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Next: Extracting passwords from OS X
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External
Since: Aug 27, 2006
Posts: 1
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(Msg. 1) Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2006 11:15 am
Post subject: iMac G3 No boot CD, no boot HDD
Archived from groups: comp>sys>mac>system (more info?)
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I've spent the day searching the net for the answer, to no avail,
though I've learned many new interesting things.
iMac G3 with OSX 10.2 installed, no OS 9
Energy saver disabled
Moved the mouse to turn off the screen saver, desktop appeared, then HD
started clicking. I've heard of 2 different clicks. This one sounds
more like a small clunk, the sound it makes when the drive spins up and
the head unparks, but now it does it over and over.
Had this happen before, lost the data on the drive, but was able to
start from scratch via CD. This time however, CD won't boot either. The
hard drive clunks for a while (5 mins or so), then the folder flashing
the question mark (no OS to load).
My research today led me to believe it might be the battery. Took it
out, 3.18 volts, so AHA that's it. New battery 3.62 volts, replaced
battery, pushed the magic button, power on, same deal.
Got into openFirmware, reset-nvram, set-defaults, reset-all. Same deal.
The display shows everything fine, firmware v4.1.9, the CD spins up
with no serious noise, then spins down and sits.
Any ideas where to go from here? |
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External
Since: Aug 27, 2006
Posts: 4
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(Msg. 2) Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2006 12:28 pm
Post subject: Re: iMac G3 No boot CD, no boot HDD [Login to view extended thread Info.]
Archived from groups: per prev. post (more info?)
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Tim McNamara wrote:
>
> Just to ask the obvious- are you holding down the "c" key while booting
> from the CD?
Yes. To add a little to the original post, tried that C key, the
Cmd/Opt/Shift/Del combo too. That latter actually jumps to the flashing
question mark much quicker than by holding the C key. Not sure what
this means.
As a desperation play, can I boot my G3 via firewire off my G4 ibook
(Tiger)? |
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External
Since: Dec 06, 2003
Posts: 835
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(Msg. 3) Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2006 1:56 pm
Post subject: Re: iMac G3 No boot CD, no boot HDD [Login to view extended thread Info.]
Archived from groups: per prev. post (more info?)
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In article <1156702543.819337.259330 DeleteThis @m79g2000cwm.googlegroups.com>,
keefemd DeleteThis @frontiernet.net wrote:
> I've spent the day searching the net for the answer, to no avail,
> though I've learned many new interesting things.
>
> iMac G3 with OSX 10.2 installed, no OS 9 Energy saver disabled
>
> Moved the mouse to turn off the screen saver, desktop appeared, then
> HD started clicking. I've heard of 2 different clicks. This one
> sounds more like a small clunk, the sound it makes when the drive
> spins up and the head unparks, but now it does it over and over.
>
> Had this happen before, lost the data on the drive, but was able to
> start from scratch via CD. This time however, CD won't boot either.
> The hard drive clunks for a while (5 mins or so), then the folder
> flashing the question mark (no OS to load).
>
> My research today led me to believe it might be the battery. Took it
> out, 3.18 volts, so AHA that's it. New battery 3.62 volts, replaced
> battery, pushed the magic button, power on, same deal. Got into
> openFirmware, reset-nvram, set-defaults, reset-all. Same deal. The
> display shows everything fine, firmware v4.1.9, the CD spins up with
> no serious noise, then spins down and sits.
>
> Any ideas where to go from here?
Just to ask the obvious- are you holding down the "c" key while booting
from the CD? >> Stay informed about: iMac G3 No boot CD, no boot HDD |
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External
Since: Aug 27, 2006
Posts: 4
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(Msg. 4) Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2006 5:36 pm
Post subject: Re: iMac G3 No boot CD, no boot HDD [Login to view extended thread Info.]
Archived from groups: per prev. post (more info?)
