Author Topic: Is my computer about to blow up? EXCITING new development (Read 15230 times)

Blahh Bamm! · « **Reply #25 on:** August 21, 2009, 12:41 »

have you done the Apple hardware test? Find the disc(s) that originally came with your computer, insert the disc (it will have something like AHT version 2.3 on it) and restart while holding down the C key to boot from the disc. If you have lots of RAM this test can take a while, maybe 45 min/gig of RAM, your fans will run really loud during this test.

Video cards for old G5s are hard to come by and expensive, often it is easier and better to get a new computer than to find a new card. You can find modded cards on ebay but they ain't cheap.

I would also replace the little internal battery that saves date and time info, often they can be found at Radioshack for 2 or 3 bucks.

Good luck!

goldenangel · « **Reply #26 on:** August 21, 2009, 15:30 »

If you used the same cable to connect to your laptop as well, then it might be the output connector of the G5. You might want to check the pins on the connector to see if there is a loose or dirty one. Of course, as Whitechild said, it could be the cable from the graphics card to the output connector or the card itself. Cleaning all the contacts from the graphics card to the monitor might help.

ShadySue · « **Reply #27 on:** August 22, 2009, 03:59 »

Quote from: whatalife on August 20, 2009, 20:46

Over the past few days my monitor has started to act crazy. It will jerk horizontally, suddenly widening and then narrowing the screen and then going back to normal. The frequency seems to be increasing today. Needless to say, it's kinda difficult to work.

I had exactly that with an Iiyama monitor. I took it to the repairer who said it was a loose wire, but two repairs didn't seem to fix the trouble and I gave up on the monitor. Mind you, the computer more-or-less packed up not long afterwards, so I guess the jury is out. :-(

bittersweet · « **Reply #28 on:** August 24, 2009, 22:35 »

Okay so here's the deal... I took the majority's advice and went ahead an ordered a new graphics card. It's nothing fancy, but I got a good deal on it at Other World Computing, and for $99 I figured what the heck. It's supposed to be here tomorrow morning. The monitor issues continued the same as what I described until about an hour ago.

The computer just shut down. The came back on. Then before it could fully power up, shut down again. Needless to say I was running full sprint across my office to kill the power strip because this is not a good thing for a computer to be doing.

So... now I'm hooked up to my laptop and coming to ask you tech geniuses... do you still think it is a video/graphics card problem?

Jack Schiffer · « **Reply #29 on:** August 25, 2009, 04:52 »

The computer just shut down. The came back on. Then before it could fully power up, shut down again

Sounds like power supply over heating problem, shuts off when hot turns on when cool. Make sure your fan in the power supply is turning
if not that's you problem

lisafx · « **Reply #30 on:** August 25, 2009, 08:15 »

Wow, this saga just keeps getting better (worse!). You have my sympathies. Computer problems drive me absolutely NUTS!

Might be time to call in a pro. Do you have any good computer repair shops in your area? I know there aren't many around these days, with computers being considered disposable now, but a good "geek" is worth having on call.

bittersweet · « **Reply #31 on:** August 25, 2009, 09:52 »

Quote from: Jack Schiffer on August 25, 2009, 04:52

The computer just shut down. The came back on. Then before it could fully power up, shut down again

Sounds like power supply over heating problem, shuts off when hot turns on when cool. Make sure your fan in the power supply is turning
if not that's you problem

When I was initially trying to diagnose the problem, I installed a temperature monitor to rule out overheating. It wasn't.

So ... after I posted last night I disconnected my external Firewire drive and hooked it up to my laptop so that I can work and then went and dug out the Apple Hardware Test disk (as suggested above, and which was not an easy task since I haven't seen it in five years). I plugged the power cord back into the computer, ready to jerk it back out if it started going crazy... but it didn't. It started up fine and stayed that way. I was able to pull the remaining items off my computer that I needed for the job I'm working on (thank goodness!) and then restarted from the AHT disk. After a one hour and seven minute scan, it came back with the results that everything is fine.

Actually, the AHT does not diagnose non-Apple hardware ... so I started thinking, what was different between when the computer was shutting down and when it started up fine again? My new theory is that it is not the video card at all, but the PCI card that I installed 3 or 4 years ago for my Firewire drive. When the drive was connected, it was wreaking havoc and caused the shutdown, but once it was disconnected, the problems only manifested in the original issue of monitor weirdness. Is this even a possibility??

I could be completely off base of course, but that is my next project, to take out the PCI card and see if the monitor problems go away. But I can't do it for a couple of days because of my crazy deadline that I'm now behind on. I'm just grateful that I have a backup computer!!

And Lisa... there aren't too many Mac doctors around. Luckily this is the first time in my entire Mac life of 20+ years that I've ever felt the need to have one. I've always been able to troubleshoot and fix it on my own, though admittedly this is by far the worst thing I've ever dealt with. I'll do a bit more tinkering on my own before hauling it up to the geniuses.

Thanks again to everyone who has been brainstorming trying to figure this out!! I really appreciate it.

Dreamframer · « **Reply #32 on:** August 25, 2009, 16:28 »

Now I think the problem is in power supply of your computer. Can you turn back the new graphic card you just bought? This kind of image disturbances are often connected with power supply (mostly the power supply of the monitor) but the fact that your computer turned off automatically tells me the problem is in power supply of the computer.)

Blahh Bamm! · « **Reply #33 on:** August 26, 2009, 11:59 »

Have you checked on Apple's support forum? Some of the older G5 towers were shipped with crap power supplys, I think there is a recall for some.

Unplugging your comp when it is starting up probably isn't a good idea, try holding down the power button till it shuts down, neither option is a good one $:-\$

USB connections are tricky for the G5 as well, if you are running something kind of exotic(other than a mouse and keyboard) it could be causing problems, doubly so if the hardware comes with software.

you can also try unseating your pci cards, basically unplug them and put em back in. Make sure you ground yourself before messing around too much in there or you could fry some of your components, just touch the outside of the metal case.

Also replace the small battery that saves date and time, on the older model i think it is near the pci cards, the newer ones have it by the RAM.

Fun!

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