PowerBook G4 stuck with the grey screen and the finder logo and ? flashing!!!

macintoshxiii · Aug 20, 2008, 02:44 PM

Hi I owned this PBG4 for more than 2 years and everything is good until just now (an hour ago) it crashes I think!!!! I have my Adium stuck and so I force quit with Option+CMD+Esc then the color wheel appear for awhile too and nothing can be click, so I hold the power key and force the system to shut down... Now i try to start up again it won't boot up any more!!! The furtherest is able to see the Apple logo and the spin wheel then shortly it appear with the no entry sign with the spinning wheel going on! I've tried all methods I could online...(PRAM, hold Shift key etc...) Nothing can be done!!!!!! HELP PLS... I've got plenty important data inside and I haven't get a chance to back it up...

TEG · Aug 20, 2008, 02:51 PM

Use the Disc and boot holding 'c'. Sounds like a file corruption or other problem. Use Disc Utility to try to repair everything.

TEG

agentphish · Aug 20, 2008, 02:55 PM

Had similar happen, COULD be hard drive. I'd recommend finding another Mac, Booting to Target Disk Mode and connecting Via FireWire then get your data off it as fast as possible.

macintoshxiii · Aug 21, 2008, 08:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by agentphish

Had similar happen, COULD be hard drive. I'd recommend finding another Mac, Booting to Target Disk Mode and connecting Via FireWire then get your data off it as fast as possible.

Hi i really appreciate your suggestion, however how do I get this working??? Could you elaborate a little bit more in sequence? or steps? Plug in the firewire then rebboot holding onto the T key??? And what's next? do I need to reinstall my Leopard? or? Please advise thank you... i'm really at my wit end.... I either have a apple logo then become the "NO ENTRY" sign but still spinning or I will have a grey screen then the finder logo with the ? sign blinking non-stop.... My data are all inside!!!! Jesus!!!!

TEG · Aug 21, 2008, 11:21 AM

Booting while holding "t" turns you computer into an external HD, so you have to connect it to another Mac, then access like it was an external HD.

You're better off just using the OS X Disc's Disk Utility to verify/repair the HD, and maybe reinstall OS X.

TEG

agentphish · Aug 21, 2008, 01:14 PM

Yes, I gree disk util is a great suggestion, but if he wants to back up FIRST, which I'd say is probably a good idea, he'd need Target Disk Mode.

macintoshxiii · Aug 24, 2008, 07:47 AM

Hi guys thank you again so much for your suggestion... I did Target Mode but my MacBook doesn't detect my PB at all and it seems like no other means I could back up my data.... I tried CMD+S too for single user and no respond as well! I'm devastated my goodness. It never happen for couple of years since the day I got it and now all of a sudden it just break out!

macintoshxiii · Aug 25, 2008, 12:55 PM

Apple Store claimed my HDD is dead.... any means to revive just to retrieve my precious data? Anyone? Removing the HDD and make it external can help??? Or any program? Software? etc? Anyone? Please help..... Thank you.

agentphish · Aug 25, 2008, 01:00 PM

might try data rescue II, but not looking good if it wont boot in target disk mode. worth a shot though.

Aug 20, 2008, 02:44 PM	#1
macintoshxiii macrumors regular Join Date: May 2006	PowerBook G4 stuck with the grey screen and the finder logo and ? flashing!!! Hi I owned this PBG4 for more than 2 years and everything is good until just now (an hour ago) it crashes I think!!!! I have my Adium stuck and so I force quit with Option+CMD+Esc then the color wheel appear for awhile too and nothing can be click, so I hold the power key and force the system to shut down... Now i try to start up again it won't boot up any more!!! The furtherest is able to see the Apple logo and the spin wheel then shortly it appear with the no entry sign with the spinning wheel going on! I've tried all methods I could online...(PRAM, hold Shift key etc...) Nothing can be done!!!!!! HELP PLS... I've got plenty important data inside and I haven't get a chance to back it up...
	0

Aug 20, 2008, 02:51 PM	#2
TEG macrumors 603 Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Langley, Washington	Use the Disc and boot holding 'c'. Sounds like a file corruption or other problem. Use Disc Utility to try to repair everything. TEG __________________ Apple and Dell are the only ones in this industry making money. They make it by being Wal-Mart. We make it by innovation, - Steve Jobs The Tegian Zone-Glass Onion Radio
	0

Aug 20, 2008, 02:55 PM	#3
agentphish macrumors 65816 Join Date: Sep 2004	Had similar happen, COULD be hard drive. I'd recommend finding another Mac, Booting to Target Disk Mode and connecting Via FireWire then get your data off it as fast as possible. __________________ 
	0

Aug 21, 2008, 11:21 AM	#5
TEG macrumors 603 Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Langley, Washington	Booting while holding "t" turns you computer into an external HD, so you have to connect it to another Mac, then access like it was an external HD. You're better off just using the OS X Disc's Disk Utility to verify/repair the HD, and maybe reinstall OS X. TEG __________________ Apple and Dell are the only ones in this industry making money. They make it by being Wal-Mart. We make it by innovation, - Steve Jobs The Tegian Zone-Glass Onion Radio
	0

Aug 21, 2008, 01:14 PM	#6
agentphish macrumors 65816 Join Date: Sep 2004	Yes, I gree disk util is a great suggestion, but if he wants to back up FIRST, which I'd say is probably a good idea, he'd need Target Disk Mode. __________________ 
	0

Aug 24, 2008, 07:47 AM	#7
macintoshxiii Thread Starter macrumors regular Join Date: May 2006	Hi guys thank you again so much for your suggestion... I did Target Mode but my MacBook doesn't detect my PB at all and it seems like no other means I could back up my data.... I tried CMD+S too for single user and no respond as well! I'm devastated my goodness. It never happen for couple of years since the day I got it and now all of a sudden it just break out!
	0

Aug 25, 2008, 12:55 PM	#8
macintoshxiii Thread Starter macrumors regular Join Date: May 2006	Apple Store claimed my HDD is dead.... any means to revive just to retrieve my precious data? Anyone? Removing the HDD and make it external can help??? Or any program? Software? etc? Anyone? Please help..... Thank you.
	0

Aug 25, 2008, 01:00 PM	#9
agentphish macrumors 65816 Join Date: Sep 2004	might try data rescue II, but not looking good if it wont boot in target disk mode. worth a shot though. __________________ 
	0

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