IBook G4 Power Problem

I've been combing the discussion boards and the problem I'm having doesn't quite fit with the posts I've found so far.
I packed up my laptop this morning and brought to work (I teach at a college) and when I pulled it out of the sleeve this evening to get ready set up for a class where I use Keynote slides, I discovered that when I plugged the power cord in, the light was green when it should have been orange (the computer had been sleeping when I packed it up).
The next think I knew, the screen had gone black. I rebooted, the blue screen appeared blue and everything was normal until the menu bar in the Finder slid into place and then the screen got really, really dark. I could see iCal opening up, but I couldn't see where the cursor/arrow was.
After trying a number of things related to resetting the battery, I don't know what else to try. Here's how my iBook is functioning at the moment.
When the computer's sleeping the white light is pulsating and the power cord turns orange. When I hit "return" and wake it up the power cord light goes green and things crank up, the screen is readable for a second and then I can barely see anything. After not more than 10 seconds, the computer powers down and sleeps again. My iBook doesn't seem to be taking inputs from the alpha/numeric keys either, but I plugged in the keyboard from my desktop and that worked. Likewise a USB mouse moves the cursor when the track pad doesn't want to respond. I can quite applications that opened at Login, and I can get iTunes to play. It's not overheating....
I'm almost at my wits end because I just don't know what could have gone wrong between packing it up this morning and unpacking it several hours later. I've never had trouble like this before!

if your computer is going to sleep before you login, then it will not be an energy saving preference associated with the user. then it might be a firmware or pmu issue.
you should reset the pmu :
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=14449
you should also reset your firmware:
- boot to open firmware by restarting and at startup chime, hold down appleoption+OF
- release keys when you see the white screen with text
- then type " reset-nvram " , then press " enter"
- then type " reset-all " , then press "enter"
- your computer will then restart
this may resolve the issue.
if all this fails, then i would archive and install the OS just to try it out before sending it in for repairs

Similar Messages

Fixing iBook power problem

I wanted to share an experience I had fixing my son's iBook for a problem that seems common on this forum. The power light on the end of the charging cable was not always indicating the right color. The charging icor in the menu bar was often giving the wrong indication showing no AC adapter was attched, even though it was. Wiggling the connector or applying pressure on it to one side would cause the light and icon to show correctly but as soon as the sideways pressure was removed from the connector, it would act up again.
I suspected mechanical damage internal to the iBook so I used a take-apart guide (http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Mac/iBook-G4-12-Inch/83) and removed the small power board, called the DC-In board in the referenced guide, that the charging connector attaches to. By looking at it with a magnifying glass I was indeed able to see that the solder had cracked on several of the pins that attach the power connector to the board. Using a soldering iron and some fresh solder I was able to touch up all the solder joints. When I reassmbled the iBook, it was working perfectly again.
I realize this type of repair is not something everyone can perform for themselves. But for those who can, consider it. And for those who can't, use this as a big clue where to tell a technician to look to fix the problem, assuming your iBook is having similar symptoms.
I'll stop short of calling this a product defect on Apple's part, but looking at this design mechanically and critiquing it, I can see why Apple went to Magsafe.

Wow excellent detective work and fix. I'd suspected this problem on a lot of posts.
I don't know if I'd blame Apple on this, people walk away, trip over that cord all the time and the constant plugging and unplugging. I think Magsafe is a great solution. I don't see anyone else doing that.
Richard

IBook G4 power cord - plumbers' thread?

iBook G4 power cord - It only works part of the time. I'm pretty sure the problem lies in the connection between the prong piece that you can take off and the converter. If I wrap plumber's thread around the male part of the converter to make a tighter fit with the prong piece, will it transmit current better? It's hard to buy replacement parts for this cord.

Hi, and welcome to Apple Discussions.
Is this what you need?
http://www.amazon.com/Apple-PowerBook-iBook-Square-Power/dp/B00110BG92/ref=pd_bx gy_e_text_b
I'd be a little afraid of messing around with the connections for fear of making something overheat.

User Contributed Tips, iBook G4 Power, Battery and your iBook G4 forum

*The following User Contributed Tips are located in the iBook G4 > Power, Battery and your iBook G4 forum:*
None at this time.
*The following related tips are located in other areas of Apple Discussions:*
neuroanatomist - Apple notebook batteries – maintenance and troubleshooting
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1764220
Publish date: Oct 23, 2008
See Also User Tips Library

For anyone experiencing the same issues, I wanted to post a supplementary and final post on this issue.
Several days in with the 253 cycle battery, I noted the following:
1) The iBook breezed along with the power connected. Essentially it was back to its old self.
2) Unplugged, it developed occasional freeze tendencies when the power dipped below 40-50%.
3) The iBook passed every test I threw at it. I could find nothing obvious in any of the logs to suggest a hardware problem (other than a kaput battery).
Almost certainly its probably a power issue although I suspect the HD may not have years of useful life. I swithered about replacing the battery with a new Apple battery, a NewerTech battery or another 3rd party replacement battery. After some thought, we bit the bullet and retired the iBook and we now have a white unibody MacBook. Depending on its saleability, the iBook may well be destined to live on as an entertainment device/traveling Mac as it is still a solid performer for lighter tasks.
Upshot: when your iBook starts behaving weirdly, take a look at the battery health.
Thanks
Gareth

MacBook Pro Power Problems.

