Frustrating problem: OS X and PowerMac 9600 |
May, 28, 2003 11:41 AM |
johndchampion |
I ran XPF and encountered no problems at all during the installation. OS X was up and running long enough for me to install some software, test my modem, etc. Then, I rebooted into OS 9. After I ran the L2 Cache Config and used Startup Disk to reboot back into Jaguar... nothing.... Here's what's happening now: When I press the power button, I get the familiar mac chime, but the screen stays dark and there seems to be nothing else going under the hood. If I hold down the OPTION key during restart, I get the old-school happy-mac icon, but nothing else. After a few moments (whether I am holding the OPTION key or not), the computer spontaneously reboots and nothing again ... the same frustrating cycle. I'm using a 9600 with a Sonnett 500MHz G3 upgrade card, 224 MB of RAM, an older ATI card and using the internal 4GB SCSI drive (I had no need to partition). I've also added a USB compatability card and a Firewire card which both seemed to be working perfectly while I had the computer running in OS X that one time. I've tried everything I can think of -- de-interleaved all the RAM, removed my old Twin Turbo video card, etc. It's frustrating that I've come this far with everything working and then... nothing. Any help is appreciated. Thanks in advance! John |
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RE: Frustrating problem: OS X and PowerMac 9600 |
June, 08, 2003 11:04 AM |
rhodee |
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Hi, I just registered as I know a good deal when I see one. $US10.00 got my 9600 XLR8 G4 450 and 768 mb RAM switched over to OSX 10.2 from 9.2.2 with no problems thus far. I have yet to install the Radeon 7000 Mac Edition video card. Will read the above comments and send feedback where I can. This is too cool. :-} Great for the Macintosh/Apple environment. I hope Steve monitors this site. Thanks again, Rhodee |
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RE: Frustrating problem: OS X and PowerMac 9600 |
May, 30, 2003 8:37 PM |
cjsconfections |
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Well I guess that misery loves company. I sort of have a similar problem with my 9600, g4 450, ATI video, scsi everything except usb card. But I think that your problem is because of something else (see below). My startup is exactly the same as yours except that removing an Atto scsi card will allow boot up to any pre X partition with a startup volume on it. The first time that I switched to 9.1 (or tried to) gave me the identical problem that you described. Zapping pram and resetting cuda would allow startup to other pre X volumes but with no control over which one (I have 5 start up options on 4 internal hard drives ranging from 8.6 to 10.2.5). Removing the Atto card would return the computer to normal function. To get back to X I would boot to an X volume on the Atto scsi card,I would have to boot to an X startup volume on the internal scsi buss using Xpost facto, shut down, install the Atto card, reboot onto the internal scsi X volume and then switch to the Atto card volume. The funny thing is that the Atto card worked fine with 8.6, 9.1, and 9.2 until booting into X on it. NOW FOR YOUR PROBLEM You said that you used "startup disc" to get back to Jag. You can't do that. If you ever go to any operating system prior to X, you have to use Xpost facto to get back to X (and it works best with 9 or 9.1). Doing otherwise confuses the hell out of your computer. Xpost facto loads critical files into the computer (nv ram if I remember) so that it can boot into X. I think that you need to zap pram a few times, press the cuda or remove the battery and press cuda, or remove the battery for 10 minutes or more. This will hopefully clear out the confusion. Now put a pre-x system install cd into the cd drive or a Norton disc or Tech tools disc with system 8.5, 8.6 or 9 on it . The only keyboard commands that have ever worked for me are "shift-option-command-delete" which is the command for the computer to look to an outside startup volume which could also be on an external drive (cd or hard drive). You may get lucky and get to use the start up control panel to select your startup folder for system 9 (or what ever you were using before). Just to make sure, if you can get to the system folder on your hard drive, drag it to the desktop and then drag it back to the hard drive icon to rebless it (not the entire folder with the system, extensions,preferences, etc. in it but the system folder below preferences with the smiling (or frowning) mac on it). See if you can restart now. To get to X, start Xpost facto, reload the boot extensions and always switch to X from this app. NOT the "startup disc" control panel. See if this helps. |
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RE: Frustrating problem: OS X and PowerMac 9600 |
May, 30, 2003 8:01 AM |
pkurzweil542 |
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First, reset the PRAM 5 times. If necessary, boot from CD (you do have an emergency boot CD, right?). Make sure your OS9 System Folder is blessed (look for the happy face icon on the folder). Run Startup Disk and choose your OS9 System. BTW, de-interleaving RAM in a 9600 with a 500MHz G3 card is not necessary. The 9600 has a monster memory controller. It can handle it. Put a faster G4 card in there however, and you'll probably have to de-interleave. I had interleaved RAM in my 9600 with a 500MHz G3 for years. As soon as I switched to a G4, crash-o-rama until I de-interleaved. The stock video card in the 9600 was a gigantic IX Micro Twin Turbo. It works under OSX but there's no acceleration. You are much better off finding an old ATI Rage128 card for $5 on Ebay. At least then you'll get some acceleration out of OSX. My Nexus128 works like a charm. |
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RE: Frustrating problem: OS X and PowerMac 9600 |
May, 30, 2003 2:35 AM |
paul_findley |
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I keep an OS 8.6 disk tools floppy for such an emergency (faster boot up than from a CD, too, w/o remembering to do contortions on the keyboard during startup; simple c key for CD doesn't work on most old world macs). Take out pram battery for 10 minutes or so, press cuda switch, reinstall battery, boot from floppy, and select OS 9 partition. Reboot w/o floppy. Hopefully, that brings back OS 9 and the ability to run XPF. |
