Freezing at Grey Apple/Saw Wheel Screen

Cross-posted from "eMac":
Recently, an eMac (1.42GHz, 512MB RAM) started locking up at the grey Apple screen with the saw wheel progress indicator. The progress indicator will spin approximately five times and then it freezes up. The computer would boot in Safe Mode without difficulty.
I've erased the hard drive and attempted to reinstall the OS (10.4.4 from DVD), which results in the same frozen Apple screen when it reboots.
If I reboot again in Safe Mode after Disc 1, the installer continues and asks for Disc 2. I am using the 10.4.4 install DVDs. But after the installation, it repeats the same behavior.
I've run FSCK, DiskWarrior, and CheckIt (TechTool Platinum) multiple times and they all check out. AHT reports no problems. The hard drive has been erased multiple times throughout this process.
I have not swapped out any hardware components, though. No third-party applications have been installed, nor are there any other peripherals besides the keyboard/mouse. Again, this is occurring both both *during and immediately after OS install* before I even get a chance to do anything else.
Verbose mode yields the following:
+standard timeslicing quantum is 10000 ujs+
+vmpagebootstrap: 122980 free pages+
+migtable_maxdispl = 70+
+Copyright (c) 1982, 1986, 1989, 1991, 1993+
+The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.+
+using 1310 buffer headers and 1310 cluster IO buffer headers+
+Extension "com.apple.driver.KeyLargoATA" has no kernel dependency.+
+FireWire (OHCI) Apple ID 31 built-in now active, GUID 001351ff fe3deb58; max speed s400.+
+Security auditing service present+
+BSM auditing present+
disabled
+rooting via boot-uuid from /chosen: 6A6A7649-10B9-363B-AD1C-9822D4BDC6C7+
+Waiting on <dict ID="0"><key>IOProviderClass</key><string ID="1">IOResources</string><key>IOResourceMatch</key><string ID="2">boot-uuid-media</string></dict>+
+Got boot device = IOService:/MacRISC2PE/pci@f4000000/AppleMacRiscPCI/ata-6@D/AppleKauaiATA/ATADev iceNub@0/IOATABlockStorageDriver/IOATABlockStorageDriver/IOBlockStorageDriver/ST 3160023A Media/OPApplePartitionScheme/AppleHFS_Untitled1@3+
+BSD root: disk0s3, major 14, minor 2+
+Checking disk+
+fsck_hfs: Volume is journaled. No checking performed.+
+fsck_hfs: Use the -f option to force checking.+
+Mounting local filesystems+
+kern.sysv.shmmax: -1 -> 4194304+
+kern.sysv.shmmin: -1 -> 1+
+kern.sysv.shmmni: -1 -> 32+
+kern.sysv.shmseg: -1 -> 8+
+kern.sysv.shmall: -1 -> 1024+
+Resetting files and devices+
+Starting virtual memory+
+Removing /mach.sym /var/tmp/folders. /etc/nologin /private/tmp /var/run /private/var/vm/swapfile0*+
mach.sym
+Configuring kernel extensions+
+Jettisoning kernel linker.+
+Nov 19 19:39:22 kextd25: registering service "com.apple.KernelExtensionServer"+
+Resetting IOCatalogue.+
+Matching service count = 0+
+Matching service count = 2+
+Matching service count = 2+
+Matching service count = 2+
+Matching service count = 2+
+Matching service count = 2+
+Nov 19 19:39:23 kextd25: 328 cached,0 uncached personalities to catalog+

I'm sorry I didn't see this earlier... I just had a similar problem recently, and as I was reading your initial description, I was thinking, "logic board!" But then I got to the bottom, and you had already figured that out.
Alas.
Greg

