Power Mac G5 Start-up failure

My Power Mac G5 2.O froze up yesterday and would not re-start since then..I press the start button and the machine powers on but will not progress any further than the Apple Grey screen and progress indicator.The fan/s also begin to race. On re-try the display has gone to a white screen with horizontal lines continuous&intermittent. I've taken the HDD's out and tested them via an external HDD on another machine, and they're intact & working at least. I've tried opening in "Safe" mode, but not possible. Re-set SMU, but no change. Checked RAM and re-set, no change. Managed to get the DVD/CD drive open and tried the System Install Disk, but still no access or re-sets possible. Incidentally, the Power supply unit was replaced in Jan07 after the old one failed & the machine has a UPS Device to protect power supply. I've reached the limit of my capability so am taking it it to Apple Authorised Service Center for further diagnosis/repair. Other threads indicate possible logic board failure or Video card..Understand this was a common issue with G5's along with Power unit failures.. either way if it's the case I reckon it would be expensive esp. as the machine is now out of warranty care. Any comments or suggestions appreciated?

Thanks for your reply. The HDD would spin up from manual start, chime, grey Apple screen with progress indicator then change to light blue screen at which point the HDD would cease activity.The fans would then begin to progressively race for about 5mins, then stop. Since my initial email I've taken the unit into the Apple Dealer and we tried remote access via a plug-in External HDD but it wouldn't work. Likewise the Install disc simply couldn't be prompted to spin up or re-set. We didn't get to try without the HDD unit in-situ, which is a shame.
Both HDD's I had in the machine were taken out, but this was to test the integrity of the data via an extenal unit. Both drives were intact and all data accessible.
That was all that could be done at the Dealer, so I then had to take the machine to an Authorised Apple Repair Centre and await to hear diagnosis from them expected after 3-4days..Meantime thanks for your ideas and suggestions. Seems the G5 has had a higher than average failure from the discussion forum, I just hope it's not a critical one on this occasion. I'll keep you posted.

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Power Mac G4 starts, gets to gray screen and shuts down

My Power Mac G4 will start up, but after it gets to the gray screen with the Apple and the spinning gear for a minute or so the computer shuts down. I have started the computer while holding down the "C" with the 10.4 OS disc in and used the Disk Utility to run First Aid. First Aid fails stating:
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I have attempted to start computer in safe mode but it just shuts down... no difference.

Faurot, welcome to Apple Discussions
You have directory corruption on your hard drive that Dusk Utility can't repair. DiskWarrior can probably fix your problem. DiskWarrior by Alsoft
http://www.alsoft.com/DiskWarrior/index.html
 Cheers, Tom

My Power Mac G3 Starts but has a box with a (?) in it

Hello I am new here and wanted to know what you guys think of this because i am not necessarily a mac pro.
When i start my Power Mac G3 All that comes up on my screen is a box with a question mark in it. What i think that means is that i need a new operating system for it but i don't really know that to think because i don't want to mess it up.
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Message was edited by: TyboyVisser

Hi TyboyVisser, and a warm welcome to the forums!
Close, it means it can't find a Driive to boot from..
Couple of things to try...
Hold the Option/alt key down at bootup, does anything show up eventually as a boot choice?
"Try Disk Utility
1. Insert your 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. (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 Utility checks and repairs the disk."
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106214
Then 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 finishes.
(If perchance you cant Find your Install Disk, at least do the Safe Boot part above).

Power Mac no start, no recognized HD

Hi, Sorry for my english.
My Power Mac G4 is not starting. There are two HD, If i restart by the first HD, it is not been recognized. If i restart for the second HD its stay processing and nothing happens.
How can i solve this problem?
Thanks

Try using Disk Utility to do a Disk Repair, as shown in this link, while booted up on your install disk. Do they show up there? Please check the S.M.A.R.T status also.
You could have some directory corruption. Let us know what errors Disk Utility reports and if DU was able to repair them.
Cheers!
DALE

Power Mac wont start up

My power mac G5 wont start up. When i turn it on it comes up with a message saying you need to restart you computer and a load of script drops down in the top left hand corner. I cant get past it and tried everything. This happens everytime i turn it on.
HELP!!!!!

Hi-
Welcome to Discussions!
Have you-
1- Removed/disconnected all devices, except for keyboard, mouse and monitor?
2- Checked your panic log? You can check the kernel panic log any time that you must force restart your computer, using either the power button, interrupt button, or the Control-Command-power key combination. The kernel panic text is added to the log the next time you restart the computer, assuming that you have not reset PRAM at the same time (the kernel panic text is stored in PRAM until you restart). The file is named "panic.log", and it is located on your startup disk at: /Library/Logs/.
The panic report is also the "script" that is displayed when the "restart your computer" message appears. A copy of the report would help.
3- Tried a "safe boot"? Hold down the "shift" key when starting.
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=107393
4- After checking the panic log, try resetting the PRAM:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=2238
What is a Kernel panic?
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106227
Resolving Kernel panics:
http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/kernelpanics.html
Isolate kernel panics:
http://macosg.com/group/viewtopic.php?t=800
If you can get to the panic log, possibly during a safe boot, record the log, especially everything after "backtrace":
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106228

