Firmware update 4.1.9 dialog box buttons?

Question

I am trying to resurect my daughter's slot loading iMac after it was trashed by the infamous firmware bug. Before I found about this, the PRAM was zapped and a full system reset was performed, leaving the iMac in the situation where when it was turned on, after a few seconds it shut itself off. I have used the Giles Kenneday solution to disable the internal monitor and now the iMac doesn't shut down, but the image produced on the external monitor is so bad I can barely make out anything. I can boot up into OS 9.2.2, have the firmware update icon on the desktop and am ready to do the firmware upgrade 4.1.9. I have gotten past the license agreement screen, but the next dialog box has four or five buttons that I can't identify, so I don't know which to click on to start the upgrade. I've tried the one on the far right but it didn't work. Can anyone who has completed the 4.1.9 Firmware update, or is about to do it, please tell me which button on this screen starts the process? Also where is the button on the next dialog box that causes the iMac to reboot? I have been unable to find screen shots of these boxews anywhere.
Slot loading iMac G3 Special Edition   Mac OS 9.2.x  

Answer 1

Mauro, all, and anyone experiencing blank screen problems with a slot loading iMac,
First (and most important) I have been finally able to repair the problem using a combination of the ideas presented by Giles Kennedy and the additional encouragement from Mauro. For those who encounter a slot loading iMac that either has no screen display OR shuts down automatically a few seconds after booting there is HOPE. There are several messages in this forum describing a problem similar to the one I experienced. I suggest that those encountering this read Giles Kennedy's excelent article at http://www.gileskennedy.com/panthereatsimac and mirrored at http://www.capecodgraphics.com/imac_firmware.htm. Note that this problem existed in several levels of severity. I had to go the entire route, obtaining an old mac floppy drive cable, bridging four conductor of the internal video cable, and doing an almost blind firmware update, but it can be done. Your problem might be easier for repair.
Second - Although all reported instances of this problem have been assodiated with attempts to install some version of OSX, My daughter's iMac failed while running OS 9.2.1. She swears that no attempts were made to install OSX... so it appears that these problems may be more extensive than previously reported. I suggest that anyone running an iMac under OS 9.2 immediately do the 4.1.9 firware update to avoild the problems I experienced.
The entire process I went through was too extensive to report here, but the final steps that brought succes will be found in my insertion in portions of Mauro's post below:
J Evans,
In the process of installing Firmware update there is
not a dialog with 4/5 buttons, I have checked with
Resedit. What do you see is an artifacts of the
screen. The Agree/OK/Update are ALWAYS on the right,
the first on on the right.
Actually the first screen presented after launching the updater (the license agreement) does have four dialog buttons. I still don't know what the others are.
I cannot remember if the DEFAULT button is the
Agree/OK/Update but, have you tried to use the
keyboard "RETURN" in place of the mouse ???
Although using the Return button to accept all defaults did not work with the battery and bothe memory cards installed, it DID work with the battery removed and only one memory card in place.
Before I found about this, the PRAM was
zapped and a full system reset was performed, leaving
the iMac in the situation where when it was turned
on, after a few seconds it shut itself
off
iMac thinks that there is a fault in the CRT or its
circuit board (the PAV - Power/Analog Video - board)
and shuts itself down after about 7 seconds.
You might try removing all the memory, the Airport
card (if present) and the logic board battery, and
leaving for 24 hours. Reset the PMU, replace memory
(one card only, in a different position from before),
and plug in mains power. You are now ready to
power-on the iMac using the button on the front. boot
from the HD as normal
The fault that the old firmware "thinks" it detects can be overcome using the floppy drive cable/bridge four connections solution described in the Giles Kennedy article. If the internal cable is kept in place, the iMac will continue to shut itself down during the boot process.
Jack