Hello. I am a kindergarten teacher and am having a problem starting my antique Mac computers after a summer of rest. After checking the power source and making sure that all connections were tight, I still get the same error signal. Once it fully boots up a little floppy disk flashes with a question mark in the middle of it. I don't know what this means, as I have no training a Mac computer and my school has no tech support for my computers. Any suggestions? I know that my computers are old and I am prepared for bad news. Any help will bring smiles to 24 eager five year olds!
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Weird error message
- Thread starter Kinderella2003
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I'm pretty sure the disk with a ? means that it can't find the startup disk.
My guess is that during the "summer of rest" there is a small watch-type battery that died and it needs to be replaced. During normal use the battery is recharged but after being off for 3 months it might have drained. I'm not sure about this maybe someone else on these boards can back me up.
My guess is that during the "summer of rest" there is a small watch-type battery that died and it needs to be replaced. During normal use the battery is recharged but after being off for 3 months it might have drained. I'm not sure about this maybe someone else on these boards can back me up.
Thank you so much for helping me. I feared that it was the battery also. These are very old machines. You've lifted about ten weights of worry off of my shoulders.
Please let us know if the problem is resolved by replacing the battery on each motherboard (after first just leaving them plugged in for a while to see if that fixes it). You'll need someone who knows something about what they're doing to replace the batteries.
It sort of sounds like a disk problem, but it's odd that all of them would have the same one. What type of Mac are they? If you don't know that, what do they look like?
It sort of sounds like a disk problem, but it's odd that all of them would have the same one. What type of Mac are they? If you don't know that, what do they look like?
JSW, I don't know what kind of Mac they are. Both are the same model. I will look at them tomorrow and see if I can find any detailed title. Both have a CD disc drive and are fairly large in size. I would say that it's a fifteen inch cube.
I, too, am curious as to why both of them aren't working. One, which did give me monitor problems/freezing last year, didn't work at all. The other worked for one day, froze, and then did this when it turned back on.
I am totally Mac ignorant when it comes to replacing a battery or even finding the correct way to the motherboard. My only source of tech support retired two years ago. My corporation has gone stricly to PC's.
I do, however, love having the Macs in my classroom because they are kid friendly. I always have a "tech-genius" in my room that will fix problems for other students...and all this at the tender age of five!
Thank you so much for taking time to respond to my problem. My kids will be happy to know you're on their side!
I, too, am curious as to why both of them aren't working. One, which did give me monitor problems/freezing last year, didn't work at all. The other worked for one day, froze, and then did this when it turned back on.
I am totally Mac ignorant when it comes to replacing a battery or even finding the correct way to the motherboard. My only source of tech support retired two years ago. My corporation has gone stricly to PC's.
I do, however, love having the Macs in my classroom because they are kid friendly. I always have a "tech-genius" in my room that will fix problems for other students...and all this at the tender age of five!
Thank you so much for taking time to respond to my problem. My kids will be happy to know you're on their side!
It sounds like those computers are either the original iMacs or one of the old beige all-in-ones. Anyway, I had the exact same problem about a couple days ago, and I had to reinstall OSX (not a big deal). My computer had been turned off for a week. Your computers should be fixable like mine.
Hmmm. Do you know if there are any CD's for them floating around? If not, what area of the country do you live in - perhaps a friendly MacRumors member lives nearby.
However, I'd see what happens after they've been plugged in for a while. You never know!
However, I'd see what happens after they've been plugged in for a while. You never know!