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44ryan44

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 30, 2007
10
0
My PowerBook is os x and I was booting it into os 9. Usually it works then I go back to os x. This time when booting into os 9 it froze and it just shows a gray screen. Sometimes when you click a lot of buttons a folder pops up with the finder icon on it and a question mark flashes.Theres nothing I can push. What can I do?

Info:

PowerBook
400Mhz/1MB Cache/64MB/6GB HD/8MB Video/DVD
 

44ryan44

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 30, 2007
10
0
Well I bought it from someone and it was already os x. But it has a Slim SCSI Card 1480. And it says that makes it go up to 20 MB per second or something.
 

44ryan44

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 30, 2007
10
0
But how am I suppose to do that its a pc program isn't it. And if I get a disc repair program for mac how am I suppose to make it into a bootable dvd because I cannot click anything on my PowerBook.
 

IJ Reilly

macrumors P6
Jul 16, 2002
17,909
1,496
Palookaville
Try rebooting it in Single User Mode and running fsck. Here's how:

Restart with the cmd-s keys held down, until you see a black screen with white characters. After the text stops scrolling, at the command prompt, type:

fsck -f [including the space, return]

If any repairs are reported, run fsck again until none are reported. Then, at the command prompt, type:

reboot [return]
 

44ryan44

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 30, 2007
10
0
Ok well I got to a command screen by pushing random keys.The cmd-s on startup doesn't do anything. So anyways I typed fsck -f but it says unknows word.
 

sgarringer

macrumors regular
Jul 15, 2004
210
0
Cedar Rapids, IA
Ok well I got to a command screen by pushing random keys.The cmd-s on startup doesn't do anything. So anyways I typed fsck -f but it says unknows word.

Sounds like you got into OpenFirmware which is basically a way to configure the computer. I would recommend not going in there again. What I would do is insert the OS X or OS 9 CD and press the "C" key while turning the power on (press power and instantly after press 'C'). Then when the OS X install boots up go to the Utilities menu and select Boot Disk Select [I'm going from memory here but it should be close] and try selecting your OS X boot. It sounds like your OS 9 install may be corrupt, thats what the flashing ? on the finder means. It could also mean the hard drive has failed. A replacement hard drive is not expensive, but you might be better off getting a different laptop, even a slightly newer G4 should be a couple hundred... Or of course a MacBook might be a best bet :) :)

Good luck!
 

44ryan44

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 30, 2007
10
0
Well I got it from someone so I don't have the recovery cd's. And I don't really need a new one. I have a mac and a pc there not labtops but still I would like to fix this one instead of getting a new one since I don't like really need it. Is there any other ways possible to fix it?
 

DoFoT9

macrumors P6
Jun 11, 2007
17,586
98
London, United Kingdom
norton is a mac program aswell.. i would try to get the older OS9 version, to fix it that way. there was also a OSX version that they stopped making, worked up until 10.2

got another computer u can target disk mode to?
 

IJ Reilly

macrumors P6
Jul 16, 2002
17,909
1,496
Palookaville
Ok well I got to a command screen by pushing random keys.The cmd-s on startup doesn't do anything. So anyways I typed fsck -f but it says unknows word.

Pushing random keys = bad.

Norton has a pretty bad reputation on the Mac. DiskWarrior or TechTool are better choices for disk recovery, if that is the problem.

Either way, you need to get your hands on a CD or DVD that can boot the Mac from the optical drive. If that doesn't work, chances are the problem is the motherboard.
 

44ryan44

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 30, 2007
10
0
Ok well thanks. I guess I'll try to make a bootable dvd copy of diskwarrior.
 

44ryan44

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 30, 2007
10
0
Well its not really working.It doesnt do anything. I'm confused. I can't even make a bootable dvd. Can someone tell me how to make a bootable dvd please ?
 

IJ Reilly

macrumors P6
Jul 16, 2002
17,909
1,496
Palookaville
Ok well thanks. I guess I'll try to make a bootable dvd copy of diskwarrior.

Last I checked, you needed to buy a bootable DiskWarrior disc from Alsoft (which they ship). If you buy the downloadable version, it has to be run on another Mac with the drive to be checked mounted in Firewire Target Disk mode.
 

44ryan44

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 30, 2007
10
0
Well actually I have the diskwarrior file downloaded. I have an intel mac. So all I really need is to know what to do but I don't know how to make it bootable. Can you please help with that.

I have pioneer burner,diskwarrior I have so.... what can I do now?
 

DoFoT9

macrumors P6
Jun 11, 2007
17,586
98
London, United Kingdom
Well actually I have the diskwarrior file downloaded. I have an intel mac. So all I really need is to know what to do but I don't know how to make it bootable. Can you please help with that.

I have pioneer burner,diskwarrior I have so.... what can I do now?

its in the form of a .dmg??? if so, simply burn it with Disk Utility. from what i kno toast titatnium etcetc will not make it bootable even if u set it to be bootable. its a protection method or something, Disk utility FTW!!
 

44ryan44

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 30, 2007
10
0
ok well I'll burn it with diskutility probably tommorrow and I'll let you know what happens.
 

IJ Reilly

macrumors P6
Jul 16, 2002
17,909
1,496
Palookaville
Well actually I have the diskwarrior file downloaded. I have an intel mac. So all I really need is to know what to do but I don't know how to make it bootable. Can you please help with that.

I have pioneer burner,diskwarrior I have so.... what can I do now?

From where? Alsoft does not sell DiskWarrior as a bootable download.

Repairing your usual startup disk requires that you start up from another disk. In order to use the download copy of DiskWarrior, you will need to start up from another disk with Mac OS X 10.3.9 through 10.4.x installed. You will then need to run a copy of DiskWarrior from a disk that is not the disk you are repairing. (The DiskWarrior download does not include the Apple System files necessary to create a startup CD.) If you cannot use the download version of the software (i.e. you have only one internal hard drive and this is the drive you wish to repair), please order directly from our sales department or from one of our resellers to be sent the software on CD. If you order via the secure server, you will be sent a CD, but delivery of your CD will take approximately three to four weeks, depending on your location.

http://www.alsoft.com/Buy/beforeyoubuy.html
 

44ryan44

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 30, 2007
10
0
Well actually my friend used to have the disc,but he lost it.But he had done something to make it into iso. I think he used disco and imaged it and he has the iso file.
 
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