A customer called, saying she just changed ISP, and now she can’t connect to the internet.

I figure its possible a faulty modem…

When I get to the computer, I see monitor, keyboard, mouse, and what looks like an apple external 3.5″ USB drive… I look for the PC (she doesn’t know what the various bits do, except that you type on the keyboard, move the pointer with the mouse, and you look at the monitor thing…).

Anyway, I soon realise that the external USB drive was actually the computer (a Mac Mini).

However, when I switched it on, it gives: 4 beeps, pause, and then repeat… but no output on the monitor.

OK, I’m not sure what the problem is (it sounds serious), and then there is the question of opening the Mac… no screws in sight…

I offer to do my best, but I tell the customer that if I can’t fix it, then it might be easier to just buy a new computer.

Anyway, I take the Mac back to the office, and a quick search shows that its a 1.3 Ghz, PPC-powered Mac… and another internet search uncovers a cool video showing how to take a Mac Mini apart (Its only held together by plastic clips!).

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynQKYTaJ_zA

Once open, and with some diagnostic help from the internet, I soon discover that 4 beeps means a RAM problem.

The 1GB DDR RAM is faulty, although removing it is a little tricky, as the rear RAM “clip” (you know, the ones that flip open to eject the RAM)… well it only flips part-way (because its blocked by another mac component… I wouldn’t have expected Apple to stuff up a design detail like this… oh well). But it flips open enough that I can ease out the RAM module.

When I (carefully) insert the new RAM module, and switch on the Mac, I’m greeted by a familiar Mac “humm” sound effect… ah, good.

Although the above video shows re-assembling the Mac is simple, I needed 3 attempts to get it to fit properly… the cover just wouldn’t close along the rear… and I couldn’t see anything blocking it. But it did close (eventually), but I needed to re-open the case twice before it eventually snapped into place correctly!