Ok - thanks for all the info! I'll get that and set to work this weekend.
I think the problem with the Pismo is probably a ruptured power socket or something, as it was working fine till it slid off my mate's lap onto the floor. Now it just won't startup, and the battery's got no power so can't startup from that. :-/
Would fixing the power bit be easy or difficult. Like I said, I'm no expert & don't have a soldering iron.... I'm guessing it's difficult.
Well, first would try to find out if it is the DC power board, either by physical inspection (is it visibly damaged) or indirectly: Find someone else with a pismo and try thier battery to see if the computer starts. If it does, then this small power board is most likley the problem. It is not hard to replace, though you will have to take apart most of the laptop to do it. http://www.powerbooktech.com has a take apart guide, they sell the part too but thier price is too high if you ask me.
Managed to get the HD out successfully thanks to your advice Mordaskyt!
Have been thinking about the power board replacement, but everywhere I've looked they're so expensive (£50 with postage) it doesn't seem worth it for what the machine itself is actually worth.
If anyone has a donor Pismo power board I'd be interested in hearing form them.
Failing that the Pismo is gonna get sold as is.
Post edited by: StillbornChrist, at: 2005/10/02 14:27
Hey if you decide not to repair please post it in the Trading Warehouse, I am sure someone here would be interested
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Macbook 2.1 core duo 1gig 160gb sata iMac g5 w/1 gig 160gig all-in-one and SWEET! iBook G4 IGhz Quicksilver Dual 800's iPod touch "Guys, I think we just lost the platform here" Pete Conrad When in doubt, try SCE to AUX
Ahhhh... I've already popped it on eBay. :-/ (Don't shoot me!).
I can post a link to it if that's allowed?
It seems a lot of peeps on here are in the US, whereas I'm in the UK, so the postage would be phenomenal to send it to someone in the Trading Area (correct me if I'm wrong on that point. :-))
what about a USB/IDE adaptop i use one with my cd burner for my dell laptop, ive used it on my imac aswell? cost me 20NZD allways handy, but since your laptop drive youll need a 2.5-3.5 convertor also
I say fix the Pismo. Does the battery charge at all if you plug into AC power? If itt charges, but the Pismo won't boot, then the logic board has probably gone so maybe then you could give up on it, but if not it could also be the AC/sound in board or the battery/trackpad board.
If you have a circuit tester you can find out enough about the power system to know where the problem lies. If the battery isn't charging, it could still be the logic board, but might not be. If you can take the logic board and AC/sound board out, you can test with a circuit tester to see if the power is getting through. Remove both (and the battery/trackpad board too if you like) and connect them together as they would be when the machine is whole. Use one probe from the circuit tester on the power jack (where you plug in the PSU normally) and test each pin in turn where the battery is normally connected. It doesn't matter which pins have what voltage or anything, you just want to know if any is getting through. If its going all the way through, but not charging, then the battery is dead (unlikely). If you get no signal at all from any of the battery pins, then remove the battery board and test the pins where it connects to the logic. If you get power now, the battery board is gone. These are cheap enough to replace. If you still have no power, you can check to see if the AC board is working by disconnecting it from the logic board and testing for a signal between the power jack and the pins which connect to the logic board. Again, the AC board should be fairly cheap to replace. You can also check the logic board itself by testing between the pins where the AC board connects, and the pins where the battery board goes.
This should allow you to determine which part to replace. If you like the idea of learning this sort of thing then the Pismo is a good machine to learn with. Later laptops get progressively more difficult to work on. Trust me.
On the other hand, if the files you want to retrieve are small, undo the seven screws on the bottom of your G4 and put the Pismo drive in that. Then boot up and email the files to yourself. Then swap back and download them again. Removing HDs from an early TiBook is just as easy as removing them from the Pismo.
It is not hard to replace, though you will have to take apart most of the laptop to do it. 
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