Need Help With Crash

[suggestionapple]

my system crashed. i dont know what happened. whenever i turn the computer one it makes clicking sounds then goes to a question mark folder/finder face folder. i tried the reinstall discs and though they would load, once it got to the part about choosing what folder to install into there wouldnt be any folders to install. it was just blank. i tried the hardware test disc and that was working until it got to checking the memory. then the screen turned glitchy with different color lines running all across in squares. i dunno whats up!! anyone know?? how do you reformat or is that even possible under the circumstances i described? THANKS.

[Scarlet Fever]

more info please.

What mac are you using? What system are you running?

[suggestionapple]

power mac g5.

what system am i running? errr, i dont even know what that means. maybe i didnt mean system. i just mean the damn thing wont go anywhere past the question mark folder in the center of the screen.

[Scarlet Fever]

by system i meant OS ie 10.4.

Sounds like a bad HDD. Did you notice any unusual noises before it started doing this?

[dpaanlka]

Your hard drive failed. You need a new one.

[suggestionapple]

man, alright. thats what i thought, but i wanted to make sure. so, now, can you guys help me figure out what hd i should get? i dont know what internal hard drive im supposed to get to go with my power mac g5. like is there a certain type i'm supposed to get or what. if u could provide links thatd be great! i cant really afford anything over 300 dollars right now, though. thaaaaaaaanks!!

[dpaanlka]

man, alright. thats what i thought, but i wanted to make sure. so, now, can you guys help me figure out what hd i should get? i dont know what internal hard drive im supposed to get to go with my power mac g5. like is there a certain type i'm supposed to get or what. if u could provide links thatd be great! i cant really afford anything over 300 dollars right now, though. thaaaaaaaanks!!

Drives are usually nowhere near $300.

Here are a ton of choices: http://eshop.macsales.com/MyOWC/Upgrades.cfm?model=219&type=Data+Storage&TI=3909&shoupgrds=Show+Upgrades

Seagates get my vote.

[suggestionapple]

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Seagate/ST3400620AS/


should i get that one? it keeps saying PC, though.. it wont work with a mac?

[dpaanlka]

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Seagate/ST3400620AS/


should i get that one? it keeps saying PC, though.. it wont work with a mac?

Well, hard drives aren't PC or Mac specific. Secondly, that site is Macsales - everything there works on a Mac.

So yes, that is a fine drive.

[suggestionapple]

swell!! so after that i just run the install discs and ill be back in business right?
thanks so much!

[dpaanlka]

swell!! so after that i just run the install discs and ill be back in business right?
thanks so much!

Yes... except of course you wont have your personal files, documents, music or photos. But after you get your new drive all set up, you can put your old drive in and try to rescue stuff further using Disk Utility or another disk rescue program.

[suggestionapple]

well i got the new hard drive and when i turned the computer on i still got the questions mark folder. i put the instal mac osx disc in and the same thing happened as with the old hard drive. no folder will show up in which to install into. :( what am i doing wrong??

[nazmac21]

well i got the new hard drive and when i turned the computer on i still got the questions mark folder. i put the instal mac osx disc in and the same thing happened as with the old hard drive. no folder will show up in which to install into. :( what am i doing wrong??

Remove the old harddrive and install the Mac OS X in the new harddrive.

[Lovesong]

well i got the new hard drive and when i turned the computer on i still got the questions mark folder. i put the instal mac osx disc in and the same thing happened as with the old hard drive. no folder will show up in which to install into. :( what am i doing wrong??

Remove the old drive, put in the new one. Restart the system and hold down "C"as it reboots, (with the disk in the disk drive).

[suggestionapple]

i did do that. the disc loads. its just that when it gets to the part where it asks into which folder i would like to install mac osx there are no folders to choose from. its empty.

i put the additional hardware and apple test disc in because i read that os9 comes with that and u need to first to install mac osx, but there is no install additional hardware option. its just the test from what i can tell.

[Fleetwood Mac]

You may have to format the drive.

Utilities > Disk Utility then select and format the new drive as HFS (Journaled).

Failing that, I'd check to make sure the new drive is installed correctly.

[suggestionapple]

guys,

i dont have any options AT ALL.

look ill guide u through whats up again.

i turn the computer on. all that appears on the screen is a small folder with a question mark flashing.

if i put the install disc in it will run, but when it gets to the part where it asks what system folder to install mac osx into, THERE ARE NO FOLDERS. ITS EMPTY.


does anyone know how to get to the additional hardware option of the 'additional hardware and apple test' disc that comes with power mac g5? when i put that disc in it goes straight to the hardware test.

again.. i dont have an menu to go to or anything of that sort so that 'utility' thing wont work. all i have is a folder with a question mark and these install discs for which i have no system folders to install into.


man, this is awful. i really need my computer for work and ive no idea whats up.

[suggestionapple]

i dont have a start up drive.

[Fleetwood Mac]

I'm not sure if you knew this already, by I was talking about the utilities menu within the installer. It appears on the top along with the blue apple etc.

Saved me a few times..

[suggestionapple]

ii dont know how to select the drive.
can u go over this step by step as if i were the biggest idiot in the world because i am. thanks.

[Chile Mac]

ii dont know how to select the drive.
can u go over this step by step as if i were the biggest idiot in the world because i am. thanks.

:eek: LOL... it's for as much? :o
Anyway, good luck with your deal... doesn't look easy.

[TheAnswer]

Make sure you are starting up with the Install Disc #1...hold down C while starting up. It should ask you which language you want to proceed in (if it doesn't, don't worry as long as it's a language you understand). You might see a "preparing to install..." progress bar. Then a dialog should appear. It shouldn't be asking you what folder to install OS X in, but what Volume (i.e. Hard Drive) you want to install on. IF no volumes appear, you need to reformat the drive. Above the dialog box, you should have a menu bar...in that menu bar, select the Utilities menu and in that menu the Disc Utility command. That's where you would reformat (by selecting the new volume and clicking the erase tab, selecting options and clicking the erase button).

[dpaanlka]

Yeah... drives often don't ship formatted, or formatted as a boot-able Mac volume. You'll have to do that yourself.

[suggestionapple]

which thing do i erase?

mac os extended (journaled)
mac os extended
ms-dos file system
unix file system

[TheAnswer]

Make sure the new drive is selected at left...then Erase tab:

select: Mac OS Extended (Journaled)

and click the Erase button.

[suggestionapple]

It Worked!!! Thank You So Much!!

[Mississippi]

Yes... except of course you wont have your personal files, documents, music or photos. But after you get your new drive all set up, you can put your old drive in and try to rescue stuff further using Disk Utility or another disk rescue program.

I have an ibook G3 that runs on OS x-latest version. I set the system preferences to start with the classic mode from start up disk on the hard drive.

I restarted the computer after making this change in the System Preferences. NOW, all I get is a blinking ? drive?

What to do?

Mississippi