7100/80 Stopped Booting

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Level 1

25 points

7100/80 Stopped Booting

Ok. I have an old (obviously) 7100/80 power mac that won't start up. Period. When you press the power button, the computer chimes, the screen turns on, but it remains grey. No car crash sound, no blinking icons, no nothing. Nothing I try produces any reaction. Holding C doesn't work. This started when I did an erase and install of the harddrive so I could give it to my sister new and fresh. Anyone have any idea what's up?

iMac G5 1.8GHz Standard, Mac OS X (10.3.9), Generation 1

Posted on May 6, 2006 5:22 PM

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Answer 1

May 6, 2006 6:04 PM in response to Lord_Jeremy

LJ,

Did you put a system on the hard drive or is that what you are trying to do next? During startup, the CPU goes out and looks at every device to figure out what is connected and how to talk to it. Have you disconnected cables and then reconnected them to make sure you have good connections. The chimes mean that there are signs of life so stage one is OK.

Do you have a CD-ROM drive in that 7100? Some did, some did not. Do you have a bootable CD or an external SCSI drive to use as an alternative boot device?

If you have a dead PRAM battery, turn the computer on, listen for the chime, then hold down the 'command' + 'control' + soft power key ( triangle key in the upper right corner of the keyboard). If you hear the chime again, wait a couple of minutes to make sure that it is not just taking its own sweet time to look for the system folder. You should get the ' ? ' or smiley face.

Try that much and post back.

Jim

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Answer 2

Allan Jones

Level 9

78,272 points

May 6, 2006 8:46 PM in response to Lord_Jeremy

On the 6100, a dead PRAM battery will affect video, but not as you decscribe. Assuming the 7100 is going to show similar behavior to to its pizza-box cousin, the computer gives normal start-up chimes, you hear the HD and fans running up, the corect color lights show up, but the monitor is black. A warm boot often clears it up, as does a boot from a system CD.

The fact that you're getting enough signal to make a gray screen says to me it's not typical of a dead battery. However, if you don't get it running with Jim's PRAM zap technique or form a warm boot, you may want to try a new battery.

What system did you install? Did you wipe the drive and reformat it first? If you reformatted, what file system did you select (HFS or HFS+, also called Apple Extended)? Was the install CD one that is compatible with the 7100?

Allan

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Answer 3

Lord_Jeremy Author

Level 1

25 points

May 6, 2006 11:33 PM in response to Appaloosa mac man

The 7100 does have a CD-ROM drive and the problem occurred when the installer restarted he computer immediately successfully installing 7.6. I did disconnect external devices before the installation. I did check internal connections. I once had a similar problem with a 6200 in which I installed the OS while the PRAM battery was dead and that caused all sorts of problem so I replaced the battery before install and made sure it was good with the 7100. I left it running for about 10 minutes and nothing happened (none of its usual clicking). I have restarted it quite a few times and there has been no change. I'm guessing that somehow the Mac OS ROM is messed up. If that is the case, then I'm at a total loss on how to replace/repair it, if it is even possible. The system I erased was 7.6.1 and I installed 7.6 over it, just to clarify. As I recall, 7.5 and later didn't require enabler files or anything like that so it's unlikely the system is a bad install. I should note that the floppy drive is broken (and has been for a long time). The disk seat jammed and I haven't seen a need to repair/replace it.

iMac G5 1.8GHz Standard Mac OS X (10.3.9) Generation 1

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Answer 4

May 7, 2006 7:40 AM in response to Lord_Jeremy

L J,

Do you have a spare HDD to swap out? No magic bullet comes to mind.

Jim

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Answer 5

Allan Jones

Level 9

78,272 points

May 7, 2006 2:16 PM in response to Lord_Jeremy

I had upgraded my 8100/80 to 7.6.1. I then installed an older program that wasn't polite enough to ask, "Do you want me to replace the new version of Sound Manager (or any other extension) with this moldy oldy sitting on my CD?"

After that the 8100 would not boot all the way. It would get so far and then stick hard. I reran the 7.6.1 updater and all was OK again. Might be worth a try if you can boot with the extensions off (what I did after). I recall using Extension Manager to turn off everything but the needed CD extensions, as my 7.6.1 updater was on CD.

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Answer 6

Lord_Jeremy Author

Level 1

25 points

May 8, 2006 4:29 AM in response to Allan Jones

I've zapped the PRAM twice already and I don't want to do it again, as I remember it being very bad for the computer. I installed 7.6 in erase and install mode. I selected HFS as Extended isn't available 'till OS 9. The 7100 came with 7.5 but I bought an install disk for 7.6 and an upgrade to 7.6.1 when it came out. 7.6 and later 7.6.1 had both been installed multiple times without incident. I'm afraid I don't have another compatible harddrive.

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Answer 7

May 8, 2006 8:19 AM in response to Lord_Jeremy

L J,

You may need to get another drive. Find someone tossing a frisbee LC I, II, III or 400 performa series. Pull the drive and keep tossing. (The CPU, that is)

The chime at startup means that the CPU wants to do business but it is not liking what it sees next. Start changing out components. Do you have a boot floppy?

Jim

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