G4 won't boot up for new Mac user

Hi guys. Brand new to Apple computers as I got a "defective" G4 from my neighbor. He was going to throw it away but I told him I would try to fix it first.
When I power it up, it makes a musical "greeting" power up sound and the monitor goes from dark black (as in "off") to a lighter gray, and then a folder appears in the middle of the screen alternating between a face and a question mark.
Does anyone know what is wrong with this computer so that I can repair it for future use? I am guessing a hard drive malfunction, but do not know for sure. And is it worth fixing? FYI - I do not have any software for this system.
Thanks for any help you can provide!
-Mark

A 160g hard drive would run you about $70, while OS X would run about $120.
It would be great to borrow a copy of the os installation disk and boot from it to see if the computer has further problems. Do you know any other mac users? It would also allow you to see how much ram is in the machine (OS X likes ram) and that may be a further expense if you need more.
What are you going to use the machine for? That's the main question as to how much you should spend to fix the machine up. I don't know if it would be fast enough for you as an everyday computer, but internet use, word processing, ITunes, IPhoto would all work just fine. You won't be doing any gaming or heavy duty video processing.
I'd talk to them at the Apple Store, explain the situation, maybe they might be able to help given the situation. They've got a chance here to nab a new mac user, I'd think that may help your case.

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Snow Leopard or Lion for new Mac User?

Hi everyone: I purchased my first Mac (a MacBook Pro) about a month back and shortly thereafter upgraded to Lion for free through the apps store. Since then, using/navigating the new Mac has been somewhat challenging for me and I'm not yet comfortable with using it for all of my computing needs. (I have an old Toshiba that is still my go-to computer--for the moment.) I suspect that part of my challenges stem from being a new Mac user (irrespective of the particular OS) after years of using PCs, but I do wonder if they may also relate to OS Lion, which seems to have complicated the user experience. I was hoping that using a Mac would be more intuitive and simple than it seems to have been thus far.
With that in mind, might there be some utility in me reinstalling Snow Leopard (and if so how?) in order to become more used to the new Mac experience before permanently switching to Lion? If I do, would I be able to, down the road, resintall Lion for free?
I recognize that this suggestion would involve some learning curve redundancy (learning the Mac on Snow Leopard and eventually re-learning it with Lion). However, I have a sense that reverting back to Snow Leopard might ease my transition into the new Mac experience. Either way, I'm looking forward to eventually tossing out that Toshiba!
Thanks for any/all thoughts. Best, DC

If you want to downgrade to Snow Leopard then do the following:
Downgrade Lion to Snow Leopard
1. Boot from your Snow Leopard 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 Utilities menu.
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. Under the Volume Scheme heading set the number of partitions from the drop down menu to one. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID then click on the OK button. Click on the Partition button and wait until the process has completed.
4. Quit DU and return to the installer. Install Snow Leopard.
This will erase the whole drive so be sure to backup your files if you don't have a backup already. If you have performed a TM backup using Lion be aware that you cannot restore from that backup in Snow Leopard (see below.) I suggest you make a separate backup using Carbon Copy Cloner 3.4.1.
If you have Snow Leopard Time Machine backups, do a full system restore per #14 in Time Machine - Frequently Asked Questions. If you have subsequent backups from Lion, you can restore newer items selectively, via the "Star Wars" display, per #15 there, but be careful; some Snow Leopard apps may not work with the Lion files.
However, there isn't that much difference between Snow Leopard and Lion that using Snow Leopard would prove easier to learn. There are lots of tutorials available at the Apple website to help you learn how to use a Mac. You might start with Apple - Support - Mac 101 and Apple - Support - Switch 101. And, for Lion see About MacOS X.

