Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

General discussion

PB G4 Disaster

May 12, 2007 3:51AM PDT

Hi Paul,
I haven't been here for a while. Had to re-register. Have been having PB troubles for over a year and that has kept me busy shipping my PB back and forth.

On 8/27/2004 I purchased a PB G4, 1.5 ghz with 1.5 GB of ram installed. Around Sept of 2005 i had a kernel panic. Said how to restart which I did. Ran TT pro and test came back OK. I had another kernel panic a couple months later. Now foolish me, having never had any trouble with previous Macs I DID NOT get the Apple care. In fact I am working now on a 7 year old g3 Pismo and just retired a 12 your old 6400 that was still working tho it did not have much to work with. So on or about 2/21/06 I received a warning that the HD was failing. Took it into the local Genius Bar and they were to busy to fix it so said they would ship it to apple. I paid a flat fee of $326.00 to repair anything that was wrong with it. It took them about 3 days to get a BOX to ship it to Apple for repair. They replaced the HD, the clutch barrel Assy and the inverter cable. Returned it to me. On 3/27/06 same thing happened. Kernel panic, could not restart, HD making grinding noises etc. Called Apple and they picked it up and did not return it to me until 4/21/06. They returned it to me saying they could find nothing wrong and could not duplicate problem. On 5/19/06 same thing happened got HD failure warning. Called Apple and the tech tried to help me save from it but it just would not get to HD. We worked on it for quit some time over phone. He sent box for pickup as I am old and disabled and cannot just haul this thing around every couple months. They replaced the HD AGAIN!!

Now it failed AGAIN on 5/05/07. Ran TT PRO had a bad block so I was going to fix it myself. Zeroed it out, reinstalled Mac OS X On 5/10/07, did all the updates, ran DFA, Installed TT Pro version 4.5.2 all looked well until last nite 5/11/07,about 9pm and it hung. Took me 2 hours to get it started and run DFA and it said, Invalid key length, the underlying task reported failure on exit, Volume 1 could not be repaired. Again it took forever to reload so I could get disk out and shut down.

This morning I ran TT Pro again and it reported a bad block AGAIN!!!!!! So now I am zeroing out the drive AGAIN and will have to reinstall every thing again. I am so sick of this piece of crap. It is a lemon, Apple did not make all repairs, something in it is possessed and Apple should take it back and put it in the MUSEUM OF SHAME! I cannot even begin to explain my feeling about that machine, made in CHINA of course. I am so sick of installing a new system only to have it fail within months or this time days.

I am old, 72, disabled, paid top dollar for a piece of crap I am stuck with. Had I the money I would send it to Apple with my thoughts on where they can put it.

We have had Macs for years and right now my daughter and grandkids have 5 working Macs, g4, imac, 3 g4 PB's and 1 g4 ibook. All loaded with photo software running out to external drives and music software. Plus she has a museum of Macs from the beginning of time.

Just had to tell someone who maybe cares,

One Sick Mac Owner!!!!!!!

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
Just my thought.
May 12, 2007 4:40AM PDT

I find hard disks to be cheap to replace here. So when I find one with a bad block I never hesitate to pop in a new one and move on. To pan Apple for a component that they didn't make seems a tad harsh.

My last 40GB HD for a laptop cost 49 bucks...

Bob

- Collapse -
just a thought
May 12, 2007 4:56AM PDT

This is just no A hard drive this is the third HD in less than 2 years. I am aware that Apple does not make the HD's, mine happen to be Toshiba. My Question Is why am I having to have to replace them every few months. What is causing them to go bad? Fairy dust? Or something more sinister that after 3 repairs Apple does not want to own up. Now I have been nothing but an Apple fan for many many years. I have done all the upgrades on all my Macs including upgrading processors and installing new DVD drives. I am sick of reinstalling my software and all my other programs. Would you not agree that 3 HD's in less that 2 years is a tad much? I have an 80 gig HD with 50 gig unused. I am not even beginning to push it.

- Collapse -
Hard to tell what's up.
May 12, 2007 5:36AM PDT

Sorry to read your tale of woe. Once the machine has left Apple it's hard to control its fate. You can't imagine how many machines I see with dust clogged heatsinks, failed fans and the owner upset that on laptops we must (still?) look after our machines with yearly checkups. The more attuned owner can do this themselves but "users" will have to take it in for the quick clean and checkup.

At least it's a cheap enough part to replace myself.

Bob

- Collapse -
hard to tell what's up
May 12, 2007 6:13AM PDT

I am extremely sorry also and as far as check ups go that machine has been to Apple 3 times in 2 and 1/2 years to check and fix anything wrong. I do not carry my PB around town it is basically stationary. That fact that a HD is cheap and easy to install is not the problem. Why would I do that again when it would only fail again. I want to know WHY it is failing. To me the idea of fun is not reinstalling my software every couple months. I am on a 7 year old pismo like I said with the original 10 gig HD running Panther. And if it went it is really easy to replace and I would not hesitate to do so because it is old.

- Collapse -
Let me share a story about ..
May 12, 2007 6:28AM PDT

SUN 10's. A certain hard disk was selected and we noticed that the drive would fail inside 12 months. SUN replaced them with the same make and model and the drive would fail in less than 12 months again. After 2 years SUN must have noticed that and changed make and model on any replacements but a third party repair house wasn't privy to that information kept replacing the failing drive with the same make and model.

The new make/model worked fine. So when you replaced your drive did you try another make and model?

As to reinstall I wonder if that could be avoided with a backup system.

