# restarting thread re powerbook G3



## downriver (Dec 11, 2004)

I wrongly described the machine as a G5. This is a G_3_ powerbook, in the 400 MHz series, w/ OS 9.2.2 installed.

I seem to have frozen the thing, cannot get it to fully boot, cannot get the DVD/CD tray to open -- can't even figure out how to turn the thing OFF. I can re-boot and have done that, but it still freezes and won't fully boot up. At this rate, I may have to wait for the battery to die...

I have no manuals, no installation disks, nothing but all you wonderful and compassionate geniuses to guide me.

I'm reasonably competent with PCs, but a complete idiot when it comes to Mac systems... This is my wife's new toy, a gift, and I seem to have wrecked the OS somehow. To deal with a problem viewing contents of a CD, I took a suggestion and trashed the "system preferences" file and rebooted expecting that it would load default values. But noooo. Frozen, with no apparent way out... help...


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## emoxley (Jan 6, 2004)

Sorry that trashing the system prefs didn't work. It worked for me. You can try zapping the pram. Hold down the "apple key", the "option key", the "P" key and the "R" key, while booting up. Hold them down until you hear the startup chimes about 3 times, and let go, and see it it boots. If not, see if it will boot up with extensions turned off. Hold down the shift key while booting up, until screen comes up saying "Extensions off". If you can ever get it to boot up, immediately run the app "Disk First Aid", and tell it to repair whatever it finds wrong. Disk First Aid is usually in the system folder, in a "Utilities" folder.
Good luck!


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## downriver (Dec 11, 2004)

Aha! "Zapping the pram" didn't work, but "extensions off" has got me at least to the desktop. The "disk first aid" ran all the way through even when the boot was incomplete. I was never asked to accept any repairs, it just ran (forever...) and finished.

I am now running "disk 1st aid" in "repair" mode after this "safe mode" (if that's the right analogy?) boot, hoping... hoping...

I just learned that the previous owner of this notebook had tried perviously to fix a problem with viewing graphic image files (that's where I got started in all this, just trying to look at some Xmas pix!!), and that this was one reason he got a new machine. Unless Macs are radically different on this than PCs, this has GOT to be a software problem, not hardware. Given the correctness of that ssumption (??), it seems like a new installation of QT ought to fix things -- but the previous owner says he had in "in the shop" more than once trying to get this sorted out.

Are there any hardware issues that I should be looking for?

Thanks for your help! I am really in a ditch, not knowing thing ONE about Macs. I'll let you know what happens when I try to re-boot after running the utility.


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## downriver (Dec 11, 2004)

OK... Now I'm back to a desktop that has nothing on it, nothing on the screen but the time, the highlighted (not by me) hard drive icon, and the watch-shaped cursor, doing nothing. This is from a re-boot after the above, without the "extensions off."

Circles. When I boot w/o extensions, I get a partial system like Windows "safe mode." Now I am "only" frozen again, same as this morning...


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## emoxley (Jan 6, 2004)

You said your wife's brother gave her this machine? See if he has the system discs for it. Do you have a friend with same OS? If you could boot with system disc and re-install, it would probably help a lot.


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## zoombini (Aug 18, 2003)

Sounds like u need the install disks. Ur system files could have become corrupted and full re-install is needed. Can u not purchade them through ebay or something. OS 9 disks go for quite cheap these days.

Quicktime could also be corrupted. U can download quicktime onto CD and install that way or use a flash drive. Does ur CD drive open when holding down top right button on the keyboard, or u may have to use a paper clip in the tiny hole attached to the CD ROM?

U could also spend time turning on each extension (in the extensions manager) until u find the offending item. This is a cumbersome and time-consuming task and mmuch better to re-install though.


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## MSY-Houston (Dec 5, 2004)

It really sounds like you may still have an Extension problem. 

Try unplugging the computer from the wall (I know this sounds weird, but sometimes it does help, kind of like hard-zapping the PRAM).

Restart without extensions on. Hold down the Shift key while booting up. You should get a message on the startup screen that Extensions are off. If it boots up all the way with the extensions disabled, you've probably got an extensions conflict. Look inside of the System Folder and find the Extensions (disabled) folder. Move it to the desktop.

Unfortunately, the only way to find out which extension is causing the problem, is to reload them one at a time and restart until you recreate the problem (simply move a file or file set, i.e., all Microsoft Office extensions, back into the System Folder/Extensions folder and Restart).

I'd start the process first by moving standard software extensions (like Microsoft) to the Extensions folder and restarting. 

Also, before restarting on the first test, find any Preferences in the System folder that pertain to all of the disabled extensions and drag them to the trash. 

Good luck.


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