Thread

eMac G4 1.25

68kMLA Hardware 24 posts Feb 28, 2009 to Mar 4, 2009

#1 Sat, 28 Feb 2009 - 06:20 68kMLA

Idk anything else about it, besides its 1.25ghz and has a dead HD. Haven't gotten a chance to look at it, but while I'm putting a new HD in it(I have some spare 40's and I think a spare 80) I'll put some extra RAM in it if it hasn't been upgraded yet. I'll probably use it mostly for music recording with garageband(Guitar and bass mostly, but also MIDI keyboard and some vocals)

#2 Sun, 1 Mar 2009 - 03:09 68kMLA

Was this for free? If so, fantastic conquest!

#3 Sun, 1 Mar 2009 - 18:46 68kMLA

Yeah, it was free.

Problem is this is so far the worst computer I have ever had to take apart. To swap the HD you have to take the motherboard out.

#4 Sun, 1 Mar 2009 - 19:36 68kMLA

The tray load iMac's are a pain too. Yes it's in a cartridge, but actually getting the hard drive out is a pain, screws that hold it in are in weird places so you don't get the head of the screw driver on it perfectly.

#5 Sun, 1 Mar 2009 - 22:15 68kMLA

Just how are the screws in "weird places"? Two on the top of the cage, then the mounting bracket (with the drive installed pulled out) is removed, and you remove the four screws holding the drive onto the mounting backet, and pull off the drive. Simple?

#6 Sun, 1 Mar 2009 - 22:56 68kMLA

Just how are the screws in "weird places"? Two on the top of the cage, then the mounting bracket (with the drive installed pulled out) is removed, and you remove the four screws holding the drive onto the mounting backet, and pull off the drive. Simple?

It's pretty much because everything is connected to everything else, and it's a pain if you have to open it up several times.

Also,

It turned on before but the hard drive was dead, swapped the hard drive, tried turning it on but it doesn't do anything. I hear the CRT have a slightly high pitch noise, so it's getting power, but nothing else happens when I push the power button.

Any ideas?

#7 Mon, 2 Mar 2009 - 00:29 68kMLA

Nvm, talked to derekat(Idk if any of you remember him but he used to post here before the crash) and he said try it without the hard drive, tried that, it worked, tried different jumper settings on the hd and it didnt work, so I guess the hard drive is dead(Weird cause I've never had a hd that refused to let a computer boot at all)

#8 Mon, 2 Mar 2009 - 04:45 68kMLA

I have, if the interface is messed up(IE the chip board) then you are screwed, sure the thing powers up, but thats it for the hard drive.

#9 Mon, 2 Mar 2009 - 13:57 68kMLA

It only booted up(as in the monitor displayed some sort of video, couldnt tell what it was because the CRT was down on the table), so chris, seems like you're right about the interface being screwed up.

I've tried the original hd again, the hd from my powermac, another spare, and no hd, and it never powered on.

Does the eMac use the same kind of ZIF processor as a quicksilver?

#10 Mon, 2 Mar 2009 - 14:05 68kMLA

from what I recall after opening mine (for the zillionth time) was that the G4 was soldered directly to the board. Good luck in swapping it. You might be able to overclock it, but I never had much success with that :S

#11 Mon, 2 Mar 2009 - 14:12 68kMLA

from what I recall after opening mine (for the zillionth time) was that the G4 was soldered directly to the board. Good luck in swapping it. You might be able to overclock it, but I never had much success with that :S

Can't really help if my eMac is dead

#12 Mon, 2 Mar 2009 - 15:47 68kMLA

But you said with no hard drive it worked. So, try a firewire hard drive. Sure you're tethered to a firewire drive but you have a modern iMac G3

#13 Mon, 2 Mar 2009 - 15:53 68kMLA

But you said with no hard drive it worked. So, try a firewire hard drive. Sure you're tethered to a firewire drive but you have a modern iMac G3

It for some reason isn't booting again, even with no hard drive. Later today I'll give it another try.

#14 Mon, 2 Mar 2009 - 15:54 68kMLA

try the open firmware reset-all command. I've had love with that a few times.

#15 Mon, 2 Mar 2009 - 16:41 68kMLA

No, like, there is nothing at all. No open firmware prompt, nothing at all happens when I push the power button.

#16 Mon, 2 Mar 2009 - 17:57 68kMLA

so basically a dead power supply?

#17 Mon, 2 Mar 2009 - 18:33 68kMLA

Did you make sure the power button was hooked up? there's a little cable that plugs into the switch and inside by the logic board (power inverter I bet). so make sure it is plugged in. It's tricky and if you don't get it all the way in, it won't work

#18 Mon, 2 Mar 2009 - 19:55 68kMLA

Pretty sure the power supply is good but I'll check with a multimeter.

Also pretty sure the button is plugged in all the way, but I'll also check that.

#19 Mon, 2 Mar 2009 - 20:49 68kMLA

If you have an older iMac Keyboard try hitting the power button on that. I'd be curious if that option still works on newer macs pre intel.

#20 Tue, 3 Mar 2009 - 09:38 68kMLA

If you have an older iMac Keyboard try hitting the power button on that. I'd be curious if that option still works on newer macs pre intel.

It does not work. That ability was removed, in the later G4 towers and I don't think it ever showed up in the eMac. I believe all G3 iMacs do support it though.

#21 Tue, 3 Mar 2009 - 15:58 68kMLA

It's not the power buttons connection. I checked to make sure it was connected right. Then just to make sure i "hotwired" the emac by cuttign the wire, stripping it, and touching them together. Didn't work either.

I'm going to check the psu with a multimeter later tonight.

#22 Tue, 3 Mar 2009 - 20:33 68kMLA

I actually have to do that with ibook because i thought it was cool to throw away the power button. :-/

#23 Wed, 4 Mar 2009 - 01:21 68kMLA

Just to make sure, it's the thin black(negative) and red(positive), right? No ground is needed?

#24 Wed, 4 Mar 2009 - 02:26 68kMLA

Most likely yes, and if no go try a ground anyways.