Boot up problems on Power mac G5

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Boot up problems on Power mac G5

I recently bought a second hand powermac G5, and it had a fresh install of os Tiger. When the machine booted up, it asked for a password. I contacted the person I bought the computer from and they had no idea what it was. I ended up using these support pages and somehow wiped the hard drive in Terminal. Ever since then all I get is the picture of a folder with a question mark.

I have a retail disc of Leopard, and I connected my Mac Pro via firewire to install it to the Power mac. It has installed it, and I can boot it up on my Mac Pro, but the actual Power Mac still won't boot up by itself - it still shows the folder and question mark. I've tried everything, including the following:-

- Booting from CD

- Booting from Terminal (can't even get into Terminal on start-up on Power Mac)

- Pressing the option key on start-up (just comes up with a refresh image and arrow pointing right, but noting happens - even with the CD inserted there's no other option)

- Running disc utility via firewire to verify PM hard drive, and it says the drive appears okay.

I've literally tried everything I can think of, but I'm open to any ideas other people may have.

PowerMac, Mac OS X (10.5)

Posted on Jun 28, 2012 2:37 PM

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Answer 1

japamac

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Jun 28, 2012 7:03 PM in response to Cartoonboy

Boot the G5 holding the T key on the keyboard to enter Firewire Target Disk Mode:

How to use and troubleshoot FireWire target disk mode

Once the G5 drive is mounted on the desktop of your other machine, install the OS to it.

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Answer 2

Cartoonboy Author

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Jun 29, 2012 2:18 AM in response to japamac

I did this last night, and according to Finder, it's installed successfully. However, when I then try to boot up the Power Mac by itself it still displays the folder with the question mark. It seems like everything's there, but the computer doesn't know it.

I've tried pressing C to boot from the DVD, but nothing happens. This morning I reset the PRAM and the NVRAM. I also found a site where they give all the start-up key boot options, and I've tried these but to no avail. I've even unplugged the keyboard to see if that helps, but it doesn't.

It's almost like there's something missing in the coding, and I've booted it up in Open Firmware mode, but keep getting the message LOAD-SIZE is too small, when I try to boot up from the CD.

Any ideas?

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Answer 3

japamac

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Jun 29, 2012 3:07 AM in response to Cartoonboy

What keyboard are you using?

I would try a different, preferably Apple USB keyboard.

In OF try this (install disc in optical drive):

boot cd:,\\:tbxi

Otherwise, with some Linux .iso discs, a non-blessed folder will produce the "load size too small" error.

Missing some files, somewhere.....

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Answer 4

Cartoonboy Author

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Jun 29, 2012 4:43 AM in response to japamac

Nope, still no luck. I've tried two Apple USB keyboards and still nothing. If I am missing files, where would I be able to get them from to install them?

it's so weird, because I can use the G5 when booted up through my Mac Pro. I just did that, and installed software updates just in case.

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Answer 5

japamac

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Jun 29, 2012 4:51 AM in response to Cartoonboy

Via the Mac Pro, check the G5 hard drive info. Use either Disk Utility or the System Profiler, but check to see what the partition map is on the drive.

If the partition map is listed as GPT (GUID Partition Table) that is why you can't boot the G5.

A G5 must have APM as the partition map for the boot drive.

If GPT (GUID), reformat (erase) the drive. In the Partition tab of Disk Utility select 1 partition (not Current). Then, in Options, select APM and click Apply.

Apply the changes, install the OS and the drive should be bootable.

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Answer 6

Cartoonboy Author

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Jun 29, 2012 8:56 AM in response to japamac

Thanks for your help so far. I've just reformatted the hard drive like you instructed, but a message comes up to say that I cannot install Leopard to the APM format -it has to be GPT.

Any ideas?

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Answer 7

japamac

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Jun 29, 2012 3:07 PM in response to Cartoonboy

You will need to install on an APM formatted drive. An Intel Mac with an OEM OS X installer may require GPT, but a G5 won't boot to GPT.

