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HELP with iMAC!!

T

TiMacLover

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Aug 10, 2001
274
1
Clovis, CA USA
well on my imac 266 it gives me a happy face and ? that blink and then i have to pop in my os 9 cd when it picks it up is changes to like another screen i take it out and it gives me ? on a disk then it detects the hd, and i tried updating firmware an it wont work, help!
 
That doesn't sound fun! Run Norton Utilities/SystemWorks if you have it. Try reinstalling the system. If that doesn't work, there's always the good ol' backup your files and start from scratch.
 
I'll try the norton thing now, I have tried from scratch a lot of times, glad this is a new one from eBay so no important stuff is on it, here is some insight to problem...

se the thing is that when it starts up it has the happy face/? blinking on a folder then i put cd in and it makes the fac on folder then liek resfreshes to another boot screen with a ? on a disk then i pop the cd out to prevent booting off cd then after 10ses it picks up the system on hard drive
 
Once it starts up, go to the Startup Drive contol panel and make sure that the computers hard drive is selected. What you described sounds like the drive is not selected, and is at least part of the issue. I would also suggest booting off of an OS 9 install cd, and run disk first aid (from the utilities folder on the cd). Do a verify first, and then if it finds anything wrong, let it repair.

What other utilities do you have on hand???
 
Thanks Norton!

Well I have Norton Disk Doctor and I running a scan now, I am on the 2nd partition and it has fpund MAJOR errors on the Directorities so I think that might be one the problems, I have fixed those and I am on the 2nd partition so I will report after its all done. Thanks for the help btw!
 
My experience with Norton is that it thinks *everything* is a major error... but its definitely good to run it often. i need to pick up a copy for X! anyway, i agree that it's most likely the startup disk control panel, the other big possibility is a physical connection problem, but that would make the drive stop responding sometimes.

Let us know what happens--

:)
pnw
 
I seriously advise you contact Apple, the only Firmware commands I know are:

Mac-Boot
Shut-Down
Dev / LS
LS / DEV

Ensign
 
Originally posted by TiMacLover
Do you have a number to them? And is there a cost?
Click to expand...

1-800-275-2273, if you get a nice tech from there, they could help you out for free. Any repairs that need to be done by Apple will have a charge associated with it.

Check the discussions area on Apple's support site for firmware commands.... I'm assuming that you know how to get into the open firmware.
 
iGot a 9.2 install full cd and I can't until I update firmware, but every time I go to it doesnt not show upa install bar after the tone thing
 
Ouch. I know of this problem, as my girlfriend had the exact same issue crop up with the exact same computer. It's an issue of an incompatible firmware update under 9.2. There's an article on it in the Apple Knowledge base if you're interested. A full reformat/reinstall of 9.2.2 fixed hers, so it should do the same for you. Best of luck, and let me know how everything works out.
 
Originally posted by TiMacLover
iGot a 9.2 install full cd and I can't until I update firmware, but every time I go to it doesnt not show upa install bar after the tone thing
Click to expand...

Did you hold the programmers button and power button until the tone ended?? If not, then you won't get the firmware update to work. After the tone ends, you can release the buttons. After that, the update should go through without issue.

I don't believe that the firmware for the older iMac's and blue and white G3's dealt with memory.
 
IT didnt work, my hard drive will not boot on it's own. When I start up there is a folder with a happy face/? blinking, I then enter a bootable cd and it stays at a happy face then refreshes the screen, with only a gray screen I pop out the cd and I get a disk with a ? on it, then after 10-20 secs it picks the hd up. Did that help, boy this thing is killing me.
 
I've found that X.1 somehow manages to leave incorrect free block count and other various b-tree errors every time a restart doesnt happen perfectly. I havent had any problems yet, but I run norton at least every week or two to get rid of the errors
 
Has it ever run correctly since you got it??? I would suggest checking to make sure that the memory is seated properly. Also see if the vram is also seated correctly. If none of that works, slide to Radio Shack tomorrow and get a Mac battery. It says 'For Apple Macintosh Computers and Wireless Security Systems' on the package. Part number 23-026. It will cost between $8 and $12 depending on how they mark it where you are. Where the battery goes will be very obvious once you open up the computer, and pretty easy to change out. The battery could very well fix the system's issues.

If that doesn't fix it then I would say you were sold a lemon. Contact the person you got it from and chew them a new one. :D
 
I don't recall if the 6100 uses the same battery as the iMac does. The iMac uses a 1/2 AA size 3.6v Lithium battery. I also recommend only using fresh/new batteries.
 
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