PB 3400c Startup Issue - It Doesn't

[AichEss]

As I continue to unpack a 3400c/Kanga stash stuff comes up that I don’t remember from when it all was put away.

Comes now a 3400c with a startup issue. It chimes, the HD spins up, it takes some time to check the RAM and the LCD backlight comes on - and that’s it. No Happy Mac, no HD reading sounds, nothing else. When I do the startup with a CD in the drive, the same routine; chime, the CD spins up and the activity light sometimes flickers early (as in to find if the drive is occupied) but no Happy Mac and not the first reading sound.

There are no beeps during the startup sequence. The 4-key PRAM Zap works as it should but doesn't make any difference, the cursor moves with the trackpad just fine, holding down the power key doesn’t produce a shutdown.

Are there any tricks to reestablish the startup sequence so it will go all the way?

Thanks

 

[CC_333]

Have you checked the hard drive ribbon cable?

I had a similar problem with a 12" Aluminum PowerBook (except I'd at least get the cursor and flashing question mark), and after tearing down and reassembling it more times than I can count, I *finally* determined that the optical drive's ribbon cable had failed, and it was somehow holding up the IDE controller and preventing it from seeing any drives.

Sometimes a hard drive which is mechanically OK (spins up and makes normal noises), but has bad electronics can also cause this problem, I've found.

Disconnect the hard drive and see what happens.

c

 

[AichEss]

Thanks cc

I've

switched HDs, keyboards, RAM modules, displays, power unit ...  

tried about every key combination I can hold down at the same time

searched "the literature" (aka Google) for guidance

all to no avail

Incidentally, I miswrote in the original posting - the PRAM Zap does not work at all. Holding the 4 keys down does not cause the startup recycle as it should so whatever is messed up is apparently before the nvram loads.

Still a NF PowerBook, still puzzled.

 

[Papichulo]

I had the same problem with 3400c did you take out the pram battery? They can leak

 

[AlpineRaven]

I've dealt similar issue you're having with one of 3400s I had - grey screen no mouse. It was caused by tiny leak from the PRAM battery around that area. 

I've had several of 3400s - the other symptoms for battery cancers on another 3400 I had was -

• Constant Shift key in whole time (it'll start up with extensions disabled, you cannot click on items as it'll select icons, even menus etc)

• Other 3400s HDD wouldn't boot, but it'll boot on floppy or CD ROM (even swapped the HDD and HDD cables etc)

• Other 3400s - no display, but I could see via external display.

• Other 3400s - will not power on.

Cheers

AP

 

[AichEss]

Thanks papichulo and AlpineRaven

I had the same problem with 3400c did you take out the pram battery? They can leak

The PRAM battery is the first thing out of a 3400. On this one I don't see any obvious signs of leakage. Most often the PRAM leak hits at least the video connector on the logic board but the joinings (whatever you call them) are nice and shiny and getting the backlight encourages me to look for something else.

I've dealt similar issue you're having with one of 3400s I had - grey screen no mouse. It was caused by tiny leak from the PRAM battery around that area. 

I've had several of 3400s - the other symptoms for battery cancers on another 3400 I had was -

• Constant Shift key in whole time (it'll start up with extensions disabled, you cannot click on items as it'll select icons, even menus etc)

• Other 3400s HDD wouldn't boot, but it'll boot on floppy or CD ROM (even swapped the HDD and HDD cables etc)

• Other 3400s - no display, but I could see via external display.

• Other 3400s - will not power on.

Cheers

AP

I have the carcasses of several 3400s which are now lacking the logic board (recycled). It seems that PRAM leakage can affect most any function of the computer with the weirdest results.

I'd basically given up on the project until you two brought it up again so let me try something out.

I only have a basic notion of the mechanics of the startup sequence from what you can see and hear in a normal startup: chime, RAM check (beeps/no beeps), IDE activated (HDD/CD motion noises), video activated (backlight), Happy Mac appears, HDD/CD read sounds, and away it goes. It seems here that something doesn't happen between the step where the video is activated and the arrival of Happy Mac and I wonder if there could be a ROM chip issue. That the nvram reset (command-option-P-R keys at startup) doesn't work (no restart) also points my thinking in that direction. And here I am in way over my head; I don't even know which is the ROM chip. Does this sound at all logical?

Thanks again,

AichEss

 

[Papichulo]

Noo idea thats why i gave up and sold the parts for it. The board has capacitors also that mabie should be replaced?

 

[AlpineRaven]

Noo idea thats why i gave up and sold the parts for it. The board has capacitors also that mabie should be replaced?

those caps are generally ok - so no...

Cheers

AP