Printing help for new MAC user

I am a new MAC user trying convince myself this is better than a PC. I have been trying to 3 hours to figure out how to print in color with a document I've created in Pages. I am connected to a HP Photosmart wireless printer. Can someone help me?

jersey45 wrote:
I am a new MAC user trying convince myself this is better than a PC. I have been trying to 3 hours to figure out how to print in color with a document I've created in Pages. I am connected to a HP Photosmart wireless printer. Can someone help me?
Hi jersey,
Welcome to Apple Discussions and the Pages '09 forum.
Is this strictly a Pages/HP Photosmart issue, or do other applications share this inability to print in colour to this printer?
About the only advice I can offer is to:
1.
Check the HP site for any updated drivers for your printer. Download and install if any are found.
2.
Check the printer's settings in the Print dialogue. Your printer may offer the choice, here or in it's utility application, to print using only the black toner cartridge.
3.
Try opening Pages from a different user account, and printing a new document from there. Success would indicate the issue lies in your user account, probably in a corrupted Pages preference (.plist) file.Go back to your usual account, locate the file and drag it to the trash. Try printing again from your usual account.
If these don't help, I'd suggest reposting your question in the Printing, Faxing and Scanning forum in the Mac OS X v10.6 (Snow Leopard) section of Discussions.
Regards,
Barry

Stacks and other simple issues..... for new Mac user

My first computer was a commodore 64 with DOS commands and I've been a PC user ever since. You guessed it, Friday I went to the Apple store and bought an iMac! I was up and using it in minutes so I am impressed. However there are a million little things I just can't figure out or that take hours, for example at the Apple store the docking bar when you ran your mouse over the icons they jumped up. Well after a few hours I figured out how to make mine do that! (so cool).
At the store they showed me "stacks" where i put my mouse on something and I could see, pix or documents or e-mail I had somehow saved there, very handy but if my Mac can do that I sure don't see how.
Here are my two questions:
1) how do i make stacks work (is it some program i don't have?)
2) is there a web site or book or something with all the easy stuff (tips and tricks) in it a brand new Mac user should know? (i hate to keep bothering you all with simple questions)
Thanks, Susa

Welcome to Mac.
1) Just drag any folder to the right hand side of the dotted line (the Trash side) of Dock. Then click. Or click and hold on the stack and choose how your stack displays.
2) take a look at Mac 101 and Switch 101. There's a wealth of info there.
Books? "The Missing Manual Leopard Edition" (coming soon) by David Pogue.
-mj
[email protected]

HTML in EBAY for NEW MAC USER! Please Help!

Hi, I am a brand new MAC user. Just bought a MACBOOK last week. Here is my HTML prob. I sell on ebay. I called apple support and they were not able to help me. When I list my item on eBay, HTML comes up in the description area. On my older PC it was regular readable english and NOT html gobble de gook. Anyone know how to switch over from the HTML junk so I can see the regular english and write about my product? thanks so much. Sorry, I am not a computer guru. I only know how to read email and sell on ebay

Welcome to Apple Discussions!
Sounds like they are using non-standard HTML. Try using a different web browser*:
http://www.macmaps.com/browser.html
Also verify it isn't your e-mail program that is open when you are viewing the file. Anything via e-mail which can't be converted by an e-mail program will display as just plain HTML. Look to the right of the Apple logo on your top left corner to see which program is active.
- * Links to my pages may give me compensation.

Which software is essential for new Mac user?

I just recieved an attachment in Yahoo that I could not open.It appears the issue is opening documents and attachments from Windows based machines. Would iwork be sufficient or do I need Microsoft office? I would prefer to keep Microsoft products off my Mac! What other software do I need for emails, internet etc.?

Hi 1grandidle1: Difficult to determine what might be needed to open the attached file in the email without knowing what file type it was. However, if you are attempting to keep MS products of your computer (Don't blame you) you might want to check out Apple's iWork (new version released). Or a free alternative is NeoOffice. Both of these products are capable of opening MS Office file types.
http://www.neooffice.org/neojava/en/download.php#download
Hope this helps
Stedman

I found the manuals. Where are the tutorials for newer Mac Users.

Where are the tutorials for the various Mac Products. I found the manuals but not the tutorials. Thanks..