My MacBook Pro is exhibiting power problems. I am running Yosemite and it seems that the problem may have arisen since I dowloaded this upgrade. When the battery is charged it shows 99% charge and I can use it on battery power. As normal with use the charge gradually reduces, say to 30%. I then switch off using either the on/off button/apple logo, waiting for the dialogue box, " do you want to switch off etc". The next day, I switch on, but the computer will only boot up when the power lead is attached. When the computer comes on, usually as normal, the charge always shows 0%. When it is recharged the whole process repeats itself. Help please.

Hi,
Thanks for responding. My MBP is late 2009 and the battery has never been replaced. When I look at battery condition, it registers as normal, as it does when I do the power checks you suggested. When I plug in the power cord it glows green and within a few seconds it is on amber, until fully charged. I've done the SMC reset. I noticed this morning that after using it last night the battery capacity was 93% and an expected duration of about 5.5 hours was listed. After limited use this morning, restricted to email admin only, the charge level had dropped to 88%, but the predicted duration was only 2.75 hours. Currently the level is 73% and the duration is 3 hours, although I have accessed the web several times. Presumably there is some sort of algorithm that looks at current usage and predicts the duration. I will continue to monitor this to see what happens. In the meantime if you have any more thoughts!!!
Regards
Roger

Hard Disk or Power Problem

I have a Powerbook that I have had for many years now. Recently it hasn't been booting up. I hit the start button and it chimes like it usually does but the screen and hard disk don't do anything. Sometimes it does boot up but it doesn't start easily. When it does boot sometime freezes when I go through the login and when loading the desktop but once the desktop is loaded it works fine until it goes to sleep. I just bought a new battery for it this summer. I have been reading though the Discussions and I figure my computer is either having power problems when starting up or I need a new hard disk. Any thoughts?

You will find step by step directions at iFixit. Note that your computer does not have the EMI finger referred to in the directions. Also, be especially careful with the tiny screws in the sides on the computer. You don't want to strip the heads or it will be very difficult to get them out. Here are few tips you may find helpful:
• Print out the ifixit directions as well as the screw guide ahead of time.
• Be sure you have the right tools. You don't want to damage the screw heads or you may never get them out. And the Torx screw driver is critical. For a spudge I use the handle of an old toothbrush (choose one made of hard plastic), cut off the brush and beveled the handle end like a flat blade screw driver). For some spudge jobs a credit card will do the trick.
• Click on the pages of each step which involved removing screws to enlarge, then print out the pages. Poke holes in the paper where the screws were removed, poke the screws in the holes and stack the pages in order in which there were removed. Reassembling is a lot easier. No cups to tip over and spill. No guessing. Each screw is exactly in the right place. You can use an ice cube tray, egg carton, dixie cups etc. I previously used small medicine cups one for the screws in each step. I nested them so that the last ones out and the first to go back in are on top. (Some users report cutting up the screw guide and placing the applicable section in each container.)
• Be very careful pulling out leads. Hold the lead as close to the plug as possible and wiggle (the plug ) to loosen its grip. Don’t hold the wires and pull as that can damage the cable, or worse, in some instances pull the wires out of the plug. Indeed, some users have pulled the socket off the logic board! Use needle nose pliers or tweezers if you can access the plug, or nudge the plug with a small instrument to help loosen its grip.
• Use force gently in removing parts. Separating upper and lower case takes some doing. Use a plastic tool (spudge) so as not to leave marks.
• Refer to the screw guide when reassembling computer. Putting longer screws in the wrong place can perforate the circuit board.
So will I be able to put the OS and everything on by the installation discs?
Yes you will. Indeed you may be able to clone the contents of your current HDD to the new HDD by placing the drive in a firewire enclosure and formatting and cloning the new drive before installing it in the computer. If you have data you need to backup and have a sound installation on your current HDD this might be an option to consider.
When you get your new HDD it will need to be formatted before you can install the OS on it. If you need directions for formatting and installation, I can post step by step directions here for you. Let me know.
Good luck.
cornelius

Power Problems - MacBook Pro

My MacBook Pro is exhibiting power problems. I am running Yosemite and it seems that the problem may have arisen since I dowloaded this upgrade. When the battery is charged it shows 99% charge and I can use it on battery power. As normal with use the charge gradually reduces, say to 30%. I then switch off using either the on/off button/apple logo, waiting for the dialogue box, " do you want to switch off etc". The next day, I switch on, but the computer will only boot up when the power lead is attached. When the computer comes on, usually as normal, the charge always shows 0%. When it is recharged the whole process repeats itself. Help please.

