[Kaps]

How do you start up an original clamshell iBook with a broken cd drive and no system on the hard drive. I have an external USB cd drive and USB external hard drive, but you can't boot up through USB. There is no firewire port, so I can't start up in target disk mode or hook my firewire hard drive to it.

Thanks.

[Tuoder]

hmmmmm, not sure if you can. Maybe, if you were willing to learn open firmware commands. If holding "C" doesn't work, I'd say pull the HDD, buy a laptop IDE to IDE adapter, drop an OS on it from another computer, and go to town. If you can't do that, you could try buying a messed up mactop off of eBay and doing a HDD (from similar model) and/or CD transplant (from very similar model).

[Dr.Michael]

I agree. The only way I see is to replace the internal cd drive.
wegenermedia offers replacement parts or even CD RW updates: http://www.wegenermedia.com/ibookp.htm

[hookem2oo7]

i know that my clamshell booted perfectly when i swapped the 40gb drive from my ibook g4 that had 10.4.3 into it. any mac's hd should swap right in and allow it to boot, but taking apart the clamshell can be a pita. I suggest replacing the optical drive as was recommended by dr.michael, that way, if something ever happens again you'll be able to fix it without tearing the machine down again

[Kaps]

Sorry for the delay in responding. It looks like I'll have to open it up (which I have no problem doing, but I try to avoid if I can).

Thanks for all of the advice!

[lilford]

There are very useful guides at ifixit.com that should assist you in taking apart your ibook if you have any questions about it. Post back if you can't get it to work or if it really screws it up.