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My computer is dead.....right?

Posted: 2004-08-19 11:51pm
by Shadow WarChief
Well, after entering it's state of brain-deadness, and the ensuing "recovery" my computer now refuses to turn on....AT ALL. I push the power button and the thing just sits there dumb as a stump. I've done the usual, unplug+replug...but that didn't help.

So is my computer completely fucked, or is there an everso slim chance in hell of it being repaired?

It's not TOO big of a problem if the answer is "no". I'm leaving for college in St. Louis tomorrow morning, so I'll have a brand new computer up and running anyways. But there were files that I was working on, and put quite a lot of effort into (5,000 words) that while of minimal "real" importance (sci-fi debate related), I would really rather not type out again

Posted: 2004-08-20 12:13am
by Alferd Packer
Well, it sounds like your mobo's fried. There's a chance your hard drive is undamaged, so you take that out, slave it in your new computer, and see if you can save your files. Bada-bing.

Posted: 2004-08-20 12:16am
by Ma Deuce
It could be a problem with the power supply, but of course I can't be sure...

Posted: 2004-08-20 12:32am
by Kamakazie Sith
Ma Deuce wrote:It could be a problem with the power supply, but of course I can't be sure...
That'd be my guess. I would check that first before going out and getting a new computer.

edit* - Unless of course he has been waiting for an excuse to get a new computer! :D

Posted: 2004-08-20 12:38am
by Shadow WarChief
College is all the excuse I needed to get a new comp ^_^


And my computer is a mac G3, in case that makes any difference to the diagnosis.

Posted: 2004-08-20 12:41am
by Alferd Packer
Oh, shitter. I'm a dumbass about Macs, especially fixing them. My advice: ask someone else. :D

Posted: 2004-08-20 01:11am
by Praxis
I HIGHLY recommend the Macworld forums. They're professionals and can help fix it.

A few things.
A) If you're getting a new Mac, just rip the hard drive out of the old one, and stick it in an external hard drive case, or if you're getting a mac tower, put it as a second HD. What kind of new computer are you getting?
B) Just a guess. Did you attempt to install OS X on an OS 9 iMac, before it died? It's a common problem that if you install it on an older iMac and don't update the firmware first, the MONITOR won't work when you turn it on, and appear to be dead.
C) Try resetting the PRAM. It helps sometimes. You have to hold down a key combo and turn the power on, and hold until you hear 4 or 5 chimes. I *think* the combo was Alt-Apple-P-R
D) If neither of these solutions are good, try Macworld.com


BTW, Macs use the same standard parts as any other PC, except with an IBM or Motorola processor instead of Intel or AMD, for you people who think you have no clue how to fix a Mac ;)

Posted: 2004-08-20 01:31am
by Shadow WarChief
Praxis wrote:I HIGHLY recommend the Macworld forums. They're professionals and can help fix it.

A few things.
A) If you're getting a new Mac, just rip the hard drive out of the old one, and stick it in an external hard drive case, or if you're getting a mac tower, put it as a second HD. What kind of new computer are you getting?
I'll be getting a PC, so no go. I'll be 3,000 miles away anyways. It's not like I'd be able to do it even if I did get a mac. My parents on the other hand hypothetically could do it....but they have the computer skills of infants. It'd be safer if they just took it in.
Praxis wrote:B) Just a guess. Did you attempt to install OS X on an OS 9 iMac, before it died? It's a common problem that if you install it on an older iMac and don't update the firmware first, the MONITOR won't work when you turn it on, and appear to be dead.
As a matter of fact I did. When my computer was brain dead (turned on, but would just sit there with a question mark flashing on the screen), I booted off of the OSX CD (even though it ran on 9.1) and installed X. I then switched the disk back to 9.1, ran some first-aid programs, and (apparently) fixed the problem. It's been on 9.1 since.

Praxis wrote:C) Try resetting the PRAM. It helps sometimes. You have to hold down a key combo and turn the power on, and hold until you hear 4 or 5 chimes. I *think* the combo was Alt-Apple-P-R
Didn't work
Praxis wrote:D) If neither of these solutions are good, try Macworld.com
aye aye.

Posted: 2004-08-20 02:00am
by Praxis
Dang :(

Specifically, try this section of the forum (for Mac hardware):

http://www.macworld.com/forums/ubbthrea ... Board=UBB3

Posted: 2004-08-20 03:19am
by Drooling Iguana
So nothing at all happens when you turn on the power? The CD-ROM drive doesn't spin up or anything? The fans don't come on?

Check to see if there's a master power switch in the back of your computer. I'm not sure if Macs have 'em, but I know a lot of PCs do. Make sure that the circuit breaker on your surge protector didn't get tripped or switched off. It's often the simple things that you forget about. At any rate, try plugging another electricapl device into the surge protector to make sure that works.

If all that fails, then it's probably a problem with your power supply.