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Will Panther "just" boot with 164Mb Ram ?

F

Fishtalk

macrumors regular
Original poster
Oct 21, 2008
202
0
My Old Pismo just crashed again and I "suspect" its a RAM problem again.
Although being over 10 years old I suppose it could be anything.
For the moment the only available RAM I have is from an even older Lombard but is only 128Mb. I just want to see "If" its the RAM before finding and buying a couple of new 512's. BUT just wondering if OSX 10.3.9 will even boot(opening no apps) with that amount of RAM. ( sorry the title was 164 but I meant 128)
Thanks
 
d88co88 said:
I've used tiger with 128 mb of ram, it should run and open apps just fine.
Click to expand...

Is a POWERBOOK G3 RAM compatible with a POWERBOOK FireWire ( Pismo)
Because I took out the Dodgy 512Mb Ram and replaced it with the G3 128...it started to boot but then I got a grey screen with a flashing question mark folder.
 
Fishtalk said:
Is a POWERBOOK G3 RAM compatible with a POWERBOOK FireWire ( Pismo)
Because I took out the Dodgy 512Mb Ram and replaced it with the G3 128...it started to boot but then I got a grey screen with a flashing question mark folder.
Click to expand...

IIRC all the PowerBook G3s used the same memory, 144-pin PC100 SDRAM SO-DIMM
 
cluthz said:
Flashing folder is dead operation system. Reinstall osx
Click to expand...

Strange because when I put back my "dodgy" 512Mb RAM it boots normally...that is untill 20 minutes later is freezes as usual.
With the 128 Ram I tried rebooting while holding down Alt... The blue screen came up with an image of the HD.... Clicked on the right arrow but it just flashes and come up with the same image.
The 128 RAM does work because my old Lombard still works with it.
PS. I cant reinstall my system because no Disc !!!!
Any other idea's
Thanks
 
Hard drive may be dying. The flashing folder icon with a question mark indicates there's a problem with the OS, unable to find launch components or unable to detect the hard drive entirely. Can you hear any unusual clunking noises coming from the machine when you boot it?
 
mrchinchilla said:
Hard drive may be dying. The flashing folder icon with a question mark indicates there's a problem with the OS, unable to find launch components or unable to detect the hard drive entirely. Can you hear any unusual clunking noises coming from the machine when you boot it?
Click to expand...
Yeah...but there's always been a keer-thunk before it boots.... But recently when it doesn't ker-thunk it wont boot.... So yes could be the HD dying. I was hoping that it was only the RAM !!!!
Suppose I have to start looking for a new Mac as I dont really see the point of changing the HD on a 10 year old Pismo
 
Fishtalk said:
Yeah...but there's always been a keer-thunk before it boots.... But recently when it doesn't ker-thunk it wont boot.... So yes could be the HD dying. I was hoping that it was only the RAM !!!!
Suppose I have to start looking for a new Mac as I dont really see the point of changing the HD on a 10 year old Pismo
Click to expand...

The sound you're describing may just be the sound of the optical drive revving to check for a disk as today's MacBooks and most laptops do. If you can get it to boot again I suggest using some disk tools to check for problems.
 
mrchinchilla said:
The sound you're describing may just be the sound of the optical drive revving to check for a disk as today's MacBooks and most laptops do. If you can get it to boot again I suggest using some disk tools to check for problems.
Click to expand...

OK I have Disc utilities but usually I only use it to "reapair the Authorisation" My OS Is PANTHER
How do I use it to check out what might be on the point or breaking.
Thanks.... sorry I'm a real dumbass as far as tech stuff goes... for me a computer just works... and when it don't I flip out
 
Fishtalk said:
OK I have Disc utilities but usually I only use it to "reapair the Authorisation" My OS Is PANTHER
How do I use it to check out what might be on the point or breaking.
Thanks.... sorry I'm a real dumbass as far as tech stuff goes... for me a computer just works... and when it don't I flip out
Click to expand...

