Q: iMac G5 Wont Start

What have you done so far?

Did you boot up from your install dvd and format the disk with disk utility?  What OS did you install?  Where did you get the dvd?

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Seems like you get some bad instructions loaded from the hd or you have a bad memory card.

I'm not all the familiar with diagnosing the G5.

1) Try reseting the smu.  What you do depends on you model of imac g5.

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1767

2) Sometimes if volumes don't appear in Startup Manager (what you get when you hold down the Option key at startup), you need to reset the Mac's PRAM, NVRAM, and Open Firmware. Shut down the Mac, then power it up, and before the screen lights up, quickly hold down the Command, Option, P, and R keys, until the Mac has chimed twice more after the powerup chime. Then, before the screen lights up, hold down Command-Option-O-F until the Open Firmware screen appears. Then enter these lines, pressing Return after each one:

reset-nvram

set-defaults

reset-all

"The reset-all command should restart your Mac. If so, you have successfully reset the Open Firmware settings."

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1812?viewlocale=en_US

How to eject a cd from the internal cd drive:

eject cd

List of devices:

devalias

List of variables:

printenv

3) It's seems to me you got a memory error.  I'd take out a memory stick & try again.  Use the option boot.

This is the second write up of this type i've seen this month.

How the install of 10.5 go?

I assume you installed on the drive.

Possible problems.

-- bad hd

-- bad install

-- bad hd controller.

Try another install.  do a custom & leave out as much as you can. you can use pacifist to add stuff back later.

any chance of installing to an external hd?

could try installing ubuntu & see how that goes.

I have read where the Ubuntu folks recommend running the lastest firmware before installing Ubuntu.
Try the option key boot for the slot loader.

You boot an Ubuntu or a Kubuntu CD the same way you would the Mac install CD.

Try this: Hold down the option key when you poweron.  This will bring up the startup manager.  Press the cd/dvd button to eject try.  Insert cd/dvd.  Click rescan arrow. Click on cd/dvd. Click on right arrow. ( I think that this is your best approach. )
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106178

Ubuntu

The Ubuntu folks stopped supporting the power PC a while back.  You will have to install an older version of Ubuntu.

You may need to modify xorg.conf. See:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=219532

You may have adjust adjust xorg.conf. See these instructions:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=234437

I was able to get the last official versions of Ubuntu working on my G3 600.
6.10 Edgy Eft,
6.06 Dapper Drake

I used the alternate install and did the alterations noted above.
These versions are listed at the very bottom of the page.
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/PowerPCDownloads

Robert

You could take it to an Apple store & have them look at the capacitors.  That the only idea I have.

Try installing on an external FireWire drive.

You need an external Firewire drive to boot a PowerPC Mac computer [ a few G5's will boot from USB ].

I recommend you do a google search on any external harddrive you are looking at.

I bought a low cost external drive enclosure. When I started having trouble with it, I did a google search and found a lot of complaints about the drive enclosure. I ended up buying a new drive enclosure. On my second go around, I decided to buy a drive enclosure with a good history of working with Macs. The chip set seems to be the key ingredient. The Oxford line of chips seems to be good. I got the Oxford 911.

I'd give OWC a call. 1-815-338-8685.  To get the external harddrive you need.

FireWire 800 + USB 3, + eSATA

&

save a little money interface:

FireWire 400 + USB 2.0

This web page lists both external harddrive types. You may need to scroll to the right to see both.

http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/firewire/1394/USB/EliteAL/eSATA_FW800_FW400_USB

    (2) FireWire 800/400 Ports (Up to 100MB/s / 50MB/s)

    (1) USB 3.0 Port (Up to 500MB/s / 60MB/s)

    (1) eSATA Port (Up to 300MB/s)

Has a combo firewire 800/400 port.  Not sure what this is.  Looks like you will  need 400 cable.

h