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Model M7572 / 400 or 500 MHz G3 processor

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Strange symptoms leading to system hang several minutes after startup

I recently got a very nice G3 Pismo PowerBook that I can't wait to start using. However, there seems to be something wrong with it and I can't quite figure out what it is.

Minutes after booting up the computer, the mouse cursor will suddenly start to move really slowly. This happens regardless of whether I use an actual mouse or the trackpad, and it happens both on the installed Mac OS 9 as well as the Mac OS X installer CD.

The system still works properly, but a little while afterwards (again, several minutes) the system hangs. Both times can vary quite a bit but it usually runs for at least 3-5 minutes before completely freezing.

Another symptom is that I can't use the power button to shut down the computer once it hangs, no matter how long I keep it depressed.

Does anybody have any idea of what's wrong? It seems to work perfectly fine otherwise.

Answered! View the answer I have this problem too

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Sounds like a overheating problem to me. Use the following guide to open it up and used some canned air to clean it out. PowerBook G3 Pismo Processor Replacement

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+1 Agree OP may also want to check the CPU heatsink. Ralph

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Thanks, I'll definitely give this a try as soon as I can (tomorrow I think). I've suspected it was something related to overheating but wasn't sure since it would still boot even immediately after a freeze.

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Michiel Sikma will be eternally grateful.
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