate: Research help online to see if you can find
out what the problem is. A lot of the trouble shooting techniques I
mentioned above apply to intermediate users and above, as they
require dealing with the motherboard. If you find something like
removing your USB card makes the computer boot, then get a new USB
card or send the old one in for repair if it is still under
warranty.
Try taking out RAM chips one at a time and switching their slots
around. If you can, test your hardware in another similar
Macintosh. Check cables both inside and outside of the Mac. Cables
can come loose and cause a short which could keep your computer
from booting up.
Advanced: The power supply may be dead. You can often
find refurbished power supplies online. If you think it is the
motherboard, you can sometimes find them on eBay or
at a Mac retailer who sells
parts. Buying them through an Apple repair place can cost way
too much, and that's if they even are willing to sell it to you
without installing it in themselves.
One of the best places to find companies with Mac parts are in
the back of Mac magazines. Searching the web can be a pain because
of the great number of computer parts stores - and few are Mac
specific.
If you plan on getting a replacement motherboard, be sure to
check revision numbers. If you have a revision three Beige G3 motherboard and replace it with a
revision one, you are going to end up with a different video chip
and loss of the ability to slave IDE drives. This applies to other
hardware as well - be sure you get something that is going to work
with the hardware you already own.
If you have the equipment, check to see if there is power going
from the power supply to the motherboard. Make sure your computer
is not bogged down with too many peripherals. If your PCI slots are
full and you have four hard drives and two CD-ROMs, you may have
overtaxed your power supply.
Here are some general trouble shooting tips for everyone:
- If the computer powers up but does not boot, try resetting PRAM
(cmd-option-P-R). Boot from a CD (hold down C while booting) and
try to reinstall or repair the hard drive.
- Hard drive errors can account for a lot of strange problems.
Check your drive with professional repair software before writing
the problem off as hardware damage.
- Don't assume the program crashing is the program's fault. It
could be the operating system or something in the background, or
even a hardware problem.
- Always back up your computer before attempting trouble
shooting. Sometimes trying to fix your computer can cause more
problems.
Charlie Ruggiero has used a lot of Macs, from Plus to G4, and
even ran a BBS (remember those?) on a Plus. He works as Macintosh
tech support and technology advisor for the College of Education at
Michigan State University. He does a lot of hardware and software
troubleshooting, as well as a great deal of video editing, capture,
and streaming. Charlie is well versed in HyperCard, fairly
knowledgeable in Future Basic, and has a good background in sound
and video. He even has his own site, Edge of Heaven.
