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

20 replies

Jul 7, 2012 11:54 PM in response to macfreakoops

macfreakoops wrote:

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!

Do you mean that you installed the drive from the iBook G4 drive as an internal drive in the Key Lime iBook, and it would boot from that iBook G4's hard drive, then?

If so, chances are that the 10 GB hard drive has failed.

Consideration must be given to the idea of an firmware password being a part of the problem if it will not boot from an Install disc or into Single-user mode because a firmware password disables those functions (among many others).

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1352?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

macfreakoops Author

Level 1

8 points

Jul 10, 2012 8:09 PM in response to Ronda Wilson

Ok. I got another 10gb hard drive. This one is gaurenteed working. I can boot from the HD but still not from the CD. I have tried a few CDs as well. Still can't boot into single user mode either. I can boot holding "option". I also know the passwords for this hard drive

macfreakoops Author

Level 1

8 points

Jul 10, 2012 8:18 PM in response to Ronda Wilson

When I try to open the "Sorfware Install" application on the CD, I get the alert that says, "This program cannot run on your computer. See the documentation for more information." I am using the disks that came with the original blueberry and tangerine iBooks. I can not start up from a Mac OS 9.0.4 install cd either. The HD has Mac OS 9.2.2 installed on it. Is this CD too old for this computer? What disk should I use?

macfreakoops Author

Level 1

8 points

Jul 10, 2012 8:35 PM in response to macfreakoops

FINALLY! After digging through my software I found a restore disk that worked with the iBook. The original HD was on its last leg. Thanks for all your help!

Jul 10, 2012 8:46 PM in response to macfreakoops

Glad to hear you got it working!

This thread has been closed by the system or the community team. You may vote for any posts you find helpful, or search the Community for additional answers.

Clamshell iBook Won't Boot