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RE: Frustrating problem: OS X and PowerMac 9600 |
May, 29, 2003 11:37 PM |
isogonic |
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I've had similar problems with my 9600, and found that removing the pram battery from the motherboard for a good ten minutes or so does the trick. |
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RE: Frustrating problem: OS X and PowerMac 9600 |
May, 29, 2003 2:00 PM |
tempest |
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This only happened to me after I purchased the Sonnet G4 (I have a Radeon 7K installed) and I forget to use XPF to boot back into OS X. My symptoms were the box would reboot into OS 9 but I get no display. I would let it finish and afterward, restart and press cmd-opt-p-r. When I hear the startup chime a second time, I would usually get an image on the display. After it got back into OS 9, I would use XPF to return to OS X. |
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RE: Frustrating problem: OS X and PowerMac 9600 |
May, 29, 2003 12:09 PM |
judybankhead |
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Your frustrating problem sounds just like mine with a PowerMac 7500 (see post "SLOWorNOBOOT PM7500..." from 5.22.03). It was booting with numerous hardware/ software upgrades until I tried to re-start from installing Sonnet's USB/firewire drivers for the Tango 2 PCI card I had just installed. (There were some early warning signals prior to this that indicated that my ATI graphics accelerator card - Radeon 7000Mac - was conflicting with software from my OWC install of OS 9.2.1.) Now, I am unable to boot into either OS 10.2.6 or 9. I have zapped PRAM, pulled out new video card, re- arranged DIMMs and more. I have not yet removed G4/700 and reverted to the old processor. I have ordered a new PRAM battery and wouldn't that be nice if it fixed everything! |
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RE: Frustrating problem: OS X and PowerMac 9600 |
May, 29, 2003 8:52 AM |
lena.clausen |
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Hello, i have had a simmilar situation after i have tried to boot from the OSX-Installer disk (i know, that was not so clever) but after after zapping the PRAM my 9500 boots from his Classic OS located on the OSX partition. Booting OSX via XPF fails also with blank screen. After reinstalling bootx and the extensions from XPF OSX works fine again. So i think zapping PRAM and reinstalling the XPF-OSX additions may solve the problem. Greetings Lena. |
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RE: Frustrating problem: OS X and PowerMac 9600 |
May, 28, 2003 10:44 PM |
egonzales21 |
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mjoecups358 may be right, but before I start pulling out cards I would try one of two things: 1. try booting with a OS 9 CD and reselect your OS 9 system like Michael.Felsmann has suggested or 2. try zapping the PRAM |
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RE: Frustrating problem: OS X and PowerMac 9600 |
May, 28, 2003 4:03 PM |
mjoecups358 |
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No Michael, I am afriad that is not what is happening in this case... This appears to be the dreaded black screen of doom. I see this on my PowerTowerPro on occasion. The best fix I have found (warning: your not gonna like this): Replace my radeon PCI with an old iXmicro TT128, reboot. then replace the TT with the radeon and reboot again. This USUALLY get me my machine booting again. If you have the original (ATI?) video card from you 9600 I would try swapping that in. Otherwise, when you wnat to boot back to OSX use XPF as the startup disk chooser and you should be all set. To me this is the single biggest issue I face using XPF on my old world macs. It seems to happen more often on the six slotters too... Marty |
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RE: Frustrating problem: OS X and PowerMac 9600 |
May, 28, 2003 3:40 PM |
Michael.Felsmann |
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What happend is that your OS9 system folder was "unblessed" by Startup Disk when you choose OSX there. As indeed booting into X has to be selected using XPF (select input = keyboard AND output = your_vid._card there, too!) now - no OS9 any more either - there is probably NO WAY booting from your hd right now. Boot into 9 using a CD, then use Startup Disk to select OS9 (!!) on your hd and reboot (from hd, should work again now). This situation is not uncommon, it's why many people use two hds (or partitions): one for OS9 and the other one for OSX (plus often OS9 again used for "Classic"). That way OS9 on the first hd may become de-selected as startup system, but NOT unblessed and therefore right on duty if you press option at boot time to chosse 9 instead of X. Hope this helps, Mike |
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RE: Frustrating problem: OS X and PowerMac 9600 |
May, 28, 2003 2:39 PM |
johndchampion |
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Sounds good, but unfortunately I'm not getting into OS 9 either. Any suggestion how to get started up in 9 so I can get back to XPF? In my description above, what's happening is that I can't boot into either. Booting into OSX won't work at all... if I hold down OPTION while booting, I get the happy-mac for a few moments before the system voluntarily re-boots into... nothing! Thanks again... JC |
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RE: Frustrating problem: OS X and PowerMac 9600 |
May, 28, 2003 2:20 PM |
lei1 |
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You cannot use the Apple "Start-up Disk" control panel to boot into Jag. You must launch "XPostfacto" and assign the OSX boot disk from the scroll window and restart. God willing you should boot into Jag. If no video then try assigning your video card as an "output" from the XPostfaco menu options. Good luck. |
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