Happy to hear that your machine is now again functioning and yet, as we seem to be encountering very similar problems cropping up here lately with others’ machines - there are a few questions that you might answer in order to possibly help us all with any future possible, similar situations.
Most questions below might serve anyone seeking help with a problematic Mac - if they provide answers to them in their help requests. Along with specific machine type. (i.e. DA, QS, MDD, G3, G4, iBook, iMac etc.)
1. Was this machine new to you, as in “recently acquired”? Or…
2. Was it always yours… but just stored away until recently?
3. Did its’ hard drive have both OS 9 and OS X already installed and working before storage?
4. If both 9 & X were already on the hard drive, were they installed on separate bootable partitions?
5. OR were they both on one single hard drive, un-partitioned?
6. Was there only one hard drive present? Type & size?
7. How many GB - each HD? Or on just the one? How much RAM installed?
8. What other cards were installed in the machine when you had boot problems?
9. Did you originally install an aftermarket CPU upgrade, or someone else?
10. Any other external devices connected? If so, please list.
In the last couple of years it seems that more older Macs have been taken from storage or more recently, “otherwise acquired” and there’s a resurgence in their resurrection or simply a renewed interest in these older machines. Consequently, many have ignored, or simply never knew that Apple OS installation instructions nearly always recommend the removal of all but the basic, ordinary function cards (i.e. video) be removed before any attempted added OS installations or devices. There are many reasons for this.
BUT SCSI cards “left in” seems to be one of the top sources of problems, lately.
And then there’s the notion that whatever might still be on the old hard drives might just be “pure gold” so no way I’m gonna erase all that and start from scratch. But if that were actually the case, it is simple enough to move that “gold” to another backup drive, external drive or even a USB thumb drive. Point being that most of us have accepted (often kicking AND screaming) that a dual-boot machine (with OS 9 and OS X) is best to be "built" on freshly re-formatted drives featuring at least two partitions. One for each OS installation. OR even divided between two, bootable internal drives if possible.
Whichever path is finally taken, then with a fresh & clean installation of both Operating Systems… some of that “gold” can then possibly be moved back onto whichever OS partition (or drive) is preferred.
In effect, the clean OS installs effectively take out all of the accumulated trash from previous years of use.
THEN one can begin sourcing any necessary (often newer & updated) drivers for other cards or devices - to then be reconnected or installed with / within the machine. Might seem like a lot of work in some instances, but time (and often many headaches) might be saved in the long run / BIG PICTURE.
Guess maybe I should move my question of “Do you have a SCSI card still installed in your machine” up the list of questions asked when first attempting to blind troubleshoot some of these problems?
Many of these machines are now way past 20 years old and for some reason, many think that you can just plug ‘em in, and fire ‘em up… just like it’s 1999.
“I was dreamin’ when I woke up…”
You know… like yesterday?
Happy 2022 everybody!
Topic: problems with G4 DA and Newer Tech CPU upgrade (Read 3650 times)