G4 stuck at startup - erase disk with firmware command?

Good morning, my old G4 suddenly spat the dummie and refuses to startup, regardless what I do. (disk utily couldn't fix the damage nor did Techtool)Now everytime I try to start from the cd it goes into firmware mode. As it is an old G4 used for testing websites I have no prblems erasing the hard disk but.... the question is how do you do this with only the firmware command line available?

Hmmm. I'm a bit stumped. If you have a FireWire cable handy, you could try booting it into FireWire Target Disk mode. Just hold down the "t" key until you see a floating FireWire symbol on the screen. Then you can connect it to your PowerBook and erase the disk from there.
You aren't by some chance trying to boot from your PowerBook's discs are you? That's likely not to work. You'll either need the original discs from your G4 or a retail copy of the OS.
One more thing to try would be to put the CD in the G4 and reboot, holding down the option key and see if you get a screen with the CD as a possible boot option.
Otherwise, I'd have to wonder if you had a hardware failure that precipitated all of this in the first place.
charlie

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Help: Stuck in an infinite loop with firmware update

Need some help here.
I have a 2013 21.5" iMac, running Mac OS X Mavericks 10.9.
Recently, during a firmware update, my kids pulled the cord (they claim innocence). Now, when I boot the machine, it goes to the white firmware update screen, does the full progress bar, and then shuts down.
It doesn't restart itself.
When I power it back on, it does the firmware update again.
How can I fix this? I have access to other Macs, USB keydrives, Firewire cable, etc. Just need to know exactly what to do. Tried searching the web, but didn't find an answer for this situation. I'd rather resolve myself than truck it down to the Apple Store.

You can try this:
Intel-based Macs: Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC)
If that doesn't work, see below.
Make a "Genius" appointment at an Apple Store, or go to another authorized service provider.
Back up all data on the internal drive(s) before you hand over your computer to anyone. There are ways to back up a computer that isn't fully functional—ask if you need guidance.
If privacy is a concern, erase the data partition(s) with the option to write zeros* (do this only if you have at least two complete, independent backups, and you know how to restore to an empty drive from any of them.) Don’t erase the recovery partition, if present.
Keeping your confidential data secure during hardware repair
Apple also recommends that you deauthorize a device in the iTunes Store before having it serviced.
*An SSD doesn't need to be zeroed.

Cannot Boot Windows 8 x64 Startup Repair Disk

Hello, I have a Toshiba Laptop Satellite L875D-S7332 Part No. PSKFQU-008003 With Windows 8 x64 Preinstalled. I created a Startup Repair Disk with a DVD. My problem is i cannot boot from this DVD. I changed the Bios to boot from DVD but it still doesn't work! Can Anyone help me? Thank You, heaven5733

Have the recovery disc in dvd drive restart and press f12 at startup then select optical disc drive.
S70-ABT2N22 Windows 7 Pro & 8.1Pro, C55-A5180 Windows 8.1****Click on White “Kudos” STAR to say thanks!****

External Drive Disk Erase Failed with the Error Input/Output Error

I have 2 hard drives in an external FW800 enclosure that I am unable to format. When I go to initialize the drives in Disk Utility, I get the following error message: "Disk Erase failed with the error: Input/output error."
The drives show up in Disk Utility, but I can't repair them (that option is grayed out). Disk Utility correctly ID's the manufacturer of the drives (Maxtor), their size (200gb each), so it's obviously seeing that the drives are there. But it won't let me format them.
The drives are new, by the way; they don't have any data/files on them. I have Disk Warrior, but the drives don't show up there to be repaired -- probably because they aren't formatted yet.
After looking at other posts, I tried switching the jumper settings around on the drives -- from Master/Slave to cable select and back again, but it didn't help. I also tried doing a zero erase (even though the drives are new), zapping the PRAM -- again, no help.
One question I had is whether this could be a bad FW800 cable? The cable is new -- it came with the enclosure, which is an OWC Dual FW 800 enclosure. Other than that, does anyone have any other thoughts about what's causing this? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Matthew

