[X4U] Re: Please save an iMac from the grave

[Kenneth Philbrick]

I have a G3 iMac/600 which has run perfectly since new, requiring  
only a couple of hard drives. Now it is failing, and I would very  
much like some tips and suggestions before removing the drive and  
sending it off to iMac heaven.

The symptom is that unannounced it will die completely—no screen, no  
nothing; except the power light glows faintly. The restart button  
does nothing; the only thing I have found is to press and hold the  
power button for a few seconds and it will flash bright and then go  
dark.

If you leave the machine for at least ten minutes in this dark state  
it will start up normally and run for an unpredictable length of  
time; most often several minutes, but sometimes all day.

After repeated attempts I kept it going long enough to run the  
hardware check disk and it reported all systems to be functioning,  
most importantly (to me) the logic board and memory.

I truly do not want to trash this machine as it makes a perfect  
backup for my type of use. Given its value little more than an  
inexpensive part and my labor can be justified.  Any ideas will be  
most welcome.

Ken Philbrick