Ibook G3 troubles

Hello, i need help finding whats wrong with my ibook. sometime it works, sometimes it doesnt. one of problems is that it has trouble turning on. id say about 80% of the time i cant turn it on, only the caps lock button is green, and nothing else is going on. whenever i do get it on, i get error 95 when trying to use disk utility or anything like that. and finally, i cant connect to my wifi network. help would be appricaited

It sounds like it could be the logic board or some sort of power issue. Do you have any original install disks? If so insert the disk and hold D for the apple hardware test.

I'll try that as soon as it wants to start up, which should be sometime soon

Try inserting the disk, then rebooting holding D. I don't think it actually needs to boot to launch the hardware test.

I already tried, nothing showed up

yoboibilliam said:

Hello, i need help finding whats wrong with my ibook. sometime it works, sometimes it doesnt. one of problems is that it has trouble turning on. id say about 80% of the time i cant turn it on, only the caps lock button is green, and nothing else is going on. whenever i do get it on, i get error 95 when trying to use disk utility or anything like that. and finally, i cant connect to my wifi network. help would be appricaited

Click to expand...

When you press the power button to start it up...do you get the startup chime? This is assuming that you are starting it up from a non-powered on state.

- Nick

Nope, all i get is the caps lock button turning green and thats the only response

yoboibilliam said:

Nope, all i get is the caps lock button turning green and thats the only response

Click to expand...

Are you sure the sound volume isn't muted? It is possible for the sound to be muted when you try to start it up...and then you wouldn't hear any start-up chime.

Also...what do you see on the screen when you try to start it up (after pressing the power button)?

- Nick

just a blank screen like it turned off, and im pretty sure that it isnt muted because i had it working the other day and i had the volume up because i was watching a youtube video seeing if the sound did work

but sometime i do hear faint static from them if i put my ear up close

Ok...thanks for the info. I just wanted to make sure that it wasn't something relatively simple like a bad hard drive.

Not hearing the startup chime is bad...you should almost always hear some sort of start up chime when you start a Macintosh computer (unless the startup chime has been muted...which is possible to do). There is a "good" chime & a "bad" chime...and I guess in your case...no chime.

So here are two thoughts:

1. Sometimes the display illumination goes bad...so be doubly sure that if you look at the display at various angles...that you don't see a faint shadow of something.

2. As mentioned earlier in this thread...you may have a bad logic board. Especially since you said that everything was fine a couple days ago.

If the logic board is bad...you can pretty much forget about fixing this computer...just too expensive. And of course the computer is getting power, since the green light on the caps lock is working

The fact that you do not get a startup chime...and no display illumination...these are two bad things.

By the way...what model iBook G3 are we talking about here? What's the cpu speed? Is it one of the white G3 iBooks...or the older "fruit-colored" G3 "clamshell" iBooks?

- Nick

Its a white dual usb ibook g3. im not really sure of the cpu speed. if it is the logic board, what kind of ibook/powerbook should i get? id like to keep it under 150$ because there is no way i could buy something over that.

yoboibilliam said:

Its a white dual usb ibook g3. im not really sure of the cpu speed. if it is the logic board, what kind of ibook/powerbook should i get? id like to keep it under 150$ because there is no way i could buy something over that.

Click to expand...

The "dual-USB" iBooks were in the 500-600mhz range.

When you say, "what kind of ibook/powerbook should i get?"...do you mean:

- to get parts to fix your current iBook?
- or as a replacement for your current iBook?

- Nick

as a replacment, i dont need anything remakable just something that can get through all of my papers for school and hopefully lasts 3 or 4 years

yoboibilliam said:

as a replacment, i dont need anything remakable just something that can get through all of my papers for school and hopefully lasts 3 or 4 years

Click to expand...

Last 3-4 more years! lol These things are already 10 years old...and you want 3-4 years out of another one! I'm just teasing...if one of these older iBooks or Powerbooks gets the job done for you...then that's ok.

But to be more serious...because of their portability...laptops get abused a lot more than desktop computers...then add years & years & years of use...and you end up with a busted iBook like your's (worn out just due to age & use). So if you buy another one of similar vintage...who knows how long it will last.

So are you saying that your maximum budget is around $150?

- Nick

yeah im only going into 9th grade this year so im still a year away from being able to get a actual job. And if i do get a older laptop im hoping it will last two years, i know 4 years is a long shot haha.

yoboibilliam said:

yeah im only going into 9th grade this year so im still a year away from being able to get a actual job. And if i do get a older laptop im hoping it will last two years, i know 4 years is a long shot haha.

Click to expand...

So we're talking a max of $150 budget? A while ago I actually bought a 500mhz G3 iBook like your's for $40 bucks...but that was a really good deal...and it was a little beaten up (but it did fully work).

For $150 bucks...you would be surprised how much better of a used Apple laptop you can get. It's hard to say exactly what models to look for...but I wouldn't be looking at anything slower than 1.0ghz cpu speed.

You have to keep your eye's open on your local Craig's List for the best deals...and you have to look often (like 5-10 times/day or more). Otherwise good deals will be posted, folks will buy them, and the seller will delete their post before you even see the post for the 1st time.

Sometimes e-Bay...but it's tough to get a good deal on e-Bay...since there's so many other people bidding against you.

You also want to get an iBook or Powerbook with Airport already built-in...so you will have wireless networking/internet.

HTH,

- Nick

thanks for your help, i got this one for 80$ around 3 years ago. i guess ill just have to keep looking on craigslist. but thanks alot though, i appricate the help and ill definatly have to get on here more often when i have mac questions

For $150, you should be able to pick up a 1.33 or 1.42GHz iBook G4, which should be able to do everything that you said you need. As Nick said, keep an eye out on your local craigslist, eventually a deal will turn up. I paid $130 for my iBook over a year ago now and it's been very reliable.

Good luck. Hopefully you won't have to look too long!

- Nick