SOLUTION!!!!
I had the exact same problem. I have the original 20 GB hard drive that came in my Powerbook G4 550MHz and a couple of years ago I traded up for a 60 GB drive and bought a FW/USB enclosure for my original drive to use it to backup my important files. I hadn't backed up in over a year (shame on me!) and I decided maybe I should erase the drive and start from scratch. It was connected via USB.
At that point DiskUtility gave me the exact same Input/Output error. I tried partitioning the drive into 1 or more partitions but came up with the same error. I couldn't figure out what was wrong so I decided to startup in OS 9.2.2, I did that and let it start up, then plugged in the hard drive and it gave me the standard "This disk is unrecognizable, do you want to eject or erase?" so I clicked Initalize. It worked!
Just make sure you choose the MacOS Extended option when initializing out of OS 9 (instead of the MacOS Standard option) so it can be read and viewed in OS X.
If your computer is too new to be able to boot from an OS 9 folder on your drive or an OS 9 CD, then see if a friend or a local library has older computers that are running OS 9 or can boot from it. If not let me know and you can send me your drive and I'll reformat it.
Kind of crazy...I haven't used the OS 9 partition on my HD in YEARS...was even thinking about erasing it since I don't use any Classic applications anymore...good thing I didn't!
Nick
Powerbook G4 550Mhz Mac OS X (10.4.6)

Is my HD Dead? Reformat Disk Utility Error: secure disk erase failed with the error could not open disk.

Hi,
Fed up with seeing the spinning beach ball I decided to reformat my MacBook Pro...
After backing up everything on an external hard drive I put in the OSX install DVD, restarted the machine and held down 'C'.
I followed the install prcedure, clicking next a few times etc...
I then went into Utilities > Disk Utility. I chose 7-Pass to erase the Macintosh HD and set it off erasing.
I checked the process an hour in and message on screen read:
Secure disk erase failed with the error:
could not open disk
The internal hard drive no longer exists in the disk utility so I cant retry erasing it.
The only thing that appears in disk utility is the OSX install DVD.
I can't even shut down the mac as everything under the apple tab is greyed out!
I'm guessing this means my hard drive is broken right?
If anyone has any other ideas of what to try I'd really appreciate that.
How do I turn the machine off?
If my hard drive is gone then should I consider getting an SSD drive?
Any recommendations for such a drive would be great.
Hope you can help!

Did you partition the drive?
Extended Hard Drive Preparation
1. Open Disk Utility in your Utilities folder. If you need to reformat your startup volume, then you must 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 or Leopard.)
2. After DU loads select your hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Note the SMART status of the drive in DU's status area. If it does not say "Verified" then the drive is failing or has failed and will need replacing. SMART info will not be reported on external drives. Otherwise, click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.
3. Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID (only required for Intel Macs) then click on the OK button. Set the number of partitions from the dropdown menu (use 1 partition unless you wish to make more.) Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Partition button and wait until the volume(s) mount on the Desktop.
4. Select the volume you just created (this is the sub-entry under the drive entry) from the left side list. Click on the Erase tab in the DU main window.
5. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, check the button for Zero Data and click on OK to return to the Erase window.
6. Click on the Erase button. The format process can take up to several hours depending upon the drive size.
Steps 4-6 are optional but should be used on a drive that has never been formatted before, if the format type is not Mac OS Extended, if the partition scheme has been changed, or if a different operating system (not OS X) has been installed on the drive.

Mac Stuck at Startup Screen with Grey Apple Logo,Empty Progress Bar and a Spinning wheel

Last night the electricity went out and my power surge protector was not working so my iMac just force shut downed.
So, when the electricity came back i turned on my Mac but it is *Stuck in the Startup/Boot Screen with a Grey Apple Logo,a Empty Progress Bar with stays for 1 or 2 minutes and a small Spinning Wheel which would Spin Forver! I Have tried the SMC and Pram reset but no use, i have also tried to insert my OS X Lion 10.7 Installation disk and it would not load if i hold the C Key in the Startup, I Have Managed to go to Disk Utility Through "Recovery HD" but the Volume "Macintosh HD" is Greyed out and Unmounted and i cannot repair it. There are some files that i'd like to Recover if there is a way to fix it without deleting files.
**PLEASE HELP ME FIX THIS!**
Details about the iMac:
iMac 21.5 Inch i think from Mid 2010,
OS X Lion installed maybe 10.7.2 or 10.7.3 (im not sure)

kernel
Grey screen with Metallic Apple and spinning gear
Sounds to me like your hard drive failed on you as a result of the power going out.
http://www.apple.com/support/imac-harddrive/
If your iMac is a Mid 2010 you qualify for the hard drive replacement program from Apple.
Apple has determined that certain Seagate 1TB hard drives used in 21.5-inch and 27-inch iMac systems may fail. These systems were sold between October 2009 and July 2011.
I hope I helped you with your problem.
- Brandon

I had a problem with the hard disk on a 2010 macbook pro. Replaced the hard disk with an Hitachi 1TB and when I tried to erase and format It fails with input/output error. Any help much appreciated!

