Pismo Quick Fixes:

If your computer hasn't been started in a while, your PRAM battery might have died. This is easy to test since the Pismo will start without one. Simply follow our Fixit Guide and unplug it. There is no need to remove it. (No harm either) If your computer starts, then replace the PRAM battery to keep track of the time and you're back in business.

The processor (sometimes called the daughter board) connects to the logic board by a large array of tiny pins. This needs to be pressed down pirmly to ensure connections. Many people, afraid of hurting their PowerBooks, do not apply enough force. Press until you hear it click into place. Use our guide for step by step instructions.

There is a reset button located in the back that you can press with a ball point pen. Make sure that your computer is off when you attempt this.

Bad DC-in and sound card:

If your DC-in board is bad, you will not be able to start your computer when it's plugged in to the wall. It may or may not run on battery.

[Instructions: Replacing the DC-in and sound card using our Fixit Guide.]

Bad power adapter:

If your power adapter is bad, the computer will run off a battery, but it won't charge. If your battery is too low, it will be difficult to diagnose a bad power adapter. The easiest way to test this is to borrow either a battery or power adapter to test in your machine. If you have the same problem with another power adapter, your problem is most likely the DC-in board. If you have the same problem with a fully charged battery, you most likely need a new Power Card.

Compatible power adapters are IF113-003 and IF113-004.

Bad Power Card:

The Power Card connects your expansion slots to your computer and regulates the Power to different parts of your computer. Your Pismo won't start without it.

[Instructions: Replacing the Powercard using our Fixit Guide.]

Bad Processor

The computer won't start if the processor is bad or not pressed down all the way as mentioned in the "Pismo Quick Fixes" Section.

We sell Processors and have a free Fixit Guide to install it.

Bad RAM

If the computer beeps at you, that means it doesn't have any RAM or the RAM it has isn't registering. You can try to unplug the RAM and plug it back in, or try one at a time in the case that one of them is bad, or try one at a time in one of the RAM slots to see if there is a bad RAM slot on the processor. Remember, you must have a low profile RAM chip on the bottom or it will not fit. You can find replacement RAM here.

Bad logic board:

The Logic Board is responsible for connecting the different parts of the computer together and if something breaks, it's always possible that the logic board is the problem. We hope that it isn't the problem, but if it is, we have a free Fixit Guide to replace it.

Dead battery

If your battery is dead, the computer will run fine the off of the power adapter, but turn off when unplugged. A dead battery can manifest itself in many forms: It may not accept a charge (this particular symptom may also indicate a problem with the Power Card), the computer may not recognize the battery, or the battery may show up and say it is charged but fail to power your computer when the AC adapter is unplugged. The easiest way to test it is to replace the battery.

Bad operating system:

Try booting off an OS CD. Run Apple's disk utility and try to repair the disk. You could also try Alsoft's DiskWarrior. If this fails, reinstall your operating system. If you can, erase the hard drive prior to reinstalling the OS.

Not enough RAM:

This is very rare. If you don't have enough RAM for your computer to boot the operating system installed, you can get the flashing question mark. Installing more RAM or downgrading to an older operating system will fix this. This is not usually an issue unless you have 64 MB or less RAM and you're running OS X.

Bad hard drive:

The hard drive may have been erased, corrupted, or damaged. If the hard drive has been erased, format it as HFS+ and reinstall your operating system back onto it. If it is corrupted or damaged, you need to replace it. Failing hard drives can display intermittent data corruption prior to failing completely. They often get louder gradually and start to click. If your hard drive is making abnormal clicking noises but still works, back up your data immediately and replace the hard drive. Any of our 9.5mm ATA hard drives will work in your computer.

Backlight:

If your backlight isn't working, the inverter may be bad. Other parts that may be bad are the inverter cables, the display, or the logic board. If your backlight fails intermittently while moving the display, the problem is with the inverter cables. Otherwise it is impossible to test for the damaged part without replacing them one by one. Try replace the display inverter first, then the display assembly (which contains both components). If this still doesn't solve your problem, you need a new logic board.

Logic board:

Logic board failure can manifest many possible symptoms, since there are many components of the logic board. Any one of these components can fail and leave the others intact. If you lose the sound (either internal speakers or through the headphone jack), USB ports, Firewire, or Ethernet, the only thing to blame is the logic board. If you lose the use of another component of your computer, such as the display, battery, or even power, and replacing the apparently non-working part didn't fix the problem, it is possible that the logic board may need to be replaced.