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help - iMac appears dead :-(

Author	Topic
Flash Full Member Australia 637 Posts	Posted - 24 Sep 2003 : 01:51:32 So I have this iMac which has been working perfectly and now it won't boot up. Before I start to seriously attack it with screwdriver I thought I might lay out the symptoms and see if anyone knows the answer - hopefully saving me time and effort (leaving more time for drinking ) The iMac is a 233mHz Bondi version with 256MB RAM. It has been running OSX Server for the last 18 months and a couple of days ago it just stopped dead, and now it won't power up. I took the hard drive out and threw it into another iMac (to get a server running again) and I put a fresh HD into the dead mac. When I put it all together again and plugged in the power it made the classic 'bong' sound, indicating to me that at least everything on the motherboard is OK. However that is the last bong I've heard from it and it stubbornly refuses to power up. I am guessing that because it has been switched on 24/7 something has got a little too warm in the power supply. Having said that, when I do plug the power in I hear a nice hum from the power supply (as opposed to a bad hum, a buzz or nothing at all) Electricity is getting through - it's just a case of how far. If anyone thinks it's not the power supply and knows some tricks (like holding a paper clip on the programmers button while simutaneously pressing CMD+Shift+Opt+F+A+R+Q keys while whistling a merry tune) then I'd love to hear from you. And if it is the PSU, what's the easiest way to get it out of the iMac for bench testing? cheers Flash! Oh yeah, and the PRAM battery is fine (before anyone asks ) - - - - - - - - - - - - - A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it sure beats a blank stare for starting a conversation. 68k ParaMedic
maclover5 LC Doctor/Hot Rodder Australia 5830 Posts	Posted - 24 Sep 2003 : 02:26:23 Look here for the story about how i fixed my iMac when it showed similar symptoms: (Yes, i'm 333 Bliss over at this other forum) http://www.imacowner.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=71 "**** em" - Jobs in regards to customers Warrior maclover5 68kMLA Official 68kMLA Detective Number of 68ks Liberated: 7 Number of Contraband (PPC) Liberated from the Dumpster: 1
Flash Full Member Australia 637 Posts	Posted - 24 Sep 2003 : 07:51:40 Cool, thanks. I can't believe I forgot the CUDA switch. I'll be trying that out asap. - - - - - - - - - - - - - A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it sure beats a blank stare for starting a conversation. 68k ParaMedic
cory5412 68KMLA Comrade-in-Arms USA 4679 Posts	Posted - 24 Sep 2003 : 10:07:24 Did you say that you run Mac OS X Server on it? what version, and how well does it run? I have an iMac 233 with 96MB of RAM, and while 10.2 server runs, it's not the very fastest thing ever I almost went and got it back so's I could've used it to be my server... What do you serve with it? Is my real question... Official 68k videographer Official MLA TourGuide Editor of the MLAgazine "I'm just a normal computer geek who somehow landed a social life"
Captain Z Mobile Ops Commander USA 637 Posts	Posted - 24 Sep 2003 : 11:28:00 Do you get video at all? If your not getting video and power, I'd suspect the PAV board. I've seen a bunch of them go on older tray-loading iMacs at my old job. ------------------ Captain Z - Mobile Operations Commander 68K Macintosh Liberation Army 32 68K Macs Liberated *Beholder of the Prototype Stick of Justice!*
Unknown_K Full Member USA 602 Posts	Posted - 24 Sep 2003 : 14:26:36 Those old IMACs egt toasty dont they?
