Mac PowerPC 7200/90

I have a PowerPC 7200/90 that has been a work horse. I have a small sign business and this computer has all my work on it. This morning the startup chimed and the monitor started and then went dark. The monitor light stayed on, bu the monitor is dark.
Any advice on how to fix? This would be devastating to lose this computer.
Any advice will be welcomed - thanks in advance

Dave

Any advice will be welcomed - thanks in advance

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Well gee Dave, it's hard to know where to start to advise you.

And I'm guessing you don't have any sort of backup or bootable clone??? :-(

I'm thinking you may have to do things in steps to get back and working with your data and I'd suggest getting a used later model for now with a Mac that you can use or migrate your HD data and that runs nothing newer than Mac OS X 10.5.x. I'm guessing at what apps you might have been using.

Even a G3 or G4 would do for a start, and nothing later than an early 2011 iMac.

Hopefully the old hard drive is still operating so that the data can be rescued and salvaged.

I'd suggest that your beloved PowerPC 7200/90 has died and not worth repairing, but I would also suggest you get hold of a good Mac tech or service dealer to help you unless you're a good savvy Mac tech yourself.

There are too many variables to address here, and the problem could even just be a dead PRAM battery which is replaceable for under $10.00usd.

I hope this helps and good luck.

PS: Did you read about this site closing??? Check the stickies.





- Patrick
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May not be the computer...could be the monitor that has finally went south.

Also...if this all this work on this computer is VERY important...I sure hope you have all that data backed up on a 2nd drive. If it's still running on it's original HD...this computer & HD are pushing 22 years old...and that HD could fail at ANY time.

- Nick

May not be the computer...could be the monitor that has finally went south.

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+1.

I missed the most obvious… I forgot they were separate devices…




- Patrick
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And worse yet Patrick...very possibily an old heavy CRT display which do tend to get "flakey" with age. Lol

- Nick

pm-r said:

Well gee Dave, it's hard to know where to start to advise you.

And I'm guessing you don't have any sort of backup or bootable clone??? :-(

I'm thinking you may have to do things in steps to get back and working with your data and I'd suggest getting a used later model for now with a Mac that you can use or migrate your HD data and that runs nothing newer than Mac OS X 10.5.x. I'm guessing at what apps you might have been using.

Even a G3 or G4 would do for a start, and nothing later than an early 2011 iMac.

Hopefully the old hard drive is still operating so that the data can be rescued and salvaged.

I'd suggest that your beloved PowerPC 7200/90 has died and not worth repairing, but I would also suggest you get hold of a good Mac tech or service dealer to help you unless you're a good savvy Mac tech yourself.

There are too many variables to address here, and the problem could even just be a dead PRAM battery which is replaceable for under $10.00usd.

I hope this helps and good luck.

PS: Did you read about this site closing??? Check the stickies.





- Patrick
======

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hi Patrick -

I looked on Ebay and there are old Mac Power PCs for sale. I will try and get one and migrate the info. It is not the monitor because I took another monitor and hooked it up and it does the same thing. The computer still boots up; I know because I can turn it off by hitting the start button and the chime tells me it signals a shut down and when I hit return it does shut down.

Thanks for your response - I appreciate it!

Hi Nick -

It is not the monitor because I tried another monitor and the same thing happens. The computer boots but I have no signal to the monitor.

Thanks

Dave57 said:

Hi Nick -

It is not the monitor because I tried another monitor and the same thing happens. The computer boots but I have no signal to the monitor.

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Ok...good. If that info was mentioned in post #1...I would not have suggested it. If it's not the monitor (not sure what type of monitor you have)...there is the small possibility that it could be the video cable from the computer to the monitor...but this would be rare.

I do not believe that the Powermac 7200/90 had a separate video card...which means that the video hardware was soldered onto the logic board. If this is the case...then the issue is logic board related (a replacement logic board would be needed)...and at this point...replacing a 1995 computers logic board in 2018 just isn't worth it (may not be able to find one...and if found...it would be expensive).

Which leaves us with the suggestion Patrick made above...you need to purchase another computer of relatively similar vintage...swap the hard drive from the non-working Powermac 7200/90...and install it into the differnet computer.

- Nick

Dave57 said:

I looked on Ebay and there are old Mac Power PCs for sale.

Click to expand...

I just did an eBay search...and surprise...surprise...there's actually a Powermac 7200/90 logic board for sale for $38 bucks + shipping. And a couple working Powermac 7200/90's for around $100 each.

Lots of options!

- Nick

Which leaves us with the suggestion Patrick made above...you need to purchase another computer of relatively similar vintage...swap the hard drive from the non-working Powermac 7200/90...and install it into the differnet computer.

Click to expand...

That, or I was thinking more as the replacement would probably be newer and with a newer HDD, that it would be a good time to use Migration Assistant if it's available (OS X Lion OS X 10.5.x and later) or using Target Disk Mode as it seems to be just the graphics that's gone kaput.

Lots of options!

Click to expand...

Understatement!!!



- Patrick
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Thanks Nick - this is what I will do. I will take this advice and i am searching for a compatible computer.

The best to you, I appreciate your sharing of knowledge.

dave