More power
Apr. 21st, 2023 08:12 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
offcntrAbout two weeks ago, my desktop computer fritzed out. It had been progressively less reliable, not wanting to boot up when I pressed the On button. It'd flash, but not start; except, occasionally, it would. Sometimes even long enough to get a project done. Sometimes it'd quit again just as I sat down to work. Very frustrating.
It's not my only computer. I have two MacBooks, one that has MS Office and Adobe Creative Suite from the days when you could buy them, and another newer model that I got just because I could no longer do my taxes on my laptop or Denise's. Which will probably not be used for much more than that, because I refuse to rent ("subscribe" to) software I already own, I'm looking at you MS and Adobe. I've also got an Android tablet and cell phone, for internet browsing and photo references for glazing, and of course, processing card payments for the pottery business.
The desktop, though, is important because it can still run OS 9 Classic, which is what I need to use Freehand 7, my preferred graphics software. (Don't talk to me about Illustrator. Freehand was so much better. Which is probably why Adobe bought the parent company and killed it.)
So I'm on my second Mac G4 tower, the first having died in much the same way. Last time, I just bought a used replacement online, but that seemed wasteful, given that the carcass of v. 1 is still in my storage unit. So I took it to MacTonic, my local repair shop, where they had it a week, and told me it needed a $295 power supply, and maybe I should just get a replacement.
I took it home and went online to my supplier, DV Warehouse, where they indeed had the $295 part. They also had an early G4 for the same price, a later model for $395, and a Mirrored Door (my current) for $495. I thought about getting the cheaper machine. I thought about the dead computer in storage, that probably only needed the same part.
I bought the part.
It landed on my doorstep this morning, a long grey box with multiple cables and connectors, copiously swaddled in bubble wrap. I opened up my machine, taking pictures of every connection. Started unplugging cables, but couldn't figure out how to snake them out from behind all the other bits. Just at the point of hauling it all down to MacTonic, I remembered the internet. Googled "taking apart a Mac G4."
The first video was basically useless: badly lit, badly focused, music but no voice instruction. A dismantling music video. Second one was better, shorter and with specific instructions. I also found another fix-it site with photos and step-by-steps. Between the two, I was able to:
1. Disconnect ribbon cables and power leads from the mother board and drives.
2. Remove the primary hard drive.
3. Remove the back-up hard drive.
4. Unseat and remove the CD drive (and empty Zip Drive bay. Remember Zip drives?)
5. Disconnect and remove the cooling fan.
Which finally allowed me to unthread the power cables, unscrew the anchor, and slide out the power source.
Then I had to put it all back together. So glad I took pictures. I finally got everything reassembled in time for a lunch break; came back and plugged all the peripherals--keyboard, mouse, monitor. CD-R, flash drive, floppy drive. USB extension so I can plug in a thumb drive without reaching around the back of the machine (the one thing I envy about Windows boxes is the front USB port). Ethernet cable.
And, finally, the power cord. And then, heart in mouth, I pressed the "Start" button.
And it booted up first try.
I've turned it on twice since then, every time with a progressively smaller jolt of adrenaline, but it keeps working. Was able to send off a vector version of a logo to a banner maker, find and copy an artist statement for a gallery, download my email (200 items, I'll sort it out this weekend) and update the back-up copy of my pottery ledger.
Damn, it feels good.
It's not my only computer. I have two MacBooks, one that has MS Office and Adobe Creative Suite from the days when you could buy them, and another newer model that I got just because I could no longer do my taxes on my laptop or Denise's. Which will probably not be used for much more than that, because I refuse to rent ("subscribe" to) software I already own, I'm looking at you MS and Adobe. I've also got an Android tablet and cell phone, for internet browsing and photo references for glazing, and of course, processing card payments for the pottery business.
The desktop, though, is important because it can still run OS 9 Classic, which is what I need to use Freehand 7, my preferred graphics software. (Don't talk to me about Illustrator. Freehand was so much better. Which is probably why Adobe bought the parent company and killed it.)
So I'm on my second Mac G4 tower, the first having died in much the same way. Last time, I just bought a used replacement online, but that seemed wasteful, given that the carcass of v. 1 is still in my storage unit. So I took it to MacTonic, my local repair shop, where they had it a week, and told me it needed a $295 power supply, and maybe I should just get a replacement.
I took it home and went online to my supplier, DV Warehouse, where they indeed had the $295 part. They also had an early G4 for the same price, a later model for $395, and a Mirrored Door (my current) for $495. I thought about getting the cheaper machine. I thought about the dead computer in storage, that probably only needed the same part.
I bought the part.
It landed on my doorstep this morning, a long grey box with multiple cables and connectors, copiously swaddled in bubble wrap. I opened up my machine, taking pictures of every connection. Started unplugging cables, but couldn't figure out how to snake them out from behind all the other bits. Just at the point of hauling it all down to MacTonic, I remembered the internet. Googled "taking apart a Mac G4."
The first video was basically useless: badly lit, badly focused, music but no voice instruction. A dismantling music video. Second one was better, shorter and with specific instructions. I also found another fix-it site with photos and step-by-steps. Between the two, I was able to:
1. Disconnect ribbon cables and power leads from the mother board and drives.
2. Remove the primary hard drive.
3. Remove the back-up hard drive.
4. Unseat and remove the CD drive (and empty Zip Drive bay. Remember Zip drives?)
5. Disconnect and remove the cooling fan.
Which finally allowed me to unthread the power cables, unscrew the anchor, and slide out the power source.
Then I had to put it all back together. So glad I took pictures. I finally got everything reassembled in time for a lunch break; came back and plugged all the peripherals--keyboard, mouse, monitor. CD-R, flash drive, floppy drive. USB extension so I can plug in a thumb drive without reaching around the back of the machine (the one thing I envy about Windows boxes is the front USB port). Ethernet cable.
And, finally, the power cord. And then, heart in mouth, I pressed the "Start" button.
And it booted up first try.
I've turned it on twice since then, every time with a progressively smaller jolt of adrenaline, but it keeps working. Was able to send off a vector version of a logo to a banner maker, find and copy an artist statement for a gallery, download my email (200 items, I'll sort it out this weekend) and update the back-up copy of my pottery ledger.
Damn, it feels good.
no subject
Date: 2023-04-22 07:44 pm (UTC)