IBook G4 AirPort broken, will not reboot

Question

Hello.
I recently recieved an iBook G4 12-inch 1.33GHZ (2005) from a family member. Today, I turned it on. Tried to connect to my wifi but got a kernel panic. They were aware of this problem and that is why they were getting rid of it. I reinstalled OS X 10.4.2 with the original install discs, but the wifi still gave me a kernel panic. I put it to sleep once, then woke it. I put it to sleep again, but then it simply would not wake up. I rebooted from the Install DVD and reinstalled OS X... again! This time it would not reboot from the hard drive- it only worked when I inserted the install DVD and selected the hard drive as the startup disc. Now, I rebooted it. I hear the sound, CPU, and CD drive, but no hard drive noise. I have had this issue a lot when trying to get it going. I did some research and the AirPort card can be problematic with this model. I am fine with using a USB dongle for wifi, but I want my computer to reliably start up when I want it to! So, what should I do when I turn on my iBook and the hard drive does not start and AirPort crashes the computer?
Thanks,
Rmich1731

Answer 1

Someone familiar with reading & understanding the Kernel Panic logs, could probably be able
to connect the cause to the Wi-Fi card. In the iBook G4 12-inch 1.33GHz + 14-inch 1.42GHz
models the card also supplies Bluetooth as well as 801.11 wireless frequencies.
•Technical Note TN2063: Understanding and Debugging Kernel Panics:
https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/technotes/tn2063/_index.html
•Mac OS X: How to log a kernel panic - Apple Support
•Resolving Kernel Panics - troubleshooting:
http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/kernelpanics.html#Anchor-Troubleshooting-49575
This card was noted to be a cause of kernel panic and some users were able to disconnect
the card, then use a USB wireless adapter (when available, years ago, USB2) for wi-fi.
So the cause of the Panic is probably the hardware related issue some of these get.
{A company such as wegenermedia.com or powerbookmedic could probably perform
some repairs. While in the shop, other upgrade or repair could be done for little extra
labor costs, since computer would be apart on the bench. These can use an upgrade
to SSD such as legacy OWC ATA version, & replace HDD, to speed things along.}
Back to the kernel panic...
The repair requires a take-apart since this wireless card is essentially on the bottom
of the logic board held there by a small screw or two, & it has a tiny connector there.
With that carefully detached, the computer should no longer kernel panic. It also would
have no built-in wireless support for BT or wi-fi.
Good luck & happy computing!