Clamshell iBook Won't Boot

Question

Level 1

8 points

Clamshell iBook Won't Boot

I have aquired a rare 466 mhz key lime Clamshell iBook. I can't get it to boot from an internal hard drive or a cd. I have switched the hard drive with a drive that definatly works - it is from my blueberry iBook, but it will not boot from that hard drive either. The only way I can get it to boot is to put another iBook (G4) into target disk mode, and start the lime while holding the option key and booting from the other iBook. I tried to copy a disk image to the clamshell HD, which seemed to work, until I rebooted and the same question mark folder appeared. The hard drive has been making a whistling noise unlike the other clamshell iBooks which make the normal HD noise. Is this a bad hard drive? Hopefully not a bad logic board. Thanks!

iBook, Mac OS X (10.4.11)

Posted on Jul 5, 2012 10:29 PM

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Answer 1

Jul 6, 2012 1:32 AM in response to macfreakoops

Hello and welcome to the support community

Just so we can get a better understanding, the original hard drive that came with the iBook is not working? You replaced the drive with another working drive and that too didn't work?

Just for clarification, both drives you have tried do have a bootable volume on them? They both have some from of OS?

At first it sounds to be like the hard drive is a fault, however you say that it will not boot from CD?

Have you got the original system disk for this iBook? If so try to boot from those system disks by holding down the 'C' key upon booting.

If you have a copy of the Apple Hardware test for this iBook (Should have come on the second install disk supplied with the iBook) Then try to boot from this and carry out a hardware test.

If it's the 466 SE version then it's likely to have a internal DVD drive, however not always. So I would refrain from using a DVD install disks to out rule any possibilities that it doesn't have a DVD drive and is therefore not reading them.

It's unlikely to be a fault with the logic board and more a fault with the ribbon cable on the drive or the IDE pins on the board. If someone has not put the cable back in correctly will create this problem.

If the the drive has been replaced in this Clamshell, would require a large amount of disassemble. So it could be a simple case of something that was not put back correctly when done. Make sure that all screws have been put back correctly as some of these act as earthling conductors to the board.

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Answer 2

macfreakoops Author

Level 1

8 points

Jul 6, 2012 3:53 AM in response to Knucklesmac

The temporary replacement drive has a bootable OS on it for sure, the original drive has been erased multiple times using disk utility - so no OS just the flashing question mark folder. I do have the original disks for the iBook and have tried to boot from both the "install" and "restore" disks without result. I am 100% sure it has been put back together correctly - I am very expierenced in working on and in apple computers. The computer does have a DVD drive, but I have no install DVDs to boot from anyways. I have had clamshells that would not boot from disks in the past, but removing the hard drive, placing it in a firewire model, copying an image onto the hard drive, and reinstalling the drive into the clamshell has done the trick - but not this time. What's next?

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Answer 3

macfreakoops Author

Level 1

8 points

Jul 6, 2012 3:58 AM in response to Knucklesmac

I also forgot to mention that I can not start up using "⌘S" to boot in single user mode, nor can I boot into Open Firmware mode. I find this to be very strange.

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Answer 4

macfreakoops Author

Level 1

8 points

Jul 6, 2012 4:18 AM in response to Knucklesmac

I have also tried a different CD drive which made no difference at all.

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Answer 5

Jul 6, 2012 5:01 AM in response to macfreakoops

This to me sounds like it could be a firmware problem, where a firmware has been applied incorrectly. I assume you have reset the PMU? If not it might be worth a try, but I doubt if it's going to make much difference.You can't update the firmware as you have no media to do so if it's not reading any drives. Have you tried different ribbon cables? checked jumper settings on the logic board?

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Answer 6

macfreakoops Author

Level 1

8 points

Jul 6, 2012 12:30 PM in response to Knucklesmac

The ribbon cable is not the problem. I finally got the key lime to boot from an ibook g4 drive. Now I just have to put OS9 on the 10 gb drive. Hopefully it works!

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Answer 7

macfreakoops Author

Level 1

8 points

Jul 6, 2012 12:37 PM in response to Knucklesmac

It may be a firmware issue indeed. I can not get the hard drive to boot from a cd in any other laptop. I can probablly get another hard drive, but is there any way to update the firmware?

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Answer 8

Jul 6, 2012 5:43 PM in response to macfreakoops

macfreakoops wrote:

The temporary replacement drive has a bootable OS on it for sure

Which version of the OS is on the temporary replacement drive?

If it's an earlier version of the OS than came with the Lime iBook, then that may be the problem in attempting to boot from that hard drive.

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Answer 9

macfreakoops Author

Level 1

8 points

Jul 6, 2012 7:05 PM in response to Ronda Wilson

The temporary replacement has OS 9.2. My other clamshells boot the drive just fine.

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Answer 10

macfreakoops Author

Level 1

8 points

Jul 6, 2012 7:08 PM in response to Knucklesmac

When I boot into open firmware mode, it says "Apple Powerbook6, 5 4. 8. 5f0 BootROM built on 04/06/04 blah blah blah. So it does seem that the drive has the wrong firmware for the clamshell. Is there a way to put Clamshell firmware on the drive?

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Answer 11

macfreakoops Author

Level 1

8 points

Jul 6, 2012 7:33 PM in response to Knucklesmac

Ok so the original hard drive has this firmware:

"Apple PowerBook2, 2 3 . 3f3 BootROM built on 08/10/00

The drive that I managed the Key Lime to boot from has the same firmware. So the Key Lime should boot from the original drive. Correct?

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Answer 12

Jul 6, 2012 8:24 PM in response to macfreakoops

I have switched the hard drive with a drive that definatly works - it is from my blueberry iBook, but it will not boot from that hard drive either.

If the Blueberry's hard drive has an OS installed which is older than the one that came with the Key Lime iBook, it won't work to boot the Key Lime iBook.