I had a problem with the hard disk on a 13" 2010 macbook pro. Replaced the hard disk with an Hitachi 1TB disk but when I tried to erase and format, it fails with input/output error and at other times saying unable to allocate memory. Any help much appreciated!

Zap the PRAM and Reset the SMC, then try again.

Disk Utility _ Disk Erase failed with the error

I have a 1GB Kingmax USB Stick which I am trying to erase or restore. I used in a PC at uni and it no longer works. When I try to erase or restore with Disk Utility I get an error message 'Disk Erase failed with the error:
Input/output error'
I have tried also with Windows, but to no avail. The System Profiler recognises the USB stick.
Any ideas?
Cheers!
iMac G5, iBook G3 Mac OS X (10.4.8)

Shutdown the computer and remove the USB drive.

I already upgrade to lion.Now I want to reformat it using recovery hd.There,I use disk utility to erase disk as usually done.Then,I click install mac osxlion,after validation done,it appear dwnld,but stuck..is that because i erase disk?wht shld i do?

plss, now my mbp running no os, help me is the problem is because i erase disk? what i should do right now?

Wow, thanks. It did the trick. So now I am confused, do you think I still need to take in my Mac to see if there are some problems with the hard drive, or do you think I'm in the clear. I was going to get a new hard drive installed, because I thought that was the issue seeing as I couldn't access it during safe mode.

How can I do an startup disk with DiskWarriori included?

How can I do an startup disk with DiskWarrior included?
I want to do it with System 9.2.2. for those days that apperas an ? in the disk... buf!
I did one but the Mac didn't recognize it...
Thanks

xjulia...
Remember what I said earlier? ""The tricky parts... Then install your wanted version of Mac OS 9""...
Install is a key word here.
Launch your latest Mac OS 9 CD and run the Installer targeting the mounted image. I prefer to do a minimum universal install from within the installer. Uncheck items of no use. If your CD is an older version of Mac OS 9, run the following version of an updater. Same can be done to update your utilities so long as there is a updater available for the utility.
<hr width="300">
Copying an already installed System Folder, is a bit to be desired, as you have tons of manual trashing (fixing, weeding, etc.) to do.
<--OR-->
Bootable CDs normally contain a copy protected System Folder that is equivalent to fooling around with mother nature. It unfortunately leaves you with many CD cake boxes of coasters in the process.
<hr width="300">
By the way— A mounted image gets refreshed in a funny way. Drag the mounted image to the trash and "chug-chug". Click on the [your named].img file and a fresh image gets mounted. Just keep an eye on both as you get the feel.
...Ron

Iam using right now version 4.2.1 with firmware 3.10.1 if i erase all data and settings, do my version and firmware will remain the same or will it change?

Iam using right now version 4.2.1 with firmware 3.10.1 if i erase all data and settings, do my version and firmware will remain the same or will it change?

Iam using right now version 4.2.1 with firmware 3.10.1 if i erase all data and settings, do my version and firmware will remain the same or will it change?

Disk Erase failed with the error- Operation timed out

I've checked my computer- Mac Book White in Apple store, everything is fine just the hard disk has been corrupted. Needed to erase and reinstall. By the time I wanted to erase it, I can't erase and appears "Disk Erase failed with the error- Operation timed out".
Anyone knows how to solve this question would be nice.
Thanks

Well give this a try:
Repairing the Hard Drive and Permissions
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, Leopard or Snow Leopard.) 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 click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit DU and return to the installer. Now restart normally.
If DU reports errors it cannot fix, then you will need Disk Warrior and/or Tech Tool Pro to repair the drive. If you don't have either of them or if neither of them can fix the drive, then you will need to reformat the drive and reinstall OS X.
Now download a utility like TinkerTool System or Leopard Cache Cleaner - VersionTracker or MacUpdate - and use it to clear out your system, user, and font caches.
And, try this for the software update issue:
Fix for Software Update
See Troubleshooting Automatic Software Update in Mac OS X.
Delete the following files:
/Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate.plist
/Home/Library/Preferences/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate.plist
/Home/Library/Preferences/ByHost/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate.xxx.plist
"xxx" is a number.
/Home/Library/Caches/com.apple.SoftwareUpdate/ (delete entire folder)

Erasing ipod with disk utility is it worth a shot?

