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1 posted on 12/04/2004 7:19:57 AM PST by Gone_Postal
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To: Gone_Postal

Clearly you're imagining this, because we're regularly assured around here that Macs are 100% problem-free.


2 posted on 12/04/2004 7:22:25 AM PST by general_re ("What's plausible to you is unimportant." - D'man)
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To: Gone_Postal

Here's how to fix your problem:

1. Unplug your Mac.
2. Take to nearest trash receptacle.
3. Go buy a PC.


4 posted on 12/04/2004 7:24:08 AM PST by wdkeller
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To: Gone_Postal

Yeah, this must be a problem with you, not the computer. But if it helps, my Windows computer booted fine today.


5 posted on 12/04/2004 7:25:04 AM PST by beavus
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To: Gone_Postal

You didn't mention if you'd tried booting it from the installation OSX CD that came with it. Have you tried that?


7 posted on 12/04/2004 7:26:33 AM PST by mass55th ("If I were two faced, would I be wearing this one?"----Abe Lincoln (1809-1865))
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To: Swordmaker; anonymous_user
ping
10 posted on 12/04/2004 7:28:17 AM PST by theFIRMbss
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To: Gone_Postal

Buy a Windows-based platform.


12 posted on 12/04/2004 7:28:58 AM PST by 1rudeboy (Sorry, couldn't resist.)
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To: Gone_Postal

Whoops. Posted to the wrong person. Not enough coffee.

Try again...

The question mark is a sign of not having a 'blessed' system folder.

I'd boot from the system disk, run disk first aid, at least, and try again.

If you have any higher grade disk repair software (tech tool, norton, disk warrior), I'd give them a shot first.

Following that, if the G3 has never had OSX on it, I'd check re: firmware updates, minimum version of OS9 needed, etc.

Good luck.

And ignore the heathens.


14 posted on 12/04/2004 7:29:39 AM PST by Mr. Thorne ("But iron, cold iron, shall be master of them all..." Kipling)
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To: Gone_Postal

One possibility: newer versions of OSX require built-in USB. Is the G3 an older model, with ADB ports?


15 posted on 12/04/2004 7:29:46 AM PST by dighton
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To: Gone_Postal
System Requirements
16 posted on 12/04/2004 7:32:08 AM PST by dighton
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To: Gone_Postal
Grow up and junk that tinker toy Mac. Go buy a PC. You missed all the great ThanksGiving deals but here's one for ya!

_________________

 

http://www.gotapex.com

HOT! DellSB - Dimension 3000 with 2.8Ghz P4, 256MB of DDR SDRAM, 80GB HD, 48x CD-RW, FREE Dell 720 Printer, and 2 Year Warranty for $349 after Rebate with FREE Shipping! 15" LCD for Only $100, 17" LCD for Only $149! (Posted by: Lights)
Because the system itself is $50 lower, the cost for this great office/second computer with the LCD monitors comes out to be lower than any previous months! You`re getting the Intel Pentium 4 Processor (2.80GHz, 533 FSB), 256MB of dual channel DDR SDRAM ($50 value), FREE Free Dell 720 printer, 80GB Ultra ATA/100 7200RPM Hard Drive ($30 value), 48x CD-RW Drive ($50 value), 56k modem ($20 value), 10/100 networking, Windows XP Home and 2 year warranty ($139 value) to boot!


22 posted on 12/04/2004 7:36:54 AM PST by dennisw (G_D: Against Amelek for all generations)
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To: Gone_Postal; CheneyChick

Sadly, computers don't last forever. I have a friend who had a G3 iMac and he kept it until it crashed, bad. He had to pay more to get the data than a new Mac would have cost him. It's just not a good idea to keep on running old computers, even Macs, past about five years or so. (I'd give PCs even less time - most of them are pretty shoddy, because they are built strictly to be cheap).

As for your specific problem, it sounds to me like your hard drive is severely damaged or gone. Any MacOS X CD other than those marked upgrade will allow you to install MacOS X on the machine. If you have only an upgrade CD, it would be worth trying to dig up your original MacOS X CD and try installing it.

