chris catalano
Level 2 (292 points)
Desktops

Q: iMac G5 won't startup

Hi All,

 

I've been using this machine without issue for years and years. I had a problem with a file not being able to be saved, so I decided to restart. That's where the trouble started. It wouldn't get past the Apple logo. I tried a few more times and sometimes it would get to the blue screen after the Apple logo and freeze there. I was able to boot into safe mode once and did a permissions repair, but the machine wouldn't restart after that. I also got it to boot into Target mode and connected it to my laptop to grab a few files. After that I've not been able to get it to start up. Also, now when I boot into Target mode and connect it to another computer, the drive never mounts. I get the Firewire logo on the iMac screen, but the other computers don't see it as a mountable drive. I've done the SMU reset, PRAM reset a bunch of times, but no change. I've booted off of the original OS DVD that came with it and run disk utility a bunch of times and it never detects any hardware issues. I opened up the back and pulled out the CR2032 battery and tested it, it still shows it at 3v. I've then tried to reinstall the system from the original dvd. Twice now I've gone through that process and when the installation completes it attempts to restart and again, it gets as far as the blue screen after the Apple logo and then just stops.

 

I can't think of anything else to try. Anyone have any other suggestions for me?

 

Thanks,
CJ

Posted on Jun 20, 2016 4:20 PM

by theratter,Apple recommended
theratter theratter
Level 4 (3,907 points)
Desktops
A:

Did you insert Disc 2? If so what happened? If still not booting, then you need to start again. See the following:

 

Snow Leopard Erase and Install

       Be sure you back up your files.

  1. Insert Snow Leopard DVD into the optical drive and restart the computer.
  2. Immediately upon hearing the chime hold down the C key.
  3. Release the key when the Apple logo appears and wait for the loading to finish.
  4. After the installer, loads select your language and click on the Continue  button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu.  After Disk Utility loads select the out-dented disk entry from the side list (mfgr.'s ID and drive size.)  Click on the Partition tab in the Disk Utility’s right window.  Set the number of partitions to (1) from the dropdown menu. Click on the Options button and select GUID, click on OK, set the format type to MacOS Extended, Journaled. Finally, click on the Apply button.
  5. After formatting has finished quit Disk Utility.  Continue with the OS X installation and follow the directions.
  6. When the installation has finished the computer will restart into the Setup Assistant. After you complete the Setup Assistant you will be running a fresh installation of Snow Leopard. Open Software Update and install the recommended updates.
  7. If you are planning to sell or give your computer away, then do the following: After you reformat your hard drive and reinstall Snow Leopard, the computer restarts to a Welcome screen. To leave the Mac in an OOTB (Out Of The Box) state, don't continue with the setup. Instead, press Command and Q keys to shut down the computer. The Setup Assistant will guide the new owner through the setup process after he/she turns on the computer.
  8. Download and install Mac OS X 10.6.8 Update Combo v1.1. if needed. It is not needed if you are selling or giving away the computer.

Posted on Jul 11, 2016 3:21 PM

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chris catalano

Q: iMac G5 won't startup

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  • Helpful answers

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  • by theratter,

    theratter theratter Jun 20, 2016 5:01 PM in response to chris catalano
    Level 4 (3,907 points)
    Desktops
    Jun 20, 2016 5:01 PM in response to chris catalano

    Sounds to me like the HDD is failing or failed. The clue is that it failed to mount via TDM. If you have another disk drive to use, then see if it will boot from it. Or just replace the existing one with one known to be working.

  • by chris catalano,

    chris catalano chris catalano Jun 20, 2016 8:39 PM in response to theratter
    Level 2 (292 points)
    Desktops
    Jun 20, 2016 8:39 PM in response to theratter

    I guess its possible that the HDD is failing, although, its been examined by Disk Utility on the startup DVD a few times and no problems were detected. I tried to install the OS on an external USB drive I had laying around, but the installer said that the machine couldn't boot from a USB drive. So that ended that. I'll have to see what kind of drive the stock HDD is in the unit, to see if I have anything that would fit in there.

     

    Thanks,
    CJ

  • by theratter,

    theratter theratter Jun 20, 2016 11:08 PM in response to chris catalano
    Level 4 (3,907 points)
    Desktops
    Jun 20, 2016 11:08 PM in response to chris catalano

    How did it tell you the machine cannot boot from a USB drive unless your machine does not have USB 2.0 ports. If it does then it should boot from USB. You must use Option booting, however.