Bob

- Collapse -
share a story
May 12, 2007 6:49AM PDT

Yes each time they replaced it with the Toshiba MK8025 GAS. The last time it was repaired the tech gave me his direct line and ext so will try that Monday. He "said" he didn't want me to have anymore problems. He may not be there any longer but I will try. If all else fails I will try another brand of HD's. So far I cannot find a take apart manual for the 17"G4PB. Thanks for your suggestions,

- Collapse -
Although I doubt that Apple will
May 12, 2007 9:36AM PDT

change the brand or type of HD they replace your defective drive with, if you decide to go the replace your own with a different brand, I can hook you up with the relevant procedures for accessing the drive.

As Bob said, this HD is easy to get at and replace, unlike some of the Apple laptops

P

- Collapse -
Although I doubt
May 12, 2007 10:07AM PDT

Thanks Paul, I will get back with you. I will call Apple Monday. Funny thing, I think as I was looking for another drive Toshiba, has a 3 year warranty on their HD's if you buy them but not if say Apple has them and does the install.

- Collapse -
Follow up
May 31, 2007 2:11AM PDT

Follow Up. I was away for a few days and then busy so am posting a recap and finale.

On 8/27/2004 I purchased a PB G4, 1.5 ghz with 1.5 GB of ram installed. Around Sept of 2005 i had a kernel panic. Said how to restart which I did. Ran TT pro and test came back OK. I had another kernel panic a couple months later. Now foolish me, having never had any trouble with previous Macs I DID NOT get the Apple care. In fact I am working now on a 7 year old g3 Pismo and just retired a 12 your old 6400 that was still working tho it did not have much to work with. So on or about 2/21/06 I received a warning that the HD was failing. Took it into the local Genius Bar and they were to busy to fix it so said they would ship it to apple. I paid a flat fee of $326.00 to repair anything that was wrong with it. It took them about 3 days to get a BOX to ship it to Apple for repair. They replaced the HD, the clutch barrel Assy and the inverter cable. Returned it to me. On 3/27/06 same thing happened. Kernel panic, could not restart, HD making grinding noises etc. Called Apple and they picked it up and did not return it to me until 4/21/06. They returned it to me saying they could find nothing wrong and could not duplicate problem. On 5/19/06 same thing happened got HD failure warning. Called Apple and the tech tried to help me save from it but it just would not get to HD. We worked on it for quit some time over phone. He sent box for pickup as I am old and disabled and cannot just haul this thing around every couple months. They replaced the HD AGAIN!!

Now it failed AGAIN on 5/05/07. Ran TT PRO had a bad block so I was going to fix it myself. Zeroed it out, reinstalled Mac OS X On 5/10/07, did all the updates, ran DFA, Installed TT Pro version 4.5.2 all looked well until last nite 5/11/07,about 9pm and it hung. Took me 2 hours to get it started and run DFA and it said, Invalid key length, the underlying task reported failure on exit, Volume 1 could not be repaired. Again it took forever to reload so I could get disk out and shut down. Morning of 5/12 ran TTPro again and it reported bad block so gave up.

I have placed this on a few sites and have gotten mixed response. Mostly pooh poohing dumb me. I trusted Apple all these years. I questioned them as to what they did for the money I paid them knowing what a HD costs. Of course stupid me did not once think they would be replacing the HD's with refurbished ones especially for the initial price I paid.

It was suggested I buy my own HD and take it to an AASD for installation, or I could install it myself. After looking at take apart manual I opted to not do it myself. I also opted not to send it to Apple or take it to an Apple service center. About 3 years ago one of my g3 laptops went and I did take it into an Apple dealer and 2 days later and a $60.00 charge I was told it was not worth repairing. I had installed a dvd burner, maxed the ram myself and wanted it fixed so called on a friend who suggested an online repair service and a couple days later and $224.00 including shipping I had my g3 laptop back and it is still working. I am using it now but failed to get a larger HD, it has the original 10 gig, so am just running Panther on it, not wanting to slow it down with Tiger.

My G4 is back home with a NEW upgraded HD. It was on it's way back to me, repaired, with a tracking # within 3 hours of them receiving it. As a matter of fact they told me they no longer use or sell Toshiba HD's. I have a 3 year warranty on HD and a 1 year warranty on labor. Now that is service.

One point I would like to make is I could be sending my PB back to Apple until the end of time only to have used failing parts installed. As one suggested on the .mac site had I had Apple Care after 3 failed repairs I "could" ask for a new PB but I think we all know it would not be "NEW". I did not have Apple Care but I did pay for repair.

I will not forget this lesson well learned nor will the other family members running 9 Macs between us.

Thanks for your replies,

- Collapse -
(NT) Glad you finally got it sorted out
May 31, 2007 4:31AM PDT
- Collapse -
Just looked at the MK8025 and it's a 4200 RPM drive.
May 12, 2007 10:12AM PDT

I have some good news for you. I'll share a non-Apple laptop upgrade I did that shows how big an impact moving from a 4200 RPM to just one notch up can have. I replaced my Acer ter-600's 11GB 4200 RPM drive with a 40GB 5400 RPM drive.

Boot time went from over 4 minutes to under 2 minutes.

Source date http://support.packardbell.com/it/item/index.php?i=spec_7013090100&pi=platform_Jupiter
There are other sites for the numbers...

Need a cheap drive ? Try http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=ST98823A-R&cat=HDD and YES I've used a few of these refurbs from geeks.com.

That's a 100GB drive with the 5400 kick.

Hope this helps. If you don't want to try that, look at newegg.com for similar replacements.

Bob