ot: problems

Wed Sep 17 19:50:28 MST 2014

Thank you so much for the detailed explanation, Jon. You know.... I have a
laptop and I don't have a MAC but I read your troubleshooting non-the-less.
I got to the last paragraph and realized something that I was told happened
a couple of days ago that might be relevant. My room mate was home when
this happened so this is second-hand knowledge. She was watching tv when
the power went out then, a second later, there was a big POP down the
street (a transformer maybe?). Everything still worked with the
computer though; however, maybe it just needed to be power-cycled.

Any other comments will be greatly appreciated!

:-)~MIKE~(-:

On Wed, Sep 17, 2014 at 6:56 PM, Jon Kettenhofen <subs at kexsof.com> wrote:

> Hello Michael,
>
> I'm curious, did you buy this quad new or did you buy it used or is it a
> work computer owned by a company?  I get the feeling that you bought it
> used.
>
> There's almost always a reason for failures and it's usually a problem
> that can be isolated.  If it's a part, it can be replaced.  If it's
> something else, it can be fixed.
>
> When stuff like this starts to happen, it may be one of three things: a
> loose connection or a bad motherboard or a power supply.  Apple builds
> solid hardware but sometimes it gets abuse or just used in a poor
> environment with too much heat and/or moisture or just takes a physical
> beating - they are rather heavy.  Also quads, I believe, have water
> cooling.  I have seen at least one report of leaks.  That's usually easy to
> rule out if there's no leaks.
>
> So where to begin?  Well, the pedant is back!
>
> You may want to take some anti-static electricity precautions.  First,
> disconnect the Mac completely from all exterior cords, wires, etc.  Lay it
> on its side where there is plenty of light, a clean worktop area and a
> Phillips screwdriver.  As you have seen, it's easily taken apart, at least
> the easy pieces need only your hands.  Pull the fans out, take the video
> and other cards out, unhinge and pull the memory sticks out and so on until
> you are puzzled how to get the cooling shrouds out. (Don't do that.)
> Inspect everything.  Look for any corrosion.  Remove as much dirt and dust
> as you can with an air duster can (take care here, the these cans may
> contain hydrocarbons that are flammable and they should not be inhaled!).
> If you use an air compressor, be gentle and use lower pressure less than
> 40psi.  What you can't get out with air, start with a clean microfiber
> cloth and wipe without generating static (i.e. don't rub hard).  Make sure
> all the connectors are clean and shiny before reassembling.
>
> We call this clean and re-seat the boards.
>
> Make sure you put the same memory sticks back into the same slots - it
> usually matters or makes a difference.  If you don't remember, read up on
> it from a manual, usually online at Apple.com.
>
> Memory sticks are tricky because they often won't reseat properly without
> strong pressure.  First, make sure the middle slot on the memory stick is
> lined up with the ridge in the bottom of the connector.  The slots are
> offset from the middle on purpose, they are only supposed to go in one
> way.  (Having burned out a memory stick by forcing it in backwards, I can
> speak from experience! Won't do that again!) The way to handle this is to
> use two hands, with thumbs or your choice of fingers at each end of the
> board. Making sure the stick is aligned correctly in the connector; push
> FIRMLY down until both ends of the connector snap into the stick.  Main
> logic boards are epoxy and embedded fiber, are very strong and can take a
> little flexing without
> hurting them.  Same with memory sticks.
>
> Make sure the memory is seated well - it may take close inspection with a
> flashlight.  If the sticks are all the same size, then no stick should be
> higher than the lowest one.
>
> OK, reassemble the computer.
>
> Testing the power supply can be difficult.  It's easier with a common
> desktop PC because the power connector is almost always on top of the board
> and easily accessible.  It's not enough to test a power supply out of the
> computer because it won't be under load.
>
> Here's how an expert taught me to test the power supply on a desktop PC
> (but not a Dell!)  Take a meter and set it to DC volts.  There will be a
> pair of test leads with pointed ends to poke at things.
>
> You will push the points into the connector until it connects to the metal
> of the connector sleeve.  Connect the common lead to a black wire's
> connector.  Test all the colored wires with the positive (usually red)
> meter probe. Here are the correct voltages for a PC:
>
> Yellow          +12 Volts
> Red             +5  Volts
> Purple          +5  Volts
> Orange          +3.3Volts
> Green           don't test; this turns on the PC when shorted to black
> White           -5  Volts
> Blue            -12 Volts
> Gray    I think this one is for the power-is-on LED
> Brown   Not sure about this one
>
> The important thing is that the voltages are nearly correct when the
> computer is powered on because that shows the power supply to be good when
> under a load.
>
> One other thing - sometimes a part can acquire a static charge which won't
> dissipate properly.  The only remedy for this is to wait until it
> discharges (unless you are a motherboard repair person).
>
> Things that have hurt my equipment is usually near lightning strikes. Lost
> one treasured Mac to a lightning strike that hit the phone lines. Took out
> phones for three stories above me.  Mac did not fail right away but
> eventually lost it  (sniff :( ).   Lightning strikes across the strike have
> taken out a couple ethernet ports over the years even though my equipment
> has always been on a UPS.  Strong strike will generate an EMP which is
> sometimes picked up by a network wire of a resonant length.  Usually,
> though, it's not serious but if the storm is bad, we'll turn off the
> electronics until it's past.
>
> I apologize for the length of this, but you get the idea of the lengths I
> go to fix things.
>
> Best of Luck and let me know how it turns out if you have the time,
> As always, take care.
> Jon
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On 09/17/2014 06:27 PM, Michael Havens wrote:
>
>> first certain keys sometimes don't work unless I hold the key down and
>> then after a time the character will appear (sometimes multiple times).
>> So it was recomended I pop the keys off and clean under them. So I do
>> and it doesn't fix the problem. No problem. I'll stick it under my table
>> and attach wireless periphiels too it. Then I need to go visit my kids.
>> So I figure I'll suffer with the keyboard problem. The day I left for
>> Miami (at the airport) the hardware internet switch would not turn on.
>> Then, after I arrive in Miami, I turn on the computer and a notice
>> appears at boot saying that 'the cooling fan is not operating properly'.
>> What problem do you think is causing this? I called my dad and he said
>> it sounds like the hard disk is going bad. He also said maybe the
>> keyboard controller (because of the internet switch).
>> :-)~MIKE~(-:
>>
>>
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