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Question Profile
| DATE | Sep 18, 2007 |
| TICKET | #334660 |
| STATUS | Closed |
| SUBJECT | PowerMac G5 Won't Boot |
| CAT | Computers, Operating Systems, Applications or Connected Devices |
| TYPE | Computer Hardware (RAM, Drives, Video Cards, Motherbaord, CPU, etc) |
| DESC | Power Supply |
| DESC | |
| PLATFORM | Apple Macintosh (PowerPC G3,G4,G5) |
| MODEL | PowerMac G5 |
| PROC | 2.0 GHz |
| RAM | 1 GB |
| DRIVE | 120 GB |
| NAME | Andrew |
| USERNAME | shut.down |
| TECHNICAL | Little Experience |
| ISSUE | Some Troubleshooting |
Question Details
TICKET ARCHIVE -> PowerMac G5 Won't Boot
shut.down - Sep 18, 2007 - 2:39 am
I recently brought my PowerMac G5 Dual Processor 2.0 GHz out of storage to hook it up for the new school season. To my surprise, after hooking up all the bells and whistles, I pressed the power button only to receive a clicking and then a click off. The screen doesn't even try to come on. I opened it up and when I clicked the power button the fans tried to kick on but then were stopped. My friend told me to reset the PSU but to no avail. I then took out the lithium battery, waited 10 minutes and put it back in to try again and nothing.
Basically, I just need to know if my computer is fixable. This seems like a serious problem, and although my G5 is semi-old, I don't think she's that old. Any help would be great as otherwise I will be selling my beauty for parts.
Perhaps the battery is dead somehow (Not laptop battery, but small lithium one inside). Maybe the power supply is bad? Thanks in advance for all your help.
Basically, I just need to know if my computer is fixable. This seems like a serious problem, and although my G5 is semi-old, I don't think she's that old. Any help would be great as otherwise I will be selling my beauty for parts.
Perhaps the battery is dead somehow (Not laptop battery, but small lithium one inside). Maybe the power supply is bad? Thanks in advance for all your help.
Stuartpau - Sep 18, 2007 - 6:16 pm
HI I really would not call your dual 2Ghz G5 out of date, not by any means.
I still have 2 of them and the both work just fine.
I also have a couple of the MacPro's and a Mac Book Pro.
The G5 might be down but should not be out.
You are heading on the right track with the PRAM battery and that should be replaced, usually one avery 3 t o4 years, however it should not stop your computer from booting although it may give it some difficulties whilst tryig to boot.
Most Radio Shacks carry the battery you need and you can definitely get one on the net and you definitely should do this.
Now as to getting it to actually boot up, there are some things that can be done here.
When you reset the PSU, can you tell me exactly what you did, as this is really important.
What you are supposed to do is
disconnect absolutely everything from your Mac except the monitor mouse and keyboard, this includes the Power cable(Having the Power cable disconnected is probably the most important part).
Then you will have to open the computer remove the right side cover and all the clear plastic bits and remove the fans.
If you have the same G5 that I have you should find the button that needs pressing at the bottom of the logic board and not all the way to the front with the computer stood upright.
All you need to do here is to click the button, I do it with the eraser end of a pencil, just a quick press is all that is required.
Then reassemble the lot, plug in the Power Cord and see what happens.
Another thing that is related to the battery is resetting the PRAM of the Mac. With the battery flat all sorts of things can be of kilter in this area of Logic board, so make sure that you are going to leave the G5 plugged in for a few days or more.
This will help maintain the PRAM settings if the battery is indeed flat.
Now with the Mac shut down, you will need to start the machine up, and at the same time as you do this, you wil ned to hold down the folowing keys, Command (Apple Key), Option P and R keys. Keep them held down until you hear the chime sound that you normally get at startup, at least 3 times.
If you dont hear a chime, just hold these buttons in and see if you can tell if the computer is going through a startup process that gets interrupted, and allow the interruption to happen at least 3 times, then let go of those keys.
