Dead LCD.. just want to make sure

kimouette · Aug 10, 2011

Hi everyone,

I have this good old Powerbook G4 12" that is now letting me down! While my boyfriend was playing a game the computer screen suddenly became black but while looking carefully, and at a certain angle only, we could still see the computer was running normally and could even see the cursor while moving the mouse. So I managed to go to the apple menu and shut down the computer.

I took off the battery and pressed the power button for 5 seconds, and powered it on while pressing Command, Option, P, and R and waited till it made the boot sound 3 times and the computer was back to its main page. But the screen was still black! I plugged my computer it into my tv and there I could see everything was running perfectly.

So my question is... Should I buy a new LCD or is there something else I should try? I'm asking because, like I said, the screen is black but we can still "see"... it's just lacking some light I guess, so I'm not 100% sure if buying a new LCD will solve the problem.

Kim

louishen · Aug 10, 2011

Either the ribbon connector has come loose, but more likely a dead screen, but LCDs usually start deteriorating first before they go south, so check the insides first

dtravis7 · Aug 10, 2011

It's either the Inverter that powers the Back Light in the LCD or the Backlight itself.

Like Louishen said it also could be the Ribbon but being it's an older Powerbook, I figure either the Backlight died or the Inverter. I will see what Info I can find for you. I should have the service manual on that 12" Power Book.

Can you give us some specs? CPU speed especially as there are a few different 12" PB's.

EvenStranger · Aug 10, 2011

Sounds like the LCD itself is ok, but the backlight has failed. A PowerBook G4 12" is a beast of a computer to work on - my least favorite Mac from a service standpoint. The repair is going to cost more than the computer is worth. If replacing the unit isn't an option now, consider connecting an inexpensive display to it.

kimouette · Aug 11, 2011

Here are the infos about my computer (sorry it's in french!)... if you guys find any sor of DIY repair or simple ways to test which part of the hardware is failing, please let me know!!

Code:

Nom de l’ordinateur :	PowerBook G4 12"
  Modèle d’ordinateur :	PowerBook6,4
  Type de processeur :	PowerPC G4  (1.1)
  Nombre de processeurs :	1
  Vitesse du processeur :	1.33 GHz
  Cache de niveau 2 (par processeur) :	512 Ko
  Mémoire :	1.25 Go
  Vitesse du bus :	167 MHz
  Version de la ROM de démarrage :	4.8.3f1



  Modèle de jeu de puces :	GeForce FX Go5200
  Type :	Moniteur
  Bus :	AGP
  VRAM (totale) :	64 Mo
  Fournisseur :	nVIDIA (0x10de)
  Identifiant du périphérique :	0x0329
  Identifiant de révision :	0x00a3
  Révision de la ROM :	2086
  Moniteurs :
Écran à cristaux liquides couleur :
  Type de moniteur :	LCD
  Résolution :	1024 x 768
  Profondeur :	Couleurs 32 bits
  Intégré :	Oui
  Core Image :	Géré
  Miroir :	Activé
  État du miroir :	Miroir matériel
  Connecté :	Oui
  Quartz Extreme :	Géré
NTSC/PAL :
  Type de moniteur :	CRT
  Résolution :	1024 x 768 @ 60 Hz
  Profondeur :	Couleurs 32 bits
  Core Image :	Géré
  Entrelacé :	Oui
  Moniteur principal :	Oui
  Miroir :	Activé
  État du miroir :	Miroir Master
  Connecté :	Oui
  Quartz Extreme :	Géré
  Télévision :	Oui

chscag · Aug 11, 2011

Make sure you read and understand Post #4. There is no simple DIY for a PowerBook G4 12" machine. You can take a look at the repair break down at either iFixit: The free repair manual or Mac Repair - Mac Parts and Service for Apple Macbook, iPhone, iPad.

Dead LCD.. just want to make sure

kimouette

louishen

dtravis7

EvenStranger

kimouette

chscag

Well-known member

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