G3 AIO Beeping and Freezing

[Horrortaxi]

I have a 233 G3 All-In-One at work that I'm trying to figure out. It's running OS 9.2 on 128MB RAM and the original HD. The only extra in it is a PCI USB card. Every time it starts up it flashes a question mark for a couple seconds, then starts loading 9.2. While using it, it will beep at random times (not out of the speakers, but from inside the machine) and occasionally just freezes up and does nothing. In that case it's back to "normal" after a restart. Any ideas what could be going on in there? I'd like it to be more like it's neighbor--same machine with 20GB drive and 640MB happily running Jaguar.

[MacBandit]

What you are hearing is the equivalant of a PC Bios code. The computer is failing a startup hardware self diagnostic. You will have to listen carefully to determine what the actual code is. Here is a link the Apple Support page listing the error codes.

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=58183

[Horrortaxi]

I'll have a listen today, but the beeps aren't at startup. The computer is on and functioning when it beeps, and it keeps on working most of the time.

[MacBandit]

Originally posted by Horrortaxi
I'll have a listen today, but the beeps aren't at startup. The computer is on and functioning when it beeps, and it keeps on working most of the time.

That sounds strange indeed. Have you considered a virus?

[Sedulous]

Something is just probably loose.

[MacBandit]

Originally posted by Sedulous
Something is just probably loose.

That's my guess but I have never heard of the self test beeps happening while running. They should only happen at startup.

[Horrortaxi]

Originally posted by MacBandit
That sounds strange indeed. Have you considered a virus?
I hadn't thought about a virus, but I don't see how likely that would be. The drive is freshly formatted and nobody installs anything on it--it's not on a network, not even internet. The 3 apps on it came off clean disks.

I've thought about the "something's loose" theory before. I went through it and tried to make sure everything was plugged in tight. It seems (maybe) to do it when accessing the hard drive--opening an app, saving--also sometimes freezes during startup. It also does it for no reason sometimes but I get a gut feeling now that it's related to the hard drive. I don't mind if it's the drive--it's only 4GB anyway. If it's something on the board that would be bad. Anybody have any diagnostic ideas short of swapping in another drive. I don't think I have an extra.

[colocolo]

I got those same strange beeps on my iBook since last week, have heard them about 5 times, though it has never frozen.. yet.

[MacBandit]

Have either of you counted the beeps yet to see if it corresponds with one of the codes in the link I posted up above?

[applemacdude]

Restart the mac and press apple-option-p-r and when it retarts immediatly press apple-option-o-f. then a unix like screen will pop up and you type in "reset-all" press return. this might work

[colocolo]

It's only one beep, not at startup, and this is an iBook so those codes don't apply.. also, the code for one beep means there is no RAM, and that doesn't seem to be my problem ;)

[MacBandit]

Originally posted by colocolo
It's only one beep, not at startup, and this is an iBook so those codes don't apply.. also, the code for one beep means there is no RAM, and that doesn't seem to be my problem ;)

Actually all of the new square iBooks do apply. The bulletin is very old. Your right though if it didn't detect any ram then it wouldn't start. Very odd.

[Horrortaxi]

Originally posted by colocolo
It's only one beep, not at startup, and this is an iBook so those codes don't apply.. also, the code for one beep means there is no RAM, and that doesn't seem to be my problem ;)

Same here, 1 beep. Usually it's a short one but I've had a very long beep too--sounds like the stall alarm in MS Flight Simulator, if you know what that sounds like.

I haven't tried resetting the firmware and all that. Might as well though.

[Nermal]

Open the Startup Disk control panel and make sure your HD is set as the startup disk. I know this sounds weird but check it anyway :)

Presumably you've run Disk First Aid? If you haven't, give that a run-through too.

[Horrortaxi]

Disk First Aid says everything is fine. Firmware has been reset. I took out the PCI USB card. The startup disk is set to 9.2 on the hard drive, just like it's supposed to be. Everything inside the computer is plugged in and seated nice and tight. The beeping and freezing is definitely related to the hard drive--I'm now certain of that. If I can get my hands on another hard drive I'll swap it and see if the problem still exists.

This is kind of crazy--nobody's heard of this exact problem.