If the data on your machine is important to you, you might want to find a friend with a G4 or G5 PowerMac. They can put the old drive in their computer temporarily and see if data can be copied off of it and burned on CD for you. That would be useful before going to the extreme measure of calling a data recovery company. Data recovery can cost >$1,000.

If that doesn't work, or you know no such friends, and there's an Apple Store in your area, I'd take it to the Genius Bar and have them take a look at it. They might be able to recommend someone who can pull data from the hard drive.

My bottom line recommendation is that it's time to buy a new Mac. The G5 iMac will give you performance beyond your wildest dreams compared to what you're running now. You might also like going portable with an iBook - it's still going to be fast, and you get the convenience of portability.

As for all the PC users giving you snotty advice ... let 'em enjoy their virii and spyware, and the resulting freezes and crashes. When I've maintained PCs, it's been an agonizing experience. They're giving you lousy advice. Stick with the Mac and you'll be a lot happier.

Good luck!

D
(Proud PowerMac G5 owner: 3.5gb memory/910gb hd/Cinema HD display)


23 posted on 12/04/2004 7:37:51 AM PST by daviddennis (;)
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To: Gone_Postal

I had a very similar problem yesterday at work, although it happened with a Dell Workstation.  What I did was open the back and poured scalding hot tomato soup all over the motherboard and hard drive.  The help desk guys said it was a brilliant move and that I should do that everytime I have a problem... or maybe that I was an idiot and never to do it again, I don't remember. 

Either way, they gave me a new P.C. later on in the afternoon.  This should probably work for you too.

Owl_Eagle

”Guns Before Butter.”


24 posted on 12/04/2004 7:38:55 AM PST by End Times Sentinel (Zell Miller- No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy.)
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To: Gone_Postal

I had a very similar problem with my G4. I was switching to OS9 and right as the machine started to re-boot the damn power went out. I got the same blinking icon.

I used an OS9 systems utility CD that I was able to boot with, and ran First Aid on my HD. It ran through most of the test, did a restart and after booting from the CD the second time it found the OSX and OS9 volumes. I hope something similar will work for you.


29 posted on 12/04/2004 7:46:50 AM PST by MJRitter
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To: Gone_Postal

Ignore the heathens
Continue to walk in the way of the righteous

Sometimes you can find the system if you launch into
open firmware by holding down option key during boot
To force launching into the CD drive,
hold down the "C" key during launch

The symptoms do sound ominous however....

Best forums for help:
http://www.spymac.com/
http://www.macfixit.com/
http://www.macaddict.com/

To name a few
This is a wonderful forum but computer questions are best
redirected to the appropriate forums
God speed to you, live in peace


30 posted on 12/04/2004 7:51:23 AM PST by HangnJudge
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To: Gone_Postal

Confirm that you have at least 128 of ram. My daughters G3 would not go past OS 10.1 without adding ram.


32 posted on 12/04/2004 7:54:14 AM PST by Lotec (Those who regulate what you consume will regulate what you read, think & say.)
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To: Gone_Postal; CheneyChick; daviddennis; dighton; HangnJudge; Lotec; mass55th; MJRitter; ...

Nice to know that some FReepers can be pejorative, mean-spirited, and repetitive, just like DUmmies are 24/7. Makes me feel like I'm experiencing the wider world, or maybe reruns of "It's About Time". It's particularly mean-spirited to treat a fellow FReeper that way when you're asking for help.

While Wintel machines tend to ship with hard drives that are cheap PesOS, which fail within two years, that's not likely (not impossible, but not likely) to have happened. Naturally I'll defer to daviddennis and Mr. Thorne who sound more experienced than I am (I've only used micros for, hmm about 20 years, and have never been involved in servicing them etc).

I've got an iMac with 9.2.2 at home, from 1999, and it's all original equipment. I'm using my late father's eMac right now, which is under two years old, and it is a hybrid OS installation.

It sounds to me that you've got a version of Mac OS X that doesn't like hybrid installations. Are you using the original CDs?

But hey, that old machine probably could use a bigger drive anyway. ;')


37 posted on 12/24/2004 3:56:40 PM PST by SunkenCiv ("All I have seen teaches me trust the Creator for all I have not seen." -- Emerson)
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