I had sudden problems with my G4 that have so far defied explanation and solution.
It all started when I added a new internal hard drive to the original one. I formatted and partitioned it. But when I tried to install System OS X (on original disks, I got prohibitory icon. I'd then zap the PRAM and be able to get back into the hard drive -- and see the new one too. I put new one into another computer, and this computer also saw it. I couldn't try to reformat and reinstall OS X because -- this is awful -- the CD drive in the other computer had gone out. It wouldn't even "see" my external CD drive.
Then, regardless of whether new hard drive was in or out, when I would start up with OS X disk, I got prohibitory icon, and when I just booted from drive, I just get grey screen, even when I zap PRAM.
Jumpers are not an issue, as nothing has changed. Holding x, or option, or single user mode have not helped either.
Any thought so far?
Given the multiple failures, I decided to act on the assumption that the boot drive had been corrupted, or the motherboard was bad on the grey screen/prohibitory one, and that the power supply to CD drive had gone bad on the other one. I ordered two "bare bones" replacements, in the hope that I can bring the bad drive up and reformat it.
I've been so disrupted by this that I was ready to take the plunge and buy a new computer!
Then I read something that spooked me. Someone else was having a very similar problem with his new Mac Pro, which likewise was not cured by the usual remedies. Then someone replied with a different outlook -- asked the guy if there had been any changes in the electrical wiring in his environment and that possibly there were additional loads on the same circuit as the computer.
Very interesting to me. Just prior to my "Apollo XIII" computer meltdown, we'd had whole house A/C installed, plus a dishwasher. Makes me wonder about the possibility of power surges messing me up (although I have good surge protectors on). Anyone know about this sort of thing?
I'll have my "bare bones" in a few days to pop the old hard drives into -- in the meantime I'll investigate the electrical thing. And I will put off buying a new computer for a while!!
If anyone has any idea what's going on here with the grey screen/prohibitory thing, please share.
If any thinks that two serious malfunctions on two separate machines happening almost simultaneously is significant or is merely coincidental, please share.
It all started when I added a new internal hard drive to the original one. I formatted and partitioned it. But when I tried to install System OS X (on original disks, I got prohibitory icon. I'd then zap the PRAM and be able to get back into the hard drive -- and see the new one too. I put new one into another computer, and this computer also saw it. I couldn't try to reformat and reinstall OS X because -- this is awful -- the CD drive in the other computer had gone out. It wouldn't even "see" my external CD drive.
Then, regardless of whether new hard drive was in or out, when I would start up with OS X disk, I got prohibitory icon, and when I just booted from drive, I just get grey screen, even when I zap PRAM.
Jumpers are not an issue, as nothing has changed. Holding x, or option, or single user mode have not helped either.
Any thought so far?
Given the multiple failures, I decided to act on the assumption that the boot drive had been corrupted, or the motherboard was bad on the grey screen/prohibitory one, and that the power supply to CD drive had gone bad on the other one. I ordered two "bare bones" replacements, in the hope that I can bring the bad drive up and reformat it.
I've been so disrupted by this that I was ready to take the plunge and buy a new computer!
Then I read something that spooked me. Someone else was having a very similar problem with his new Mac Pro, which likewise was not cured by the usual remedies. Then someone replied with a different outlook -- asked the guy if there had been any changes in the electrical wiring in his environment and that possibly there were additional loads on the same circuit as the computer.
Very interesting to me. Just prior to my "Apollo XIII" computer meltdown, we'd had whole house A/C installed, plus a dishwasher. Makes me wonder about the possibility of power surges messing me up (although I have good surge protectors on). Anyone know about this sort of thing?
I'll have my "bare bones" in a few days to pop the old hard drives into -- in the meantime I'll investigate the electrical thing. And I will put off buying a new computer for a while!!
If anyone has any idea what's going on here with the grey screen/prohibitory thing, please share.
If any thinks that two serious malfunctions on two separate machines happening almost simultaneously is significant or is merely coincidental, please share.