EMac won't start, help please

I am having two problems with my eMac. The first, much more pressing, problem is that it won't start. I was having problems installing the newest version of quicktime, so on the quicktime forums I read to Repair Permissions in the Disk Utility, so I did this, and everything seemed to go well, but when I restarted my computer, it would not load. It is stuck on a light grey screen with a dark grey apple logo in the middle. My keyboard won't repond to the point where i can't even open the disk drive. My second, much less urgent problem is that my disk drive doesn't recoginize any cd's, even ones that I have used with this computer before. this problem really means nothing at this point, since my computer won't start anyways.
If anyone could help me, it would be greatly appreciated.

Yes, I tied all of the suggestions for my problem.
You see a blank, gray screen
1. Make sure the latest firmware for your computer is installed. Check Apple Downloads for the latest versions. (Yes, it is installed)
2. Disconnect all peripheral devices, except for the Apple keyboard and mouse. This includes ADB, serial, USB, FireWire, SCSI, and PCMCIA devices. If this resolves the issue, connect one device at a time, restarting after each one, until you've determined which device is causing the issue. (All are disconnected)
3. Remove third-party hardware upgrades such as memory (RAM), microprocessor upgrade cards, and PCI cards. If this resolves the issue, add back one item at a time, restarting after each one, to isolate the issue. Note: Apple does not provide technical support for Mac OS X when used with third-party microprocessor upgrade cards. (Don't even have any third-party hardware upgrades)
4. Start up from your Mac OS X installation disc and check the hard disk with Disk Utility or, if necessary, fsck. (CD-drive will not even open, so can't do this)
5. If you are comfortable doing so, reset your computer's Power Management Unit. Specific directions are available elsewhere in the Knowledge Base. (Can't find how to do this on the anywhere)
6. Additional tips may be available in this document. (Document also had nothing that worker)
I will be buying a macbook regardless after my income tax comes in, so I don't deem the computer as worthy of spending any money to fix, but this was a pretty expensive machine to just discard, so I would like to try to get it running again.

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Go step by step and test.
Restart.
http://support.apple.com/kb/ts2570
Startup in Safe mode
http://support.apple.com/kb/PH14204?viewlocale=en_US
Repair Disk
http://support.apple.com/kb/PH5836
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http://support.apple.com/kb/PH13871

EMac won't start

My eMac won't start. Yes, I've checked to be sure it's plugged in.
Should I slap it? I've never struck any of my other children.

hi there. i would reset the pmu inside the emac. instructions should be in user manual. it is a silver button located beside the battery. make sure computer is completely off and unplug peripherals and the power cord from the back of the machine where it enters the power supply. you will have to lay the computer on something soft on its face and then take off back access panel. then you will have to ground yourself on some metal and then press the button counting "one one thousand" and let go. do not press it twice. it often will get a computer going again.[:)]

EMac won't start from optical drive

For no apparent reason, my eMac stopped recognizing the ethernet connection. So, after reading about this problem on the forums, I tried two suggestions: resetting the NVRAM and zapping the PRAM. This fixed the ethernet problem.
But, I now have a new problem. The eMac won't start up from the optical drive [hold C key during startup nor choosing disc in startup control]. The startup routine gets to the pale gray apple, but the little rotating spokes do not appear. Instead the gray apple seems to jump about a quarter inch to the right and it seems like a square image tries to appear. The routine freezes at this point and and the optical drive spins down. I have to unplug the eMac, and then restart from power button. At this point it starts up fine from the internal drive.
I tried zapping the PRAM again. I also removed the battery. There is no accessible PMU/CUDA button that I can find. At this point, I've run out of ideas.

Thanks for the further suggestions.
I tried the fsck and it reported no problems. I had my doubts that this was a source because the problem of not booting from superdrive came AFTER the NVRAM reset, which is fundamentally a hardware modification. I boot periodically from Panther install disc 1 to do a repair disc and permissions routine. When I couldn't do this after the NVRAM reset, I could only conclude that this tweek had some direct effect on the Mac's firmware-based start-up routines.
There is nothing physically wrong with the install discs, they work perfectly in my other emac as well as my two G4 towers. So, I'm still at a loss as to what to do next. I can't reload the OS. And, I can do any hardware diagnostics. So I guess it's a decision of whether or not to spend the big $$ for Apple repair. These are classroom macs, and we have no tech support or $$.

One more iBook won't start. Please help...

