PowerMac G4 won't boot

[nwoods1]

I got this computer from a university, and I assume that the hard drive has been erased. So, naturally, when I start it I see the blinking folder with the question mark.

I can put in the Mac OSX CD that I have, and if I hold the COMMAND button on startup, can see that the CDrom is showing the OSX install disk 1 in the drive. But, when I click on the arrow to go to the next step, the CD doesn't boot...instead, it gives me a long address ending in mac-io/ata-4@1f000/@0:9,\\:tbxi or something to that extent with a darker screen, not quite grey, that has another blinking folder with a question mark in a different color.

No matter what buttons I push and hold at startup (c, x, command option shift x o), the OSX CD will not boot. I'm wondering if it's a problem with the CDrom itself, since I'm not even to the point of using the hard drive, and I can get into the Open Firmware and see all of the details in the system, including memory and processor-type (G4, 128mb PC100).

Please help!!

Nick

 

[Ric]

Hi Nick and Welcome....

because it's come from a University (Lab), it looks like the Mac has had it's Open Firmware set to either NetBoot or to disallow booting from the install CD...

...I'll just double check my notes and get back to you !


edit: after re reading my notes, this Mac was probably set to boot into OS 9 and the open firmware was setting stopping it booting in to OS X.

regards

Ric

 

[Ric]

Try this...

Boot into Open Firmware by holding down the Command+Option+O+F keys during startup.

Type the following,

setenv boot-device mac-io/ata-4@1f000/@0:2,\System\Library\CoreServices\BootX

then hit return.

type "mac-boot"

then

Now try holding down the C key with the OS X disk in...

regards

Ric

 

[nwoods1]

Thanks a ton Ric!!

I'll give that a try...

 

[Ric]

No problem !

let us know how you get on.

regards

Ric

 

[nwoods1]

Ric,

I tried that, and it just sends me to another Open Firmware screen that's yellow, or I end up at the same screen, and the env resets itself to what it was before.

It does change the env before I type in mac-boot, but after that, everything resets itself, or It goes to the yellow screen, where my only option is to type mac-boot again, and it just sends me back to the same screen with the old env string...

Any ideas? This is frustrating...

Thanks!

 

[nwoods1]

This is the line that I am always sent to after I type mac-boot

/pci@f2000000/pci-bridge@d/mac-io@7/ata-3@20000/disk@0:9,\\:tbxi

 

[nwoods1]

OK... I am going to put my Power Mac into target disk mode, then use my PowerBook G4 to install OSX onto it...

If you have any better ideas let me know!

Thanks!

 

[Ric]

Hi Nick,

sounds like a plan !

How's it going !

regards

Ric

 

[nwoods1]

Not well I'm afraid... I'm using the Mac OSX disc I got with my Powerbook... do you think I'd need to get a new OSX DVD in order to run it properly?

I can see the drive from my other computer though, and I can use it as a hard drive, but when I click on the install for the OSX disc it always asks me to reboot and never boots to the CD, even if I push C...it ends up freezing.

any ideas?

 

[Ric]

Hi there,

The retail edition of Tiger would be better (the license allows you to use it on only one Mac ;-) )

Whilst you are testing, if you want you could use Carbon Copy Cloner and put the PowerMac in target mode then use CCC to clone the PowerBook drive across.

Then if/once that allows it to boot you could reinstall afresh...

http://www.bombich.com/software/ccc.html

I'll have another think about the original problem...

regards

Ric

 

[nwoods1]

Thanks, Ric... I'll try that later today... when I tried to use Disc Copy to make an image of the drive it didn't work...

Also, found out that there is a fix, at least with my PowerBook, for an OSX cd to load... you have to hold the C button, then when you see the apple, you have to hold down the apple and V keys, then you'll go into debug mode, then you wait for the installer...

But, you're saying I won't even be able to install the OSX I have on the other computer without a license, even for testing purposes? Just don't want to buy a new OS until I make sure this one works.

Thanks for your help,

Nick

 

[Ric]

Hi Nick,

you can physically install OS X onto as many computers as you wish Apple do not put any copy protection on it...they trust that if you install on more than one, you will buy additional licenses.

There are a few startup key combinations here... ;-)

https://www.mac-help.com/forums/showthread.php?t=119

On any Mac if you hold down the 'c' key the Mac will look for a CD or DVD to boot up off instead of the internal drive. The Apple and v combo is called 'Verbose' mode this allows you to see what's actually happening when your Mac is booting up. You don't have to go into 'verbose' mode if you want to boot off 'cd or dvd', just keep the letter 'c' held till it boots.

Let us know how you get on...

regards

Ric

 

[nwoods1]

Ric,

I am concerned about this, because even with my Powerbook, I cannot boot from the original OSX install disk by pressing and holding C...it always freezes the computer with lines on the screen on top of the apple logo. So, unfortunately, neither computer will let me install OSX onto it... I can't understand why it would not be able to boot from the official OSX CD on my PowerBook...

Anyway, I'm attempting to make an image of my hard disk and copy it over to the PowerMac...this should take a while, since it's 15gb...

Thanks, and let me know if you have any ideas...i'm stumped!

Nick

 

[Ric]

Hi Nick,

the disk that came with your PowerBook should be bootable, are there any scratches on it ?

regards

Ric

 

[quesogrande]

I'm having the same problem. Mirrored driver door G4 1.25DP

I was having the universal no symbol flashing when trying to startup. I wiped the thing clean in target disc mode and then started going through the apple hardware test. I finally narrowed it to the video card, and replaced that. Now it passes hardware test with flying colors, but will not startup from a hard drive or system install cd. It only boots from the hardware test cd.

I certainly appreciate this thread, and hope we can find a cure.