pmac G4, osx 10.2, fcp3, 4 hds internal, editor not very good with computers

After a hiatus, went to turn mac on and it didn't, was told to zap the pram, which still didn't turn it on.

What should I try next?

I know I have old stuff, however this is a very long suffering project.

Thanks for your help

You need to start it up with an OS disk, preferably the one that came with it. Then go to Disk Utility and run it. If you cant find that disk, use Disk Warrior.

Michael Horton
-------------------

It's good to be compulsive here.

[docs.info.apple.com]

The machine turns on, but you don't get the Apple icon? Does the machine chime? Does the screen do anything?

Can you tell if the fans are turning on the back?

I think if you hold the mouse button when you restart, the CD will eject. Put the startup disk in and then restart.

Koz

Restarting will take a while, but the installer will come up and you can select Disk Utilities from there. Count the disks. If you're missing one, then the disk may have failed and that's why the machine won't start.

If they're all listed, do a Disk Verify.

Koz

<<[www.memtestosx.org];

Here it is. It's a pain in the butt to use because in order to test the maximum amount of memory, it has to not run the Mac window manager. No mouse. No fancy pictures.

It does have clear instructions if you don't happen to be versed in UNIX Single User Mode.

I am reminded that there is also a machine diagnostic buried on the Startup CDs. That will take a little more research.

Koz

<<<I am reminded that there is also a machine diagnostic buried on the Startup CDs. >>>

I'm remembering this was a pain in the butt last time I went to look for it. Still searching.


The trick with the memory tester is to run it repeatedly overnight. The tester runs a suite of tests one after the other to "trick" the memory into failing. It's not unusual for only one of the ten or so tests to develop problems. There is almost always a loop mode you get into where the test simply doesn't ever stop until you press a button.

It's not just a memory tester. In order for the memory to work, all the basic machine services need to work--the CPU, the power supplies, the system board, etc.

These tests are trivial fluff to a healthy machine with good memory.

Koz

Thanks Michael,
Not at the G4 now, and didn't see a relative load it initially, but should have disc.

But, it started doing this by not mounting a dvd to play, so how will it take the OS disc.

The apple logo comes up along w/second hand clock but then goes black. The mouse arrow is there.

Thanks

Try a safe boot and see if anything opens. If it doesnt then it might be a power supply failure or your HD is toast.

Restart, hold shift key down, run Disk Utility.

Michael Horton
-------------------

Thank you Michael Horton!

It came up! Wow!
I feel like I am missing the ?Rosetta Stone? here, or could you be the only person who knows this stuff? I cannot find this ?safe boot? in any of my manuals. Could I be missing some manual?
I ran disk utilities, and it told that my system disk was checked out on start up? Did it really? And ran, or think I did, the other 3 internal drives, which were also pronounced verified and ok.
However, now the application column lists have come up a seemingly ? too deep, where the horizontal pan blue bottom bar is totally cropped off the monitor, and since it cannot be raised any higher, now bumping the top, what do I have to do to be able to see the cropped off portions? My manuals don?t seem to say, or I don?t know where to look, or missing some other manual. Is the lower right size control cropped off, and if so, how can I make the application column sheet smaller?
Or, am I expected to just know this?
For a dyslectic, Apples manuals seem to be woefully inadequate. And have never gotten any good specific answer from Apple Help. I would have never thought to ask for ?safe boot?.
Really appreciate your kind help, but for us computer stupid people, wish you could be less professionally brief and more ?connect the dots? explicit. Like didn?t know when to let ?shift? go. Or if disk utility did it right.
Thanks again! Crossing my fingers for the next start.

<<<you could be less professionally brief and more ?connect the dots? explicit. >>>

That's always a juggling act. If we do the "press this button" thing every time we answer a question, we could retire typing three responses. The Brief Answer is for the person who smacks their forehead with their hand and says, "Of course....thanks," and they're flying. It's stunningly efficient.

