Powerbook Lombard starts to the gray Apple - and that is ALL

Question

My Lombard had 10.3.9 loaded on it for over a year with no hardware or other modifications. Then yesterday, I stupidly allowed Software Update to install a bunch of updates, including several security updates, itunes, and a few more. Anyway, after a little while, the computer crashed and, when I tried to restart it, all I got was the grey screen with the apple -- no spinning ball, nothing.
I have tried a lot of different things to fix this including:
- reset pram (ctrl-option-p-r)
- reset power management (reset button on back)
- boot into single user (Apple - S) did not work, would not boot into single user so no fsck
- boot into verbose (Apple - V) did not work
- load emergency OSX disc that I made -- wouldn't load
I was able to boot onto an OS 9 emergency disk, but that really only got me to the point of trying to boot into the OS 9 partition that I had on the hard drive. I selected it in Startup Disc, but no go.
So, after all this, I decided to take the HD out of the Lombard and plug it into my G4 Powerbook via USB drive. Using Disc Utility I repaired the disc (actually no repairs were needed) and the permissions, put it back into the Lombard. . . . and . . . . nothing. Same gray screen with the darker gray Apple.
So, I tried to wipe the OSX partition from the HD and reinstall OS X on it. I used Carbon Copy Cloner to copy my 10.4.3 partition from my G4 Powerbook. This worked fine, but when I plugged the HD back into the Lombard . . . . nothing.
I am pretty much out of ideas. Please help!!!
[Also, if you know, what is the name of the screw that holds in the HD to the cage on a Lombard. I need to get a screwdriver for that so I swap in another HD that I have to make sure that the HD I'm using isn't the problem (but Disc Utility says its fine and it reads fine via USB).]

Answer 1

M B1,
The prohibitory sign when booting to an OSX CD suggests a hardware issue. Here is the article on the prohibitory sign when booting to the HD:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106805
Here is an article on a no-start to CD (your issue):
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=88152
A few suggestions:
-I don't think the HD is a problem since you have zeroed/tested/installed 9.x/booted it successfully; something else is causing the boot to CD to fail.
-When you are booted to 9.x (HD or CD), open the System Profiler under the Apple menu and report what memory you have installed. You need at least 128MB and it can be split between the two RAM slots or all in the top or bottom.
-Check to see if the backside L2 cache memory is reported in the Profiler; you should have either 512K or 1MB depending on whether you have the 333MHz or 400MHz CPU. Also, cold boot (not restart) to 9.x, either from the HD or CD; if the L2 cache is damaged, you may get a warning dialogue at startup.
-You may have a Lombard with a microprocessor card that has this known issue: 9.x will run fine with the max of 512MB (2x256) but 10.x will fail with memory in the top slot. Leaving the top slot empty and using a 256MB module in the bottom allows 10.x to run normally. Please download and run this 9.x utility:
PPC Checker
http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/G3CARDS/PPCchecker/
If this utility reports this...
PowerPC 750L (LoneStar, Rev2.2) Copper G3 PVR = 0x00088202
...then you have the CPU that cannot run RAM in the top slot.
-If you do not have the bad CPU and since you removed the top RAM module, you may have a bad bottom module. OSX is more sensitive to marginal RAM; 9.x may run fine but 10.x will complain.
-The bottom memory slot requires a low-profile module (1.5" or less, measured from the pins to the opposite edge). The top slot can take a standard-height module (2.0") or low-profile. Lift out the microprocessor card (very easy to do), turn it over and remove the bottom module. Replace the microprocessor card with the bottom slot empty and reinstall the RAM module that originally populated the top slot if it is at least 128MB in size. This will remove the question of a bad lower RAM card.
-MacOS 9.x's Drive Setup can fully prep the HD for both 9.x and 10.x; either is acceptable. I don't believe you need to zero again since it passed Test Disk in Drive Setup. (Don't use Disk First Aid.) When you initialize (erase the HD), you are given the option of HFS Standard or Extended; you want HFS+ (aka MacOS Extended). This is all you have to do when using 9.x's Drive Setup, located in the Utilities folder on the CD.