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My PowerBook G3 "Pismo" won't start

Hello,

I recently bought a PowerBook G3 "Pismo". The original user had erased Mac OS 9 and installed Linux on it.

When I turned the computer on, it first gave me a black-and-white command-line-interface that I couldn't understand.

It then showed some weird screens, so I turned it off.

Now the computer won't start. It spins its HDD normally, and it chimes normally, but the screen remains black.

After some 5 minutes, it just turns itself off.

I've reset the PRAM, unplugged the PRAM battery, pressed control-option-powerbutton but nothing helped.

How can I get my PowerBook running well again?

I do not own any CD copies of Mac OS 9 or early versions of Mac OS X, so booting with CD is not a viable option for me.

PowerBook

Posted on Feb 11, 2016 5:53 AM

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1 reply

Feb 11, 2016 8:43 AM in response to Dopehat

To see if the PowerBook is still working, try starting up with the Option key held down. That should show the Startup Manager screen. Startup Manager is in ROM, so it should appear even if there is no OS installed on the PowerBook's drive. Startup Manager shows your startup choices. Of course, you can't do anything from there, since there's currently no available system to startup into. Well, except for that Linux system which which probably does not appear on the Startup Manager screen as a choice.


You really can't do anything unless you acquire a Mac OS installation disc. I have a Pismo (with some upgrades), and I still use it next to where I sit to watch TV. What was the reason for buying your Pismo? It can run up to Mac OS X Tiger (10.4.11), but it's a bit slow for today's world of computing. You must have another more recent computer, since you are posting here.


If you buy a used Tiger installation disc, it needs to be a retail copy, meaning a disc that was sold separately in a shrink-wrapped box (not a grey-colored disc that came with a specific Mac model). The retail disc is black with a big X on it. The specific version of Tiger on the installation disc can be any version number (such as 10.4.6); you can update it to 10.4.11 after installation.


Unlike recent OS X releases, Tiger is not a free download. You must own a Tiger installation disc to have a license to legally use it. (Same with Mac OS 9.)

My PowerBook G3 "Pismo" won't start

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