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#1 2009-08-13 1:08 pm
- EddieZR
- Major Mayhem, USMC
- From: Collingswood, NJ
- Registered: 2009-08-11
- Posts: 7
Black Box Death Screen?...
I've got 2 Quicksilver G4 Towers, a 733mz that works fine, and a 800mz that displays a medium sized black box right after the Grey Apple screen comes up. It then shuts itself off. The system on the ill 800mz mac is cloned off my 733mz mac, OS 10.4.11. I don't have install discs. What does the ominous black box mean. The 800mz is a Quicksilver II, and the 733mz is the earlier version. Any ideas appreciated.
Last edited by EddieZR (2009-08-17 12:55 pm)
"Man has lost the capacity to foresee and to forestall. He will end by destroying the earth" - Albert Schweitzer
"If that's true, then I paid too much for my carpeting." - Woody Allen
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#2 2009-08-13 1:16 pm
- sturner
- Royal High Poobah
- Moderator
- From: Carrollton, TX USA
- Registered: 2000-01-31
- Posts: 13818
Re: Black Box Death Screen?...
Would seem either driver problems or a hardware error.
Yeah, I know, I just hit the two main problems. I suspect drivers to be the more likely at this point.
I'm not dead yet.
There are 3 types of people, those who can count and those who can't.
"There are few things graven in stone, excepting your date of death."
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#3 2009-08-13 5:46 pm
- EddieZR
- Major Mayhem, USMC
- From: Collingswood, NJ
- Registered: 2009-08-11
- Posts: 7
Re: Black Box Death Screen?...
OK, drivers... Any suggestions on how to diagnose or fix?
Before, I noticed that if I unplugged USB stuff like keyboard, mouse, apple screen - it booted all the way up fine. I tried it a few times (with a vga monitor) and it was working. I plugged in keyboard and mouse after it booted up and they worked fine. I repeated this procedure a couple times, seemed fine. Restarted with keyboard and mouse plugged in and got black box. Unplugged them and on 2nd try it booted. Im thinking USB problem. I shut down and unplugged all again but now it won't boot. Tried many times, nada. The USB keyboard,mouse and screen thing might just be a coincidence but seems suspicious. Any thoughts?
"Man has lost the capacity to foresee and to forestall. He will end by destroying the earth" - Albert Schweitzer
"If that's true, then I paid too much for my carpeting." - Woody Allen
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#4 2009-08-13 6:32 pm
- sturner
- Royal High Poobah
- Moderator
- From: Carrollton, TX USA
- Registered: 2000-01-31
- Posts: 13818
Re: Black Box Death Screen?...
The peripherials are always a suspect. However, without an install cd, you can't really fix corrupted systems. You need and install disk so that you can boot from the CD.
I'm not dead yet.
There are 3 types of people, those who can count and those who can't.
"There are few things graven in stone, excepting your date of death."
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#5 2009-08-13 8:13 pm
- Dunkin'
- Mom Bo'
- From: Over the hills and far away
- Registered: 1999-10-15
- Posts: 3300
Re: Black Box Death Screen?...
I recall those machines having a "programmer's button" on them. Upside down triangle or v on the button. Used to access command line functionality in OS 9 and earlier. Opened a black box command prompt inside a normal video screen.
But if it's a USB thing then there you go.
Here is the Owner's manual for a Quicksilver. see page 14.
Last edited by Dunkin' (2009-08-13 8:17 pm)
1/φ = φ-1
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#6 2009-08-17 1:03 pm
- EddieZR
- Major Mayhem, USMC
- From: Collingswood, NJ
- Registered: 2009-08-11
- Posts: 7
Re: Black Box Death Screen?...
OK - Last effort here. I switched startup to a drive on scsi card i put in, just in case eide drive is bad. Again, system on scsi drive is cloned off other g4 which boots and runs fine off the scsi drive. Same black death box right as grey apple comes up. So its not my eide drive, its not my USB stuff, its not the monitor, its not RAm, which I switched out and moved to different slots, and its not the cables. Could it be a short, bad connector, faulty circuit? ANY ideas. Thanks
Last edited by EddieZR (2009-08-17 1:04 pm)
"Man has lost the capacity to foresee and to forestall. He will end by destroying the earth" - Albert Schweitzer
"If that's true, then I paid too much for my carpeting." - Woody Allen
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