Firewire and USB trouble on an iBook G4

September 18, 2006 10:45 AM

Lately, my iBook G4 (I use Toast Titanium, 6 and 7) has trouble recognizing my external FireWire hard drive. Today, the external DVD burner (USB) has disappeared -- the iBook just doesn't recognize it anymore. Is my logic board f*cked, again? And if it is, does it make economic sense to fix it on such an old machine, or should I just upgrade? Thanks.
posted by matteo to computers & internet (5 comments total)

Nov 2004 logic board trouble
posted by matteo at 10:45 AM on September 18, 2006

(the guarantee ran out and I don't have AppleCare)
posted by matteo at 10:46 AM on September 18, 2006

Do you have any different USB and/or Firewire devices you can connect to the iBook? This would help confirm if there is or is not a hardware problem.

Let's say you plugged in a USB mouse. If it didn't work that would indicate a hardware problem. If it did work, probably a software issue you can fix by reinstalling OS X (see "Archive and Install").

If the logic board is shot and you don't have a warranty, replace it.

A new MacBook costs $1200, will run faster, have more hard drive space, have a DVD burner, come with wireless and will run Windows aside OS X, while an iBook logic board will cost you $600 and leave you with a rickety old machine with no fun goodies.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 8:41 PM on September 18, 2006

man, this is weird. now I connected my cellphone to the USB port and it's working. the FireWire hard drive takes about 2 minutes after I connect it to appear but it finally does.

just weird.

and 600 dollars? wtf???
posted by matteo at 1:51 AM on September 19, 2006

and 600 dollars? wtf???

Crazy, huh?
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 1:53 PM on September 19, 2006