I don't know if your hard drive will support it, but a free option I can think of is using OnyX (download here or try SMARTReporter) and checking the S.M.A.R.T. status of the drive – checking this doesn't guarantee it will find a fault but it's worth a shot. The other options which come to mind right now are commercial software such as TechTool Pro and Data Rescue III, which can perform various tests and repair/recover data. But they come with a price (both around $100 IIRC), but it's worth it if you want anticipate failure and need to recover important data. However, I imagine the latest versions will be either only Tiger and above or Leopard and above, and I'm not sure if they sell legacy versions. Something you can do without downloading anything is going into Disk Utility, clicking on the hard drive in the side bar, then click the First Aid tab and then Verify Disk. Obviously Disk Utility isn't the best tool for checking for data corruption or recovery, but it's something. A final option may be to start looking for new drives, I think you can access the internals by removing the keyboard, and you can probably pick up a cheap 2.5-inch IDE (all Pismos and Lombards have this type of hard drive) drive from eBay. And here's an article about upgrading PowerBook G3s.
 
mrchinchilla said:
I don't know if your hard drive will support it, but a free option I can think of is using OnyX (download here or try SMARTReporter) and checking the S.M.A.R.T. status of the drive – checking this doesn't guarantee it will find a fault but it's worth a shot. The other options which come to mind right now are commercial software such as TechTool Pro and Data Rescue III, which can perform various tests and repair/recover data. But they come with a price (both around $100 IIRC), but it's worth it if you want anticipate failure and need to recover important data. However, I imagine the latest versions will be either only Tiger and above or Leopard and above, and I'm not sure if they sell legacy versions. Something you can do without downloading anything is going into Disk Utility, clicking on the hard drive in the side bar, then click the First Aid tab and then Verify Disk. Obviously Disk Utility isn't the best tool for checking for data corruption or recovery, but it's something. A final option may be to start looking for new drives, I think you can access the internals by removing the keyboard, and you can probably pick up a cheap 2.5-inch IDE (all Pismos and Lombards have this type of hard drive) drive from eBay. And here's an article about upgrading PowerBook G3s.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the Info... i think If already have Onyx but have never used it.
As far as backing up my Data Its already backed up on an FW ext HD along with a clone of my panther system.... Just see if my OS stays up long enough to find and launch Onyx before freezing over.. If all else fails I can just plug in my Ext HD when I fall on a cheap Mac.... Just worried that if the old system fails with the Ext HD running that it might take the ext HD with it.
 
hello...

replacing the hard drive on the g3 powerbook pismo is very easy to do, all you have to do is open the keyboard remove a metal shield, my g3 didnt have the shield any more and you will see the hard drive. it should only take about 30 minutes to do. once you replace the hard drive locate a copy of os x tiger 10.4 and install that. i had a g3 powerbook pismo 500 mhz with 512 of ram running tiger quite nicely until i bought my g4 titaninum powerbook then i sold the g3 but it ran very nicely with tiger.
 
g4 powerbookboy said:
hello...

replacing the hard drive on the g3 powerbook pismo is very easy to do, all you have to do is open the keyboard remove a metal shield, my g3 didnt have the shield any more and you will see the hard drive. it should only take about 30 minutes to do. once you replace the hard drive locate a copy of os x tiger 10.4 and install that. i had a g3 powerbook pismo 500 mhz with 512 of ram running tiger quite nicely until i bought my g4 titaninum powerbook then i sold the g3 but it ran very nicely with tiger.
Click to expand...

Will any 2.5 HD do.... or does it have to be special MAC.... problem is that I'm surrounded by PC shop's here in Barcelona and the only Mac shops are " Mac shops" and they don't do bit's... well they do but at 4 times the price.
In this day and age If I went to a Mac store and asked for a 30 or 40 GB HD I'd get laughed out of the place.... thanks
 
Fishtalk said:
Will any 2.5 HD do.... or does it have to be special MAC.... problem is that I'm surrounded by PC shop's here in Barcelona and the only Mac shops are " Mac shops" and they don't do bit's... well they do but at 4 times the price.
In this day and age If I went to a Mac store and asked for a 30 or 40 GB HD I'd get laughed out of the place.... thanks
Click to expand...

Any 2.5" ATA hard drive will work.
 
d88co88 said:
Any 2.5" ATA hard drive will work.
Click to expand...

ATA/IDE or SATA is this the same thing as just plain ATA ? because in the ebay ads its sometimes one or the other ????? thanks
While I'm at it another "dumb" question.... Do I need my int HD for it to boot from my Ext FW HD.....
Or if the Int HD is dying will it keep freezing even if I'm using the EXT Cloned HD.
Just trying to figure if its the HD or the RAM ( look at the original thread=
 
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