The Status Light flashes and the computer won't start up

The way the light flashes, is actually an error code. You can look up the codes on the Apple site, or look in the Mac pro's manual in the trouble shooting section.

The most common flashing code is for memory errors, usually when no RAM is detected as installed. Have you been inside the Mac Pro, maybe bumped the RAM?

Anyway, check what the codes mean.

Also, try removing your new UPS to see if that makes any difference.

Tom N.

When your Mac Pro refuses to start up, do you hear the fans running and the hard drive spinning up, or does it remain completely silent?

Have you ever heard a loud beep on startup?

admv1,

just to clarify, are you in reference to the tower light or the monitor?

error codes are different on both componets.

is it an apple display?

I have a belkin ups too. on the monitor sometimes i get two short flashes followed by one longer one...error code is for a backlight issue.

three flashes on the MD are for an "input in the wrong video format".

If (flashes) on the 'puter, open the box and see when you turn it on if a red light stays on on the ram cards.

Step one as Tom recommended, try it without the ups/surge> then with and see if it is the ups/surge.

Step two if still occuring, open the box and startup...see if the ram risers have a red light that stays on when you power on. It is possible that they are not seated correctly.

if yes...shut down. then unplug (be sure to look if the ram modules are seated firmly.) then replug the ram risers...then start up.

Also, on the Belkin, just have the monitor and 'puter plugged in...nothing else. Some other devices just don't handle well being plugged into the battery backup section.

Did you install any software for the Belkin? Was it Universal? If it isn't can you uninstall it?

Only one more thing I can think of...

Shut everything down, unplug everything. Have nothing connected to anything. Power down the UPS.

Plug the ups into another socket on another circut, wait the recommended time to fully recharge the battery.

After this extended time...yes it may be hours. Plug the ups into the socket/circut you were using, then shut it down.

Plug only the computer and monitor back together then plug them back into the ups. no usb firewire devices

Don't have any cds/dvds in the trays either.

When starting up, if unsuccessful/ restart in safe mode. Then run disk utility for verifiy disk and repair permissions.

Failing that, care apple care.

Z

I have problems with mine starting too. I can hear something with a faint click/tick, and the computer just sits there. But...if I press the Option key to select the disk to boot up, everytime it brings up the disks and I can select the Mac and everything is fine after that. But boot up again without the Option key, then it just sits there again.

I have exactly the same problem from today when i took ownership of a new MP 2.66Mhz with ATI 1900XT using my 23 inch ACD.

Starting up makes the screen go grey for 20 secs, after which the screen goes black. The RAM riser in all sockets ( even those i dont have any RAM in) lights up red for a very short instant then goes off

it seems to work using the option key but again when powering down and restarting it has the same problem.

I had Parallels and BootCamp installed which may be adding to the problem ?

Hello,
I have the same problem with my new Mac Pro (bought 5 days ago) and I never open it to modify the hardware. This problem appears after the successfull installation of EFI 1.1 firmware or SMC update from automatic software update.
Everything was fine until my Mac Pro go sleeping, and now it cannot start up anymore.
The status light is blinking every 0,5 s without stopping ant I cannot find the signifiance of this error code.

I replied to myself but I think I've found a solution: I turned off the Mac Pro, opened the side panel and press (with a stencil) on the SMC-RST button located besides the ram sockets, on the motherboard.
From this moment, the Mac Pro works fine.