Mac Pro Start up Failures: Fix

My Mac Pro 1.1 under OSX 10.7.5 just suffered from multiple start-up failures.
It would load it's system...the "loading clock" spun a while and then go to black. I still had cursor control and CD tray function.
I ran the system install disk, started a hardware diagnostic...and it repeatedly froze.
I thought I was fried......but without doing a hardware diagnostic...the system install disk could report all my components and memory.
I zapped the PRAM and still no joy. I finally checked the PRAM Battery..the CR2032 which had never been changed in 7 years.
I found another one in an Apple Remote I never use...swapped it out..and everything worked fine.
I've read that in some machines, a bad PRAM battery will cause a black screen.
Guess that's what I had.
If you have any startup issues, system loads and screen goes black...trying swapping the PRAM Battery.
Sounds easy. Took me about 3 hours and repeat startup failures to figure it out.
Are there any apps that check the PRAM Batterty to know they are starting to go bad?

Quick update: Had several more "freezes/crashes" after changing PRam battery.
Tracked it down to the Display Screen Saver.
When it launched into screen saver, it would freeze after a very short time.
I disabled the screensaver and adjusted my energy savings setting to just a few minites so know when i time sout...it goes to black.
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I ran diagnostics on the video card/memory and it passed with no problems.
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Power Mac G4 Start Up Help Needed

Hello All-
Our good old G4 Quicksilver is having some start up issues. Although we have multiple newer Macs for daily use, this tower still houses some older photos/music and is a great computer that we hope to keep running. It has a new hard drive and has been running well until yesterday.
On power up, two different things have been noted: sometimes a loud audible siren, followed by flashing power button, then black screen, then gray screen followed by the usual pleasant audible tone, then flashing file with face and question mark. Or, other times, boot up sounds normal after power on (ie, single pleasant tone), but still the gray screen with face/question mark folder.
After searching the support site, I've tried a few things as follows but to no avail:
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2. tried to boot into Safe Mode unsuccessfully using Apple techinical procedure
3. booted from original Mac OS X Install Disc (10.1), and successfully accessed/run Disk Utility --> First Aid --> able to see and select the existing HD --> Verified the HD (did not have option to run disc Repair, as no listing of problems appeared, just "HD verified"). No changes, though, after trying to restart after this.
What should I do next? I have my original Apple store purchased OS X Tiger CDs if I need to eventually do an archive and reinstall. It seems like the computer just needs to be re-told which OS (9 vs. 10) to boot from.
Thanks for any concise help that can be offered!
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Niel - I just tried Restart with Option key held down to no avail. Gray screen with blinking question mark folder.
When I did this maneuver, the install disc was still in the drive. I tried to eject it the way I got it in there in the first place: Control--Option--O--F at start up accessing Open Firmware and "eject cd" command (all which I had to do to remove a music CD to insert the OS X install CD earlier), but now I cannot seem to access Open Firmware - just the gray screen with question folder.
After either your suggested step or my attempt to go to OF, if I leave the gray screen with folder alone, that icon will change to the old Mac SE icon followed by an automatic boot to the Installer disc start screen.
What do you think?

Power mac g5 start up problems

i have a powermac g5 and it was working fine yesterday, now today i turned it on and it showed a world flashing icon and i waited forever but nothing happened... then my friend tried to start it and it did the same thing but this time it showed the flashing world icon which its blue then after awhile it showed a flashing question mark then it finally showed my desktop
i seriously need some help it is running even slower than ever

Hi there, it's having trouble with the Hard Disk.
Could be many things, we should start with this...
"Try Disk Utility
1. Insert the Mac OS X Tiger 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. (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 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.
(Safe boot may stay on the gray radian for a long time, let it go, it's trying to repair the Hard Drive.)
If perchance you can't find your install Disc, at least try it from the Safe Boot part onward.

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when the mac comes on it loads as normal then just stays on the white background with the apple sign and the spinning icon?

Brownie, I would first try a safe boot. http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1564
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Power Mac G5 won't start up and is beeping

Dear friends,
This morning, my Power Mac G5 started to beep. When I try to restart it, it beeps some more and also makes a clicking sound like a metronome.
The computer won't start up anymore. At startup, it displays a grey screen with a little folder in the center that flashes a question mark and a finder icon.
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Marnie

Marnie Glickman-
Could be a variety of things, but most likely your hard drive is not happy. The flashing question mark means that the system is trying to find a working disk with a valid system on it. Should be the hard drive. Isn't.
Launch from the install DVD of the latest OSX system you have. Under the Apple Menu should be the Disk Utility. Launch it and try repairing your hard drive and see if that does the trick.
If not we dig deeper into this excellent problem.
Luck-
-DaddyPaycheck

My power mac g5 wont install from the installation disc.