And if you're coming to the Mac from a PC then this will also help:
http://www.apple.com/support/switch101/

Safari Help For new Mac User

Hi
I Just have a quick question if anyone can help me please. How do I stop the automatic downloads to my desktop everytime I click on some windows media player video and yet others just play the video within SAFARI ?
Thank you,
I hope someone understand what I am trying to ask, I am not too technical with computer terms so this is the best way I can describe it
Much needed help

Hello Liva,
First of all, welcome to the Apple discussions.
Please list your computer specs here In Discussions sidebar - - ->
Go to Preferences > My computer and tell us your model, iMac, eMac, PwrMac, etc. G3, G4, G5, 000 MB RAM, 000 MHz, System 9.x, 10.2.x 10.3.x. 10.4. All on your blue Apple pull down menu > "About this Mac" (Also, 000 GB HD, if you know it.) This helps us help you better.
Discussions is a ongoing process. Hope to see you around anytime you need us, or can offer help to others.
Dimaxum <]:~))

I am a new mac user and have a 15 macbook pro (non retina display). I am having an issue with safari "freezing" ...it will work fine for a while and then I will open a new tab and attempt a website that won't load and after that it seems no website will.

So yes like mentioned above...i am a new mac user...have only had it about four days and have had a windows based system always before this. The issue I am having is that I will be in safari and it will work perfect for a while and then i will open a new tab and attempt another website and it will either be extremely slow or will give the error that it cannot connect to the server, however, when i run diagnostics my internet is fine. The only solution i have found is to reboot and geeksquad has been unable to replicate the problem while connected to my computer to try to do so. Does anyone have any suggestions or anyone else with this problem? If you have a "fix" please try layman's terms because again I have no idea about macs haha. Thanks,

So yes like mentioned above...i am a new mac user...have only had it about four days and have had a windows based system always before this. The issue I am having is that I will be in safari and it will work perfect for a while and then i will open a new tab and attempt another website and it will either be extremely slow or will give the error that it cannot connect to the server, however, when i run diagnostics my internet is fine. The only solution i have found is to reboot and geeksquad has been unable to replicate the problem while connected to my computer to try to do so. Does anyone have any suggestions or anyone else with this problem? If you have a "fix" please try layman's terms because again I have no idea about macs haha. Thanks,

My friend gave me his old touch, however it won't sync with my new mac but it charges the itouch so i was wondering how i could sync it to my iTunes.

My friend gave me his old touch, however it won't sync with my new mac but it charges the itouch so i was wondering how i could sync it to my iTunes.

Does the iPod show up in iTunes on the Mac? If not try:
iOS: Device not recognized in iTunes for Mac OS X
also
If you have iTunes 11 turn on the Sidebar. Go to iTunes>View and click on Show Sidebar. You can also do a Crtl+S to show the sidebar. The sidebar is where Devices appears. and Control+B to show the Menu bar
Otherwise what happens when you try to sync? Note that you can only sync with one iTunes library/computer. If that is the problem you should go to Settings>General>Reset>Erase and content and setting and set up the iPod on you computer/iTunes library. One content on the iPod does not belong to you.

What r all the boot loaders for ppc macs

i need a boot loader for ppc macs something like this
But thats my intel macbook
if anyone has any idea plz reply
thanks mike

Hi, Klaus.
Klaus's method:
Selecting the boot partition can be postponed until the code common to all OSes is executed: firmware in chips, if, 'Alt' pressed, pause and display screen in NVRAM; then execute the first byte on the first boot partition pointed to by the partition table on the drive selected in NVRAM (changed by 'system preferences').
Boot Loader:
Firmware executed, then first byte on default boot drive. This has 'boot loader' with text menu offering OSes. Pause. Marks boot partition on selected drive, and sometimes copies first record of this boot partition over itself (the boot loader) and changes the CPU pointer back to first byte of new boot drive (chain loading). Very clean.
Other methods 'shoot' to permanent boot loader (with spiffy graphic menu shown) and back. All that matters is that first byte on drive where OS should continue is eventually the first byte of the OS you want.
Snow Leopard (HFS+) and GNU/Linux (ext3) make a qood pair. Both can read and write HFS+ natively. Still, if you kept eMac with Ubuntu and Firewire cable, drive damage on either could be fixed.
Bruce

I am a new mac user and I switch to mac due to the graphics that it brings. I do website in pc and I heard iweb is the best.NOW i heard that iweb will be discontinue. so what is the best application there for website using MAC OSX lion?

