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#1 2007-12-27 7:04 pm
Original iMac G3 Problem
I have an original iMac G3 "Bodoni" REV. A that seems to be having trouble booting.
It was booting OK but then recently just flashed the ? mark at startup without engaging either a system install disk in the CD rom or a hard drive. Ive tried multiple hard drives and system disks (8.1, 8.6, 9.2) none of which seem to recognize. The install disks and hard drives are readable in my other computers, so I don't think their bad.
I'm wondering if the MOBO or ATA controller is bad. I tried zapping the PRAM and removing the battery and pressing the CUDA button for 10 seconds but to no good. The normal startup chime is made, the screen comes on, the happy Mac shows, and then the flashing "where is the freaking hard-drive icon" ?
This has got to be the least favorite of my Macs to take apart to get at the MOBO! If you've worked on the original iMac G3, you know what I'm talking about – WOW! I can't think of what else to try.
The only other thing I can think of is trying to boot off an external USB drive of some kind. Is that possible on this machine?
I have a USB Flash drive that I could put an OS on, and also a USB CDRW drive (there is no Firewire); are those likely to work for this? For sentimental reasons I don't want to toss this system just yet.
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#2 2007-12-27 10:16 pm
- dvpierce
- Negusa Negest
- Moderator
- From: Minneapolis, MN
- Registered: 1999-08-30
- Posts: 16888
Re: Original iMac G3 Problem
No USB booting.
Replace the PRAM battery with a new one and try booting from a CD. If that doesn't work, it's Viking Funeral time.
"Now commences the process of cutting off the head, which generally takes from an hour to an hour and a half by an expert workman with a sharp blade." -Reuben Delano, Wanderings and Adventures
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#4 2007-12-29 6:33 pm
- Funkey Monkey
- Il Maestro spettacolare
- From: On the podium.
- Registered: 2003-01-27
- Posts: 1367
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Re: Original iMac G3 Problem
I've had similar problems with the exact same model.
In my case, the install on the HD was no good, which caused the flashing question mark.
But my CD-ROM was flaky, which was why I couldn't boot from CD. It would spin up, but wouldn't recognize the discs.
I took the HD out, put it in another computer to re-install, and then put it back in the iMac.
Problem solved---except I still have a pooped-out CD-ROM.
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#5 2007-12-30 8:59 am
Re: Original iMac G3 Problem
I typed Apple Option O - F
and got the following messages:
Apple iMac Open Firmware 3.0 f2 build on 04/23/99 at 14:31:03
I typed mac-boot and all it does is hang at the flashing – ?
Then I typed: ? and got the following:
DEFAULT CATCH!. code=300 at %SRR0: 016dd1c %SRR1: 0000b030
What does the code mean?
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#6 2007-12-31 10:37 pm
- Mr. T
- Uses STOS implicitly
- From: omnipresent
- Registered: 2002-04-02
- Posts: 3603
Re: Original iMac G3 Problem
adamjg wrote:
DEFAULT CATCH!. code=300 at %SRR0: 016dd1c %SRR1: 0000b030
What does the code mean?
It means you crashed open firmware. 016dd1c is the return address for the exception, and SRR1 is the flags register (useless info to us). The only interesting part is code=300. I assume OF's way of telling you it can't find the os on your boot drive, but really I have no idea!
1. have you tried holding the "C" key when booting from CD?
2. Try removing the hard drive and booting the machine from CD (in the unlikely event that the hard drive is shorting out).
while (1) {fork();}
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