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My Specs:
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The array and the OS drive are not "linked."
Nor are the drives fixed to the drive bay order. One of the drives in the array is "master" that knows what is on each sybling by the ID of the drives.
Clone the OS and keep handy. Never a need to do an OS install.
Backup the array as often as needed so the data is current and have two sets there also, ie TimeMachine for hourly or something and cloned.
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I'm very wordy I guess but more info the better, right?
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Welcome to the forums. Lots of good information and help to be had here.
OK, first, let us know more specifically which of five flavors of Power Mac G5 you have. Find the serial number on the build plate on the inner bottom panel just below the CPUs and use this site to get the exact configuration:
http://www.chipmunk.nl/klantenservice/applemodel.html
In the meantime, assuming that you haven't replaced the PRAM battery in quite a while or ever, that would be a good thing to do.
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Dear all,
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Okay so I was able to get back into my system and the computer starts up fine, although now a set of partitioned drives I had access to are locked and I can't seem to understand how to gain access.
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peace
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It means system files needed for startup are damaged or missing. You will need to reinstall OS X. Try the following:
How to Perform an Archive and Install
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Boot from your OS X Installer disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Installer menu (Utilities menu for Tiger.) After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list. In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive. If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported, then quit DU and return to the installer.
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I am having a similar problem on a G4 flat panel (Luxo) iMac.
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That last one is not a good sign. Kernel panic when starting from an installer DVD either mean you are using an installer version that cannot boot your model or there's a hardware problem.
I'm thinking your original thought may be valid. It would be provable if you had another GPU to try, but if you don't then I suppose you should replace the one you have. Of those available the ATI 5770 is an excellent replacement choice for both performance and cost unless you want to look for a different replacement card on eBay.

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Hi,
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Restore from your bootable backup/clone or your Time Machine backup. If you don't have one, then you're probably looking at booting with the install disk and reinstalling (Archive & Install option). AFAIK, you don't need any 3rd party software to get onto the Internet. What Apple supplies is sufficient.

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Think I have sorted it guys with a bit of searching:
Solution:
Reset System Mangement Controller (SMC)
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1543

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"cant really find anything on the discussion boards."
In that case, see if your model G5 iMac qualifies for the The 20-inch iMac G5 Repair Extension Program for Power Supply Issues (Rev B)
**WARNING: DUE TO SECURITY REASONS, PLEASE DO NOT POST YOUR COMPUTER'S SERIAL NUMBER ON THESE MESSAGE BOARDS.**
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Hi, so many thngs it could be!
Could be many things, we should start with this...
"Try Disk Utility
1. Insert the Mac OS X Install disc, then restart the computer while holding the C key.
2. When your computer finishes starting up from the disc, choose Disk Utility from the Installer menu at top of the screen. (In Mac OS X 10.4 or later, you must select your language first.)
*Important: Do not click Continue in the first screen of the Installer. If you do, you must restart from the disc again to access Disk Utility.*
3. Click the First Aid tab.
4. Select your Mac OS X volume.
5. Click Repair Disk, (not Repair Permissions). Disk Utility checks and repairs the disk."
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106214
Then try a Safe Boot, (holding Shift key down at bootup), run Disk Utility in Applications>Utilities, then highlight your drive, click on Repair Permissions, reboot when it completes.
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it gets to the grey apple start up screen... then LOCKS. the little spinning 'flower' never shows up. then the fans slowly increase.
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going to try to replace the lithium battery first.
any other suggestions ??
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You may be able to open the drive and boot from the system disc if you hold down the mouse button on restart. If this doesn't work, slide down the silver optical drive gate and insert a strong, straightened paper clip in the emergency eject hole shown in Figure 3 here (you don't have to remove the drive)(it is a mechanical release, so you will have to slide the tray out by hand)
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=88215

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I've tried to boot from my install disk to get disk utillity to run, but the computer will crash again at the gray screen, before it starts running from the cd.
I've also tried to reset PRAM and NVRAM and PMU, it all won't work, and crash on the gray screen.
I dont care about loosing stuff, cause its just been formatted 3 days ago, it started crashing first when my laptop was in the middle of its software (maybe firmware) update.
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sorry, a correction
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I hope someone can help, please.
I have an iMac G5 (without isight) and it doesn't want to startup. It stalls on the grey apple/spinning gear screen, with the spinning gear perpetually rotating. I've kept it on for at least twenty minutes and still nothing. Because, I've seen this screen stall when updating OSX before.
I've flashed the pram and the power management. I've also gone into single-user mode and done everything the apple support page has said: to no avail. I've tried to start in safe mode but I cannot.
I'm running max os x 10.4.10.
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