Author Topic: Seeking help for a G4 Igloo (Read 4902 times)

RHPConsult · « **on:** March 05, 2010, 06:44:31 PM »

Need some hints for my long-distance diagnosis of/therapy for my daughter's G4 Igloo. She lives 55 miles away, so i'm trying to do this on the phone.

It's running 10.3.x, as I recall. Maybe a version of 10.4. Neither of us can recall. It's been running quite well for years and years and years.

However, now there's only a white screen, w/an Apple, and a spinning ball. On and on and on. It has to be disconnected to stop. Therefore, there's no way to use an Option start. Or Safe Boot. Or anything.

It think she still has a separate (small) partition on the drive, but it can't be accessed (booted from) to repair anything, since the disk's tray can't be opened from the keyboard.

Is there some manual way to get the CD tray to open . . . pin hole or something? She has the Install disk available, if she could do that.

Yes, all the connections are snug. I think all her peripherals have been disconnected.

All advice earnestly solicited.

Paddy · « **Reply #1 on:** March 05, 2010, 08:05:28 PM »

Has she tried rebooting with the mouse button held down? (left button if a two-button mouse)

I don't have an igloo iMac to look at, but if holding down the mouse button doesn't work, have her check to see if there is a paperclip hole beneath the flap that covers the CD drive (the flap can be opened - use fingernail)

I'm assuming that there is no backup drive available?

Sounds like it could be severe directory damage - found a case at the Apple forums that sounded identical. It might be something that Disk Utility can repair, or it may need Disk Warrior.

RHPConsult · « **Reply #2 on:** March 05, 2010, 08:23:30 PM »

My memory tells me (so you know what that means) that there's no "flap", just a molded edge of the tray that conforms to the lower rim of the "Igloo". They have looked for a pin hole and haven't yet found one.

I'll tell her about holding the mouse button. That completely escaped my aging cortex.

We'll be in good shape IF we can access either an Install disk or DiskWarrior.

I don't think there's anything "bootable" on the ext. drives.

Texas Mac Man · « **Reply #3 on:** March 05, 2010, 08:27:16 PM »

Provide the iMac's model (MHz & screen size) & I may have the Apple Service Manual.

RHPConsult · « **Reply #4 on:** March 05, 2010, 08:47:37 PM »

It's about an hour's drive away, so I'm guessing. (Since it's Friday evening, and they live on the other side of the GG Bridge, it would be closer to 90 minute!)

Here's what I think it is.

G4, "floating" flat panel (prob 15"), iMac. It was fast enough to support the first external iSight camera., somewhere in the 700-800s.

Xairbusdriver · « **Reply #5 on:** March 05, 2010, 09:34:26 PM »

I'd swear there is a paper-clip way to open the drive, but I'll have to look it up. Still, has she tried the other ways to start up?

shift key down

command

S keys down

command

V keys down

Probably will only be useful if it actually does and she can report where the process stops.

From Apple Support:"To eject a disc with Open Firmware commands, follow these steps:

Command Option O F

eject cd

wait a few seconds

The disc drive should eject any disc that is present, and "ok" appears behind your command when the action is complete.

Or maybe not...

The point is, IF the tray opens, you can then insert a utitlity disk, close the tray and hold the command and C keys down on the next start up to boot from that disk.

~~Back soon, still looking for that paper clip method, don't hold breath...~~

OK, I give! The only way past the invisible paper clip hole seems to be dismantling the iGloo. Probably best to visit the Apple Store and be prepared to "trade" in the thing. Actually, don't leave it there for good, after the new machine is in use, you can then disassemble the iGloo and take the hard drive out and see if it will run in an enclosure so you can extract any remaining data...

Parker · « **Reply #6 on:** March 05, 2010, 11:00:51 PM »

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYutehhGknI

To confirm, there IS a flap covering the Optical Drive;
However, I am not sure how accessible the 'paper clip' hole is.

If you are able to boot to other volumes, nab a copy of TechTool and run the diagnostic to see exactly what's going on with your system.

I'd say try out Jim's diagnostics, see how that works, and report back to us

krissel · « **Reply #7 on:** March 06, 2010, 01:51:24 AM »

Wow, I'm impressed. I did a search on Google just now for "paper clip hole in igloo iMac" and on the first page I got this thread.

No help but interesting.

krissel · « **Reply #8 on:** March 06, 2010, 02:10:03 AM »

Holding down mouse on start is the de facto recommendation for ejecting or opening up the CD tray.

OK, some ideas:

Reset NVRAM

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1379?viewlocale=en_US

Reset PMU

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1712

Can't start in 10.3.9 or earlier:

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1411

Can't start in 10.4 or later:

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2570

sew · « **Reply #9 on:** March 06, 2010, 02:13:31 AM »

Try holding down the mouse button and the eject key when you start up your computer.This has work for me.

RHPConsult · « **Reply #10 on:** March 06, 2010, 02:20:23 AM »

Thanks, everyone, for the wealth of suggestions.

I'll report back on the results, in the hope that having this situation both fully described as well a finally resolved with make a VERY conslusive and interesting Google "finding"!

Xairbusdriver · « **Reply #11 on:** March 06, 2010, 08:12:56 AM »

One last trick that sometimes helps is the "standing on your head" during all the above attempts. Not recommended for our senior crowd, of course...

jcarter · « **Reply #12 on:** March 07, 2010, 07:19:05 PM »

Ive got one of these soccer-ball Macs, its the one I use for communication and reading my lessons on.
I am writing on it now.
Very interested in the solution of this!
This is the very one which wouldnt start up after shutting all our Macs down a few weeks ago when the power was going off due to a storm.
Do you suppose its listening or reading what we are saying right now about its littermates?
Hope this works out and you find the fix.
Jane

RHPConsult · « **Reply #13 on:** March 07, 2010, 07:52:53 PM »

Jane:

If that's what you in MA call a soccer ball, then we're probably in real trouble w/respect to the World Cup!

Also, as to solving my daughter's IGLOO problem, I probably won't be up there until Tues or Wed, though my son-in-law may take a stab at it earlier, based on the roster of helpful suggestions distilled from this thread and a couple of web sites.

It really is a nifty second Mac, which she uses mostly for Mail.

I still remember the day I took it out of the box, "How," I mused, "how could it ever be better than this?"

I will report back.

Parker · « **Reply #14 on:** March 07, 2010, 09:46:43 PM »

QUOTE(Xairbusdriver @ Mar 6 2010, 09:12 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

One last trick that sometimes helps is the "standing on your head" during all the above attempts. Not recommended for our senior crowd, of course...

or the uncoordinated like myself

News:

Author Topic: Seeking help for a G4 Igloo (Read 4902 times)