From: "Tim" <tjp314@pacbell.net>
Date: May 17, 2008 1:31:14 PM MDT
To: Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: Sorta OT: Powerbook G4 won't startup
Well, I found the system install disk that came with the powerbook,
and it still won't boot. I hold down the "C" key to make it spin up
the DVD, but it still doesn't boot.
And when I run disk utility from the mini, I still gets the same
error. I checked the "SMART" status, and it says it's not supported.
-Tim.
--- In Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com, "Tim" <tjp314@...> wrote:
Hi folks:
I was out in my shop machining the backplate on my ancient Champion
lathe so I could put a better-condition southbend chuck on it. That
worked, but I still can't hold the part I need to machine! So, I'm
going to work on fixing the powerbook today.
I didn't know you could zap the pram on later macs. I tried that, and
it seemed to do it's thing, meaning I heard the startup chime twice
when I held it down long enough to (I had the sound turned off
before). But it still just shuts down.
I'm going to see if I can find the original system disks for it and
try that next.
I seem to remember reading that changing the hard drive is difficult
with these later G4 powerbooks. Is that true? If not, I'll hie
myself on over to Fried Electrons and see what they have for a
replacement.
Fortunately, if my hard drive is toast, I have most of my important
files backed up on my Lacie drive. But not everything.
-Tim.
--- In Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com, Mark Gaffney <markgaffney@> wrote:
Hi Tim, Another method is known as "zapping the pram" which involves
holding down the command/option/P&R keys whilst you start up
(difficult to manage all at once I know!) I`ve replaced a couple of
hard disks in my Mac Mini, the first was an upgrade from 40 GB to
120
GB but the second, the repair guy told me I had a number of "bad
patches" in the system. Mark Gaffney.
On 18/05/2008, at 2:38 AM, Tim wrote:
Okay, I've tried booting from the DVD (but it's the one for the
Mini,
which is a wintel - still, shouldn't it be able to run disk
utility?).
Anyway, the first time I started it up with the DVD, I immediately
got the "you need to restart" screen. The second time, it spun
up the
DVD and then shut down like before.
I'm trying Disk Utility from the mini now, booting the powerbook
as a
target disk.
The DVD shows up in my finder on the mini, but the HD still does
not.
When I run disk utility and try to repair the drive, I get this
message:
Verify and Repair disk "Macintosh HD"
Checking HFS Plus volume.
Checking Extents Overflow file.
Checking Catalog file.
Invalid node structure
Volume check failed.
Error: The underlying task reported failure on exit
1 HFS volume checked
1 volume could not be repaired because of an error
Sound like the hard disk is bad?
-Tim.
--- In Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com, Milton Aupperle <milton@> wrote:
Hi Tim;
On 17-May-08, at 9:03 AM, Tim wrote:
Sorry for the OT post, but I'm stumped.
My powerbook G4 has "always" been a little troublesome. It
seems
I've
had only 3 Macs between work and home use since 1984 that have had
puzzling, if infrequent, problems.
All three have periodically had the dreaded message "you need to
restart by holding down the power button for several seconds"
come
up.
This had been happening to me with the powerbook on about a weekly
basis, so I took it in to an Apple service store for repairs.
Problem
never went away, though it was less frequent.
2 nights ago, it happened again (after a few months of no
problems).
I used to be able to restart the machine by holding down the power
button to turn it off, then restarting it. It would take up to
several minutes to restart, but seemed to be okay after that.
It does a bunch of diagnostic stuff when this happens, like Ram
checking which takes longer time to re-boot.
But this time, when I restart the computer, I get the gray
screen
with
the apple logo and the spinning gizmo for about a minute or two,
then
the computer shuts itself down. No "folder with a question mark"
icon. It just won't boot up at all.
I haven't tried putting a system disk in the DVD drive yet,
but I
have
tried starting it as a "target" drive with a firewire cable
connected
to my mini so I could run disk utility on it. When I do that, I
get a
message that it can't be repaired.
It sounds like your Drive has died. The DVD re-boot will tell you
which it is as if it's the CPU / Motherboard, then you likely won't
be able to boot.
Also have Disk Utilities look at the drive and see what SMART
status
indicates (should be verified). I had similar behavior when my
drive
packed it in in my G4 Laptop, 3 months after I bought it.
The other possibility is the PRAM battery is bad / dying, which
causes all sorts of weird behavior too, like not finding startup
disks.
Milton J. Aupperle
President
ASC - Aupperle Services and Contracting
Mac Software (Drivers, Components and Application) Specialist
#1005 - 815 14th Avenue. S.W.
Calgary Alberta T2R0N5
1-(403)-229-9456
milton@
www.outcastsoft.com
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