  • by chris catalano,

    chris catalano chris catalano Jun 21, 2016 6:05 AM in response to theratter
    Level 2 (292 points)
    Desktops
    Jun 21, 2016 6:05 AM in response to theratter

    I connected an external usb drive to the computer and started up from the install DVD. I tried to select the external drive to install the OS on and the installer indicated that the Mac would not boot from that drive, so I couldn't select it as a destination. It is possible that these ports are not USB 2.0.

  • by theratter,

    theratter theratter Jun 21, 2016 5:55 PM in response to chris catalano
    Level 4 (3,907 points)
    Desktops
    Jun 21, 2016 5:55 PM in response to chris catalano

    I doubt it since you could boot some older Macs from USB, but not others. Perhaps your's does not allow booting from USB drives. Try using Firewire or connecting the drive internally on another machine to test if the drive really is defective.

  • by chris catalano,

    chris catalano chris catalano Jun 29, 2016 7:40 PM in response to theratter
    Level 2 (292 points)
    Desktops
    Jun 29, 2016 7:40 PM in response to theratter

    I'm just getting back to this now. I tried using another SATA drive in the machine, but it wouldn't boot. Not sure if it was because it came out of a Windows PC. I thought I could reformat it during an install. So I put the original drive back in and once again I booted from the Installer DVD and installed the OS one more time. And again it wouldn't restart after the install. I tried to boot into Safe Mode, and the spinning wheel just kept spinning. But I walked away for about a half hour. When I came back there was a pop up asking me to insert DVD Installer disc 2! So I did that and it continued the installation process. However, it remembered I was trying to boot into Safe Mode and after the installation it finished starting up in Safe Mode. I was able to poke around and open and close applications. Everything seemed ok. I backed up some more data to an external HD. So I tried to restart normally and I get the grey screen with the Apple logo, the spinning wheel comes on for a short time, then I get the blue screen and thats where it stops. Sometimes the cursor will appear in the top left, and sometimes not. If I force it to shut down I can start up in Safe Mode again. So I can't figure out why Safe Mode will work, but not a regular boot. Any suggestions as to what to try next?


    Thanks.

  • by theratter,

    theratter theratter Jun 29, 2016 11:46 PM in response to chris catalano
    Level 4 (3,907 points)
    Desktops
    Jun 29, 2016 11:46 PM in response to chris catalano

    What version of OS X are you installing on the computer? How was the other disk you tried formatted? You can't boot the computer from a PC disk until you have re-partitioned it GUID and formatted it Mac OS Extended, Journaled. If the PC disk was formatted NTFS, then you need to reformat it using FAT32 or MSDOS on the PC from which it was removed or you can try to re-partition it on the Mac using MBR and formatting it MSDOS. This latter may not work since OS X cannot write to an NTFS disk.

  • by chris catalano,

    chris catalano chris catalano Jun 30, 2016 5:20 AM in response to theratter
    Level 2 (292 points)
    Desktops
    Jun 30, 2016 5:20 AM in response to theratter

    The original install discs are 10.4. At this point I don't think its worth playing around with the PC disk, since the original HD will boot in Safe Mode.

  • by theratter,

    theratter theratter Jun 30, 2016 4:07 PM in response to chris catalano
    Level 4 (3,907 points)
    Desktops
    Jun 30, 2016 4:07 PM in response to chris catalano

    When you partitioned the internal drive before installing did you set it to use APM or GUID? You should use the former. Although you can install on the GUID partitioned disk you cannot boot from it. Booting in Safe Mode may work, but if you cannot boot normally then there is a problem either with the disk or the computer. If you were able to boot from the installer DVD, then I'm inclined to go with the disk.

  • by chris catalano,

    chris catalano chris catalano Jun 30, 2016 6:26 PM in response to theratter
    Level 2 (292 points)
    Desktops
    Jun 30, 2016 6:26 PM in response to theratter

    I did not partition the internal drive. This is the original drive that came with the iMac and only has one partition.

