Powerbook won't start up!

[madss]

Hi

I was using my powerbook normally, and it suddenly crashed. I tried restarting it, but it refused to start up. It gets to the apple logo with the spinning circle beneath it, and just stays there.
Starting in safe mode resulted in the exact same thing.
When trying to boot from the install cd to check the disk and repair permissions, the apple logo simply moved half an inch to the right and it crashed again. If I use the option key to select the cd before startup, I get the apple, then a "no entry" sign, a circle with a diagonal line through it.

Any help is appreciated.

 

[yoda13]

Try running the hardware test disk that came with your computer. It sounds like you might have developed a hardware issue. That test might provide you with an answer.

 

[Flying Llama]

...If I use the option key to select the cd before startup, I get the apple, then a "no entry" sign, a circle with a diagonal line through it.

I got the same sign once. I'm assuming you meant this?

Oh and I agree with yoda.

 

[igucl]

Do you have any speakers plugged into in? If so, try to boot up without them.

 

[Westside guy]

I was using my powerbook normally, and it suddenly crashed. I tried restarting it, but it refused to start up. It gets to the apple logo with the spinning circle beneath it, and just stays there.

This happens to me on occasion, and is solved by zapping your pram

 

[madss]

I got a hold of this "Mac repair CD" which I was able to boot from. From there I repaired the permissions and the disk with Disk Utility. That didn't help anything. I have also tried zapping the pram.
Now I am trying to repair the volume structures with TechTool Pro 4.
When I start the computer in verbose mode, it stops at

BSD root: disk0s3, major 14, minor 2

Does anyone know what this means?

 

[Palad1]

Did you install any additional ram?

Try removing it and replacing it with the original RAM supplied by Apple.

I had more than my share of RAM related hard disk crashes on x86, so this iws what I check first.

Good luck,
may you have no need for old backups