Folder and question mark at startup

Using the posts here I was able to get my Powerbook G3 Pismo to start up after three years in the closet! Thanks for that. I had to pull the PRAM battery, wait a few minutes and reinsert it, then reset the PRAM. But now when I try to start the computer, I get the system folder followed by the question mark, then it shuts down about a minute. A can boot from Apple Hardware Test and I ran that and everything checks out fine. I've tried to run Software Restore, but it doesn't recognize the HD.
So, where is my internal system?? I could try reinstalling the original software, but I'd like to boot up the HD and get my data off first. What could I try to get the HD to appear?
Thanks,
TH

tharring:
Welcome to Apple Discussions.
Glad you decided to revive your Pismo. It is a wonderful machine, and, hopefully, you will having going, again, before too very long.
As Tom noted, the problem is likely your HDD. Being able to boot the computer from the optical drive is an excellent sign, and suggests that the computer itself is sound and the problem may be in the startup volume.
A flashing question mark appears when you start your Mac indicates that your computer is unable to find a bootable volume. This may be due to a corrupted or no OS installed, or failing or failed HDD. Here are a few suggestions in addition to Tom's:
• When you hit the Power button and computer powers up to the flashing ?/folder, put your ear close to the keyboard on the top right, where the Hard Disk Drive is installed in the Pismo, and listen for any sounds that will indicate the the HDD is turning. If it is turning, we will need to figure whether it is sound or not.
• If you hear no sound, check to be sure that the HDD is in place. Pull back the tabs to the right of the esc key and between F8 and F9 keys. Lift the keyboard and lay it face down on the palmrest without disconnecting it from the computer. Check to be sure that the HDD is in place and that the ribbon cable is connected to the drive.
• You said that the AHT reported everything was OK. Sometimes a single run of the test is not sufficient to detect intermittent problems. You will need to boot from the AHT disk and run the tests in a loop by holding down Command + L during the tests. Sometimes it has to run for several hours to detect some intermittent problems.
• You can try to see if you can boot into Firewire Target Disk Mode, following the directions in the article and connecting it to a firewire Mac. If it is able to mount the disk, you may be able to rescue your data in that way.
Check out these additional suggestions and post back with what you find.
cornelius

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