iMac G3

[para]

Firstly i would like to say hi,

Just got 1 of these for my daughter off ebay.When i boot it up it has a locked OS.

I have installed a new HDD and have ubuntu on a disc.When i boot up now i hold down ALT and get a image of a padlock and a password box.What would be the next step?

Thanks

 

[Jasonbot]

Hmm, you should hold down "C" during startup to boot from CD.

 

[para]

I tried holding down c but the Mac did nothing.I was hoping it would be similar to a Bios on a PC.

Please excuse my ignorance.

 

[macg4]

I tried holding down c but the Mac did nothing.I was hoping it would be similar to a Bios on a PC.

Please excuse my ignorance.

gotta do the c thing, no bios man

 

[dpaanlka]

I tried holding down c but the Mac did nothing.I was hoping it would be similar to a Bios on a PC.

Please excuse my ignorance.

You should try sticking with the Mac OS, before jumping to a less consumer-friendly OS like Linux for your daughter.

 

[2nyRiggz]

Where you able to get into OSX or just the ubuntu live CD?

correct me if I'm wrong...you removed the old HDD out of the imac and have a new one that you want to install ubuntu on...correct?


Bless

 

[para]

Yes i want to install onto the new drive.When i boot with the original hdd in it wants the username and password.I dont have these so need to get a new OS onto the machine.

 

[Nermal]

It sounds like the previous owner set up a firmware password, and forgot to remove it before selling the system. I'm pretty sure that there are ways around this, but the simplest solution is probably to contact the seller and ask what the password is.

 

[imacintel]

I dunno if removing the PRAM battery would help...it would reset the BIOS password on a PC.

 

[mklos]

Yeah it sounds like a firmware password has been set. Try this to get rid of it:


Start up into Open Firmware by pressing and holding the Command-Option-O-F key combination during startup.

At the Open Firmware prompt, type: reset-nvram
Press Return.

When prompted for your password, enter it and press the Return key.
It responds OK.

At the Open Firmware prompt, type: reset-all

Press Return.

 

[Nermal]

When prompted for your password, enter it and press the Return key.

But the OP doesn't know what the password is!

 

[para]

But the OP doesn't know what the password is!

Is there a way to enter a new admin password?

 

[rednksweetpea]

It sounds like the previous owner set up a firmware password, and forgot to remove it before selling the system. I'm pretty sure that there are ways around this, but the simplest solution is probably to contact the seller and ask what the password is.

I can not find the previous owner I had brought my imac g3 os x 3.9( I upgraded from Apple.com) it had OS X 2 on it before. this is another person who is asking the same question. I too have no system software, or any other software for the imac, the guy sent was 2 keyboards & a mice for the imac g3, which the other keyboard was useless, and I got a manual from him, nothing else was in the box, I even checked twice. I brought last year from Ebay, and when I tried to email the guy who sold me the imac, it said unknown person/unknown person. There is a way to reset it, but I moved, and in the move I lost that reset note I had written down. I know there is a reset way of doing it.

 

[stevep]

From: http://www.securemac.com/openfirmwarepasswordprotection.php

Force Removing Password Protection:

1) Add or remove DIMMs to change the total amount of RAM in the computer.

2) Then, the PRAM must be reset 3 times. (Command + Option + P + R).


I've never tried this, though I've heard of this method before. You'll need to read (and maybe print out) some background information on this before you try it. And if it goes wrong, it's not my fault...

 

[mklos]

From: http://www.securemac.com/openfirmwarepasswordprotection.php

Force Removing Password Protection:

1) Add or remove DIMMs to change the total amount of RAM in the computer.

2) Then, the PRAM must be reset 3 times. (Command + Option + P + R).


I've never tried this, though I've heard of this method before. You'll need to read (and maybe print out) some background information on this before you try it. And if it goes wrong, it's not my fault...

This does work! I've done it before. I couldn't remember exactly how I did it since its been quite a while since I've had to do it. I faintly remember having to press the PMU reset button as well on the logicboard, which on a slotload iMac G3, I believe is near the RAM slots, but I could be wrong there. If you do push it, only push it ONCE! Pressing it more than once can crash the PMU chip and then your PRAM battery goes from about 4 or 5 years battery life to about 1 day.