G4 AGP firmware update probs. HELP!! URGENT!

[GeeYouEye]

1. I am posting this here because Apple discussion forums are down till next week.

2. I have a G4 AGP graphincs, w/384 MB RAM, and what I think is a bad motherboard. I have a 3rd-party LCD display, and a ATi PCI graphics card that drives it. I had been having problems with various cards before, so in order to fix a recurring RAM and MS office problem, I removed the AGP card, leaving just the PCI card. I had just run software update and downloaded the 4.2.8 firmware update. I made sure to follow all necessary precautions, such as grounding myself, and removed the card. I put the computer back together and started up in order to update the firmware. As I did so, I got the tone, and the flashing power button, but the monitor never got a picture (it's happened before). I gave it about a minute to update the firmware, then I reset the the computer.

3. This is where the problems started. First, it had problems recognizing the USB hub that the monitor's USB was on, and so I powered off, opened the computer, re-checked the RAM (in case I bumped it) and booted up again. No dice. Tried to put the AGP card in again. Didn't work. I tried using that button next to the PRAM battery. Nothing. Tried booting from CD. A failure. In a word:

HELP!!

If I don't get this fixed within an hour (by 4:00 PST) I am SOOO screwed. Please help.

EDIT: oh yeah, I got the USB hub to work, but still no picture.

 

[GeeYouEye]

Got it

OK, I fixed it by removing a RAM chip. In that case, any ideas as to what it was would be greatly appreciated. BTW, the firmware didn't update, and I'm not going to try it again until I know what went wrong.

 

[mischief]

Bad RAM.

Bad RAM can do more freaky things than anything else. That "losing" the monitor bit is listed as one of those symptoms. To avoid such shenanigans in the future: leave the AGP card in for the update.

BTW: Bad RAM can generate all the same symptoms as a bad logic board.

 

[GeeYouEye]

Re: Bad RAM.

Originally posted by mischief
Bad RAM can do more freaky things than anything else. That "losing" the monitor bit is listed as one of those symptoms. To avoid such shenanigans in the future: leave the AGP card in for the update.

BTW: Bad RAM can generate all the same symptoms as a bad logic board.

Thanks, but I know it isn't bad RAM. I swapped DIMMs once, after a bad RAM episode. It only seems to happen when I have two or more RAM slots filled. That's why I think the logic board is bad. I removed the 256 module, and left the 128 (Apple installed). After that worked, I switched it, and didn't have any problems.