Use firewire target disc mode. The G5's OS X install disc goes in the Mac Pro optical drive.

Boot the Mac Pro in firewire target disk mode.

Boot the G5 to the Startup Manager (hold Option while starting the G5).

Select the OS X Install Disc in the Mac Pro and boot the G5.

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Answer 8

Jun 29, 2012 3:07 PM in response to Cartoonboy

Cartoonboy wrote:

Thanks for your help so far. I've just reformatted the hard drive like you instructed, but a message comes up to say that I cannot install Leopard to the APM format -it has to be GPT.

Any ideas?

If you are running the installer on an Intel Mac but trying to install on the G5 connected in Target Disk mode, the installer thinks you are installing on an Intel machine, hence the refusal to install on an APM drive. Is the install disc perchance for Intel only? (Don't know if Leo retail installers [black discs] came in Intel-only flavors.) It is Leopard, not Snow Leopard? That may be part of the problem with your being unable to boot the G5 to the installer optical disc.

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Answer 9

Cartoonboy Author

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Jun 29, 2012 3:58 PM in response to old comm guy

From what I've read on forums on the net, you can install Leopard on G5s and G4s, but not Snow Leopard. One thing someone has suggested was taking out the HDD from the G5 and installing it on the mac pro, and then creating a disc image from the DVD.

But I'd still need to format the HDD to APM so that's where I'm confused, as I don't know if Disc Utility will allow me to create the image on an APM formatted drive.

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Answer 10

Cartoonboy Author

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Jun 29, 2012 4:00 PM in response to japamac

Thanks Japamac, I'll give it a go.

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Answer 11

BDAqua

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Jun 29, 2012 9:32 PM in response to Cartoonboy

One thing someone has suggested was taking out the HDD from the G5 and installing it on the mac pro, and then creating a disc image from the DVD.

Nope, won't work at all, best you'll get is an Intel install of the OS, use OCG's advice.

Or see this thread...

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4064496?answerId=18771736022#18771736022

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Answer 12

Cartoonboy Author

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Jun 30, 2012 3:19 AM in response to japamac

I've tried this, and the Mac Pro keeps ejecting the DVD, causing the G5's fan to go into overdrive. I've tried this twice with the same results.

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Answer 13

BDAqua

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Jun 30, 2012 10:54 AM in response to Cartoonboy

Hmmm, do you have any other Firewire devices connected to either?

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Answer 14

Cartoonboy Author

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Jun 30, 2012 11:20 AM in response to BDAqua

What I've tried now is to plug the PPC via FireWire into my iMac (which is intel). It's got through to the install screen, but just as it's installing it comes up with a message saying that installation has failed. What I've just done now is to recreate the APM partition using Disc Utility on the installation DVD, and I'll give it another go.

It is weird about the mac pro ejecting the DVD, but as I say, the iMac seems happier. In answer to your question, there was nothing else plugged in via FireWire, only USB drives, so it could have been them causing a conflict.

If it doesn't work this time, is there any way of installing it via FireWire but using open firmware instead? I'll keep trying and let you know how things progress.

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Answer 15

BDAqua

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Jun 30, 2012 1:03 PM in response to Cartoonboy

When Installing, hit CMD+L key lowercase L but typed it that way to eliminate confusion with 1 & I, that may require watch to see what is failing, we may or may not be able to view the Log afterwards.

Another thing we could try, but takes time...

2. When your computer finishes starting up from the disc, choose Disk Utility from the Installer menu. (In Mac OS X 10.4 or later, you must select your language first.)

*Important: Do not click Continue in the first screen of the Installer. If you do, you must restart from the disc again to access Disk Utility.*

3. Click the Erase tab.

4. Click the disclosure triangle to the left of the hard drive icon to display the names of your hard disk volumes and partitions.

5. Select your Mac OS X volume.

6. Highlight the drive, select Partition Tab, then Format type... MacOS Extended Journalled, select the Security Options button, choose Zero Out Data, Erase... after completion do a new install.

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