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tacit wrote:
> A hard drive that makes repeated clicks or clunks has almost always
> failed. Remove the hard drive from your computer, throw it away,a nd
> replace it. That should solve your problem.
I removed the drive entirely, but the CD still does not boot. All the
obvious solutions have been tried and put to bed on this one. I
remember on some PC's there was a PCI card that handled the drives (CD,
hard disk, etc). Presumably there is something along the lines on an
iMac? >> Stay informed about: iMac G3 No boot CD, no boot HDD |
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External
Since: Jul 15, 2003
Posts: 6253
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(Msg. 5) Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2006 6:08 pm
Post subject: Re: iMac G3 No boot CD, no boot HDD [Login to view extended thread Info.]
Imported from groups: per prev. post (more info?)
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External
Since: Mar 24, 2005
Posts: 363
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(Msg. 6) Posted: Sun Aug 27, 2006 9:12 pm
Post subject: Re: iMac G3 No boot CD, no boot HDD [Login to view extended thread Info.]
Archived from groups: per prev. post (more info?)
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In article <1156702543.819337.259330.DeleteThis@m79g2000cwm.googlegroups.com>,
keefemd.DeleteThis@frontiernet.net wrote:
> Moved the mouse to turn off the screen saver, desktop appeared, then HD
> started clicking. I've heard of 2 different clicks. This one sounds
> more like a small clunk, the sound it makes when the drive spins up and
> the head unparks, but now it does it over and over.
>
> Had this happen before, lost the data on the drive, but was able to
> start from scratch via CD. This time however, CD won't boot either. The
> hard drive clunks for a while (5 mins or so), then the folder flashing
> the question mark (no OS to load).
>
> My research today led me to believe it might be the battery.
A hard drive that makes repeated clicks or clunks has almost always
failed. Remove the hard drive from your computer, throw it away,a nd
replace it. That should solve your problem.
--
Art, photography, shareware, polyamory, literature, kink:
all at http://www.xeromag.com/franklin.html
Nanohazard, Geek shirts, and more: http://www.villaintees.com >> Stay informed about: iMac G3 No boot CD, no boot HDD |
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External
Since: Aug 27, 2006
Posts: 4
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(Msg. 7) Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 5:55 am
Post subject: Re: iMac G3 No boot CD, no boot HDD [Login to view extended thread Info.]
Archived from groups: per prev. post (more info?)
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External
Since: Jul 15, 2003
Posts: 6253
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(Msg. 8) Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 6:57 am
Post subject: Re: iMac G3 No boot CD, no boot HDD [Login to view extended thread Info.]
Imported from groups: per prev. post (more info?)
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External
Since: Aug 27, 2006
Posts: 4
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(Msg. 9) Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 4:42 pm
Post subject: Re: iMac G3 No boot CD, no boot HDD [Login to view extended thread Info.]
Archived from groups: per prev. post (more info?)
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Michelle Steiner wrote:
>
> Were any of them an original CD?
>
That's an offirmative.. To end this thread, the problem was the hard
drive as <tacit> suggested. It's been awhile since the last breakdown,
but I could swear the CD would load without a hard drive present.
Aparently this is not so. Put a different hard drive in (empty) and the
CD booted without any keys pressed. Must have been something wrong with
the controller onboard the HD.
Thanks to the community and all who replied!
PS- In the aftermath, moving on to a Dell, so I guess I can expect
weeklly problems as opposed to every 5 years! >> Stay informed about: iMac G3 No boot CD, no boot HDD |
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External
Since: Jul 18, 2004
Posts: 964
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(Msg. 10) Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2006 12:55 am
Post subject: Re: iMac G3 No boot CD, no boot HDD [Login to view extended thread Info.]
Archived from groups: per prev. post (more info?)
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keefemd DeleteThis @frontiernet.net <keefemd DeleteThis @frontiernet.net> wrote:
> tacit wrote:
> > A hard drive that makes repeated clicks or clunks has almost always
> > failed. Remove the hard drive from your computer, throw it away,a nd
> > replace it. That should solve your problem.
