Complex iBook Problems

[agualeguas]

I have had big trouble with my ibook in the last 24 hours
I cant do anythig with it anymore it seams like briked
Here is the complete description of every thing........
i came back from school with it and like always i tried to log into msn messenger and rarely the machine froze up, no mouse o keybrod working, so i used the power button to turn of and then turn on again , the machine run as normal until the login screen then when i was moving the mouse to the user the machine froze again.
After this i tried to use safe mode and the mahcine froze again, i tried the single user mode and afther some time the machine forze again, i have runed hardware test several times the fast test goes ok, but the extended version frezes a lot and the screen flaches but even still with patience the test continues until the memory part and then stops.
I left the computer shut down over the night and at the morning it started ok, i log on and every thig seamed ok, until 2 minutes it frozed again, and on and on, i connected it to another mac by fireware gladly the disk mode worked and i backed up the files but afther some time in that mode the creen starts flashing, i dont thins it is a screen problem cause every time it frezees the disk activity stops.
This case is super weird cause sometimes works and some times doesnt depends on the use as more as i try to preform any action more it freezes, but if i give it a ret then i have more time to repairs and so, but after some time it frezees again, i canot restore the mac os x, i have only about a minute in single user mode and thats it, the only way i see some working is over firewire disk mode.
My computer is an iBook G4 of april 2004, 12 inches, 1.07 ghz, base memory witch is 256 soldered it has bluetooth and airport the hard disk is 60gb
I hope i can see some help around here, no apple store until houston, im in southern texas, sorry for my grammar
And by the way no apple care on this ibook any more, can i get any mercy from apple i have bought 2 macs in a year and switched another person.

 

[mkrishnan]

It sounds like you have tried a lot of the major suggestions... Have you tried resetting the firmware? You do the following:

- As soon as you turn it on, hold down Cmd-Option-O-F to boot into Open Firmware -- you will get a command prompt at a grey screen (different from single user mode)
- Type in the following three commands:

reset-nvram
reset-defaults
reset-all

Each followed by <return>; note that there are no spaces. The syntax of Open Firmware is strange...I think you will see an "OK" on the same line as each command if it worked.

When you execute the last one (reset-all), it should reboot automatically.

 

[agualeguas]

Thank you Mkrishnan, i tried with your advice, intresting, but i got no progress system still frezees at start up during the apple screen
Anithing else you know or thing can help?
i want to tray anithing afther going to houston, is a long trip

 

[lexfuzo]

the test continues until the memory part and then stops.
...
the only way i see some working is over firewire disk mode.

You mean, you a) start the iBook in Target mode or you b) boot it from an external FW disk?
Case a) and the failing memory test sounds like faulty memory, too bad it's soldered in.
If the built-in memory is broken, there is not much you can do yourself. Maybe you'd get some other RAM-testing program to verify the problem:
http://www.macfixit.com/article.php?story=20050524014158525

 

[mklos]

I agree with the previous post. It sounds like the RAM has gone bad on you. If it fails the memory test then the RAM is bad. You can now see that its worth the money to get AppleCare on any new Mac. If you're lucky, Apple might let you get some free support since it only a month over, but its highly unlikely. Otherwise it will come out of your pocket, and a logicboard on an iBook isn't the cheapest part in the world either. Probably looking at somewhere around $500 for repairs.

Sorry about your misfortunes.

 

[katie ta achoo]

i want to tray anithing afther going to houston, is a long trip

If you can wait until coming to Houston, you could bring the iBook to the genius bar in the Houston Galleria Apple store. They are the nicest computer clerk techy guys I've ever met, and will probably be able to help you out.
I hope your iBook gets fixed soon!

 

[agualeguas]

I still working in this, no progres, i want to thank lexfuzo for that useful link and all of you for the advice.
Well i have ran and still runing memtest a lot of the test were ok but the system seams freezed at the solid bits test when testing 12 and right now it is testing 32 and i see no progres, so it seams to be a ram problem, but as it is the soldered one i cant imagine of how this happened, could be something like a virus? or heat that could melt or afect something in the memory, and how reparaible is this, by opneing the sistem and making a memory examination can i check if there is something wrong?
What should i do spend the money in repairment or sell it, or what?
Advice and if posible tell me about posible procediture on checking the ram in the fisical matter

 

[agualeguas]

C`mon HELP

I cant belive that only 4 persons have posted, where are all those smart mac users?
Well i work all days with my ibook, in the chalenge of repairment, i am using this link for the disambling asistance (http://www.powerbook-fr.com/ibook/demontage/ibookg4/index.html) i only found this in french)
Afther cheking the ibook i cant see any problem with my eyes in the board or in the soldered memory, but there is a moment when the machine is one and one test is running when i can see the screen flashing as it is having some kind of short circut problem and afther moving the computer this stops an works for some moments again.
And running that marvlous memtest sometimes gives me a succesful result more of the times it has a mistake in the 5 0r 7 module of memory tests
I need help and advice, c`mon post please