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|| SportsShooter.com: Member Message Board
iBook G4 Blue Screen
Larry W. Smith, Photographer
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Valley Center (Wichita) | KS | USA | Posted: 12:56 AM on 01.17.08 |
->> My son's iBook G4 running Tiger when try to start it up will stop at the stage where the big box with the bar on the bottom that shows it loading doesn't go past that box no warnings or flashing question mark or face just stops at that box. I've tried zapping ram, resetting machine, taking out battery, holding down power button and keys no luck. Any ideas?
thanks,
Larry |
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Gabriel Hernandez, Photographer
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Harlingen | TX | USA | Posted: 1:36 AM on 01.17.08 |
| ->> yikes ... this happened to me about a year ago .... some how I erased my hard drive .... i had to send my powerbook to my friend to fix it .... he was able to save my stuff .... |
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Greg Ferguson, Photographer
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Scottsdale | Az | USA | Posted: 9:34 AM on 01.17.08 |
->> You'd do better checking on Apple's support site or one of the Macintosh specialty sites.
A quick search on Google for "g4 blue screen" turns up hits for the problem too.
While this community has a lot of Mac users, we're photography nerds, and for this question you want computer/unix nerds. :-) |
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Trevor Frey, Photographer
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Athens | Ga. | USA | Posted: 10:35 AM on 01.17.08 |
| ->> Larry, I had an iBook once. I didn't have the exact problem you described but it quit on start-up and when I took it in for repair/diagnosis was told the motherboard was kaput. I took the harddrive out so I could hook it into an external case and get my files....good luck |
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Dave Rossman, Photographer
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Houston | TX | USA | Posted: 11:02 AM on 01.17.08 |
| ->> Something similar happened to my ibook about a month ago. It was the logic board. Take it to your local Apple store and have them check it out. Mine was covered under warranty that Apple extended for some models produced about 3 years ago. There was some type of problem with those models. Hopefully they can fix yours for free as well. |
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David Ahntholz, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Cleveland | OH | USA | Posted: 11:58 AM on 01.17.08 |
| ->> You can also try starting up in target disk mode, hold down "t" when starting up. If it works, it will boot as a firewire drive, which might allow you to run disk utility from another computer. Or, you could try starting up from the installer DVD (hold down "C" to force it to boot from the DVD), and see if you can run disk utility. |
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Jason Frizzelle, Photographer
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Greenville | NC | USA | Posted: 12:20 PM on 01.17.08 |
| ->> If its the g4 933 then its most likely the logic board. I went through some groups when it happended to me and found out that its common and many of those models were built with bad logic boards but apple wouldnt admit to it. The repair can be expensive if it fried your harddrive. I guess thats what i get for trying to save a 100 bucks. |
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Bob Levey, Photographer
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Richmond/Houston | TX | USA | Posted: 3:22 PM on 01.17.08 |
->> Try this...
Resetting PRAM and NVRAM
1.Shut down the computer.
2.Locate the following keys on the keyboard: Command, Option, P, and R. You will need to hold these keys down simultaneously in step 4.
3. Turn on the computer.
4. Press and hold the Command-Option-P-R keys. You must press this key combination before the gray screen appears.
Hold the keys down until the computer restarts and you hear the startup sound for the second time.
Release the keys.
Your computer's PRAM and the NVRAM are reset to the default values. The clock settings may be reset to a default date on some models.
This often works...
Bob |
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Aaron M. Sprecher, Photographer, Assistant
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Houston | TX | USA | Posted: 3:52 PM on 01.17.08 |
->> Larry,
Try doing what Bob said above. When my computer died a couple months ago that is what he did and that is how/when my computer came back on. |
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Matthew OHaren, Photographer
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Harrisburg | PA | USA | Posted: 4:48 PM on 01.17.08 |
->> Larry,
I had a similar problem on New Year's Day. Came back from an assignment and went to turn on my Macbook Pro. It started up and I started to edited my work when it asked me to do an update for Microsoft Office and one other thing, which I can't recall. I usually don't update when I'm working, but I did since it being the new year. Well, lets just say it was a disaster! It asked me to restart the computer and when I restarted it, it booted up to the apple screen and the little gear continued to turn in the lower portion of the screen and it did this for like 20 minutes before I shut it down and restarted it. I did everything, restarted the computer, reset the computer by holding in the on/off button for like 10-20 seconds, removed and reinstalled the battery, but none of these did the trick. I finally got ahold of a tech person at Apple and I ended up archiving and reinstalling the operating system. This can take up to 4 hours to do because it does just that, archive and reinstalls the whole entire operating system. Hope this helps! |
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Larry W. Smith, Photographer
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Valley Center (Wichita) | KS | USA | Posted: 1:34 AM on 01.18.08 |
->> Thanks Matthew I think this is the issue what happened to you is exactly what and how it happened to us same thing updated and then did restart.