This should reset a whole bunch of stuff inside your Mac called the PRAM or Parameter RAM and it is basically the area that tells the Mac which Hard drive to boot from, which network to use Etc, a lot of other things as well.
If this lot does not work, see if you can locate the CD's or DVD's that came with your system and insert the Install disk in the CD and restart your G5 but this time hold in the C Key to force the Mac to startup on the Installer drive.
If you can start up on the installer then you know the Mac works and can be used.
There is quite a lot more stuff that can be done here, but let's see if you can get through this bit first.
I am a little concerrned with the click on startup but I think we can get around this, especially as the machine has been i storage for a while.
A few connectors may need cleaning and the RAM chips may need removing and reinstalling as storing a computer can couse a few things to disconnect.
I'll not go into the reasons for this but when you are cleaning any connectors or reinstalling RAM, make sure the computer is NOT plugged in and that you are touching a metal piece of the computer to ground yourself of any static electricity. It takes 1/20th of what you can feel to zap an entire motherboard so definitely use caution.
Let me know how you do and we will take it from there.
Stuart
I still have 2 of them and the both work just fine.
I also have a couple of the MacPro's and a Mac Book Pro.
The G5 might be down but should not be out.
You are heading on the right track with the PRAM battery and that should be replaced, usually one avery 3 t o4 years, however it should not stop your computer from booting although it may give it some difficulties whilst tryig to boot.
Most Radio Shacks carry the battery you need and you can definitely get one on the net and you definitely should do this.
Now as to getting it to actually boot up, there are some things that can be done here.
When you reset the PSU, can you tell me exactly what you did, as this is really important.
What you are supposed to do is
disconnect absolutely everything from your Mac except the monitor mouse and keyboard, this includes the Power cable(Having the Power cable disconnected is probably the most important part).
Then you will have to open the computer remove the right side cover and all the clear plastic bits and remove the fans.
If you have the same G5 that I have you should find the button that needs pressing at the bottom of the logic board and not all the way to the front with the computer stood upright.
All you need to do here is to click the button, I do it with the eraser end of a pencil, just a quick press is all that is required.
Then reassemble the lot, plug in the Power Cord and see what happens.
Another thing that is related to the battery is resetting the PRAM of the Mac. With the battery flat all sorts of things can be of kilter in this area of Logic board, so make sure that you are going to leave the G5 plugged in for a few days or more.
This will help maintain the PRAM settings if the battery is indeed flat.
Now with the Mac shut down, you will need to start the machine up, and at the same time as you do this, you wil ned to hold down the folowing keys, Command (Apple Key), Option P and R keys. Keep them held down until you hear the chime sound that you normally get at startup, at least 3 times.
If you dont hear a chime, just hold these buttons in and see if you can tell if the computer is going through a startup process that gets interrupted, and allow the interruption to happen at least 3 times, then let go of those keys.
This should reset a whole bunch of stuff inside your Mac called the PRAM or Parameter RAM and it is basically the area that tells the Mac which Hard drive to boot from, which network to use Etc, a lot of other things as well.
If this lot does not work, see if you can locate the CD's or DVD's that came with your system and insert the Install disk in the CD and restart your G5 but this time hold in the C Key to force the Mac to startup on the Installer drive.
If you can start up on the installer then you know the Mac works and can be used.
There is quite a lot more stuff that can be done here, but let's see if you can get through this bit first.
I am a little concerrned with the click on startup but I think we can get around this, especially as the machine has been i storage for a while.
A few connectors may need cleaning and the RAM chips may need removing and reinstalling as storing a computer can couse a few things to disconnect.
I'll not go into the reasons for this but when you are cleaning any connectors or reinstalling RAM, make sure the computer is NOT plugged in and that you are touching a metal piece of the computer to ground yourself of any static electricity. It takes 1/20th of what you can feel to zap an entire motherboard so definitely use caution.
Let me know how you do and we will take it from there.
Stuart
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