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PowerBook 150 Troubleshooting

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PowerBook 150 (Dana Sibera, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.5)

Fault-finding on the PowerBook 150 follows Apple's symptom charts for the machine, which work at module level: try the cures in the order listed, test after each, and refit the original module before trying the next.[1] The PowerBook 150 has one logic board, so Apple's charts end at "replace logic board" where the 140's go on to the daughterboard.[1]

Before you start

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  • Test the adapter: 7.5-7.9 V between the inside (positive) and outside of the plug on the 10 V DC range.[1] Byrd reports that most original adapters have failed and need recapping; he runs his machines from a generic 7.5 V 2 A supply.[2]
  • Test the main battery with a meter. Below 5.7 V, recharge or replace it.[1]
  • Reset the power manager when battery and adapter are good but the machine will not start or will not restart after a crash. Remove the adapter and battery; hold the reset button on the back down with a paper clip for 5-10 seconds; reconnect the adapter and press reset again briefly, which should give a small pop from the speaker; switch on; refit the battery if it starts. Apple's note: if it does not start, it may need servicing.[1]

Power

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Symptom Probable cause Action
Blank screen, no response Battery flat; power manager; connections; keyboard; interconnect board; logic board Apple's order: press reset; connect the adapter and restart after 3-4 minutes; try a known-good battery; check the interconnect board and logic board connections; reset the power manager; replace the keyboard, interconnect board, logic board[1]
Runs on the adapter but not on a battery that measures good Battery contact; fuse; logic board Reseat the battery; replace the fuse on the logic board, which pries out of its holder once the top case is off; replace the logic board[1]
Starts as soon as the adapter is plugged in; odd sleep and wake behaviour Missing or flat backup battery MOS8_030 traced this on one machine, whose backup battery had been removed, to the missing cell; with the main battery refitted it behaved normally[3]
Control Panel settings lost after removing the main battery Backup battery; interconnect board; logic board Apple: replace the interconnect board, then the logic board. See PowerBook 150 General Maintenance#Backup battery[1]
Charger not shown with the adapter connected Connection, battery, adapter, logic board Check the charger connection; try a known-good battery and adapter; replace the logic board[1]

Startup

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Symptom Probable cause Action
Eight-tone error chord after the startup chime RAM failure Replace the RAM card, then the logic board[1]
Four-tone error chord Drive or logic board Disconnect the hard disk cable and restart; if normal, replace the drive. Repeat with the floppy cable. Then replace the logic board[1]
Checkerboard, no chime RAM card; display cable Reseat and replace the RAM card; reseat the display cable[1]
Sad Mac 0000000F 00000001 Bus error during early startup, often a failing hard disk Disconnect the hard disk and see whether a flashing question mark appears instead[4]
No chime, no backlight, the hard disk spins Adapter; sliders; backup battery Check the adapter voltage; check the brightness and contrast settings; register suggests leaving it on the adapter for a while in case a flat backup battery is stopping it[2]

Video

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Apple treats a thin white line across the middle, rainbow colours at extreme angles, uneven images and a display that stops working below 5 °C or above 40 °C as normal for the PowerBook 150's FSTN screen.[1]

Symptom Probable cause Action
Very light or white Contrast and brightness; connections; inverter; interconnect board; display cable; display; logic board Adjust contrast and brightness; check connections; replace the inverter board, interconnect board, display cable, display, logic board[1]
Chime and backlight, no picture LCD capacitors; connections; inverter; display Owners suspect the eight 3.3 µF capacitors on the LCD board first.[5] Apple's order: adjust contrast; check connections; replace the inverter board, interconnect board, power cable, display cable, display, logic board[1]
One-pixel black line across the middle Fault between the two halves of the dual-scan panel Owners have not found a repair; replace the display[6]
Row or partial row never on or always on Display cable; display; interconnect board Replace the display cable, display, interconnect board[1]
Backlight does not light Cables; inverter; inverter cable; interconnect board; display; logic board Check cables and connections; replace the inverter board, inverter cable, interconnect board, display, logic board[1]
Contrast or brightness control has no effect after reassembly Slider not engaged with the control on the inverter Refit the top case with the sliders engaged; Apple's method is to set the pots and actuators to their extreme outer positions before fitting[1][2]
Pixel always white or black Display Replace the display[1]