My 2G ipod is frozen once again can't get it to mount or show up. just asks if I want to ignore or erase the disk or eject. Have tried all the usual tests and self diagnostics. Even tried the tapping on the right side. I'm running the HDD scan now. Just before this happened when it was still mounting I tried to reset and restore it but got a error and failure several times something about the disk . Has anyone had results with erasing the ipod disk with disk utility and then trying to restore and update.? I went to the apple store and they basically said time for a new ipod . It's well out of warranty but I figure its still worth a try erasing if disk utility might help. I already replaced the HD last year and just got a high output Newer battery for it last week so I don't want to give up yet.
Craig
15 TiBook 1GHZ, I.25 dual G4 MDD,10G ipod Mac OS X (10.3.9)

Erasing seems to hang from the beginning in Disk utilty. I tried zeroing all data which takes longer but I've gotten disk utilty to get the progress bar to go about three quarters of the way and then it hangs. I also checked it with techtool pro and it was finding a lot of bad blocks in the scan.
One time I got ipod updater to say it was restored but it wasn't really and I couldn't get the software updated. So I'm back at square one with trying erase with disk utilty but after more than a dozen attempts I'm beginning to think this is a lost cause for resurrecting this ipod HD . This is of course after I received a new extended battery for it last week made by Newer which is only good for 1G and 2G ipods.
frustrated, Craig

How can I erase my hard disk with OS X 10.8.2?

How can I erase my hard disk with OS X 10.8.2?

If you want to erase the hard disk and reinstall OS X, follow these steps:
1. Back up your data to an external disk if you don't want to lose everything. When you erase a hard disk, everything is deleted.
2. Press Command and R keys while your Mac is starting to start into OS X Recovery, and open Disk Utility.
3. Select Macintosh HD on the sidebar, go to Erase tab and erase the disk.
4. After erasing the disk, close Disk Utility and reinstall OS X, so OS X will be installed with factory settings.
Don't forget to install iLife applications after the installation, if you need them. They come in the Applications DVD (if your Mac came with Snow Leopard or older), or open App Store > Purchases and download them

Yosemite stuck at startup

I Have a MacBook pro with Yosemite installed and Windows 8.1 via Bootcamp. Couple of hours back I had used Windows and then now when I tried booting to Mac it's stuck on startup. Basically I see the loading bar go approximately 40% and then the display dims with a loading circle showing up below the bar. This circle keeps rotating for sometime and finally just stops. Leaving it idle for 15 mins causes the display to dim to go off until I tap space bar. I tried resetting PRAM and also checked disk and repaired the disk using disk utility but still no luck. Attaching screenshot of the screen

