G4 stuck at startup - erase disk with firmware command?

Have you tried resetting the PRAM? Reboot and hold down the command-option-"p"-"r" key combination until it chimes a time or two. That might fix you up.

What happens if you type mac-boot at the firmware command line?

charlie

DO you know a way to erase the lot from the firm ware
command?

I don't believe that's possible, as the open firmsare doesn't handle mounting disks and such. For that, you'd need a working OS somewhere.

Try this at the open firmware prompt:

reset-nvram

followed by:

set-defaults

followed by:

reset-all

That should conclusively reset your open firmware.

I think it should reboot after the second command. If it doesn't try the mac-boot and see if it starts up.

charlie

Hmmm. I'm a bit stumped. If you have a FireWire cable handy, you could try booting it into FireWire Target Disk mode. Just hold down the "t" key until you see a floating FireWire symbol on the screen. Then you can connect it to your PowerBook and erase the disk from there.

You aren't by some chance trying to boot from your PowerBook's discs are you? That's likely not to work. You'll either need the original discs from your G4 or a retail copy of the OS.

One more thing to try would be to put the CD in the G4 and reboot, holding down the option key and see if you get a screen with the CD as a possible boot option.

Otherwise, I'd have to wonder if you had a hardware failure that precipitated all of this in the first place.

charlie