>
> I removed the drive entirely, but the CD still does not boot.
The iMac G3 has its ATA bus configured with the hard drive as the master
and the CD as the slave. My understanding is that the slave device is
not accessible if the master is not functioning correctly (or is
missing).
This probably explains the original failure to start up from the CD (the
hard drive wasn't responding to the motherboard, and therefore the slave
device, i.e. the CD-ROM, wasn't accessible either). It definitely
explains the CD not working with no hard drive installed.
--
David Empson
dempson DeleteThis @actrix.gen.nz >> Stay informed about: iMac G3 No boot CD, no boot HDD |
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External
Since: Mar 24, 2005
Posts: 363
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(Msg. 11) Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2006 12:55 am
Post subject: Re: iMac G3 No boot CD, no boot HDD [Login to view extended thread Info.]
Archived from groups: per prev. post (more info?)
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In article <1hkt3od.5ve0261o5w8cwN%dempson@actrix.gen.nz>,
dempson RemoveThis @actrix.gen.nz (David Empson) wrote:
> The iMac G3 has its ATA bus configured with the hard drive as the master
> and the CD as the slave. My understanding is that the slave device is
> not accessible if the master is not functioning correctly (or is
> missing).
That is actually not correct; in fact, I had a Mac B&W G3 for many years
that had only one hard drive, set to "slave."
The terms "master" and "slave" are a holdover from the (very)old days,
when the hard drive controller was included with the first hard drive
you bought, but not on the second--the controller on the first hard
drive would also control the second. As a result, your computer's first
hard drive would set you back about $6,000, but you could add a second
hard drive for only $4,000. In such a system, if the first hard drive
failed, the second was inaccessible.
Today, "master" merely means "IDE device #0" and "slave" means "IDE
device #1." The presence of one is not required to operate the other;
the "master" does not in any way control the "slave."
--
Art, photography, shareware, polyamory, literature, kink:
all at http://www.xeromag.com/franklin.html
Nanohazard, Geek shirts, and more: http://www.villaintees.com >> Stay informed about: iMac G3 No boot CD, no boot HDD |
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External
Since: Jul 18, 2004
Posts: 964
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(Msg. 12) Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2006 12:28 am
Post subject: Re: iMac G3 No boot CD, no boot HDD [Login to view extended thread Info.]
Archived from groups: per prev. post (more info?)
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tacit <tacitr.TakeThisOut@aol.com> wrote:
> In article <1hkt3od.5ve0261o5w8cwN%dempson@actrix.gen.nz>,
> dempson.TakeThisOut@actrix.gen.nz (David Empson) wrote:
>
> > The iMac G3 has its ATA bus configured with the hard drive as the master
> > and the CD as the slave. My understanding is that the slave device is
> > not accessible if the master is not functioning correctly (or is
> > missing).
>
> That is actually not correct; in fact, I had a Mac B&W G3 for many years
> that had only one hard drive, set to "slave."
[snip]
> Today, "master" merely means "IDE device #0" and "slave" means "IDE
> device #1." The presence of one is not required to operate the other;
> the "master" does not in any way control the "slave."
OK, my mistake.
It appears however that the iMac G3 may have something odd going on.
Elsewhere in this thread, the OP states that he got the CD-ROM drive
going again after a hard drive was connected, but it wouldn't work
without the hard drive.
Any suggestions as to why?
I have also had direct experience of a faulty hard drive in an iMac G3
(tray loading model, I think - I've pulled apart several recently)
preventing the CD from being accessed at all. In this case, the hard
drive controller may have been doing something like tying up the ATA
bus, preventing the CD-ROM from being accessed.
I haven't tried an iMac G3 without a hard drive, so I can't confirm
whether or not the CD works on its own.
--
David Empson
dempson.TakeThisOut@actrix.gen.nz >> Stay informed about: iMac G3 No boot CD, no boot HDD |
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