Start up issue after power-cuts

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Level 1

91 points

Start up issue after power-cuts

After a series of overnight power-cuts my Power PC G5 will not start up. I have run Disc Warrior and Disc Utilities. The disc is verified OK. Reapairing permisions took FOUR days! That is now completed. I have also zapped the PRAM.

It gets to the grey apple and the cog rotates for quite a while before it gives up, chimes and tries again.

It will start up from a small external drive but does not want to run my graphics programmes.

I want to replace it with new iMac but not yet.

All suggestions VERY welcome please.

Dual 2.7 GHz PowerPC G5, Mac OS X (10.5.4)

Posted on Feb 27, 2013 1:37 AM

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Answer 1

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BDAqua

Level 10

239,219 points

Feb 28, 2013 4:55 PM in response to Gary D-E

Hmmm, starts from discs OK???

Might be time to replace the PRAM Battery, 4 years is close to their lifespan, far less if ever without AC power, & can cause strange startup problems...

See which one your G5 has...

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Newer%20Technology/CR2032/

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Newer%20Technology/BAA36VPRAM/

One way to test is to Safe Boot from the HD, (holding Shift key down at bootup), run Disk Utility in Applications>Utilities, then highlight your drive, click on Repair Permissions, Test for problem in Safe Mode...

PS. Safe boot may stay on the gray radian for a long time, let it go, it's trying to repair the Hard Drive

Reboot, test again.

If it only does it in Regular Boot, then it could be some hardware problem like Video card, (Quartz is turned off in Safe Mode), or Airport, or some USB or Firewire device, or 3rd party add-on, Check System Preferences>Accounts (Users & Groups in later OSX versions)>Login Items window to see if it or something relevant is listed.

Check the System Preferences>Other Row, for 3rd party Pref Panes.

Also look in these if they exist, some are invisible...

/private/var/run/StartupItems

/Library/StartupItems

/System/Library/StartupItems

/System/Library/LaunchDaemons

/Library/LaunchDaemons

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Answer 2

Gary D-E Author

Level 1

91 points

Mar 1, 2013 5:31 AM in response to BDAqua

Thank you for taking the time! I managed to find the installer discs and that worked. Now intarlling major Applications from disc and getting ino from Time Capsule back up.

My 2 external discs and iDisc remain locked and deny me permissions to access them.

Going to check those panes out now.

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Answer 3

BDAqua

Level 10

239,219 points

Mar 1, 2013 9:56 AM in response to Gary D-E

iDisk is no longer available.

"Open the System Preferences panel, under Internet & Network clicked on .Mac icon, selected iDisk, under iDisk Syncing On click "Stop".

I assume you had a .mac/MobileMe account at one time?

If so, go to System Preferences>.Mac or MobileMe and remove your username and password.

Unmount any iDisk you may have.

If it should fail to dismount then, (Yeah crazy deal), either reboot, or open Terminal & paste in this exact line...

sudo umount -f iDisk/

It'll ask you for an Admin password that won't be echoed, but hit enter/return anyway.

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Answer 4

Gary D-E Author

Level 1

91 points

Mar 2, 2013 1:40 AM in response to BDAqua

Many thanks for your time.

Hit enter/return in Terminal produces an endless repeat og my ID. Waiting for a chance to reboot . . .

It is currently refusing my name/password btw.

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Answer 5

BDAqua

Level 10

239,219 points

Mar 2, 2013 9:19 AM in response to Gary D-E

Hit enter/return in Terminal produces an endless repeat og my ID. Waiting for a chance to reboot . . .

Not a good sign at all, I suspect you'll have to power down.

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