iBook G4 will only boot in safe mode. Suggestions?

[AlphaDogg]

This iBook G4 will not boot. I can boot it into safe mode, but that is about it. I have tried resetting the PRAM, to no avail. It cannot even boot off of an OSX disc. When I try to boot it normally, it just shows the Apple symbol, but no progress wheel thing spinning. When I try to boot it normally, it appears as if the hard drive is not being read from/written to, because it is dead silent, but when I boot into safe mode, you can hear the HDD noise. When I booted into safe mode, I checked the HDD's SMART status, and it says "Verified," so I do not think that the HDD is at fault. However, it still has its original HDD from 2004. Please help!

Thanks,
AlphaDogg

 

[mgartner0622]

To me it really sounds like an OS Error.

If you have a spare Firewire drive, you can clone the Mac OS install DVD to it, and boot from that with the option key.
You can also install OS X using Target Disc Mode on a simaler PPC Mac.

If one or both of these fail, It would be a good guess to say it's time to replace the HDD.

 

[btbrossard]

...I checked the HDD's SMART status, and it says "Verified," so I do not think that the HDD is at fault. However, it still has its original HDD from 2004. Please help!

Every HDD I've had that physically failed continued to show a good SMART status, even ones that are clicking almost continually while fetching data.

Install the OS to an external drive and go from there. I had a drive fail in my 14" iBook G4 and used an external drive as the startup device for some time until I took it apart to replace the internal.

 

[AlphaDogg]

Every HDD I've had that physically failed continued to show a good SMART status, even ones that are clicking almost continually while fetching data.

Install the OS to an external drive and go from there. I had a drive fail in my 14" iBook G4 and used an external drive as the startup device for some time until I took it apart to replace the internal.

But the fact that the computer functions in Safe Boot shows that the hard drive is functioning. I, however cannot get the iBook to boot off of a disc. This is a problem, because I am not able to reinstall the OS.

 

[MacForScience]

I would ignore the SMART status it only checks a limited number of the possible HD failures. Do you have an external DVD drive? If so boot from that. Do you have anything on the computer you care about? If not and the computer boots from the OS DVD then erase the HD and re-install the OS. If you do care about the data boot into safe mode and copy your data to an external drive. Also while you have the external DVD drive connected run hardware check. This will check your RAM, motherboard etc. and report back any issues it finds.

The fact that the computer doesn't boot from the disc drive is potentially worrying. It may well be you disc drive is dead in which case you can either just stick to the external method or try to replace it. I found doing that to be a bit of a pain.

 

[4JNA]

...the fact that the computer functions in Safe Boot shows that the hard drive is functioning.

not exactly. this shows that the portions of the hard drive where the core OS parts reside is functioning. the rest is still suspect, and likely the problem.

I would ignore the SMART status it only checks a limited number of the possible HD failures.

^ this. SMART is good, but not that good. i've seen (and fixed) lots of systems with these same symptoms. all bad or failing drives. when i get the drives out, i run a full diagnostic after recovering user files, and every time it's a few bad sectors in the middle of the system library, or important file sectors. just my two cents.

drives with failing sectors don't get better, they only get worse. save your files/stuff quick, replace the hard drive, reload the OS, replace your files. best of luck.

 

[AlphaDogg]

I have taken the HDD out of the iBook. My mum (who was using the iBook) will be getting my old MacBook. I am going to get a 2.5" ATA-100 USB drive enclosure, and attempt to salvage data onto the MacBook.

The fact that the computer doesn't boot from the disc drive is potentially worrying. It may well be you disc drive is dead in which case you can either just stick to the external method or try to replace it. I found doing that to be a bit of a pain.

When I opened up the iBook to get the HDD out, I noticed that in the optical drive, there were what appeared to be remnants of a coffee spill that the original owner caused. The iBook was given to me for free. Since I had no use for it, I gave it to my mum intil it died... Now she will be getting my retired MacBook.