  • by theratter,

    theratter theratter Jun 30, 2016 6:51 PM in response to chris catalano
    Level 4 (3,907 points)
    Desktops
    Jun 30, 2016 6:51 PM in response to chris catalano

    'Perhaps you should. Do this:

     

    Perform an Erase and Install

     

    1. Insert the OS X DVD into the optical drive and restart the computer.
    2. Press and hold down the "C" key after you hear the startup chime. Release the key when the progress indicator appears below the dark gray Apple logo.
    3. Select your language after the installer begins and click on the Continue button.
    4. After the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu.
    5. After Disk Utility loads select your hard drive (this is the out-dented entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the device list. Note the SMART status of the drive in Disk Utility's status area.  If it does not say "Verified" then the drive is failing or has failed and will need replacing. SMART info will not be reported  on external drives. Otherwise, click on the Partition tab in Disk Utility's main window.
    6. Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to APM, then click on the OK button. Set the number of partitions from the Partition Scheme's dropdown menu to one (1). Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Partition button. Wait until the volume mounts on the Desktop.

  • by chris catalano,

    chris catalano chris catalano Jul 11, 2016 3:04 PM in response to theratter
    Level 2 (292 points)
    Desktops
    Jul 11, 2016 3:04 PM in response to theratter

    So I finally had a chance to get back to this. I put the 'new' PC drive in the iMac. I booted from the CD, launched Disk Utilities and formatted the drive. There was no "Options" button in the Partition tab, so I just formatted it as a Mac OS Extended (journaled) with 1 partition and moved on. I was able to install the OS. During the Install configuration it told me that I would need disc 2. So after the first part of the install was complete the machine rebooted. Only problem is that it would not restart. I forcibly powered it off and tried to boot it again - several times. But it was always just stop. Then I tried booting into Safe Mode again and it started up and then asked me for the second install disc. So something is preventing the machine from starting up in normal mode and I don't think it has anything to do with the hard disks at this since its happened with both the original HD and this other former PC drive.

    Any other suggestions?

  • by theratter,Apple recommended

    theratter theratter Jul 11, 2016 3:21 PM in response to chris catalano
    Level 4 (3,907 points)
    Desktops
    Jul 11, 2016 3:21 PM in response to chris catalano

    Did you insert Disc 2? If so what happened? If still not booting, then you need to start again. See the following:

     

    Snow Leopard Erase and Install

           Be sure you back up your files.

    1. Insert Snow Leopard DVD into the optical drive and restart the computer.
    2. Immediately upon hearing the chime hold down the C key.
    3. Release the key when the Apple logo appears and wait for the loading to finish.
    4. After the installer, loads select your language and click on the Continue  button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu.  After Disk Utility loads select the out-dented disk entry from the side list (mfgr.'s ID and drive size.)  Click on the Partition tab in the Disk Utility’s right window.  Set the number of partitions to (1) from the dropdown menu. Click on the Options button and select GUID, click on OK, set the format type to MacOS Extended, Journaled. Finally, click on the Apply button.
    5. After formatting has finished quit Disk Utility.  Continue with the OS X installation and follow the directions.
    6. When the installation has finished the computer will restart into the Setup Assistant. After you complete the Setup Assistant you will be running a fresh installation of Snow Leopard. Open Software Update and install the recommended updates.
    7. If you are planning to sell or give your computer away, then do the following: After you reformat your hard drive and reinstall Snow Leopard, the computer restarts to a Welcome screen. To leave the Mac in an OOTB (Out Of The Box) state, don't continue with the setup. Instead, press Command and Q keys to shut down the computer. The Setup Assistant will guide the new owner through the setup process after he/she turns on the computer.
    8. Download and install Mac OS X 10.6.8 Update Combo v1.1. if needed. It is not needed if you are selling or giving away the computer.

  • by notcloudy,

    notcloudy notcloudy Jul 11, 2016 3:55 PM in response to chris catalano
    Level 4 (1,190 points)
    Desktops
    Jul 11, 2016 3:55 PM in response to chris catalano

    I have a mid 2008 Mac Pro (big silver desktop) running Snow Leopard - and have had the slow startup off and on for awhile (november 2015) since I deleted some old files and had a major freeze.  After a few months -- found  a post on this site about a startup taking hours not minutes - so decided to be patient and assume its doing something - sure enough - It made it through the grey and blue screens -- to desktop.  If the desktop does  not load in the correct sequence- I restart until it does.   If I have an application that requires force quit or crashes - I immediately relaunch my finder.     

     

    One issue is the Spotlight indexing - so I moved all my drives into private - as I don't use spotlight.   If you keep resetting the pram - your preferences may lose your selected startup drive - so use Option after the chime to select the startup drive -- that helped me until I stopped wasting my time resetting the Pram.

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