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LizWizz

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 27, 2022
2
0
UK
G3 Beige tower 266 running OS9.2. Mitsubishi Diamond Pro 91TXM monitor. External SCSi equipment daisy chained Lacie CD writer, Iomega Zip, Umax A4 Mirage 2 scanner. keyboard connected to USB

I am moving studio so no longer have space for a string of SCSi equipment I don’t use anymore and have offered my G3, the huge heavy monitor, Apple extended keyboard, an external Zip drive and LaCie CD recorder to Freecycle. Scanner will go too. I have a taker but I need to clean the hard drive securely before giving it away to a stranger.
The G3 was connected via SCSi to a Data Transfer Switch so for years I could scan into the G3 then quickly move images onto my G4 on the network. Then I upgraded to a MacBook Pro laptop and hardly use this set up, so the G3 has probably not been turned on for 4 years or possibly more.
I have tried all options with the set up, having removed SCSi equipment to give away I replaced it again, realising I’d broken the SCSi chain which may have caused start up problems. Also zapped the PRAM and started without extensions. Tried booting off 9.2.1 disc, opened Utilities and it can’t find a HD to fix.
Now I am looking at the G3 with all SCSi equipment unplugged, connected via SCSi to the monitor.
It immediately opened OS9.2 started showing icons for sound, a ? in one icon, in this line up ( like jigsaw shaped pieces- photo attached ) but might be the HD? A few more icons started to appear for a second or two then it stuck at a blank grey screen and the cursor was unresponsive. Restarted via Ctrol Command Power, small smiley icon in middle of grey desktop. Now getting the message
-“This start up disk will not work on this Macintosh model. Use the latest installer to update this disk for this model-“
I have tried booting from OSX Tiger and the 9.2 but no good. I open Drive Setup and its just showing Mac OS 9.2.1 ATAP1 and ‘not mounted’ SCSi so not finding the hard drive.

I wanted to check my files before erasing the HD but can’t access the HD. Any suggestions?
Or should I just remove the HD ( if so can you explain how?) and give the G3 away without it?

thanks for any advice- I am not a Mac whizz, just remembering how hands on I used to be 20 years ago and quite enjoying the challenge!
 

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Update: after posting here, I inadvertently got the G3 started and fully booted up showing the HD and apps all loaded on the desktop after I’d left it inactive but plugged in for 1.5-2hrs So maybe its an energy problem after being unplugged for years? But it is now refusing to start again after freezing when the first thing I then tried was opening a Word document then forced quit and a restart. I vacuumed dust out of it after it refused to restart and now its not showing any power at all.
 
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