Da Penguin Senior Member USA 1094 Posts	Posted - 24 Sep 2003 : 14:50:07 Does the lil light turn to green? Mine stopped going green, ended up being a bad cpu. CUDA is also another big thing, mayhaps try ram too? It usually gives signs before going bad, but shrug ~The Penguin \| Want free 68kmla email? Drop me a line \| \| Captain, Intelligence Operations / Space Cowboy \| \| "The choice has been made, but now you must understand it" \|
maclover5 LC Doctor/Hot Rodder Australia 5830 Posts	Posted - 24 Sep 2003 : 17:06:01 quote: Those old IMACs egt toasty dont they? Not the tray loading ones....unless the fan dies. THEN you're in serious trouble. "**** em" - Jobs in regards to customers Warrior maclover5 68kMLA Official 68kMLA Detective Number of 68ks Liberated: 7 Number of Contraband (PPC) Liberated from the Dumpster: 1
Da Penguin Senior Member USA 1094 Posts	Posted - 24 Sep 2003 : 17:36:16 Yeah, my rev a runs fine. However, my Aunt's SE, with no fan, and she is a heavy smoker, deals death to it. The CRT is falling apart piece by piece, tis sad. ~The Penguin \| Want free 68kmla email? Drop me a line \| \| Captain, Intelligence Operations / Space Cowboy \| \| "The choice has been made, but now you must understand it" \|
cory5412 68KMLA Comrade-in-Arms USA 4679 Posts	Posted - 24 Sep 2003 : 21:31:53 ouchies, the iMac SEs weren't that bad machines either... I just hope my 233's fan doesn't die (and I would have no way of knowing if it did...) Official 68k videographer Official MLA TourGuide Editor of the MLAgazine "I'm just a normal computer geek who somehow landed a social life"
Flash Full Member Australia 637 Posts	Posted - 25 Sep 2003 : 23:07:08 quote: Did you say that you run Mac OS X Server on it? what version, and how well does it run? We are using Server 10.0.4 and it runs slow as a dog when you're sitting in front of it trying to do things, however it just sits in the corner and no one actually uses it as a workstation so in that manner it works very well. The location where the iMacs are used as servers is a small company owned by a friend of mine. They have a combination of Macs and PC's in their office and they wanted a centralized location to store their files that must be Mac/PC compatible and it must be cheap and easy to set up. Enter OSX Server 10.0 (a couple of years ago that is) They purchased a deal with a G4/533 and OSX Server for a few thousand dollars. The G4 was promptly put to use by the graphics guys, loaded with PhotoShop...etc. We then looked around for some cheap hardware for a server and at only a couple of hundred dollars an iMac is perfect for this, though a little quirky to set up (for example: you cannot load OSX onto a partition larger than 8GB and the system must be on the first partition of a partitoned hard disk - it took me quite a while to work that one out!) I like iMac servers because they take up little space and they have the built-in screen for when you are 'servicing' the server. I simply set up a share point that can be accessed via AppleTalk and Samba. That's it - we didn't want (or need at the time) to set up HTTP or FTP services. The server also ran FileMaker Server for their databases, and DHCP because most of the PC's are laptops and it's generally easier for us to leave them with dynamic addresses (because the users are not terribly brilliant at sorting out thir own network troubles on a Mac let alone a PC!) They purchased a new Mac recently and suddenly they had a spare iMac, so i said "great, let's make a server that we can use for FTP" Sure, we could have had FTP earlier, but I did not want to have the iMac with all their business data open to the world - even though I could set up permissions to prevent illegal access we simply did not want that iMac exposed. First thing i did was load OSX 10.2.6 over the 10.0.4 system on the Bondi box because 10.2 shares via Samba a lot more smoothly. And then on the spare 350mHz iMac I loaded Server 10.0.4 and set up FTP (also setting up appropriate ports on the ADSL router plus creating a www.dyndns.org account) It was about a week later when the Bondi box shat itself, so I swapped the HD from the Bondi to the 350 iMac, and now the Bondi box is sitting on the shelf behind me waiting to be repaired..... The iMac is sitting upside down with all the guts hanging out so that I can poke around, and I have just tried the CUDA switch but that didn't work I have removed everything and re-seated it and here's what's happening now... if I leave the Mac for ten minutes or so them try to power it up, it goes bong the HD starts to spin up and the screen clicks on - and then it just spontaneously stops. Now no amount of button pushing works. If i remove the PRAM battery and put a 20 cent piece between the terminals, re-insert the battery and try to boot nothing happens. But if I leave it alone for ten minutes and then try the power I get the bong, HD spin...etc then deadness. Hey Captain Z, what's the PAV board? goes off to google iMac service manual - - - - - - - - - - - - - A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it sure beats a blank stare for starting a conversation. 68k ParaMedic Edited by - flash on 25 Sep 2003 23:11:38
maclover5 LC Doctor/Hot Rodder Australia 5830 Posts	Posted - 26 Sep 2003 : 17:54:29 PAV Board = Analog/power/video board on the slot loaders. On the tray loaders, the power supply and analog boards are on different boards, so its called the analog board. "**** em" - Jobs in regards to customers Warrior maclover5 68kMLA Official 68kMLA Detective Number of 68ks Liberated: 7 Number of Contraband (PPC) Liberated from the Dumpster: 1
cory5412 68KMLA Comrade-in-Arms USA 4679 Posts	Posted - 26 Sep 2003 : 20:41:59 wowio... sounds like a coolness setup Jaguar and/or 10.1 server should run better (from what I'm told) locally at least... Official 68k videographer Official MLA TourGuide Editor of the MLAgazine "I'm just a normal computer geek who somehow landed a social life"
The Balance Of Judgement Senior Member Ivory Coast 1006 Posts	Posted - 26 Sep 2003 : 21:01:35 It sunds like the power distribution system is not working as planned. Perhaps it starts up but does a self test and powers down due to a failure. Lots of devices have such smart ability to avoid dangerous situations. But that's just a quick observation without any prior knowledge.
