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I have an old iBook that is having problems to load things. I want to revive the iBook and make it usable for some tasks and years.

  • Most times the OS from HDD boots ends on a blue screen without text/graph.
  • Few times the OS from HDD is loaded, it shows the profile menu but then it get stucks.
  • twice the profile loaded and OS worked for few in before getting freeze.
  • HDD boot with verbose mode. log booting
  • Tried with several CDs and DVDs (copies and originals) some recognized but ending on a grey screen others blinking icon (the 2faces and the question mark).
  • CD Apple hardware test loads and HW tests are successful.
  • the fan spins during the test
  • Ubuntu 5.04 original for PPC loads the text menu but get stuck after it. (opening display /pic@f000../ATY,ViaParent@10/ATY,Via_B@1_ )
  • I replaced CD/DVD reader by a different one but results are exactly the same.
  • I also tried with same results to remove the RAM from the slot and using only soldered RAM.
  • I have done already a reset NVRAM/PRAM.

Update 1: I replaced the thermal paste from metal heat-sink, and now

  • The OS always load. However, it get get frozen after few minutes.

If the issue is not caused by thermal paste or the fan. What else can be failing after few minutes of work?

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    The most recent model of the ibook I can find seems to be the G4 from over 20 years ago support.apple.com/en-us/112311 . I'm pretty certain PPC support for linux was a little spotty - as evidenced by the need for a distro from 2005, and I'm fairly certain that even if it was working, it would be more of a 'retrocomputing curiocity' than a machine which would have practical use. The HDD's a laptop IDE model, which outside a few niche vendors you can't replace easily. I'm not saying fixing the system is impossible but its gonna be hard
    – Journeyman Geek ♦
    Commented Mar 31 at 14:56
  • I updated the question, recently the OS from HD loaded and even it worked for few minutes. So, now I think that the cause of problems must be related to temperature.
    – Daniel Perez
    Commented Apr 1 at 10:07
  • regarding retrocomputing or not, i can say that this laptop with 1,5GB and software from its age can do many normal tasks. Of course webbrowsing modern webs, video streaming or HD, and social networks are out of scope. But there are many other use cases that have not changed since then.
    – Daniel Perez
    Commented Apr 1 at 10:10
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    @DanielPerez After all these years, there could be a bad solder joint on the motherboard. Can you get it running with the case open so you can carefully flex the motherboard ? If you can find a place to prod it which consistently freezes it, that could be the problem. Replacing the thermal paste might have moved things so that it is slightly more likely to work.
    – Andrew Morton
    Commented Apr 3 at 14:36
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    I’m voting to close this question because it is likely to be a complex hardware issue that requires physical inspection by a competent local technician.
    – music2myear
    Commented Apr 3 at 15:02

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