Techsurvivors

Archives => 2003 => Topic started by: jepinto on October 06, 2003, 11:27:05 PM

Title: iMac won't start from CD
Post by: jepinto on October 06, 2003, 11:27:05 PM
I'm between the devil and the deep blue sea.  Have a used iMac 333, trying to install a larger drive, 30 gig.  Put it in external USB enclosure, but Drive Set Up doesn't recognize it, so can't partition it.

Tried just putting it in iMac and starting from OS X CD-which I think I did with my iMac when I installed the 30 gig....

it will not start from the CD!  All I get is the flashing question mark.  Tried option-command-shift-delete-nada.  Hooked up a zip drive, bootable zip disk, tried i-c-s-d again.  Nada

Put 30 back in external, intialized it, installed 9.04 on it-iMac sees it, but of course, can't boot, because it's not in the first 8 gigs.

Any suggestions for this very quickly become bald, under breath muttering obscenities, caffiene shaking, wannabe Mac fixer?
Title: iMac won't start from CD
Post by: kelly on October 07, 2003, 07:19:54 AM
It could be Broke. smile.gif

That machine might need a Firmware Update to use OS X.  huh.gif

Will it Boot from an older OS CD?

If it will you can Partition it with that.

Hook USB External to another machine and Partition?  huh.gif
Title: iMac won't start from CD
Post by: Dreambird on October 07, 2003, 12:27:40 PM
I don't if it helps to know this or not, I'm probably out in Left Field... but I like it here...  tongue.gif

My LaCie Firewire Pocketdrive doesn't even show in Drive Setup... I have to use the Silverlining utility that came with it to do partioning and all that, then I can choose it as the startup disk after I install a system folder on it.
Title: iMac won't start from CD
Post by: jepinto on October 08, 2003, 05:07:05 AM
Called PowerOn and the tech said "Let me get you a RMA."  Said I had done everything he could've suggested;  the hard drive must be bad.  'Twas easy, no fuss, no muss.

The tray loading iMacs in my life are contrary!  Some CDs, no problem, others, it seems the iMac is a three year old saying, "I ain't eating THAT!"  No amount of cleaning, repositioning, verbal enhancement wink.gif will make them start up from a CD.  And it's not the CD in many cases.  Some times yes, often times, no.

The same CD will boot the Performa, so it's the iMac, I know.
Title: iMac won't start from CD
Post by: tacit on October 08, 2003, 07:51:55 PM
QUOTE(jepinto @ Oct 7 2003, 4:27 AM)
Tried just putting it in iMac and starting from OS X CD-which I think I did with my iMac when I installed the 30 gig....

it will not start from the CD!

 This usually means the jumpers on the hard drive are wrong, and because the jumpers are wrong, the computer can not see the CD.

The jumpers on most hard drives are simple; one device must be "master" and one device must be "slave." The CD is slave; the hard drive must be master.

However, some hard drives are weird--either they come from the factory set to "CS" (Cable Select"), or because they have different settings for "Master (no slave)" and "Master (with slave)."

If you have one of those weird hard drives, you have to change the jumpers; if you don't, the CD-ROM drive doesn't work when you put it internal.