Da Penguin Senior Member USA 1094 Posts	Posted - 26 Sep 2003 : 22:21:25 Does the Hardrive stay spinning? and does it appear as though, or sound as though, the HD is being accessed? could be the MLB as well... ~The Penguin \| Want free 68kmla email? Drop me a line \| \| Captain, Intelligence Operations / Space Cowboy \| \| "The choice has been made, but now you must understand it" \|
Flash Full Member Australia 637 Posts	Posted - 27 Sep 2003 : 00:10:14 Nope, everything powers down at the same time. I am thinking along the lines of what BoJ said - I do not think that there is anything wrong with the hardware (screen included and associated circuits included), but that there is something wrong with the PSU. I reckon because of the age of the Mac and the number of running hours, some of the components in the PSU have degraded due to heat and either one of the protection circuits is tripping below it's normal threshold, or outright failure of one of the voltage regulators. When I get time to take it apart that's what I'll be looking for first anyway. Speaking of taking it apart.... does anyone know where I can get a service manual or a set of decent disassemly intructions? edited coz I can't speel or tipe Edited by - flash on 27 Sep 2003 00:13:27
The Balance Of Judgement Senior Member Ivory Coast 1006 Posts	Posted - 28 Sep 2003 : 11:02:56 I have a CD with service manuals, let me look yours up. What Revision iMac is it again?
cory5412 68KMLA Comrade-in-Arms USA 4679 Posts	Posted - 28 Sep 2003 : 11:38:13 LOL, it was a rev. A iMac or rev. B iMac, he said... (233MHz..) but ABC & D should be all in one manual... Official 68k videographer Official MLA TourGuide Editor of the MLAgazine "I'm just a normal computer geek who somehow landed a social life"
Flash Full Member Australia 637 Posts	Posted - 28 Sep 2003 : 19:43:26 Yep, it's the original Bondi 233 How many MB is the manual? - - - - - - - - - - - - - A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it sure beats a blank stare for starting a conversation. 68k ParaMedic
maclover5 LC Doctor/Hot Rodder Australia 5830 Posts	Posted - 29 Sep 2003 : 01:13:02 IIRC its about 10 - 20 meg. "**** em" - Jobs in regards to customers Warrior maclover5 68kMLA Official 68kMLA Detective Number of 68ks Liberated: 7 Number of Contraband (PPC) Liberated from the Dumpster: 1
Flash Full Member Australia 637 Posts	Posted - 30 Sep 2003 : 18:19:05 A little bit if an update.... it turns out that the flyback transformer on teh back of the screen is most likely shot. The iMac boots up if I don't have the internal monitor plug connected, and I've even been able to see the mac via AppleTalk! I haven't bothered plugging in a normal monitor yet but I am assuming that it would work. So here's the idea now - i completely gut the imac and put all the good bits into a box, or even better - into a 68k case! The procedure looks simple enough. I can use the iMac PSU coz it checks out OK (which means I don't need to convert an ATX PSU), and can extend the monitor connection and leave access to the USB and so forth. I have a question though: right next to the monitor out there is a 9 pin mini DIN socket labeled "NO SERIAL OUT" What the hell is that? Is it the Infra Red port? (incidentally the monitor out is labelled "NO MONITOR OUT" too) - - - - - - - - - - - - - A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it sure beats a blank stare for starting a conversation. 68k ParaMedic
maclover5 LC Doctor/Hot Rodder Australia 5830 Posts	Posted - 30 Sep 2003 : 19:02:41 Yeah, the 9 pin port is for the Infared module. As for why they're named "No serial out" and "No monitor out", I believe it was to scare people away from plugging their serial devices and external monitors into the iMac, and to get them to buy a more expensive Beige G3. "**** em" - Jobs in regards to customers Warrior maclover5 68kMLA Official 68kMLA Detective Number of 68ks Liberated: 7 Number of Contraband (PPC) Liberated from the Dumpster: 1
cory5412 68KMLA Comrade-in-Arms USA 4679 Posts	Posted - 01 Oct 2003 : 06:10:56 that original iMac probably wasn't designed for user servicing, as for mine, the rear cover has probabably already fallen most of the way off (farther than it was before, my iMac's rear cover is dysfunctional...) Official 68k videographer Official MLA TourGuide Editor of the MLAgazine "I'm just a normal computer geek who somehow landed a social life"

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