thanks for the detailed reply. i'm not entirely sure what you meant by 'scraping the laminate off', though. i've never had a problem with a gray screen. it always consistently goes blank. sometimes, even after the boot chime. if so, there's sometimes hd activity, sometimes nothing. the fan never kicks in.

i was considering the 'burning method', but now i'm utterly confused. one thing is for sure: i'm not able to solder the chip back manually. i've seen the motherboard, and that task is way beyond me. even with extreme caution and a magnifying glass.

well, i guess i'll have to try anyway, and if i fail, i'll trade in my powerbook duo for a new mainboard..

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edit: could someone please give me a pic or link about that voltage regulator chip? if i have to take it apart again, i might as well check on that, too. thanks in advance.