[andrewmac]

Hello, I've inherited a PowerPC G5 desktop mac from my work predecessor, running OSX 10.3.9 with 512Mb DDR SDRAM.. and after 3 months of it working just fine, this morning, it switches on but doesn't chime. It also never makes it to the log-in screen and the cd rom drive does not react.

After a while (5mins or so) the fans come on full pelt.

The only response i've managed to get from it, to my tries of the Command etc functions is to get it to bring up two icons on screen when i start the Mac up but with the Option key pressed.

The icons, on a light-blue-ish background resembles a browser's 'refresh' icon and then there's one that resembles a 'forward' or 'next' button.

Neither can be clicked on as the mouse nor keyboard responds to any other key presses.

Seriously stuck,

Andrew (listening to the fans)

[Big Mac]

I don't know why there's no startup sound, but the fact that you can get to the startup drive selector is better than nothing. It sounds like the hard drive crashed. There are ways to get the DVD drive open. You can push the metal cover down with your fingers and then use a paper clip to open the drive manually, or you can do it by booting into Open Firmware. You could also connect an external OS X drive, or you could put the G5 into Firewire Target Disk Mode and mount its drive on another Mac.

[andrewmac]

thanks Big Mac.

Unfortunately the paperclip idea hasn't worked - the drive remains closed which is annoying as i was hoping it would.

I'm on our other identical Mac at the moment, except it doesn't have all the apps i need.

[experimental]

Disconnect from power, open it up, check all connections carefully. Reset PMU on motherboard.
Read here first....
Apple - Support - Power Mac G5