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eMac not booting in Target Disk Mode

I picked up a used eMac a couple weeks ago, but as it used to belong to a school, it has a lot of junk on the HD. To clear it out, I thought I would use FireWire TDM. It runs Panther 10.3.9, but for some reason, WILL NOT boot into FireWire Target Disk Mode. It has a wired keyboard, and I can boot into Single User Mode, Verbose, Safe boot etc, but not TDM.

eMac-OTHER, Mac OS X (10.3.x)

Posted on Jan 3, 2012 7:01 PM

Reply
31 replies

Jan 3, 2012 9:11 PM in response to rockstar-plus

Just noticed the 10.3.x


So we know more about it...


At the Apple Icon at top left>About this Mac, then click on More Info, then click on Hardware> and report this upto but not including the Serial#...


Hardware Overview:


Model Name: eMac

Model Identifier: PowerMac6,4

Processor Name: PowerPC G4 (1.2)

Processor Speed: 1.42 GHz

Number Of CPUs: 1

L2 Cache (per CPU): 512 KB

Memory: 2 GB

Bus Speed: 167 MHz

Boot ROM Version: 4.9.2f1

Jan 3, 2012 11:04 PM in response to rockstar-plus

Hmmm, I find no Firmware updtes needed for eMacs which is one thing that can prevent Target mode...


http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1395


Have you done a PRAM reset, CMD+Option+p+r...


http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=2238


Does it boot into Open Firmware with CMD+Option+o+f ?


http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=42642


reset-nvram (press Enter)

set-defaults (press Enter)

reset-all (press Enter)


Might be time to replace the PRAM Battery, 4 years is close to their lifespan, far less if ever without AC power, & can cause strange startup problems...


http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Newer%20Technology/BAA36VPRAM/

Jan 3, 2012 11:29 PM in response to BDAqua

I have never done a Firmware update, as when I bought it, ran Software Update, all updates for Panther/eMac had already been installed.
I'm not quite sure about PRAM battery, as I live in New Zealand and am not really sure where to get them here. Pressing either of those key combos does nothing, the Mac loads Panther as if nothing happened.

Recap on start keys:

FireWire TDM: NO

Verbose: YES

Single-User: YES

Safe Boot: YES

PRAM Reset: NO

Open Firmware: NO

All key combos that don't work simply result in the eMac ignoring the key combos and standard-booting Mac OS X.

Jan 4, 2012 12:27 AM in response to BDAqua

I'm sure that would work if I actually HAD a voltmeter.


As from what I have read in http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1242 Time, volume, startup disk, DVD drive region code, Console info etc. don't change upon reboot, so something tells me it isn't the battery. Even after I left it unplugged for 2 hours when I cleaned the case down (schoolkids!)

Jan 4, 2012 6:06 PM in response to rockstar-plus

Is the keyboard an Apple-branded model? Some third-party boards don't recognize all the Mac startup key combos.


And let's verify the FWTDM command--hold the "t" key only during startup. There was another post eariler this year where the OP was pushing modifier keys (option, command and control as the whims hit here) while trying to get into TDM and it was late in the thread before any of us thought to ask about the procedure she was using.


Had to ask.

eMac not booting in Target Disk Mode

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