Take each of these steps that you haven't already tried. Stop when the problem is resolved.
To restart an unresponsive computer, press and hold the power button for a few seconds until the power shuts off, then release, wait a few more seconds, and press it again briefly.
Step 1
The first step in dealing with a startup failure is to secure the data. If you want to preserve the contents of the startup drive, and you don't already have at least one current backup, you must try to back up now, before you do anything else. It may or may not be possible. If you don't care about the data that has changed since the last backup, you can skip this step.
There are several ways to back up a Mac that is unable to start. You need an external hard drive to hold the backup data.
a. Start up from the Recovery partition, or from a local Time Machine backup volume (option key at startup.) When the OS X Utilities screen appears, launch Disk Utility and follow the instructions in this support article, under “Instructions for backing up to an external hard disk via Disk Utility.” The article refers to starting up from a DVD, but the procedure in Recovery mode is the same. You don't need a DVD if you're running OS X 10.7 or later.
b. If Step 1a fails because of disk errors, and no other Mac is available, then you may be able to salvage some of your files by copying them in the Finder. If you already have an external drive with OS X installed, start up from it. Otherwise, if you have Internet access, follow the instructions on this page to prepare the external drive and install OS X on it. You'll use the Recovery installer, rather than downloading it from the App Store.
c. If you have access to a working Mac, and both it and the non-working Mac have FireWire or Thunderbolt ports, start the non-working Mac in target disk mode. Use the working Mac to copy the data to another drive. This technique won't work with USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth.
d. If the internal drive of the non-working Mac is user-replaceable, remove it and mount it in an external enclosure or drive dock. Use another Mac to copy the data.
Step 2
If the startup process stops at a blank gray screen with no Apple logo or spinning "daisy wheel," then the startup volume may be full. If you had previously seen warnings of low disk space, this is almost certainly the case. You might be able to start up in safe mode even though you can't start up normally. Otherwise, start up from an external drive, or else use the technique in Step 1b, 1c, or 1d to mount the internal drive and delete some files. According to Apple documentation, you need at least 9 GB of available space on the startup volume (as shown in the Finder Info window) for normal operation.
Step 3
Sometimes a startup failure can be resolved by resetting the NVRAM.
Step 4
If a desktop Mac hangs at a plain gray screen with a movable cursor, the keyboard may not be recognized. Press and hold the button on the side of an Apple wireless keyboard to make it discoverable. If need be, replace or recharge the batteries. If you're using a USB keyboard connected to a hub, connect it to a built-in port.
Step 5
If there's a built-in optical drive, a disc may be stuck in it. Follow these instructions to eject it.
Step 6
Press and hold the power button until the power shuts off. Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed to start up, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards. Use a different keyboard and/or mouse, if those devices are wired. If you can start up now, one of the devices you disconnected, or a combination of them, is causing the problem. Finding out which one is a process of elimination.
Step 7
If you've started from an external storage device, make sure that the internal startup volume is selected in the Startup Disk pane of System Preferences.
Start up in safe mode. Note: If FileVault is enabled in OS X 10.9 or earlier, or if a firmware password is set, or if the startup volume is a software RAID, you can’t do this. Post for further instructions.
Safe mode is much slower to start and run than normal, and some things won’t work at all, including wireless networking on certain Macs.
The login screen appears even if you usually log in automatically. You must know the login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.
When you start up in safe mode, it's normal to see a dark gray progress bar on a light gray background. If the progress bar gets stuck for more than a few minutes, or if the system shuts down automatically while the progress bar is displayed, the startup volume is corrupt and the drive is probably malfunctioning. In that case, go to Step 11. If you ever have another problem with the drive, replace it immediately.
If you can start and log in in safe mode, empty the Trash, and then open the Finder Info window on the startup volume ("Macintosh HD," unless you gave it a different name.) Check that you have at least 9 GB of available space, as shown in the window. If you don't, copy as many files as necessary to another volume (not another folder on the same volume) and delete the originals. Deletion isn't complete until you empty the Trash again. Do this until the available space is more than 9 GB. Then restart as usual (i.e., not in safe mode.)
If the startup process hangs again, the problem is likely caused by a third-party system modification that you installed. Post for further instructions.
Step 8
Launch Disk Utility in Recovery mode (see Step 1.) Select the startup volume, then run Repair Disk. If any problems are found, repeat until clear. If Disk Utility reports that the volume can't be repaired, the drive has malfunctioned and should be replaced. You might choose to tolerate one such malfunction in the life of the drive. In that case, erase the volume and restore from a backup. If the same thing ever happens again, replace the drive immediately.
This is one of the rare situations in which you should also run Repair Permissions, ignoring the false warnings it may produce. Look for the line "Permissions repair complete" at the end of the output. Then restart as usual.
Step 9
If the startup device is an aftermarket SSD, it may need a firmware update and/or a forced "garbage collection." Instructions for doing this with a Crucial-branded SSD were posted here. Some of those instructions may apply to other brands of SSD, but you should check with the vendor's tech support.
Step 10
Reinstall the OS. If the Mac was upgraded from an older version of OS X, you’ll need the Apple ID and password you used to upgrade.
Step 11
Do as in Step 9, but this time erase the startup volume in Disk Utility before installing. The system should automatically restart into the Setup Assistant. Follow the prompts to transfer the data from a Time Machine or other backup.
Step 12
This step applies only to models that have a logic-board ("PRAM") battery: all Mac Pro's and some others (not current models.) Both desktop and portable Macs used to have such a battery. The logic-board battery, if there is one, is separate from the main battery of a portable. A dead logic-board battery can cause a startup failure. Typically the failure will be preceded by loss of the settings for the startup disk and system clock. See the user manual for replacement instructions. You may have to take the machine to a service provider to have the battery replaced.
Step 13
If you get this far, you're probably dealing with a hardware fault. Make a "Genius" appointment at an Apple Store, or go to another authorized service provider.

G4 stuck at startup - erase disk with firmware command?

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