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You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Mac Desktops > The dreaded blinking question mark

The dreaded blinking question mark
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Mauser
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Join Date: Dec 2005
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Dec 21, 2005, 02:03 PM
 
Hello,

I have a B&W G3 with OS9, 400mhz, 256 ram and a teac 255 cd burner. Was burning a cd and I got a bomb with a prompt to restart. I restsrted and all I get is the dredded blinking question mark. Zapped the PRAM to no avail. Tried to reboot from the cd drive, no luck. also changed to a cd rom drive and tried to reboot, no luck. Changed to a dvd rom drive and rebooted, no luck.
Finally took the HDD out of my other B&W and swapped it with the existing one. Shut down and restarted and it came up fine, no problem. Switched the HDD's back to their original position and started up again. That dredded blinking question mark again. Tried a third HDD and still a blinking question mark. If anyone has any advice as what to do, please let me know. I'm really not sure what to do now. Thanks for your help.

Mauser
     
bgordon
Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Manhattan, NY
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Dec 21, 2005, 03:29 PM
 
I would try resetting the motherboard by pressing the CUDA switch for 15 seconds. Here's where it's located:

Where is the CUDA Switch?

* On Blue and Whites they are left of the processor and there are two. One really isn't a CUDA it is a reset. The CUDA is on the left as you are facing the front of the computer.


Of course, I make no claim as to whether this will work or not, try at your own risk, yadda yadda yadda....

Other than that....make sure the RAM is seated properly (maybe it got worked loose somehow).....make sure your jumper settings are correct on the HD (of course, if it was working before, this probably isn't the problem)....other than those things, I don't know what else to tell you.

- bgordon
     
wondermac
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Join Date: Nov 2005
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Dec 21, 2005, 05:57 PM
 
Hi, You can use a system install/restore disk to boot from after you see the blinking ?, then when system finishes booting to the desktop you can go to the apple icon-control panels and select the startup control panel and select your system. That should allow you to reboot back into your system. This has happened to me when in os 9 and it works everytime. I think the blinking ? occurs when the computer doesn't shut down properly and there is damage to the disk directory. You also might try repairing your disk after with disk utility or some other program afterward. I hope helps.

-wondermac-
     
   
 
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