I had my 9600 just kinda sitting around gathering dust for a while until I could find a replacement CD drive...I finally got one the other day, popped it in, and everything seemed alright. But then it stopped putting out video. I've tried multiple CUDA resets, running with and without a PRAM battery, moving the video card (it's a Rage 128 PCI card) to different PCI slots, running the system with just the video card and nothing else connected...and nothing seems to work. I thought the video card was dead but then I put it in my beige G3 and it worked just fine, so the problem must be in the 9600 itself. At this point though, I'm out of ideas...
-
Hello MLAers! We've re-enabled auto-approval for accounts. If you are still waiting on account approval, please check this thread for more information.
Troublesome 9600 won't put out video...
- Thread starter EvieSigma
- Start date
Are you getting a good start-up bong? And then no video?
This is a long shot and should not help if you've really let it sit without a battery (and unplugged), but reset the NVRAM by doing the key combination, ***before*** the start-up bong. Apparently, the machine does a different reset depending on whether it sees the key combo before or after the bong. At least, I've observed different repeatable results.
Failing that, have you tried the video card both in one of slots 1 - 3, and in one of slots 4 -6? I've seen these machines with poorly soldered PCI arbiters or clock buffers, but that should only affect three slots at a time unless two components failed coincidentally.
I would also take a multimeter to the power supply connections and verify that you actually have 5V and 3.3V. I've seen a failed board with a 3.3V to GND short in one of the major chips.
Oh, have you tried swapping memory sticks and CPU cards? There's no on-board memory on the 9600.
This is a long shot and should not help if you've really let it sit without a battery (and unplugged), but reset the NVRAM by doing the key combination, ***before*** the start-up bong. Apparently, the machine does a different reset depending on whether it sees the key combo before or after the bong. At least, I've observed different repeatable results.
Failing that, have you tried the video card both in one of slots 1 - 3, and in one of slots 4 -6? I've seen these machines with poorly soldered PCI arbiters or clock buffers, but that should only affect three slots at a time unless two components failed coincidentally.
I would also take a multimeter to the power supply connections and verify that you actually have 5V and 3.3V. I've seen a failed board with a 3.3V to GND short in one of the major chips.
Oh, have you tried swapping memory sticks and CPU cards? There's no on-board memory on the 9600.
I haven't tried slots 4 to 6, I'll have to try them. RAM isn't an issue, the machine worked fine before (well...aside from having a dead optical drive) with the exact same RAM in the exact same configuration it has now. Bongs just fine and bongs every time I power it up. The reset PRAM key combination doesn't seem to be working though, I must be timing it wrong. Command-Option-P-R right?
What's the pinout for the power supply so I can check the pins? I've got a multimeter around here somewhere.
What's the pinout for the power supply so I can check the pins? I've got a multimeter around here somewhere.
Last edited by a moderator:
Might be weird off topic - check the CPU slot for either some object stuck in there, or bent pin. I had that problem in my 8600 that was doing my head in for 3 weeks (thinking it was SCSI card, RAM, everything was swapped and or to bare base system (got myself another CPU thinking it was the fault) until I realised I didnt check the slot and that was the problem..
Cheers
AP
Cheers
AP
Yes, CMD - OPT - P - R is correct.
If you get the keys down before the bong, it should wait a few seconds and bong eventually.
I don't remember the pinout to the PS, but you should be able to find it with a search. There may still be a conversion to ATX article over at xlr8yourmac.com which gives the pinout.
Check the voltage with the power supply connected and the machine powered on. That way, if there is a short, you should see a low voltage on the supply pins, although, if it were a dead short, the PS would probably turn itself off.
If the keyboard isn't working, it is also possible that the CUDA chip has gone south. I've seen that on one or two machines, but that should not prevent the machine from booting, I think. Unless the system is waiting to communicate with the CUDA and it's never responding.
Probably wouldn't hurt to remove and reseat the RAM and the CPU card. Those CPU sockets get a little twitchy with age, especially in the towers where the card is mounted sideways and so presses on the side of the socket.
If you get the keys down before the bong, it should wait a few seconds and bong eventually.
I don't remember the pinout to the PS, but you should be able to find it with a search. There may still be a conversion to ATX article over at xlr8yourmac.com which gives the pinout.
Check the voltage with the power supply connected and the machine powered on. That way, if there is a short, you should see a low voltage on the supply pins, although, if it were a dead short, the PS would probably turn itself off.
If the keyboard isn't working, it is also possible that the CUDA chip has gone south. I've seen that on one or two machines, but that should not prevent the machine from booting, I think. Unless the system is waiting to communicate with the CUDA and it's never responding.
Probably wouldn't hurt to remove and reseat the RAM and the CPU card. Those CPU sockets get a little twitchy with age, especially in the towers where the card is mounted sideways and so presses on the side of the socket.
Holding down C to boot off CD seemed to be working earlier and the power key on the keyboard still turns the machine on so I'm not thinking there's any keyboard issues. I'll try reseating the RAM and CPU, moving the video card down to one of the bottom three slots, and using the key combination.
I managed to get video out again, but something is definitely wrong. Plugging in the ATA card killed the video out the first time, and also the machine isn't booting properly. Instead of a blinking ? icon floppy, I'm getting just a blank floppy icon. No chimes of death, just...nothing.
EDIT: Somehow I got the system to at least attempt a successful boot. It gave me the Happy Mac and then went to a blank gray screen.
EDIT 2: I got this blank bomb error box...I don't even know what this is at this point.
https://i.imgur.com/dlntMGr.jpg
EDIT: Somehow I got the system to at least attempt a successful boot. It gave me the Happy Mac and then went to a blank gray screen.
EDIT 2: I got this blank bomb error box...I don't even know what this is at this point.
https://i.imgur.com/dlntMGr.jpg
Last edited by a moderator:
I have seen that when a CPU socket had gone a little wonky -- but there could be many many others causes.
I would try cleaning the pins of the CPU card, probably with 91% isopropyl alcohol or similar.
And, carefully, take a piece of card stock (like a 3 X 5 card) fold it in half, wet the fold with alcohol and gently, carefully, insert it in and out of the CPU socket. Do not do anything that might bend a pin. I've had disagreements with those sockets and I never win.
I would try cleaning the pins of the CPU card, probably with 91% isopropyl alcohol or similar.
And, carefully, take a piece of card stock (like a 3 X 5 card) fold it in half, wet the fold with alcohol and gently, carefully, insert it in and out of the CPU socket. Do not do anything that might bend a pin. I've had disagreements with those sockets and I never win.
This probably won't help you but just in case. I have a Beige G3 that when I first turn it on gives a chime but no video and no boot. If I hold down Cmd + Option + (keyboard) power button it will reset and then boot normally. This unit has an aftermarket CPU card so it could definitely be related to your daughter card.
Cleaning the CPU card and socket got rid of the bomb errors and for now I'm consistently getting video...but I still can't boot anything. Most of the time, the floppy icon doesn't even come up, and when it does it doesn't blink or anything. I've tried 2 CDs so far and neither booted the machine, even though I hear the computer trying to read the CD.
