iMac G3 problem

[Dijsss]

Hello,

My old iMac doesn't boot anymore, and wont boot from any installation disks. It does turn on, but there is no chime. Then it displays a grey screen, and after that a white screen and a few seconds later the well known folder with a question mark in it. I've tried booting with OS 9, 10.2 and 10.3. Does someone know how to fix this.

Thanks

 

[justperry]

Did you try to startup while holding the Option key, it will get you into the boot manager where you can choose the disk to start from.
It could be that the System is not blessed so it does not know from which disk to boot from.
You could also startup in Single User Mode (Command-S), it then should automatically repair the drive if needed or you can type the text below.

fsck -y
Hit Enter.

 

[wordsworth]

Do you routinely keep the iMac plugged into the mains and with power getting to it consistently, even when the computer is shut down. Or do you only use it intermittently, switching it on and off at the mains between booting it?

If the latter, then it's entirely possible that the battery needs replaced. If for example, you latterly booted up the iMac and found that the date and time had defaulted to an inaccurate setting, then that would confirm that the battery is failing or has failed.

It is my understanding that when you keep a power supply to the iMac G3, then the battery lasts longer. If the iMac experiences a period of non-use, unplugged, then it relies entirely on the battery to maintain the integrity of data such as date and time, and other, more significant information.

I have a PowerBook Duo 2300c that won't boot now because the battery is dead. That's the only thing preventing it from powering up.

However, the fact that you can get so far as to get some screen image suggests it may be a different problem with your machine. The previous post offers useful suggestions.

 

[Dijsss]

Did you try to startup while holding the Option key, it will get you into the boot manager where you can choose the disk to start from.
It could be that the System is not blessed so it does not know from which disk to boot from.
You could also startup in Single User Mode (Command-S), it then should automatically repair the drive if needed or you can type the text below.

fsck -y
Hit Enter.

The boot manager shows nothing, and Command-S doesn't work either

----------

Do you routinely keep the iMac plugged into the mains and with power getting to it consistently, even when the computer is shut down. Or do you only use it intermittently, switching it on and off at the mains between booting it?

If the latter, then it's entirely possible that the battery needs replaced. If for example, you latterly booted up the iMac and found that the date and time had defaulted to an inaccurate setting, then that would confirm that the battery is failing or has failed.

It is my understanding that when you keep a power supply to the iMac G3, then the battery lasts longer. If the iMac experiences a period of non-use, unplugged, then it relies entirely on the battery to maintain the integrity of data such as date and time, and other, more significant information.

I have a PowerBook Duo 2300c that won't boot now because the battery is dead. That's the only thing preventing it from powering up.

However, the fact that you can get so far as to get some screen image suggests it may be a different problem with your machine. The previous post offers useful suggestions.

It has been unplugged for a long time, but i can't see the time as the computer won't boot. But because it does show the question mark macintosh, i think that the battery is not the problem

 

[justperry]

The boot manager shows nothing, and Command-S doesn't work either

Hmm, maybe your HD has died, if this is the case nothing shows up in the boot manager.

Odd Command-S is not working.

 

[Dijsss]

Hmm, maybe your HD has died, if this is the case nothing shows up in the boot manager.

Odd Command-S is not working.

That could be it then. But now that i think about it, i used that harddrive in a Windows machine a while ago, so it might be NTFS. Is that why it doesn't show up?

 

[justperry]

That could be it then. But now that i think about it, i used that harddrive in a Windows machine a while ago, so it might be NTFS. Is that why it doesn't show up?

Ah, there it is, if it is NTFS it won't show up in the boot manager, you have to install an OS onto it first, and format the drive.

 

[Dijsss]

Ah, there it is, if it is NTFS it won't show up in the boot manager, you have to install an OS onto it first, and format the drive.

With a Windows pc?

 

[justperry]

With a Windows pc?

Noooo, you can't format and install OS X on a windows computer, you need to first format it on the Mac and then install OS X, you can do both from an Installer disk.
But, I think you also have problems with the optical drive, that will make it much harder.

 

[Dijsss]

Noooo, you can't format and install OS X on a windows computer, you need to first format it on the Mac and then install OS X, you can do both from an Installer disk.
But, I think you also have problems with the optical drive, that will make it much harder.

I meant formatting in Gparted or something
So i need a new optical drive

 

[justperry]

I meant formatting in Gparted or something
So i need a new optical drive

You can actually format a drive in Windows but you need 3rd party software, I think MacDrive has a trail, it will allow you to format the drive in HFS+ format, BUT, why should you, you need to install OS X on it and when you do you also have Disk Utility on the Installer Disk so there is no real need to do this on a Windows computer.

 

[Dijsss]

You can actually format a drive in Windows but you need 3rd party software, I think MacDrive has a trail, it will allow you to format the drive in HFS+ format, BUT, why should you, you need to install OS X on it and when you do you also have Disk Utility on the Installer Disk so there is no real need to do this on a Windows computer.

But i still need an optical drive

 

[justperry]

But i still need an optical drive

Depends, if your iMac came with Firewire AND you have another Mac you might not need one since you can install an OS on the iMac remotely or share the CD/DVD from the good Mac with an optical drive.
You'll also need a FireWire Cable for this to work.

If you don't have these you can get cheap external CD/DVD drives on Ebay.

 

[Dijsss]

Depends, if your iMac came with Firewire AND you have another Mac you might not need one since you can install an OS on the iMac remotely or share the CD/DVD from the good Mac with an optical drive.
You'll also need a FireWire Cable for this to work.

If you don't have these you can get cheap external CD/DVD drives on Ebay.

Well, then i have to buy an old firewire cd drive thanks for the help!

 

[computerstar]

G3

Hello,

My old iMac doesn't boot anymore, and wont boot from any installation disks. It does turn on, but there is no chime. Then it displays a grey screen, and after that a white screen and a few seconds later the well known folder with a question mark in it. I've tried booting with OS 9, 10.2 and 10.3. Does someone know how to fix this.

Thanks

Try to use the original disks that came with the machine. Your optical disk drive may be the problem.

Apart from that your operating system or hard drive has problems too.

 

[Mac Write]

Well, then i have to buy an old firewire cd drive thanks for the help!

Actually you don't need a Firewire CD drive. If you have another Mac with Firewire what you can do it plug the two computers together using the Firewire cable and then after you hear the chime on the iMac G3, press and hold the command T or T until you see the Firewire logo. Now your iMac is in Target Disk mode. It should now show up on the Mac you have the firewire connected to as an external Hard Drive. Now just format it in Disk Utility (/Applications/Utilities) and then install OS X onto it using the Optical drive of the other Mac and select the Firewire drive which is your iMac G3.