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  1. mac27

    Kernel panics, freezing, and general boot failure on Power Mac G4 MDD

    Greetings folks, I could use some help diagnosing some weird behavior I am getting on a new-to-me G4 MDD tower. It is a dual 1.25 GHz model. Problem: The machine turns on, chimes, and seems to work normally, but does not ever boot all the way to the desktop. The system always either (a)...
  2. mac27

    PowerBook G3 Wallstreet/PDQ flaky power input jack

    Yes, that is correct. If yours is suffering from a similar intermittent-power issue and you're better at soldering than me then maybe you could fix it! Luckily this board comes right out without removal of the mobo (although it does require near-total disassembly anyways). Cheers!
  3. mac27

    PowerBook G3 Wallstreet/PDQ flaky power input jack

    I'm inclined to think that it was something physically wrong with either the solder or maybe some other connection(s) somewhere on the board, as once you applied pressure at certain angles it did send power through and the computer worked fairly normally. But it was just not possible/realistic...
  4. mac27

    PowerBook G3 Wallstreet/PDQ flaky power input jack

    Some good news - got the new (used) DC power / sound board installed, and that took care of this issue. No longer have to apply sideways and/or vertical pressure to the input jack. Success! Link to the seller/listing I used for this part: https://www.ebay.com/itm/396093134707 "New" (top)...
  5. mac27

    PowerBook G3 Wallstreet/PDQ flaky power input jack

    Thanks for the tip - after reflowing the connections on both this MLCC and also on both sides of the power jack, the condition has improved some but a degree of wiggling/coercion is still required. Could just be my lackluster soldering skills and equipment. I've got a tested-working...
  6. mac27

    PowerBook G3 Wallstreet/PDQ flaky power input jack

    Thanks for the link. It seems that this person had problems more to do with sound and display, rather than with getting the power jack to make the connection. But it is also good to see some documentation regarding the construction of a new PRAM battery, anyways. The fact that it takes...
  7. mac27

    PowerBook G3 Wallstreet/PDQ flaky power input jack

    Howdy folks, I could use another set of eyes on this PBG3 power board issue: I recently picked up a PowerBook G3 that works but has a flaky power connection at the DC input jack. The power connector has to be pushed and held in HARD for the machine to get power; as long as it's held like this...
  8. mac27

    Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh - restoration follow-up and documentation of a minor fix inside the PSU / base unit

    Documenting this very obscure issue - and the solution too - in case anyone else ever runs into a similar problem in the future: Earlier this year I did a full "restoration" on my Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh - I say "restoration" because the thing worked fine beforehand, but there was just...
  9. mac27

    Fun with TAM's. (upgrading Twentieth anniversary Macs with IDE SSD adapters, Sonnet CPU upgrades, BlueSCSI, and lots of love

    As I believe is mentioned in the iiiDIY video linked above, and also on the Macintosh Museum site, the issue is caused by some combination of (a) the uncoated spade connectors installed on the subwoofer at the factory, and (b) the pin header connections on the Bose amplifier board. These...
  10. mac27

    Tips for getting scratches out of G4 Cube and Studio CRT?

    The Novus 3-step polish is generally great for this. I've used it on numerous pieces from my collection with excellent results, including Power Mac G4s, iBook clamshells, my Cube, and this CRT. It's pretty easy to use; you just work your way through each of the three bottles until you achieve...
  11. mac27

    Walkthrough - Replacing the Optical Drive in a G4 Cube

    Very nice work. Thanks for the guide, going to keep this in mind for the future!
  12. mac27

    Troubles reinstalling OS 8.5 on SSD in G3 B&W

    Success at last! Fourth time's the charm... Picked up one of the IDE-to-SATA adapter boards with the red PCB (StarTech brand), and that finally did the trick. Was able to get OS 8.5 restored from CD and then upgrade to 9.1 from there. It has been reliably booting from the SSD every time (and...
  13. mac27

    Troubles reinstalling OS 8.5 on SSD in G3 B&W

    Thanks for testing all of this out, that is interesting. Coincidentally I ordered one of the red boards the other day so I'll try that out in the B&W and hopefully it'll work out. What models of iBook G3 and PowerBook G4 will you be installing those 2.5" IDE to mSATA adapters in? I've had...
  14. mac27

    Troubles reinstalling OS 8.5 on SSD in G3 B&W

    OK, pulled out the B&W again and tried this. Unfortunately no dice this way, either. I connected the SSD device to the "outer" bus and the optical drive to the "inner" bus, and I just got a blank grey screen. No cursor or activity on the drives. I tried various configurations of this (both...
  15. mac27

    Troubles reinstalling OS 8.5 on SSD in G3 B&W

    Referencing the two IDE buses that are next to each other (looking at the machine from the side with the door open), I used it on the one that the original HDD connected to on the left (with the short IDE cable) - is that the "inner" or "outer", I wonder? There were no jumper pins to configure...
  16. mac27

    Troubles reinstalling OS 8.5 on SSD in G3 B&W

    Following up on this thread with some further developments: Someone else also suggested that I try an IDE-to-SATA solution for the G3 B&W, so I decided to give that a try. Ordered one along with an mSATA-to-SATA adapter housing and a 64GB mSATA drive. Put it into the G3, and ... it didn't...
  17. mac27

    iMac G3 speaker replacement success

    Glad to hear it! Yeah, I figured they'd eventually come off with enough force but I lack a concrete floor to use. I've kept the old drivers so I can swap the shields over at some point in the future ... though the CRT doesn't seem to be visibly impacted by whatever magnetism is present. The...
  18. mac27

    Get this TAM while its overpriced

    Yeah, for me it has nothing to do with the speed of the machine, how useful it is/was, the screen size, or any practical considerations whatsoever. The keyboard is mushy and terrible, the display has become dim with age, and the plastics are so brittle they snap apart with just an errant...
  19. mac27

    Troubles reinstalling OS 8.5 on SSD in G3 B&W

    Interesting ... and somewhat validating that you are having the same issue, lol. Wouldn't be surprised if this is the case, but just thankful the 20330 does at least seem to work in *some* machines. And yeah, that other thread may be correct also but I guess I'll never know since this adapter...
  20. mac27

    Get this TAM while its overpriced

    Would *maybe* be worth half that if it had 100% of the original boxes and accessories, etc. But hey, at least it's not one of these units being advertised for literally $20k. LOL