Drives

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Symptom Probable cause Action
Internal hard disk does not work Adapter; cable; drive; logic board Apple's first step is to make sure the adapter is connected; then check and replace the hard drive cable, drive and logic board[1]
Replacement drive or CF card will not format Formatter or media Use Apple's Internal HD Format; use a small CF card that identifies as a fixed disk, or one pre-formatted in another Mac. See PowerBook 150 General Maintenance#Hard disk[7]
Floppy initialisation or read and write errors Media; inverter interference; cable; drive Try a known-good disk; check that the inverter shield is fitted; check and replace the cable and drive[1] See Floppy Drive Repair
No boot with an external SCSI device Power-up order; cables; terminator; IDs Switch the device on first; check cables; terminate the end of the chain with a standard Apple terminator; make IDs unique[1]

Keyboard, trackball and sound

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Symptom Probable cause Action
No response from the keyboard Power manager; keyboard cables; keyboard; interconnect board; logic board Reset the power manager; check the keyboard to interconnect board connections; replace the keyboard, interconnect board, logic board[1]
Cursor does not move Connections; interconnect board; logic board Press reset; check connections; replace the interconnect board and logic board[1]
Cursor erratic Dirty ball and rollers Clean the ball and rollers; replace the trackball, keyboard, interconnect board, logic board[1]
No sound from the speaker Volume; interconnect board; logic board Set the volume to 1 or above; check the interconnect to logic board connection; replace the interconnect board, logic board[1]

The PowerBook 150 has no ADB port, so an external mouse cannot stand in for a dead trackball while testing.[8]

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References

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  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 1.25 Apple Computer, PowerBook 150 Service Source, hosted here as File:PowerBook 150 Service Source.pdf (see PowerBook 150 Service Source). PDF page numbers: General p. 16; Power Manager Reset p. 17; Symptom Charts: Startup pp. 18-19, Power pp. 20-22, Video pp. 23-27, Floppy Drive pp. 28-30, Hard Drive p. 31, Peripherals pp. 32-36, Internal Modem pp. 37-39, Miscellaneous pp. 40-41; Fuse pp. 77-78; Battery Verification pp. 115-116; Adapter Verification pp. 117-118.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 68kMLA forum thread "No startup chime or screen on Powerbook 150", February-July 2021. Byrd: check the adapter first, most have failed and need a recap; generic 7.5 V 2 A supply; register: check the brightness and contrast sliders, and whether a flat backup battery stops it starting; bpadgett: make sure the sliders engage the pegs of the inverter's controls on reassembly. Community experience.
  3. ↑ 68kMLA forum thread "Powerbook 150 powers up moment adapter plugged in", December 2019. Alex: the internal PRAM battery had been desoldered as it began to leak; the machine started on plugging in the adapter until the main battery was refitted. MOS8_030: replace the PRAM battery, as a missing or dead one causes this and affects sleep and wake. Community experience.
  4. ↑ 68kMLA forum thread "PowerBook 150 boot problem", April 2024. halkyardo: 0000000F 00000001 is a bus error during early startup; 3lectr1cPPC: seen on IDE machines with a misbehaving drive; pull the drive first; clip out the soldered VARTA backup battery. Community repair report.
  5. ↑ 68kMLA forum thread "Powerbook 150 - Display Issue", January 2022. Chime and backlight, no picture on a PB150 that had worked; 3lectr1cPPC and mdeverhart: the LCD capacitors are electrolytics in black plastic shells that look like tantalums, with both pads at one end; replace with 3.3 µF 35 V ceramics (TDK C1608X5R1V335M080AC, 1.6 mm long); if the removed capacitors test good, look for another bad connection. Community repair report.
  6. ↑ 68kMLA forum thread "Black line across the middle of a PowerBook 150 screen", August 2020. bibilit: screen issue, not fixable; Byrd: probably the controller ribbon serving the top and bottom halves. Community experience.
  7. ↑ 68kMLA forum thread "PowerBook 150: replacement IDE hard disk format pain", February 2020 to January 2021. Byrd: a 4 GB drive detected but would not format with Internal HD Format; a 256 MB industrial CF card in a generic adapter worked; register: the 150 accepts only non-removable media; MikeatOSX: CF cards prepared in another PowerBook work. Community experience.
  8. ↑ Low End Mac, "PowerBook 150" (retrieved 2026-10-02). No ADB port, so no external mouse or keyboard. Secondary source.


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