Mac Pro 1,1 issues

[PamCro]

I am stumped with some Mac Pro issues, and hope you guys can help me! :confused:

This is a mac pro 1,1 - 1gb Ram, 7300gt, 250gb Seagate HD, Tiger 10.4 :D

When booting from cold, (having the system switched off for any period of time), the monitor remains black, with "no input" on the screen. I thought this was a graphics card problem.

However after rebooting, (leaving the machine on for 20 minutes or so) the machine boots to a grey apple screen and then loads to a blue screen. :confused:

The machine successfully boots into safe mode after this 20 minutes, but not still not into the normal OS x. :confused:

I have ran a hardware test, and it stated the ram and logic board were fine, I have used the disk utility to reset permissions etc. Still no luck. :(

Hope you can help!! :apple::apple:

[Hellhammer]

http://guides.macrumors.com/Mac_doesn%27t_boot

[PamCro]

Thanks for the link, I have tried everything aside from reinstalling the OS. I will do this now... :apple::apple:

[PamCro]

Still nothing, any other ideas? Or is it a trip to the genius bar??

[Hellhammer]

Still nothing, any other ideas? Or is it a trip to the genius bar??

I think yes, unless you have a spare GPU to try it with. Is it out of warranty?

[PamCro]

I have ordered a GPU but it is taking a looong time to arrive, yes it is out of warranty :mad:

[Cindori]

Sounds to me like the hard drive is bad. I would suggest try installing the OS on another drive and see if it will boot.

[Hellhammer]

Sounds to me like the hard drive is bad. I would suggest try installing the OS on another drive and see if it will boot.

Failed HD doesn't explain why the screen remains black when he tries to turn it on IMO. It should boot fine but hang on Apple or blue screen or show the boot volume not found icon. You can enter BIOS in PCs even without HD installed and this applies to Macs, image should come on even without HD

[PamCro]

I have two GPUs on the way !! Hopefully this will be the problem!

Some questions though for you guys;

Does the fact it boots into safe mode prove its not the logic board / CPUs ? As I was most worried about this.

What about the RAM, could it be a bad DIMM?

[Hellhammer]

I have two GPUs on the way !! Hopefully this will be the problem!

Some questions though for you guys;

Does the fact it boots into safe mode prove its not the logic board / CPUs ? As I was most worried about this.

What about the RAM, could it be a bad DIMM?

Does it boot all the way to the desktop? Hard to say, could be RAM too. Maybe even HD though I doubt it

[Cindori]

Failed HD doesn't explain why the screen remains black when he tries to turn it on IMO. It should boot fine but hang on Apple or blue screen or show the boot volume not found icon. You can enter BIOS in PCs even without HD installed and this applies to Macs, image should come on even without HD

true that. my mistake.

[PamCro]

Yeah, it gets into safe mode okay, and functions. The system date was set to 2001 in safe mode, I changed this as it came with a message;

"Could make some applications behave erratically"

I then managed to boot into the OS, but it crashed and then wouldn't boot back again.

I have checked the CMOS battery with a multimeter. :(:(

[Hellhammer]

Yeah, it gets into safe mode okay, and functions. The system date was set to 2001 in safe mode, I changed this as it came with a message;

"Could make some applications behave erratically"

I then managed to boot into the OS, but it crashed and then wouldn't boot back again.

I have checked the CMOS battery with a multimeter. :(:(

Could be the RAM, you only have 1x1GB right?

[PamCro]

2 x 512.

[Hellhammer]

2 x 512.

Try switching their places and booting with only one etc..

[js1138]

I'm kind of a newbie to Macs, but I've repaired lots of computers, including my G5.

To me, a slow boot sounds like hardware hanging. On a PC, I'd try a replacement hard drive. You can get them for under $50 retail, maybe under $40.

When a hard drive is failing, it retries. Lots of consecutive retries take lots of time. I've rescued data from failing drives that took overnight to copy what should have taken ten minutes. When things get to this point, you will lose stuff. Maybe not everything.

Just a thought.

[666sheep]

Try switching their places and booting with only one etc..

With only one it will not boot certainly ;) It needs pairs of sticks.
OP, test what you can and post results. From first look, it seems that it could be bad graphics card, bad RAM usually gives Kernel Panic, but it's hard to tell now where the problem lies.
To test logic board, use DIAG LEDs (google what they indicates and how to check them).

[Mackilroy]

You sure it won't boot? Doesn't paired RAM just make it run faster?

[PamCro]

I'm really thinking its the graphics card.

Its a really hot day here so I put the graphics card in an antistatic bag and left it in the sun on a black marble table as an experiment.

It got very hot within about 15 minutes. Put it back into the Mac hot and booted straight into the O/S.

Surely not a coincidence.

Going to boot it again once its cooled down to confirm. :rolleyes:

[yoink]

I'm sorry I didn't find this thread earlier. If anyone else with a 1,1 or similar Mac Pro stumbles here looking for video-card related issues, I have two Apple-sourced 7300GTs from a MacPro that are sitting, unused. I'd be happy to send one to anyone in need (not in want) for ailing or failed parts if you cover the cost of shipping from Montreal, Quebec.

[PamCro]

I have plugged a 2nd hand 7300GT into my mac pro and it now works : )

A question though, I have Tiger - is there a decent hardware diagnostic tool and benchmarking tool I can use to make sure the error was just the graphics card :confused:

Thanks,

[Hellhammer]

I have plugged a 2nd hand 7300GT into my mac pro and it now works : )

A question though, I have Tiger - is there a decent hardware diagnostic tool and benchmarking tool I can use to make sure the error was just the graphics card :confused:

Thanks,

TechTool Deluxe (http://www.micromat.com/index.php?Itemid=51&id=37&option=com_content&task=view) is pretty good though it's not free