Open Firmware

Question

Open Firmware

A friend has given me her imac which she said had a problem with the hard drive.
When I turn the computer on it comes up with the following message.

" Apple powerMac2,2 3.0f3 bootROM built on 06/13/00
Welcome to Open Firmware
To continue booting , type "mac-boot" and press return.

When I do this it results in the flashing system folder.

The computer will not boot from a system CD

I tried removing the hard drive and installed it in another computer to install OS 9.2.1
When I put the HD back in the imac I got no joy.
I have removed and replaced the pram battery and reset the PMU switch but no joy.

Any ideas ?

Almost every mac made and every operating sysyem

Posted on Sep 23, 2006 8:50 AM

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Answer 1

onomy

Level 1

35 points

Oct 4, 2006 1:34 AM in response to Jeremy Travis

Hi Jeremy - just a thought, as you mentioned the memory chip, you would normally get one , two or three 'bings' if the menmory was improper in some way. and the screen would fail to display anything. Sometimes the memory is just not positioned properly - or it's the wrong memory type - I found out this recenlty trying to swap memory from a G3 B&W tower into an G3 imac. After a couple of goes though I foudn with one memory stick that I jsut hadn't been pateint enough to push it in properly.
As to your firmware, I"m fascinated by the info Kenichi has given you - there's just so much you can learn on these forums - even if it takes a while to get to the 'solved status'.

ciao

Gregg 🙂

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Answer 2

Sep 23, 2006 8:20 PM in response to Jeremy Travis

Which CRT iMac is it? Tray-loader/Slot-loader...

How large is the hard drive? Is it the original stock hard drive, or was it upgraded?

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Answer 3

Sep 24, 2006 1:55 PM in response to Kenichi Watanabe

It is an imac, slot loading 400mhz Model M5521 and It's the original drive.
10 Gig formats out at 9.6 Gig

I have tried most things tring to boot from an original OS 9.2.1 disk zapping the pram reseting the pmu changing the pram battery. sometimes it boots into open firmware sometimes it comes up with a flashing quiestion mark / mac icon sometimes just a bright blank light screen and it can alternate between them. even when in open firmware when you type the comand "mac-boot" and press enter

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Answer 4

Sep 24, 2006 2:13 PM in response to Jeremy Travis

Sounds like you tried all the basic first steps.

You might try disconnecting the hard drive and then starting up from a CD. Depending on how the hard drive is malfunctioning (if that's the problem), it may be interfering with the IDE bus using the CD drive.

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Answer 5

Sep 25, 2006 9:42 AM in response to Kenichi Watanabe

I did try booting without a drive. I also tried 2 other Apple hard drives one pre loaded with an operating system installed on another G3

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Answer 6

Sep 25, 2006 9:54 AM in response to Jeremy Travis

When you put in those other drives as a test, make sure they have the proper jumper settings. I believe it is supposed to be master with slave.

Also, did you try it the other way, with the CD drive disconnected, and one of the hard drives with OS connected?

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Answer 7

Sep 25, 2006 12:31 PM in response to Kenichi Watanabe

They all had the right settings.

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Answer 8

hoja

Level 1

20 points

Sep 25, 2006 1:34 PM in response to Jeremy Travis

When in open firmware,
try typing 'dir cd:\' after putting a bootable cd in. If you get a list of files with %20 representing a space, then:

If you are running good old OS 9 or 8 on the boot cd, try typing 'boot cd:\System%20Folder\Mac%20OS%20ROM' (note the backslashes) and you should see something like Loading ELF... DO-QUISCHE finished' flash by. if you see a happy mac icon, or even a flashing floppy, then you have booted from the cd. If you see the happy mac icon, then you are sucessfully booting System 9!

If you are running flashy new 'X' on the boot cd, then type 'setenv boot-device cd:\System\Library\CoreServices\BootX' (note the backslashes) pressing return, and then 'mac-boot'. if you see the gray apple, and then the pulsing gray circle, you are booting X from the CD!

If the OpenFirmware says 'could not open: cd:\System\Library\CoreServices\BootX' or 'could not open: cd:\System%20Folder\Mac%20OS%20ROM' then I don't know what to do.

Hope this helps.

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Answer 9

Sep 25, 2006 1:52 PM in response to hoja

Thanks I managed to get the computer to boot and I did a clean install of OS9.2 did the firmware update. I think the computer didn't like one of the memory chips as well. I will now try and install OSX
With a prayer

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Answer 10

onomy

Level 1

35 points

Oct 4, 2006 1:39 AM in response to hoja

Hey Hoja - great stuff - you deserve a GOLD star

ciao

Gregg

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