IBook intermittently boots then resets or only starts in open firmware

Hi everyone,
I've been using my iBook G4 (aka my baby ) since purchasing in feb 06. Never had an issue with it, treated it better than anything else I've ever had and it give me trouble. until now.
basically after shutting it donw friday evening i tried to start it up yesterday and when it reached log in, I did so and go a black box center screen informing me to restart by holding down the power button. Each log in attempt (sometimes this occured when the 'starting MAC OS X' popup appeared) gave this problem. Eventually I could log in albeit for 2 mins before the 'please restart'.
I checked the Apple hardware test and extended test showed no issues. I then couldn't tried to boot up but was presented with the 'folder/ ? mark' icon. So, using install discs I tried a disk repair as per Apple manual and it did get one illegal case which was then repaired.
Rebooting then presented me with a white screen with the words 'open firmware.....illegal instruction at %SRR0' date and time included. last words were reducing power 'type Mac-boot' to boot; 'shut-down' to shut down.
mac-boot just brings me to the folder icon. What is funny is that if i switch it off for 30 mins or so and try again, i can log in although not for long.
last night a friend accessed my HD using targetted firewire mode and backed up my data so that's all covered. After he did this i booted up to show him the problem and it worked fine. in fact we had several iTunes vids running, my iPhoto library open and it worked fine. Even the CPU load was nothing to cause concern. So I rebooted and......open firmware.
has anyone here had this same issue with an iBook and knows what the root of the issue is? I've seen some reports of Airport drivers etc etc but nothing changed from Saturday to Sunday. no updates, no new software.
Worst thing is that it's only just over 1 year old and is not in warranty. I'm taking it to an authorized apple service place tonight but any input for you guys on here would be me much appreciated.
Thanks,
Phill
p.S Sorry for the long post, just wanted to include all info.
iBook g4 14 inch, 1Bg RAM, 80Gb HD Mac OS X (10.4.8)

hi Phill,
I saw your posting, and I seem to be having a similar problem with my powerbook. Did you ever solve your issues?

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IMac G3 won't boot - starts in Open Firmware

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Is this a tray or slot loading iMac?
I'll assume slot.
I forget what booting into open firmware signifies. :-(
It does seem like a reset situation.
Sometimes if volumes don't appear in Startup Manager (what you get when you hold down the Option key at startup), you need to reset the Mac's PRAM, NVRAM, and Open Firmware. Shut down the Mac, then power it up, and before the screen lights up, quickly hold down the Command, Option, P, and R keys, until the Mac has chimed twice more after the powerup chime. Then, before the screen lights up, hold down Command-Option-O-F until the Open Firmware screen appears. Then enter these lines, pressing Return after each one:
reset-nvram
set-defaults
reset-all
"The reset-all command should restart your Mac. If so, you have successfully reset the Open Firmware settings."
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1812?viewlocale=en_US
How to eject a cd from the internal cd drive:
eject cd
List of devices:
devalias
List of variables:
printenv
( nvram is the equivalent Mac OS X terminal command. )
Resetting your Mac's PRAM and NVRAM
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1379
reset the PMU
http://mrjcd.com/junk/PMU.jpg
for slot loaders.
Try holding down the option key then power on. This brings up the startup manager. Click on your cd. Click on right arrow key.
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Starts in Open Firmware. No OS

Short story,
When I turn on the Pismo, I get open firmware. I beleive the Hard Drive was formatted, and maybe partitioned eternally through a PC program called Macdrive. I have the software Restore Disc, and the software Install Disc. Neither will boot. I have reset the Pram, and Nvram through open firmware. All i get is a blinking '?' on Boot. How can i install the OS 9 back on this Mac?
Long Story,
I was given two G3 Pismo's and told to wipe them clean, and donate them. They would not powerup, as they had been sitting a long time. I took the hard drives out, and cleaned them (deleted files that seemed private) with a PC program called Macdrive. I then learned to Unplug the Pram Battery and this would powerup the Mac, and then boot to OS 9.1. I can't remember, but I may have used Macdrive to Reformat and/or Repartition the Hard drive.
I then became hooked on Mac, and decided to keep one of them. Now when I power it up, I end up getting open firmware, and I cannot boot into OS 9.1 I'm not familiar with Mac Commands, so how can I boot from the Software CD?
Holding down C while powerup does not work.