Bob, Aaron, thanks but I'd already tried zapping it like that no luck.
L |
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Matthew OHaren, Photographer
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Harrisburg | PA | USA | Posted: 4:53 PM on 01.18.08 |
->> Larry,
Have you had a chance to talk with an Apple Tech yet? Did you archive and reinstall the OS? |
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Larry W. Smith, Photographer
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Valley Center (Wichita) | KS | USA | Posted: 1:51 PM on 01.19.08 |
->> Matthew I have not had the chance yet I am on the road but plan on getting with them on Tuesday.
No I have not done the archive and reinstall I have been gone and can't remember where my disc is to tell my son to do it.
Larry |
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Jock Fistick, Photographer
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Brussels | Belgium | | Posted: 8:05 PM on 01.19.08 |
->> Have you tried booting up in "safe mode"? It is kind of liking booting with extensions off in OS 9. If you can boot in safe mode then you know that you have some type of system software problem and can decide if you want to proceed with an "archive and re-install".
If not you may have some directory corruption - go get your self a copy of Disk Warrior or Tech Tool Pro - both of which I believe come with a bootable CD - then you can check for directory corruption and possibly repair it.
If this doesn't solve your problem then you might indeed have a hardware issue.
So Try booting into safe mode first....
From Mac Help:
To start up into Safe Mode (to "Safe Boot"), do this:
Be sure the computer is shut down.
Press the power button.
Immediately after you hear the startup tone, press and hold the Shift key.
Tip: The Shift key should be held as soon as possible after the startup tone but not before.
Release the Shift key when you see the gray Apple and progress indicator (looks like a spinning gear).
During the startup in Mac OS X 10.2 through 10.3.9, you will see "Safe Boot" on the Mac OS X startup screen.
During the startup in Mac OS X 10.4 or later, you will see "Safe Boot" on the login window, which appears even if you normally log in automatically.
To leave Safe Mode in any version of Mac OS X, restart the computer normally, without holding any keys during startup.
If your computer won't start up in Mac OS X at all, see "Your Mac won't start up in Mac OS X". |
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Jock Fistick, Photographer
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Brussels | Belgium | | Posted: 8:15 PM on 01.19.08 |
->> Here is some other info that might be useful:
Shortcuts for starting up
Use these shortcuts when you start up your computer.
Prevent automatic login
When you see the progress indicator (looks like a spinning gear), hold down the left Shift key.
Prevent Login Items and Finder windows from opening when logging in
After clicking the Login button at the login screen, hold down the Shift key.
Start up from a CD
Press and hold the C key
Start up from the default NetBoot disk image
Press and hold the N key
Start up in Target Disk Mode
Press and hold the T key
Select a startup disk (on some computers)
Option (To open the optical drive when choosing a startup disk, press Command-period.)
Start up using Mac OS X rather than Mac OS 9 (if both are on the same volume)
Press and hold thew Command and X keys
Eject removable disks
Hold down the mouse button.
Reset Parameter RAM
Command-Option-P-R
Show detailed status messages (verbose mode)
Command-V
Start up in single user mode
Command-S
Start up in Safe Mode (Only essential Mac OS X items are started. Some features and applications might not work correctly.)
Hold down the Shift key immediately after the startup tone, and release when you see the progress indicator (looks like a spinning gear). |
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Jock Fistick, Photographer
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Brussels | Belgium | | Posted: 8:20 PM on 01.19.08 |
| ->> Also, if you have an external drive with a bootable system installed - then try starting up from that drive. if this isn't the only Mac in the house then try booting in target disk mode and then run disk utility to see if the drive is ok. |
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Larry W. Smith, Photographer
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Valley Center (Wichita) | KS | USA | Posted: 5:53 PM on 01.22.08 |
->> Jock thanks for all your help much appreciated. It was the hard drive and logic board gone bad. Your information was greatly helpful thank you.
Larry |
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