MAC user pros NEED your HELP Please, ASAP?

Question

Please help me out- My Mac OS X version 10.4.11 Power PC G4 has got me going crazy! I I cannot get the color back its all in B&W- Yes I shut it down, disconnected everything plugs from the wall sockets, then checked the battery( after shut and completely removing the cable etc) I i did calibration whatever was to be done-but the complete view is in B& W, Even the Yahoo , web pages all in B&W
I went in sys folder , appearance, display everything is in B&W.When I start it , after the OS loads for a real brief moment there is color , the dock and such but then it reverts back to B&W
Can anyone help me please??
Will be most grateful to get any help. In my family we have 5 PC's, desktops, laptops but only one MAC and I use it mostly, so no one really knows- If its the PC they all know and I do too, but MAC is not much favored but by me. I find its very user-friendly but this time I just cannot find the answer in the help menus.PLEASE I REQUEST you all out there to help me
THANKS

Hi MarnenLK-
I tried to email but the option was not there- I did go to display and million colors is ticked, the other is resolutions.The cables are fine, no points broken and the Mac works fine EXCEPT for the color. I can surf, do everything else! Pl before I go to the Mac service center I will appreciate any help to set it right by myself . Thanks to all others I am at the laptop just checking my email answers to my plight!
I am also trying to see if the apple.com discussion forums for info on this problem

Answer 1

Black and white only, eh? Amazing. I have often heard about all colors reversed and all black changed to white plus all white changed to black. Your particular problem seems to be a one in a million problem. Maybe you have some corrupted preference file. To find out, go to Library on the hard drive. Move the Preferences folder to the desktop. Restart. If that doesn't change anything, go to your home folder > Library. Rename that Preferences folder to "Preferences old" so the system will ignore it. Restart.

If you have looked at this problem more closely and decided it is not really a black and white problem but actually a reversal of all colors and reversal of black for white, go to System Preferences > Universal Access. In the "Seeing" tab. This is an option for people with poor eyesight as white characters on black background is easier to see. You can also change it quickly by pressing 4 keys together: command + option + control + 8.

Answer 2

The two above me hit most of the main points admirably. The only things I can suggest beyond that (and try theirs first) are:

1)Run a hardware diagnostic. To do this, find the disks that originally came with your machine if you have them. That's the ones that came with it, not just any install disks. The ones that came with the machine have machine specific hardware tests. One of the CD's should be labeled hardware test, so put that in and boot off of it (reboot while holding c), and you should be presented with the ability to run an extended hardware test. This should test, among other things, your video card. It will say pass or fail for that. If it fails, then there's your problem, and you'll need to replace it.

2) Try another monitor. It's always possible that the monitor is borked. Alternately, try your monitor with a different computer and see if it works. If it doesn't, then the monitor is hosed and you'll need to replace it to get color.

3) Try another video port. Most, if not all, of the G4 towers (I'm assuming this is a desktop) have two video inputs, which vary depending on your model. Try to find/borrow/steal a monitor, or an adapter for your current monitor, so that you can plug it in to the other video input (whichever one you're not currently trying).

If I recall correctly, most of the G4 towers have ADV (ovalish connector) and either VGA(trapazoidal) or DVI(rectangular) inputs. If you're currently using the ADC one, finding a VGA monitor or DVI monitor is pretty easy. If you're using a non-ADC monitor, and the other input is ADC, well- ADC monitors are pretty rare these days.

Anyway, if the other port works fine with color, then it's probably a borked port, which can be replaced, but it's probably easier just to buy an adapter and use the good port.

-----

Those are things to try if the previously suggested answers don't work, though I strongly suspect that you just have the colors inverted, as was previously suggested. Good luck with this. :)

Answer 3

You might want to consider upgrading to Leopard (10.5). But in the meantime...

You say you went to the Appearance preference panel, but that's not where monitor settings are changed. What you want to do is to look in the Displays preference panel, and make sure that Millions is selected under Colors (or Thousands, if you don't have Millions available). If there is a selection there to switch between grayscale and color, make sure it's set to color.

If it still doesn't work, let me know and I'll see what else I can come up with. Good luck.

EDIT: I don't know why you couldn't e-mail me -- I accept Answers e-mail -- but you can try me at marnen AT marnen DOT org if it didn't work.

More info: Try a different cable. I know you said that the connectors aren't broken, but there might be a loose wire *inside* the cable, where you can't see it.

Answer 4

I'd guess cabling. Check to see if there is a bent or broken pin. You can buy a VGA to Mac adapter for about $15. Before I spent big bucks at a repair shop, I'd put another monitor (with corresponding known good cable) on the Mac to see if it is the Mac/software or the monitor.