Howdy rcoo26,
It sounds like there’s an issue turning your MacBook Pro on when it isn’t connected to power, and the battery doesn’t seem to be holding a charge. The article below provides information that can help you troubleshoot the battery in your notebook.
Mac notebooks: All about batteries - Apple Support
If there isn’t an issue with the battery, try the general troubleshooting tips in this article:
If your Mac won't turn on - Apple Support
Cheers,
-Jason

My bookmarks are lost after turning off the computer unexpectedly (power problem),how can it recovers?

My bookmarks are lost after turning off the computer unexpectedly (power problem),how can it recovers？ Thanks a lot !!!!
我的书签在电脑突然被断电之后全部丢失了，我该怎么办呢？？谢谢啦！！~~~~

This can also be a problem with the file places.sqlite that stores the bookmarks and the history.
* http://kb.mozillazine.org/Locked_or_damaged_places.sqlite
* http://kb.mozillazine.org/Lost_bookmarks

Intermittent power problem Canon 5D Mark iii

My Canon 5D Mark iii (2 years old) has an intermittent power problem, as described below. It may simply be a question of cleaning the terminals that the battery connects to. I haven’t tried since I can’t reach them at the bottom of the battery compartment.
Details as follows:
this is a recent problem in the last 3 weeks
the problem occurs with all three Canon batteries that I use
from time to time when the power is on, the camera suddenly loses all power and displays an “empty” battery image
sometimes it happens of its own accord while no demand is being placed on the camera
but more usually it occurs at the moment of focusing (I use back focus on the * button)
it is often fixed by turning the power off and then on again. This fixes it half the time
it is always fixed by turning the power off, removing and then re-inserting the battery
needless to say this is very annoying!
Since coming back from a trip, while transferring images from the camera to my computer, I noticed that the (almost) full battery started showing “empty”.
The transfer was completed successfully, and when the camera was disconnected from the computer, the battery showed that it had lots of charge left. Very puzzling!

It sounds like either the battery terminals aren't getting a solid contact or there's a fault (something loose or grounding out) inside the camera. But if something were genuinely loose or grounding out inside the camera, then power cycling or even re-inserting batteries would probably not fix it -- which makes me suspect it's still something outside the camera.
Are any of the batteries new, or are they all about the same age as the camera?
Batteries only last a few years but it'll depend on how they were used. In other words if all three were used about the same and enough charge cycles to be at the end of their reliable life... it might be time to replace them.
It's difficult for the internal battery terminals to get dirty unless the battery itself had something on the battery iteself when you inserted it. You can try a bit of denatured alcohol on a cotton swap to reach in and clean the terminals. Also, inspect the batteries to make sure they're all clean.
Tim Campbell
5D II, 5D III, 60Da

IBook blueberry Battery Problem since Upgrading from 10.3 to 10.3.9

Hi, although I read through the tons of posts regarding this subject, the offerred solutions did not help.
I reseted the PMU, I tried running Battery Reset under 9.2, I recalibrated the BatteryManager so far I could, I drowned the Battery - still: The Battery has 0% and is "charging". but the iBook does not work running only on battery.
Is this software related, so that I have to go back to something earlier than 10.3.9?
The battery is fine and working when used under 9.2 and 10.3. Is it impossible to use 10.3.9?
Thanks for your help!!!
MacBook Pro 15,4 2GHz Mac OS X (10.4.7) almost new

Hi Sue, Are you using the iMac install disc on your iBook? The firmware on the iBook is different and will not be reconized. Did you migrate your iBook to your iMac? I can run a clone of my iMac on my iBook with no problems via firewire. So I think it is possible to do a restore from your iMac to your iBook and upgrade that way...But make a back up just in case!!!!
Glynn

I'm trying to run Pandora on my iBook G4 power pc

I'm trying to run Pandora on my iBook G4 power pc. When I open Pandora a pop up box appears saying I need to download Adobe Flash 11.1. My iBook will not run or install that version. Any help you can give will be much appreciated

Thanks Braby,
Well the answer is I don't know. I'm so confused now. I downloaded the uninstaller and uninstalled somthing and or one of the Flash versions. I can't tell which. It won't open anything I download. I says Adobe won't support 10.1 or 9. What they have done is just make my G4 obsolete. Not right.
Thank you so much for trying to help, but I think I'm just SOL.

