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General discussion

G4 Mac Quicksilver Problems

Apr 6, 2007 10:08AM PDT

Hey Ok I bought this G4 Mac from a friend witch intern bought it from a community college. It has no OS on it. It use to start up with a folder in the middle of the screen with the mac face and a question mark on it. I did not have the OS at the time so I just waited till if found some one that had it. I moved it back and forth from home to my dorm room. And when I finally got the OS for it. The computer would not do any thing. I would push the start button and it would turn on but instead of make the good starting up sound it makes a high boop sound. I get nothing on the computer monitor. Its just black. The monitor is fine because I tested it out on another computer. The power button light would come on for 3 seconds then go off then blink twice the second time is really fast you barely see it. The key board gets power, because I am able to us it to start the mac. But my mouse dose not have any power, the red censor light dose not come on. When it is just sitting there it sounds fine when it runs. If you have any tips or any help it would be most helpful.


Dahawk25

Discussion is locked

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No replacement or video card
Apr 17, 2007 5:20AM PDT

Ok so i don't have any one the has a video card that i could try and the College dose not have the right adapter i need. So do you have any other suggestions that could help. I really don't want to buy a new video card, but i don't know if i sould trust ebay eather. Do you know any place that would sell them for really cheap. I don't need a good one yet i just need one that will work for my mac so i can at least put the OS on it. Then later on i will get a better one.

Oh one more question. Could i have a bad hard drive, and could that be the reson i am not gettng any thing on the monitors any more?

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Video card
Apr 17, 2007 6:11AM PDT

What sort of video cards did the college have that did not have the right adapter on them?
Remind me, one more time, as to what video connector you are looking for.

On the subject of the bad drive. Highly unlikely but you can soon prove that. Do you get a picture when you try to boot from the installion disk?
If the answer is still no, then that rules out the drive.

P

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Adapters
Apr 17, 2007 8:56AM PDT

Well the only Mac computers they have are the G5s and they have added a Better graphicse card. And the adapter is smaller then the one i need. hum it is realy hard to explane.

This is the card i have right now
(Pic link)

http://www.usedmacs.us/incEngine/sites/usedmacs/products/ATI7500_32_agp_mac.jpg

The adapter i need is for the hook up on the right.

My monitors will hook up on the left side of the card normaly.


And this is the adapter the school has for this Graphic card
(card pic link)

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k90/crunchgear/November%202006/RX1900_Board_lg.jpg

Now the school also has the same video card, (no adaper for it tho) in their G5s but I know they will not let me open one up to barrow the card. And all my friends that own Macs have eather have the Minis, Mac Book, Or the iMac.

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Graphic card
Apr 17, 2007 10:05AM PDT
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Reply re hard drive
Apr 17, 2007 12:05PM PDT

Oh one more question. Could i have a bad hard drive, and could that be the reson i am not gettng any thing on the monitors any more?

Unfortunately we can't continue to answer on the existing thread, but.........

I tried booting up a G4 with the hard drive disconnected. It will start to boot fine (the monitor will turn on) up to the point where you get the flashing questionmark - so you could try disconnecting the hard drive cable and the power cable to the hard drive just to make absolutely sure the hard drive is not preventing the start up, but I really doubt that's an issue.
However, if there is no memory card installed (or maybe defective), the monitor will not turn on.
I would try all my testing etc. with only one memory card installed - if you have a memory card with an Apple logo on it, use that. If you get the melodious Mac start up sound, the memory card should be OK.