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TICKET ARCHIVE -> boot failure on install

mononoke - Oct 15, 2006 - 1:42 pm

i have a blueberry slotloading apple g3 with a 333mhz processor.. i set out on a quest to install apple os X 10.3 with some os cds i bought used at a apple store in town. I updated everything and pulled out my old harddrive and put in a 40gig i had spare... the hard drive works and is blank (not even formated) when i tryed to boot off the cd at first it would load but wouldnt read the harddrive. So i tried puting in another harddrive that was the same size just a different moddel. after that the computer wont boot at all... all it does is spin up the rom. It wont boot off it.. all i get is a blinking question mark that i can barly see because it is soooo light grey for some reason now. PLEASE HELP!

DeltaMac - Oct 15, 2006 - 2:17 pm

I'm confused! a 333 MHz iMac does not have a slot-loading CD, it would have a tray/drawer for the CD. If it is a 333 MHz, then you MUST format the 40GB hard drive that you are trying to use. OS X must be installed on the first partition, which must be smaller than 8GB. If your replacement hard drive is not formatted, boot to the OS X installer CD, and at the first installer screen, choose Disk Utility from the Installer menu at the top of that screen. You must click on the Partition tab, and create more than one partition. You can change the partition sizes to get the size that you need on the first partition. Remember the 'less than 8GB' limitation. It's quite important.
Also, consider adding more memory, if you still have only 128MB. Anything more will help.
If your iMac DOES have a slot-loading CD (just a slot, and not a tray/drawer), then you do not need the 8GB partition, but the same process to erase the drive with the Disk Utility, which will prepare the drive for use in the Mac.
If your video is failing - you may want to re-think the whole process. Unless you have some spares for parts, you'll spend more than that old iMac will be worth for repairs.
Let me know how it goes...
- Dale

mononoke - Oct 16, 2006 - 12:47 pm

im sorry i posted the wrong information on my apple... this is an Apple Imac G3 400mhz slotloading with 128mb ram... and my problem isnt installing the operating system (yet), its the fact that i cant boot off of a cd at all and that i cant really see anything on my screen. I think that the knobs on the side for changing the screen setting were turned when somone i know took a look at the system. So sorry for the mistake... thankyou sooooooo much for taking the time to help me! thanks!

DeltaMac - Oct 16, 2006 - 1:39 pm

Have your 'someone you know' take the bottom off your iMac, and try to adjust those two controls. The only settings are for focus (never needs changing), and the screen control, which GREATLY affects brightness. If adjusted too high, the life of the CRT will seriously be shortened. Have someone look at this who knows what they are doing....
If you can get the video adjusted OK, again - 128MB ram is not enough. You could have as much as 2 x 512 MB (1 GB !). Any amount more than 128 will help.
Still need help booting to the OS X install CD? put the disk in, and restart holding the letter C. That should work, assuming your CD drive is OK.
- Dale

mononoke - Oct 18, 2006 - 1:37 pm

thats not my problem though... i can fix the resolution problem... its that it wont boot the cd... all it does is power up and flash the question mark at me... you hear the cd spin up but it wont read it or boot off it... nothing happens when i hold C to try to boot off the cd. I know the cd is good.
Sorry for the miss understanding

Thanks,
-Doug

DeltaMac - Oct 18, 2006 - 3:01 pm

Do you see the CD as a bootable partition - by holding the Option key, instead of the C ? If the hard drive is still blank, then you should see a blue screen, with 2 arrow icons, and an icon for your CD. If you do, wait for your cursor to change to a normal arrow, and click on the CD to select that, then click on the right-facing arrow. You should then boot to the CD. If you don't see the CD icon, then your CD is not bootable, or not a good disk, or the CD drive is faulty.

mononoke - Oct 18, 2006 - 3:43 pm

ok... i got it to boot the cd and i formated the harddrive. and installed the os. I left my house for 10 minutes and i come back and the cd is ejected and the screen off... now i cant get the screen to come back on.

Thanks,
-Doug

DeltaMac - Oct 18, 2006 - 4:24 pm

(sigh...)
Open the access door on the bottom, and press the PMU reset button. You'll see it through the door looking toward the front right. - small black button on a silver square about 1/4 inch square on the logic board. Press it only once - no more. You should also test, or simply replace the battery. You'll see it toward the rear of the iMac, also through the door. It can be replaced without more disassembly. But after the reset button, try the power.
If you can boot, check the firmware version by holding Apple-Option-O-F
That will bring up the black with white text Open Firmware screen. The top line will say something like Powermac 5,1 and then bootrom version number, which should be 4.1.9xx (the f1 is irrelevant, the 4.1.9 is the latest version).
If version 3.something - or even 1.2 something - then that can be a serious problem, and the firmware MUST be updated before you can continue with OS X. You have to install and boot to OS 9.1 (or 9.2.x) to install the firmware update. It's the only way to do that.
I hope you find 4.1.9 - otherwise you're in for a big challenge now.

Let me know what you find out.
- Dale

mononoke - Oct 20, 2006 - 2:23 pm

ok i have 4.1.9 and i tried pushing the pram button, the screen came back on, but it wont boot still. now its not detecting the cd or the harddrive. It will read the cd but it takes a long while for it to load and when it does i get the cross out symbol where the apple is and it fails to load. I tried a few other harddrives of various size and age and all others i tried said that the os cant boot off that drive.

THANKS SOO MUCH!
sorry im suck a noob at this lol

-Doug

DeltaMac - Oct 20, 2006 - 3:00 pm

Ah, I don't give up that easy ! Just hang in there, we're getting close to the answer.
First some questions.
Is your OS X 10.3 installer on a grey CD (with a specific Mac model on the label), or a Black disk with a big X? (that's the one you want)
Have you checked that your hard drive has the jumpers set for a master? Cable select setting might not work in the older iMacs.
Did you erase the drive? (boot to the installer CD, and choose Disk Utility from the Installer menu. You'll see the menus after you select the Language at the first screen.) Any hard drive should be formatted as MacOS Extended.
Hint: click on the hard drive line (with the manufacturers info), and choose Partition. Choose a different Volume Scheme, and partition. Then choose the Erase tab, and erase again. should be OK now, but shut your iMac Off, not just a simple restart. Let it set for 10 seconds or so, then reboot to the installer disk, and try it now (should work)
Let me know how it goes...
- Dale