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Chito · Dec 5, 1999, 04:10 PM

While transferring files via an ethernet connection my G4 crashed....fatal error....restart. It wouldn't restart....flashing question mark. So I figured I'd hosed my system file so I got out the cd that came with the g4. With the cd in and while holding the "C" key during startup it boots into open firmware. It says:
DEFAULT CATCH!, code=900 at SRR0: ff 818d70
SRR1:0000b030
No address property found!
No address property found!
To continue booting type "Mac-boot" and press return.
To shutdown type"shut-down" and press return.

OK....I type mac-boot and get flashing messages with a flashing question mark that say:
/pci/@d/pci-ata@1/ata-4@0/disk@0:5,\\:tbxi

/pci@8000000/pci-bridge@d/mac-10@5/ata-4@0/disk@0:5,\\tbxi

Next idea....using another mac I set up an external hard drive with OS9 and plug it into the G4....still nothing but a flashing question mark....and the same cryptic messages while trying to boot out of open firmware.

HELP!!!! It's a G4/400 Yikes, 128 ram, apple installed scsi card...everything just the same as the day apple shipped it to me....with the exception of the install of OS9.

Everything had been working fine up until this crash.

wlonh · Dec 5, 1999, 05:13 PM

what utilities CD's do you have?
have you tried TechTool or Norton or DiskWarrior?

Chito · Dec 5, 1999, 09:14 PM

The computer will not start with anything! Not any cd, not an external hard drive and of course not the internal ata hard drive.
I'm really lost on this one. I'm hoping someone can help me out.

wlonh · Dec 5, 1999, 10:11 PM

ok, i get it... no System Folder whatsoever will work regardless of where it resides... no boot happens.

i know it sounds lame, but try zapping the PRAM by holding down the Option-Command-P-R keys as your Mac starts up... hey, it is one of the first things suggested by an Apple TIL for your predicament... hold those keys down until you hear 5 chimes, then let it (hopefully) startup.

Chito · Dec 6, 1999, 07:23 AM

I tried zapping the PRAM but only held the keys until I heard one additional chime. When I get home I'll try it your way. I hope that works! Thanks

Chito · Dec 6, 1999, 05:54 PM

Zapping the PRAM till I heard 5 chimes didn't make any difference. It still won't recognize any system file.
Weird thing is that using the OS9 cd it'll do nothing....just like trying to use the hard drive. But, using the G4 cd it boots into open firmware.
Will be waiting for your next suggestion...thanks

wlonh · Dec 6, 1999, 06:52 PM

regrettably, I have no futher suggestions except to go to the Service Center nearest you... that Mac won't boot, period.

Unless someone hereabouts knows where the internal reset buttons are (two, I think, because of the NewWorld ROM), I sure don't know... and even so, I think you might be best served by high-tailing it to your friendly local Apple service center.

seanyepez · Dec 10, 1999, 11:46 PM

Chito,

I'm sorry to hear about your G4/400 Yikes! and its terrible fate. At this point, I have to agree with W and take it to a repair center. Perhaps your RAM is bad, or it may be a CPU/chipset problem. Regardless, an Apple authorized technician will be really effective bringing this back to life. If even the center can't fix it, send it back to Apple as a defective unit - they might send you a new one with the Rage Pro graphics!

Good luck,

- Sean Yepez

Dec 12, 1999, 12:14 PM

you didnt happen to do anything like...hmm... overclock the system prior to this "problem" did u?

Chito · Dec 13, 1999, 09:22 AM

It's at a repair center now.
No...no overclocking or anything like that. Other than to connect the thing to another mac via ethernet I've done nothing. When I get it back I'll let you know what they found....thanks for your input.

pastusza · Dec 13, 1999, 12:27 PM

Look on the bright side. You may get a Sawtooth motherboard as a replacement!

------------------
Andy Pastuszak
[email protected]

Chito · Dec 14, 1999, 05:53 PM

It's fixed! Bad mother board although they couldn't tell me exactlywhat had failed. Anyway it's running great again....and it's still a yikes machine :-(
Thanks to al for your suggestions

Dec 15, 1999, 09:43 PM

Your machine went into the OpenFirmware prompt (very UNIX like) and it was telling you that it couldn't find the path to the cdrom drive to boot from.

If you would have called Apple service by phone, my guess is that they could have given you the OF commands to boot it up.

Glad you got it fixed the old fashioned way in any event.

TATungseth · Dec 19, 1999, 02:21 AM

Same story here. My G4/ 450 is dead.
Everything seemed ok in the beginning, but it started to act wounded. System freezes for no reason, and it started to have problems booting. No hard drive spinup, would not read from the cd. But it would typically come up after a few tries. Then one day it wouldn't come up at all.
And this was after a whopping four days of use!
Nothing tech support advised me of got it going, so it went off to a repair center. The first thing they want to "try" is a new video card, but those are on indefinite backorder. It's been almost two weeks now with no news.
I've always been a loyal Apple customer, but I'm just a little worried that these may have gone out the door a little too fast. . . .
Any thoughts??? There was nothing nonstandard added to it, and I only opened it once to take a peek inside.