Recover iBook from strange problem?

Maybe you could get another mac and a FW cable and start it up in target made to just access the hard drive?

You can solve this in a few easy steps:

1) Get an external FireWire hard drive and make sure that it's turned on
2) Power up your Mac and insert your install disk
3) Turn off your Mac while the install disk is in it
4) Power up your Mac again and have the "C" key pressed until it boots up from the install disk
5) Run "Disk Utility" and set your FireWire drive as you see fit
6) Install Mac OS X on your FireWire drive
7) Boot your Mac from your FireWire drive
8) Once you have your Mac running again from your external hard drive, see if it recognizes your iBook's hard drive
9) If you iBook's hard drive is seen by your external drive, drag your music folder over to the external drive
10) Reinstall Mac OS X on your iBook's hard drive

Since you have a PPC Mac, it must be a Firewire drive for you to be able to boot from it. Technically you can use an older iPod but not one of the newer iPods since they connect via USB.

I think so. Here's more on Target Disk Mode.

Shamus, the problems you describe are exactly what I encountered 2 1/2 months ago with my faithful iBook G4 (may it R.I.P.), line-for-line plus the black darwin screen. After a week's worth of diagnostics and so on by a top Mac repair wizard, my iBook was pronounced brain dead, by virtue of a fried logic board and a bad HD. Hence, I am now the mostly-happy owner of a P'book G4 :::yes, I am still lamenting how the PB's metal casing hampers Wi-Fi signal reception:::

I'm not countering any of the advice given here, primarily because I would never contravene MJ (he rocks). What I am gently suggesting is this: I learned too late that several minor symptoms in my iBook were early warnings of more serious problems. The stopgap measures taken to remedy those issues may have helped my iBook limp along, but ultimately, led to spending a packet to replace it.

I hope your issue is well and truly resolved, (1st) by knowing what questions to ask and what symptoms to report; (2d) by receiving the excellent advice and vigorous discussion one can count on here at MR; (3d) by selecting the best of that advice and following it; and (4th) if the home remedies don't produce the necessary results, get thee face-to-face with a qualified repair pro.

My apologies if I've rabbited on, but I needed to remind myself -- and perhaps a few others -- that as wonderful as MR forums are, our sometimes hasty and haphazard expressions here can not replace the subtle nuances of dealing face-to-face with someone, particularly when so much is at stake: our careers, our personal lives, and the memories represented by our music and photo collections.

GITANAJAVA makes an excellent point. I wouldn't rely on this machine for anything massively important. However, the priority at the moment is to get the data back from it. If Target Disk Mode or booting from a Firewire drive doesn't help, then a technician really is your only other sensible option. Of course, you could extract the hard disk and mount it either into another machine or an external case, but it probably won't be any more successful.

Best of lappie luck to you, Shamus. Assuming all goes well, we'll toast some champers to you.

If the iBook doesn't make it, let us know and we'll hold a virtual memorial service.

Standing by for word on the patient...