I am a new mac user and I switch to mac due to the graphics that it brings. I do website in pc and I heard iweb is the best.NOW i heard that iweb will be discontinue. so what is the best application there for website using MAC OSX lion?

It is now confirmed that iWeb, and iDVD, has been discontinued by Apple. This is evidenced by the fact that new Macs are shipping with iLife 11 installed but without iWeb and iDVD.
On June 30, 2012 MobileMe will be shutdown. However, iWeb will still continue to work but without the following:
Features No Longer Available Once MobileMe is Discontinued:
◼ Password protection
◼ Blog and photo comments
◼ Blog search
◼ Hit counter
◼ MobileMe Gallery
All of these features can be replaced with 3rd party options.
I found that if I published my site to a folder on my hard drive and then uploaded with a 3rd party FTP client subscriptions to slideshows and the RSS feed were broken. If I published directly from iWeb to the FPT server those two features continued to work correctly.
There's another problem and that's with iWeb's popup slideshows. Once the MMe servers are no longer online the popup slideshow buttons will not display their images.
Click to view full size
However, Roddy McKay and I have figured out a way to modify existing sites with those slideshows and iWeb itself so that those images will display as expected once MobileMe servers are gone. How to is described in this tutorial: #26 - How to Modify iWeb So Popup Slideshows Will Work After MobileMe is Discontinued.
It now appears that the iLife suite of applications offered on disc is now a discontinued product and the remaining supported iApps will only be available thru the App Store from now on. However, the iLife 11 boxed version that is still available at the online Apple Store (Store button at the top of the page) and those still on the shelves of retailers will include iWeb and iDVD. Those two apps were listed in small, gray text on the iLife 11 box that I bought.
Personally, if I didn't already have a copy I would purchase one to have it for reinstallation purposes if ever needed.
This might be of some interest to you at this time: Life After MobileMe.
OT

I participated in getting the free download of Mountain Lion for new Mac owners. It took me three days to finally get a code to do it and when I tried downloading it, the estimated time was 74 days 17 hours. Now an error occurred. What do I do?

I participated in getting the free download of Mountain Lion for new Mac owners. It took me three days to finally get a code to do it and when I tried downloading it, the estimated time was 74 days 17 hours. Now an error occurred. What do I do? I am very frustrated and just want the great software to download in a resonalbe time!

Take your Mac to a location with a fast, relaible Internet connection that will be all yours during the duration of the download.
If you want to complain, PLEASE call Apple and do so.
Internet only downloads of OS X is completely stupid, it assumes everyone has reliable Internet everywhere and /or no data caps.

I'm a brand new Mac user. I want to send photos from Iphoto to my local store for printing, like I can do in Picasa. I can't find that option in Iphoto.

I'm a brand new Mac user. I want to send photos from Iphoto to my local store for printing, like I can do in Picasa. I can't find that option in Iphoto. I do not want to order them through Itunes.

I have not idea how you do it with Picasa but with iPhoto you either export the photos to a desktop folder and upload from there or burns that folder to CD - or from the upload window use the media browser in the lower left hand corner of the upload windows - media ==> photos ==> iPhoto
For pictures see - https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3547767?tstart=0
LN

I have switched from using a PC to an iMac and want to know how to register Lightroom 5.7 for new Mac?

I have switched from using a PC to an iMac and want to know how to register Lightroom 5.7 for new Mac?

Are you on CC or standalone perpetual licence?
If the former I believe you merely download LR from the CC site onto your iMac and log in and off you go.
If the latter, download LR onto your Mac from the perpetual licence site (not the CC version), install it and use the same licence number as with your PC.

G4 won't boot up for new Mac user

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