Mac G4 PSU dead

[pimpdriver]

The PSU on our G4 Quicksilver powermac has died, well I think it has, it stays on for about 5 minutes then turns itself off. Everything works well beforehand however.

It is over 7 years old so has had a good run so far (far far longer than a PC would have lasted without upgrading everything twice, like Trigger's broom........).

Anybody know:

can you fit a PC PSU with a link cable as some of the pins are slightly different?

Where I can get a 2nd hand one (tried ebay so far).

Can I take out the hard disc (40GB) and put it into some kind of caddy so I can copy the data off it???

Cheers

Steve

[msh]

I don't think it's PSU. Or it is much complicated than standart ATX ones. When standart PC ATX PSU dies, it just doesn't turns on. U push button, but only that can happen - fan can start spinning for half second. Is there everything ok with CPU? Isn't there excessive dust, dead CPU fan or detached heatsink?

I don't know what kind of filesystem uses mac os x, I only think that there isn't any of microsoft used outdated filesystems, so win will be unable to copy something from your HDD. At last without any third party addons/drivers/utilities.

P.S. About "unability to use 7 years PC without upgrade" - bullshit, microsoft crappy windows isn't only os for PC

[pimpdriver]

OK.

I will take the case off (well open the door ) and check the CPU fan and stuff is OK.

I can get the PSU repaired here for £40:
http://www.cpsupport.co.uk/quicksilver.htm

And as the hard disc is an ultra IDE 66 something, I can get one of these and turn the hard disc into a USB drive, no sweat with MAC OS X......

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/136250

[msh]

Ah, u have case closed with warranty sticker, right?

[pimpdriver]

Originally Posted by msh

Ah, u have case closed with warranty sticker, right?

er no.

To open a G4 case you just pull the handle. I'm sure even you could manage it.

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=42687

This was in 2001 when PCs still had fiddly screws at the back and sharp metal cases.........

I have opened the case about 3 times to press the internal reset button, but that is it. No need to open it more........

[msh]

I don't talk about your G4. I'm talking about computer which u wanna use to copy data from HDD.

[pimpdriver]

Originally Posted by msh

I don't talk about your G4. I'm talking about computer which u wanna use to copy data from HDD.

er no.....

click here:

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/136250

and read about it. I will take the HDD out of the G4, put it into the product above, and it turns a HDD into a USB HDD, so I will plug the drive in the case into my other Mac using a USB cable..........

[msh]

I don't need to read about it, I know what it is. U wanna say that your G4 have paralell ATA HDD and un can't plug it into your "other mac"?

[pimpdriver]

Originally Posted by msh

I don't need to read about it, I know what it is. U wanna say that your G4 have paralell ATA HDD and un can't plug it into your "other mac"?

Not when it is a Macbook (laptop)............ which has Serial ATA apparently, whatever that is.

[5potnoodle]

Sounds like an overheating issue. They probably have thermal cutout protection built in. Take the PSU out, take the lids off and blast 7 years of dust out with a compressed airline. Put it back together and try it. Nothing to lose...