G3 Beige tower 266 (1998!) start up problems

Were you connecting the SCSI peripherals to the onboard SCSI-1 bus via the motherboard's DB-25 port on the back of the computer or to a SCSI controller PCI card? How about the hard drive? Was it upgraded from the stock 6 GB IDE drive to a larger capacity drive or did the computer come with the optional 9 GB Ultra Wide SCSI drive? I ask because an IDE drive can be removed from the computer and easily connected with an adapter (about $15-$20 at any PC store) to another Mac's USB port. A SCSI hard drive is a different matter, given the conversion needed for connection to a different type bus. If the G3 has been sitting around unused for several years or more, the motherboard's PRAM battery is dead. It's a 3.6-volt, 1/2AA lithium battery like this. A very weak or dead battery can cause startup issues, so it was always the 1st thing to replace when troubleshooting.

If you'd like to remove the hard drive from the computer and be able to donate the clutter of everything else, remove the side panel and you'll see the primary HDD located in a carrier, mounted upside down above the power supply. Remove the 2 screws that secure the carrier and pull it out toward you. It may be easier to do if you remove the power and date cables first, otherwise, carefully pull it out far enough to disconnect them. Remove the machine screws that attach the hard drive to the carrier than reinstall the empty carrier in the computer. The new owner can install a replacement hard drive and you won't have the concerns about personal files being accessed. If it's an IDE drive, connecting an adapter (as shown in the link) to the bare drive to retrieve data won't be a problem. Handle the drive by its sides, so you don't risk damaging the circuit board on the underside from static discharge. If it's a 68-pin Ultra-SCSI drive, then leaving it installed and getting the G3 to start will be the safest way to check for files that you may want.

You indicated zapping the PRAM, but how many times did you let it reboot to the startup tone each time? Three times is recommended before releasing the keys, but you wrote that you're using a USB keyboard, which means that it's connected to a USB PCI card. Because there is no native USB support in a beige G3's firmware, support is driver-based via extensions. The keyboard is only recognized after the computer has successfully booted and loaded the necessary USB extensions. Booting with Extensions Off renders the USB-connected keyboard inactive. Having the original ADB keyboard makes troubleshooting easier.

Assuming that somebody will end up with the G3 and use it, the fastest solution for you is to remove the hard drive from the computer, as I described before. Then you won't have to go through the initializing/secure wipe process or have concerns about any of your files being accessed in the future with data recovery software. Once removed and with an assortment of the correct screwdriver tips, you can open up the hard drive and examine its internal construction (if interested). Otherwise, it's a good paperweight.

If you prefer to leave the drive installed, you'll need to boot the G3 from a compatible installer disk. You mentioned having an OS 9.2.1 CD, so if it's a universal installer disk, it will be white with a large, orange-colored "9" on it. If you have a gray restore disk designed for another model Mac, it likely won't boot the G3. Because you're using a USB keyboard, you need an alternate method to restart from the optical drive than holding down the "C" key. The moment the computer begins to restart, the USB keyboard isn't recognized (as mentioned in my earlier post), so holding down any combination of keys is pointless. As a workaround, after you insert the installer disk in the drive and it mounts on the desktop, use the "Startup Disk" control panel and select the CD to boot the G3 and then restart the computer. If it restarts from the installer disk, you can continue to securely erase the internal hard drive. In the Utilities folder, look for "Drive Setup." When you launch Drive Setup, all connected hard drives will be listed. Click on the internal drive and choose to initialize it. The menu bar has a "Functions" drop-down menu from which you'll select "Initialization Options." You'll be presented with a "zero all data" option, which you'll select. After you click "Initialize," you'll get the usual warning that all data will be lost, etc. Proceed and the reformatting with a secure wipe will begin. If it's the original (small capacity) hard drive, the process shouldn't take very long. If the original drive has been replaced with a greater capacity drive, it will take longer (hours). If that's the case, I'd suggest starting this early in the work day, so you'll be there to see it complete the process or fail, if problems are encountered because of surface damage on the platter. After it has successfully reformatted the drive, you'll see a message indicating that the "Initialization was successful."

Another startup problem we fought in the Beige G3 days was a loose "personality" card. The p-card is the one with audio and sometimes video-out ports. The card is secured at only one end and, with transport and storage, the card to start to "walk up" from the unsecured end.

Rather that simply reseat, remove the card and clean it contacts and blow any invaders from the card slot.

I should have been more clear about the use of a USB keyboard for the purpose of zapping the PRAM in a beige G3. PRAM clearing occurs as soon as the computer reboots and you hear the startup tone, before the extensions have loaded. Because its design pre-dated USB native support, a beige G3 doesn't recognize a USB PCI card — or anything connected to it — until the USB driver extensions for it have loaded, well into the startup sequence. As a result, holding down the "Command + Option + P + R" keys on a USB keyboard isn't recognized by the computer and you're unable to zap the PRAM. The original ADB keyboard is the only way to accomplish the task. Be careful with a vacuum cleaner's plastic attachment inside the computer, because the plastic acquires a static charge that could possibly damage a component on the motherboard. I'm glad that you found somebody who's interested in taking the computer. They were built well and are so heavy, that selling them in the U.S. incurs so much shipping charge as to make a sale a bit impractical, unless it's picked up locally.