TS1989: iMac G5: My computer stops responding during startup

Learn about iMac G5: My computer stops responding during startup
GoTheFlo

Q: can I start up my iMac using my macbook pro

can I start up my iMac using my macbook pro..... I am having Startup Problems on my OLD iMac

iMac, Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Jun 22, 2012 9:02 PM

Close

Q: can I start up my iMac using my macbook pro

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

  • by Kenichi Watanabe,

    Kenichi Watanabe Kenichi Watanabe Jun 22, 2012 9:28 PM in response to GoTheFlo
    Level 8 (39,302 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jun 22, 2012 9:28 PM in response to GoTheFlo

    Not using the Mac OS X system that is installed on a MacBook Pro, especially if the old iMac is PowerPC (G3, G4, or G5).  A MacBook Pro is Intel-based.

     

    If you are thinking about something else, please post back.  What model is the "OLD iMac"?

  • by GoTheFlo,

    GoTheFlo GoTheFlo Jun 24, 2012 1:15 AM in response to Kenichi Watanabe
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 24, 2012 1:15 AM in response to Kenichi Watanabe

    Thank you for your answer!


    My old iMac is a G5..... It is VERY VERY SLOW to start up.

     

    I haven't had it "ON" for about a month or so now as I have a new MacBook Pro 15 inch (running OS X 10.6.8)

     

    Is there some way that I can "Startup" my iMac G5 from an external source?

     

    I bought this computer a long time ago .... I am not quite sure what year... however.....

     

    I have misplaced my ORIGINAL CD's etc that came with this iMac G5

     

    therefore.... I would like to know "HOW I CAN START IT UP EXTERNALLY"

     

    AND once up and running......

     

    What can I do to find the problem....

     

    as in What Programme can I use as a DIAGNOSTIC Tool to find the problem and hopefully restore

     

    my iMac G5 as I have so much within it that I am wanting to keep!

     

    Please help me if you can - thank you

  • by Kenichi Watanabe,

    Kenichi Watanabe Kenichi Watanabe Jun 24, 2012 2:07 AM in response to GoTheFlo
    Level 8 (39,302 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jun 24, 2012 2:07 AM in response to GoTheFlo

    You should try the usual initial trouble-shooting actions first...

     

    Reset PRAM (some startup-related settings are in PRAM)

     

    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1379

     

    After resetting PRAM, go to System Preferences Startup Disk pane and make sure your startup volume (usually "Macintosh HD") is selected.  No selection there can cause an initial delay during startup.

     

    Start up in Safe Mode

     

    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1564

     

    This runs some checks and maintenance during startup.  Note if it is running better in Safe Mode, once it starts up.  Then, restart normally.

     

    Run Disk Utility.  On the First Aid tab, do Repair Disk Permissions and Verify Disk, on your startup volume.  Don't be too concerned with messages that appear during Repair Disk Permissions; it is fixing what needs to be fixed, and the rest of it is usually "informational."  But if Verify Disk shows an error message, that is often a serious problem, and it may be the cause of your "slowness" issue.

     

    If those things do not resolve the problem, you can get a FireWire 800 external drive.  OWC has some good choices (there are other vendors)

     

    http://eshop.macsales.com/search/firewire

     

    If desired, most of their cases can be purchased with no drive, and you can add one yourself.  Your old iMac only has the slower FireWire 400, but some of these external drives have both 400 and 800 (as well as USB).  And an external drive with only 800 can be connected to 400 using a cable like this

     

    http://eshop.macsales.com/item/NewerTech/1394B96036/

     

    With FireWire 800, you will be able to use it long-term with your MacBook Pro, at full speed.  It needs to have FireWire (not just USB) so that your PowerPC iMac can use it as a startup drive.

     

    Once you have the FireWire drive set up and connected to your iMac, you can use a cloning utility, like Carbon Copy Cloner

     

    http://www.bombich.com/

     

    to duplicate your internal drive volume to the external drive volume.  NOTE:  If the FireWire drive is large, you can partition it during setup, using Disk Utility.  You can then clone the internal drive volume to one of the partitions on the external drive.  IMPORTANT:  You should set it up (partition) using your iMac (not your Intel MacBook Pro), to ensure it will be bootable by the PowerPC iMac.

     

    Once the internal drive volume is cloned to the external drive volume, go to System Preferences Startup Disk pane and set that external drive volume as the startup disk.  Then restart.  Functionally, running off the external drive should be the same.  If the internal drive is having hardware issues, it may run better.  If Verify Disk earlier reported a problem, you can now run Repair Disk to try to fix the problem on the internal drive.