Mini Power Problem

My mini (2009, Intel core2 duo, Snow Leopard, up to date) has a power problem. Perhaps it has overheated.
It shut down unexpectedly, without warning.
I try to start it by pressing the power button. The power light turns on briefly. there is no chime. Then the light goes out.
I tried resetting the SMC. No effect. I tried holding the power button in. The light stayed on for several seconds, then flashed rapidly 10 times, and turned off.
I have given it over half an hour to cool, and placed a fan behind it to help.
No change.
Thoughts?
Other minor points. I upgraded the RAM and hard disk 6 months ago. No problem.
It is running dual monitors, Wireless is turned off, ethernet is on, and I have a speaker plugged through the firewire port. But I tried disconnecting everything and restarting naked. No help.
I'll try again now... nope. Please advise.

Next bit of data. The chime does not happen. That seems to have been a single occurrence. I've opened the mini, and see the internal green LED on the motherboard is lit. When I hit the power button, then may be a tiny whirr. I'm not sure whether it is the disk or a fan. But it lasts a fraction of a second, then the main external power light goes out, and the motherboard green light also goes off, then comes back on. I'm thinking there may be a big power draw (disk drive? Fan?) exceeding the power available, and it shuts off. Possible?

NX6800 Ultra T2D256 Power problem...

I have read all threads I can find on the NX6800 Ultra T2D256 but can't find the solution. I keep getting the "power down because not enough power" error at the start up of XP Home. With the Thermaltake Purepower 560w ps, I'd think it is more than enough to power this card. I have installed the card in my son's computer and he get's the same msg. I have made sure the pins are tight and making contact, it's set up on one rail, and I have tried every combonation I can think of. I called Thermaltake and they say it should run the card fine so they are sending me a replacment ps. For some reason I just don't feel the replacment will do it. Could it be the card? Or is it the slow AMD 2100 CPU? I don't what that would have to do with the power problem of the video card though... I'm pritty sure everting is up to date but I could have missed something...
Any suggestions would be appreciated...
Oooops... no sig line...
Avalanche
A7V600-X mobo
OCZ 512 x 2 duel channel mem
AMD XP2100 CPU
T-take ps 560w (Silent Purepower)

Ok, I will try the 2 power cables again and I take it that nothing else but the card should be run on those 2 lines?
Also, that leaves me with only 2 power lines to run 2 cd/cdr, 2 HD's, and 1 floppy. I also have 5 case fans.
Now can you point me to an explination of what "replacing all the AGP/Gart drivers and doing a driver clean on the NVidia drivers" is?
I am running the ATI 850Pro on that computer right now so I know to un-install the ATI drivers of course before installng the NVidia card. I have never heard of "Gart" and didn't know there were seperate AGP drivers from the mother board drivers...
Still got a lot to learn and thank you for all your help...

Ibook portable power adaptor

The cords on the power adaptors seem to wear out at either or both ends. The break in the cord is so close to both the plug and, or the power brick that a solder is not possible. The plug comes apart and with a little shrink tube and epoxy is back in service but I can't get the brick apart without some serious damage. Any one have a technique to separate the halves of the brick? Thanks

The only ways I've seen (online repair hints) to open the plastic case
has been to pry the halves apart; and some home repair persons have
used tape to put the halves together again, to make a repeat job easy.
+Which model iBook do you have, requiring further AC adapter repair?+
That was noted in a few site pages, showing duct tape holding the sad
little plastic halves together in an awful unsightly unfashionable way...!
Repairing a PowerBook G4 45w AC Adapter (same as 12" iBook G4s)
http://www.farlowstudios.com/2007/02/repairing-a-powerbook-g4-45w-ac-adapter/
Inside the 65w PowerBook/iBook G4 adapter:
http://homepage.mac.com/morganreid/Menu2.html
iBook G4 Power Adapter DC Plug repair - how to:
http://repair4laptop.org/contrib/appleibook/ibook_charger_plugrepair.html
Some other ideas and links to content, including non-mac:
http://repair4laptop.org/notebookpowersupply.html
For my iBook G4, I have three adapters. An early white 45w with non-grounded
two-pin wall plug on a long cord, a later white 65w with long cord and toggle head;
& an unused original adapter sealed in plastic that came with my mid-2005 iBook.
So far, the two in use do nicely and look almost like new. The third one still is new.
Hopefully the link contents help.
Good luck & happy computing!

Is ibook g4s power adaptor and ibook g3 snows power adaptor same

hi.im buy a ibook g3 snow but it doesn't have a power adaptor.so i wanna buy a ibook g4's power adaptor.is is ibook g4s power adaptor and ibook g3s power adaptor same?

it will work but it is not advisable, ibook g3 requires a rating less amperage than the G4 and therefore comes with a 45w power supply (1.85 x 24.5 V) not 65W (2.65 x 24.5). Using the 65W the battery will wear out first and the logic board will be subjected to greater sress reducing life itself

IBook G4 Power Problem

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