Hi,
I apologise for my English from the very beginning. Be patient please...
I see from older topics that I am having a rather common problem. I just got this iBook G3 900 MHz 12' 680 Mb RAM from Ebay. It lasted 5 days (working fine) and then it suddenly died.
I have already tried all possible key combinations for PMU resets and carefully read the help page in case when a portable won't start. No good.
Here are the synthoms more in detail: The battery would not charge (it has only 1 flashing light out of four and I was warned before it died that its charge level was getting low). The ibook now don't start, even with the power adapter hooked up.
If this can help, the ring light on the adapter cord is green when the battery is on, and removing the battery turns the light to amber.
I started reading Internet discussions and it sounded an DC in-board problem, and I've already found a replacement from a friend...
BUT...
I did a further test tonight taking the battery for an identical ibook of a friend and when I put his battery on mine, it started up and kept being up only for me to see that the battery level was getting low low low --- dead again. Now, my friend is pretty sure that his battery was at least half-charged but to me it seems very strange that my ibook would drain away all power from a battery in 10 seconds. Can it be a short circuit ???
Back on Internet, I have discovered these Apple discussions, so before beginning unscrewing the whole ibook to replace the DC-in board (I understand this is not the easiest piece to change) I wanted to have your advice on something I might have missed with my "diagnosis".
Could it be the "famous" logic board everyone is complaining about ? The ibook was bought in August 2003 so I am still eligible for the replacement. Could it possibly be ? I though that ibooks with such a problem did boot up...
Sorry. I wrote too much. Thank you in advance for any help you might be willing to give me...
ibook G3 900 MHz Mac OS X (10.4.6)

Hi, and welcome to Apple Discussions.
No problems with your English whatsoever.
Have you tried your friend's adapter with the iBook? Was your iBook plugged into the adapter when it rapidly discharged your friend's battery? It could be an adapter problem. The adapter should show green when the battery is not installed, and amber when it is — exactly the opposite of what you are seeing. The amber light is supposed to indicate that the battery is charging. The green light means that it is NOT charging. When things are working right, the green light means the battery has stopped charging because it is completely charged. When things aren't working right, it just means the battery isn't charging — for whatever reason. Since your adapter is showing the lights the opposite of what it is supposed to do, it's an indication that it may not be working right.
These are the four most common possibilities when the battery will not charge:
(1) there is something wrong with your battery
(2) there is something wrong with your power adapter
(3) there is something wrong with your power input board (the part that contains the port where you plug in the adapter)
(4) there is something wrong with your logic board
To diagnose a bad DC-in board, you need to make sure it isn't the battery or the adapter at fault by swapping out first one and then the other, If it runs from a known good charged battery okay, but won't run from a known good adapter, then you are going to have to replace the power input board.
Usually, if it is a logic board problem, the iBook simply will not run from the battery. This happened to mine. The battery showed up in the battery status indicator. It was recognized by the computer and charged by the adapter (as shown by the battery status indicator). However, when I unplugged the adapter from the iBook, it was just like pulling the power cord from the wall on a desktop. The iBook immediately shutdown. Dead.
My husband’s problem was quite obviously the power input (DC-in) board because the adapter tip had broken off in the port. Often (and, sadly, in our case), this damages the power input board so that it no longer functions, necessitating replacement of the board as well as the broken adapter.
Your experience does not exactly match either of ours. It is my best hunch that if your adapter is not the problem, then it is the logic board and not the DC-in board at fault. However, this is not the problem covered by the iBook Logic Board Repair Extension Program.
Since you already have the extra DC-in board, if it proves not to be the adapter at fault, you may want to try installing the DC-in board, in hopes that will correct the problem.
Good luck.

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My Power Mac G5 won't start up! I turn it on and hear the start up chime, then the fan goes as usual and then it appears to be starting up - then it gets to initializing network connections (I think!) then the screen goes blue and it freezes! Does anybody have any idea why this is happening? Please help!

Hi viccilogan-
In that case, I offer a few more documents for your perusal and prior to actually being in front of the unit and able to troubleshoot.
The following may be helpful:
Mac OS X: Slow Startup, Pauses at "Initializing network" or "Configuring network time"
our Mac won't start up in Mac OS X (Mac OS X 10.3.9 or earlier) (although the title indicates otherwise this stuff applies and there are a bunch of good links.
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MacBook Pro won't start up what should I do?

Hey eddydamasio,
Thanks for the question. I understand that your MacBook Pro won’t turn on. The following article may help to resolve your issue:
Troubleshooting: My computer won't turn on
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1367
Note: if you hear a startup chime or the fans running, see this article instead:
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http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1573
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please & thank you!
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So you are running Safari Beta 3.?? now,
SafariStand, Concierge and BookDog.
Many third party safari add on are not compatible w/ Safari 3, the
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Do not use your mac when the installer is running if you decide to uninstall Beta,
If this doesn't help please post a new topic in the Safari 3 for mac forum this is the regular Safari forum.
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Hi OneDayMatt, and a warm welcome to the forums!
I agree, but 3 points...
#1, When was the last time you saw truth in advertising?
#2, I only use Software Update to see what is needed, then get them for real via...
http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/
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#3, Being in the Right in an accident may not be all you can do to save your behind!

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Hi folks.
I'm trying to set up this ancient eMac for my mom. It had been running 10.3 or something, but I seem tyo recall it being wierd in that I couldn't get Safari (of all things) to run on it. So the other day, I put it in target disk mode and used a firewire cable and an old iBook to erase the HD and reinstall 10.3 onto it, as well as run the 10.3.9 updater.
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I cannot find the eMac install disk, and I haven't been able to get it to start up from my 10.3 CDRm (holding down option or c), though I read something somewhere about these not being able to start up from system folders earlier than those they shipped with. I've dealt with this sort of thing several times before, and it always seemed to work to simply use target disk mode.
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