slow horse,
Until the issue of why you are booting into OF is solved, installing a fresh OS on the HD will not help; the boot into OF occurs long before any software loads. A normal cold start will produce the startup chime, then the raster (gray screen), then either a flashing '?' (no bootable volume found) or it starts to load the OS. I don't know why you are getting into OF. If the powerbook worked normally before you removed the HD, remove it again (and leave it out), then see if you can start to a normal startup chime and get to the flashing '?'. If you can, then see if it will boot a CD. If this is a successful test, then something may be wrong with the HD and/or HD ribbon cable.
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http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=31204
If you cannot boot to the CDs, you can connect the Pismo to your iBook via FireWire Target Disk Mode:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=58583
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If you have access to a FireWire CDRW or DVD burner, you can in most cases boot to a CD or DVD when connecting to the Pismo's FireWire port. Use the option key startup in this case.
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3. You can also use the iBook's System CDs to install software on the Pismo's HD. Depending on what version software came with the iBook:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=42929
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firstfrost,
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1. Start computer (chime sound)
2. Apple logo on grey background appears
3. Spinning wheel below Logo appears
4. Screen flicker, big vertical zigzag appears, black screen (backlight is on)
5. Shift key work (led on/off)
6. Num Lock key works (led on/off)
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Markus:
Run Hardware test over DVD - Diagnostics all fine (Screen fine all the time, running through all diagnostics)
Your issues seems rather strange. From the statement quoted above, am I to understand that when you boot from the Apple Hardware Test disk you are able to see the tests running on the monitor, but when you attempt booting from the install disk you cannot see anything on the monitor? If that is so, it seems rather odd that you can boot from one and not from the other.
Mounted iBook drive as external drive with target mode - Other computer boots fine with iBook drive.
When you booted in FW-TDM which computer was Target and which was host? Sounds like you were able to use the iBook as the host computer with the other as Target. Try it the other way around with the iBook in Target Mode and the other computer as Host. Then launch Disk Utility and run Repair Disk on the iBook, selecting the iBook's HDD (manufacturer's ID) in the sidebar. Post back with results. If you are able to do so download and run SMART Utility - 2.0.2 for a reading on the HDD. I am not sure if it will work with the iBook as a FW drive, but it gives more information about the HDD than Disk Utility, which only gives a Verified or Failed status.
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cornelius

My iPOD 30 GB classic has no sound. Screen shows music is playing but cannot hear it. This happenend last fall, and then in december it started playing again. Recently it has stopped playing again. What causes this?

My IPOD 30 GB classic has no sound. THis problem started last summer intermittently. THen in December it started playing again and did so for about 3 months without a problem. Again, recently the sound stopped coming from the ipod. I usually use a BOSE docking station that seems to be working fine. THe screen indicates that the songs are playing, but there is no sound, either thru headphones or on the docking station. I have reset, rebooted and restored and still no sound. What causes this to happen and is there a fix?

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After you did the Archive and Install did you remember to delete the Previous System(s) folder which would have been created when you did the Archive and Install?
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Select the named boot volume in the left sidebar ("Macintosh HD" unless you've renamed it). What is the hard drive capacity and how much space remains available on it? Repair permissions on it.
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You could see if it will boot into Safe Mode. This will take quite awhile longer than a normal startup because it does a file check and repair of the hard disk.
If this works you will see your normal desktop. Once completely started up in Safe Mode, try to restart normally, and go to Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility. Click on the top hard drive icon in the left sidebar and note the S.M.A.R.T. status at the bottom right of the pane. What does it say?
Select the named boot volume in the left sidebar, ("Macintosh HD" unless you've renamed it). What is the hard drive capacity and how much space remains available on it? Repair permissions on it.
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Working with my 2 FireWire HD i had a crash. the only way to start was a safe start. then id maged to start from a DVD and install a MAC OS 10.3 wich ran 4 some time then the same problem only safeMode. kernel panic inserted the tech tool DVD

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panic(cpu 0 caller =xffff0003): 0x300 - Data access
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proceeding back via exception chain:
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0x003496EC 0x0034B59C 0x0034A6BC 0x000B1DD4
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dependency: com.apple.iokit.I0FireWireFamily(3.4.7)00x270dd000
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so what
greetings from berlin

Greetings,
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One way to test is to Safe Boot from the HD, (holding Shift key down at bootup), run Disk Utility in Applications>Utilities, then highlight your drive, click on Repair Permissions, Test for problem in Safe Mode...
PS. Safe boot may stay on the gray radian for a long time, let it go, it's trying to repair the Hard Drive
Reboot, test again.
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http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1455
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Hi
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IBook intermittently boots then resets or only starts in open firmware

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