If you need more pointed instructions, ask. We hate losing a user.

We sometimes draw the line at the "How do you edit" question and ALL UPPER CASE drives us nuts.

Occasional spaces in your postings would make that a little easier to read.


Screen management:

When your machine woke up and started working, do you know if it's running at the same screen "size" it was when it left?

Apple > System Preferences > Hardware > Display. If the system is in serious trouble, sometimes it will default to a smaller screen size as being easier to handle. That will make Final Cut crazy as the tools won't fit on the new screen any more.

Final Cut > Window > Arrange > Standard. That should snap your Final Cut to fit the windows you have.

Koz

Thanks Koz,
Will attempt to get my screens back.

I really value LAFCPUG too.

"Occasional spaces make it easier.." Sorry, typed at home on word, it looked pretty legible, looks like that got lost in translation.

Being an ex- graphic designer, LAFCPUG column width for type size is toward the extreme and could benefit with more 'leading'.

Will try and compensate in future.

Thanks for your help!

Quote
Being an ex- graphic designer, LAFCPUG column width for type size is toward the extreme and could benefit with more 'leading'

Its sort of one size fits all. However YOU have to resize to a smaller window if you want a smaller message area. Check out this forum on an iPhone and a 30inch monitor.

Michael Horton
-------------------

Will only restart on ?safe boot?

Thanks Koz, Michael,

It will not start regular, it ?bongs?, logo, and 'second clock', between 34-60 sec. Then it goes black.

Tried to bring it up, as said, again on ?safe boot?, it did, blue screen and white menu, then went to Disk utilities again ?First aid, 3 HDs ran ?Verify disk, and Repair?. The start up disk ran ?verify permissions and repair Disk Permissions?.

Do not have ?Disk Warrior.
But have original cd?s; ?Apple Hardware Test? Power Mac G4, and P-Mac G4 Install Disks 1&2, P-Mac Software Restore Disks 1 through 4.

And from Apple genius desk; a cd containing FCP3.0.4, ?Drive Genius? and ?Data Rescue II?. And another containing ?Mac Defrag/Nesting etc?. Would any of these help?

Changed menu size from greyed bar 800X600, 60 Hz to a smaller 640X480, 60Hz so I can see bottom blue horizontal pan bar, this was much larger still, and had to go to 1024x768, 60 Hz, which at least shows whole menu including bottom blue pan bar, surprised the larger #s made it smaller.

Thanks

Koz, Michael,

Sorry for repeating, but it didn't go to new and maybe everyone passed it.


It will not start regular, it ?bongs?, logo and second clock, between 34-60 sec. Then it goes black.


Tried to bring it up, as said, again on ?safe boot?, it did, blue screen and white menu, then went to Disk utilities again ?First aid, 3 HDs ran ?Verify disk, and Repair?. The start up disk ran ?verify permissions and repair Disk Permissions?.


Do not have ?Disk Warrior.
But have original cd?s; ?Apple Hardware Test? Power Mac G4, and P-Mac G4 Install Disks 1&2, P-Mac Software Restore Disks 1 through 4.


And from Apple genius desk; a cd containing FCP3.0.4, ?Drive Genius? and ?Data Rescue II?. And another containing ?Mac Defrag/Nesting etc?. Would any of these help?

And would the machine have to start on the cd, or be already up in the Apple menu? Never would have done this before.

Thank you

I find that the Apple Genius Bar "Geniuses" aren't so smart when dealing with video rigs & their issues. The ones I have dealt with in the past always said "I'll be right back" and asked someone else to help them.

Sorry, man...you're gonna have to pony up for the defacto standard Disk Warrior (4) & boot from that. It's the next logical step in troubleshooting - it fixes a lot of issues other programs can't. It saved my a** more than a few dozen times - best $99.95 ever spent:

[www.alsoft.com]

When life gives you dilemmas...make dilemmanade.