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[Syntho]

What is the most common reason a Mac wouldn't get past a white screen? Usually we'd see a cursor and a computer icon with a ? or a smiley. When I power up my Powerbook 3400, I only get a white screen and nothing more. I took everything apart and reassembled piece by piece but was unable to narrow down the culprit.

[FdB]

https://appletoolbox.com/2014/09/mac-fix-white-screen/

[Syntho]

The Powerbook is 21 years old and can't run OSX, but the one thing I tried on that page is resetting the PRAM. It won't get to that point though. Sometimes I get a cursor, sometimes not, but when I do it's frozen. I did get the ? disk icon coming up one time, but that's because I had a new drive in it. Usually it just gets stuck on the white screen in some form or another. I'm thinking the machine is just dead. Wish I could fix it.

[FdB]

Spitballin’

At least you got to the question mark with a new drive. (Sounds HD-related.)
Could you hear the original drive spin up before?

Thought you might try booting from an install disk or even an external drive. All of course…
contingent upon only your HD possibly being corrupted / dead. (Really stabbing in-the-dark
here.) Did ya zap / “rebuild” after new HD install? Recent operational history?

Reseat / check the RAM? Attempt boot from Norton Emergency Disk / Floppy? If all else fails
and no one else offers up “the fix” …send it up here & I’ll have a go at it. Had a 3400, but
who knows where that one went… a Lombard is as close as I can get now and I wouldn’t
even know how to begin to simulate your situation. I’d try the HDI-30 SCSI-IN route.
(CD, floppy or external SCSI drive.) With an Interex® SCSI DOCK (image below)
you might even be able to access, repair and / or diagnose your HD from another?
(If… IT is the HD as the root cause?) Put original drive in an external case
and check / repair, with / from 9600?

Best of luck. Keep us posted.

Addendum: Thought the HDI-30 SCSI DOCKs were now rare...
but several on eBay tonight - if you don't have one. $9.75 and up...

[darthnVader]

You may try booting into Open Firmware( Command+Opt+O+F ).

Not sure if the screen is the default output device and the keyboard is the default input device on a PB3400, so it may not get you anywhere if they are not.

[FdB]

You may try booting into Open Firmware( Command+Opt+O+F ).

Great Open Firmware boot idea, darth! (I tend to normally think “Hardware first”.)
If it will boot into Open Firmware… “reset-all” instructions here:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/639657

And, just read about disconnecting PRAM battery… and attempting boot without it.
OR… pushing reset button (in the back, with paper clip) for 30-60 seconds to reset
the Power Manager. http://www.westwind.com/reference/tn/PMReset.html

[Syntho]

I’ve tried everything you guys mentioned. I’m afraid the logic board is fried. It gets to the point that it gets a white screen and a cursor, but is frozen at that point. I’ll keep investigating and post an update later.

[FdB]

I’m afraid the logic board is fried.

Say it ain't so!

[Syntho]

RIP, most likely.

[Syntho]

I'm going to take it apart and look for anything burnt on the inside of it. I'm pretty sure it's not something simple. My other PB3400 is running beautifully. The one that died didn't like that I opened it up, for some reason.