I really need help., Sorry, I am very new with mac computers. So sorry for my lack of knowledge/terms. My friend gave me her mac. She told me if i fix i can have it. Here is the problem...The power mac g5 starts up with the question mark folder thing. When I put in the installion disc in and hold down c, It has the apple logo and it gets stuck there forever. Then fan gets really loud.I recently put new ram in if that helps.

That should be the wrong Disc...
PowerMac G5 OS X 10.3.4 (Panther) Software Install DVD
Item #:
2Z691-5094-A 1000949
Compatible with eMac (ATI Graphics), eMac (1.0 GHz G4), eMac (USB 2.0), iBook ClamShell, iBook (Dual USB), iBook (Late 2001), iBook (14.1 LCD), iBook (16 VRAM), iBook (14.1 LCD 16 VRAM), iBook (Opaque 16 VRAM), iBook (32 VRAM), iBook (14.1 LCD 32 VRAM), iBook (800/900 MHz 32 VRAM), iBook (14.1 LCD 900MHz 32 VRAM), Except - iBook G4 (Mid 2005), all iMac Flavor, all iMac Flat Panel, iMac G5 (17-inch), iMac G5 (20-inch), Mac Mini (original), Power Macintosh G3, Macintosh Server G3, Power Mac G4 & Macintosh Server G4 - all models, Power Mac G5--all models Except - (Power Mac G5 (Early 2005), Power Mac G5 (Late 2005), PowerBook G3 (Bronze Keyboard), PowerBook G4 - all models Except - PowerBook G4 (Double-Layer SD), Xserve G5, Xserve G5 (Cluster Node), Xserve G5 (January 2005), Xserve G5 (January 2005 Cluster Node)
http://www.welovemacs.com/2z6915094a.html
a1177 is Late 2005 G5.
I see japamac already posted.

Power Failure....Mac wont start... is it PRAM battery??

please help!!
I have a Power Mac G4 which worked perfectly until last night.
We lost power in my whole town.
now the computer won't start. no chime, no power button light... no disks spining or HD noises...
I immediately reset the PMU.
nothing happened.
I read somewhere that you could switch the breaker on the power supply... but I don't know how.
I'm hoping its either a that or I need a new PRAM battery??
on a related note, I have another mac I just upgraded everything on. Logic board, processor, power supply... it won't start up either. though it does make the chime sound and the HD does make noise when I attempt to turn it on. I mention this because I wonder if its the same problem on both machines??
please help!! I'm running out of macs to work on!!! *smacks head*
thank you so much!!

I read the tutorial and following the advice, was able to detirmine it was a bad power supply! I replaced that and now the first mac works great!! thanks:D
but could I ask you about the other mac?? It was a very old single processor G4. with the amber and green lights in the power and sleep button... It worked fine but super slow and needed help. So I upgraded the logic board and processor and power supply so it is now a dual 500 MHz processor.
It turns on, makes the greeting chime sound and I can hear the parts working inside... the problem is the power light does not turn on and there is no display... I even changed the video card to assure it was a working one... but nothing.
I reset the CUDA and have replaced the battery.... maybe I'm just not thinking straight and have forgot something??
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My Power Mac G5 goes into the power sving mode on the start up and screen stays blank. Monitor is OK. Help.....

I Hv a Power Mac G5. s soon as I power it on, the monitor (Lacie) screen flashes a message saying It has gone into Power Saving mode and the screen stays blank.
Once it happened before and was told to keep Command, option, P & R kes pressed while it is starting up and to keep it pressed untill it restarts. Tried that, but it does not work.
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It sounds like your video card is not coming up, as the monitor is indicating that it probably has no active video coming from the computer.
Two things to try:
First, does video come up in safe boot (hold the shift key down while powering up)?
Second, how old is the PRAM backup battery? While not a universal cause of video not coming up, we have seen reports of a weak PRAM backup battery being the cause of that failure. If the battery is more than a couple of years old, a replacement is a good and relatively inexpensive initial troubleshooting step. (My own theory is that at boot, the PRAM yields garbage data to the system which, in some cases, crashes a video driver or does other mischief.)
If the computer is otherwise coming up OK, that is to say, you power it up and it hasn't clicked itself off and after a few minutes the fans haven't ramped into high gear, which indicates that the system is actually up and running even without video output, then it is relatively likeley that the video card has failed and must be replaced.
One final thing to try would be a PMU or SMU reset (depending on where your G5 is in the progression of the model). Information on PMU is here and information on SMU is here.

Dual 1.8Gb power mac G5 won't start up. No chime or video.

I have a dual 1.8Gb power mac G5 that won't start up after the weekend. The computer was being run as a server using OSX 10.3. When my employee came in on Monday she said the fan was running full blast, but there was no video and the computer was totally unresponsive. The computer has been restarted with and without periferials plugged in, reset the PRAM and SMU/PMU/Cuda switch. Tried different monitor. I've put the hard drive in another G5 and it worked fine. I've also noticed that this computer does not click (sounds like a relay) when plugging/unplugging the power cord. I've always noticed my other G5 does this. Any ideas? I'd like to try and fix it myself and save the "Apple Authorized Service Provider" costs. Thanks!
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