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Hi

a buddy just gave me 2 of his old g4 mac desktop (He hasn't used them in years)
but when i go to start one of them up it shows a pic of a folder in the middle of the screen with a ? mark then the ? mark changes to a face and then it changes back again etc.....

Don't even get me started on the other one

Thanks for any help
 
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i figured out that the harddrive was f'd.
any where i could get a cheap 1tb ide harddrive from.

Thanks for any help
 

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i figured out that the harddrive was f'd.
any where i could get a cheap 1tb ide harddrive from.

Thanks for any help

The "?" icon as D3v1L80Y pointed out...means that there is no OS installed on the computer.

So you need to install the OS...if you don't have OS install disks, then you need to purchase them.

As far as the hard drive being no good...are you sure...if so a bad hard drive will also cause the same "?" icon to show up.

Thus you will need a new or used working hard drive + OS install disks.

By the way...depending on what model PowerMac G4 you have, it may not be able to address a hard drive larger than 128 gig.

Hope this helps,

- Nick
 
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i figured out that the harddrive was f'd.
any where i could get a cheap 1tb ide harddrive from.

Thanks for any help

How come everyone wants to throw a honken HD into there machine. If you use an external drive for storage you get around the limit. You could have a whole rack of them. I have a Sun Blade with 3 HD's in it. Eventhough its SCSI for you old enough to know what SCSI is. I got it at the Thrift store like for $4.00. You work with what you got.:)
 
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The "?" icon as D3v1L80Y pointed out...means that there is no OS installed on the computer.

So you need to install the OS...if you don't have OS install disks, then you need to purchase them.

As far as the hard drive being no good...are you sure...if so a bad hard drive will also cause the same "?" icon to show up.

Thus you will need a new or used working hard drive + OS install disks.

By the way...depending on what model PowerMac G4 you have, it may not be able to address a hard drive larger than 128 gig.

Hope this helps,

- Nick

yeah its def the harddrive check it in my other computer and it is making some weird noises.
if i put partitions in a harddrive thats is larger than 128g will the com be able to pick it up then.

Thanks for the help lads
 

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if i put partitions in a harddrive thats is larger than 128g will the com be able to pick it up then.

Thanks for the help lads

My "gut" reaction is I don't think so...since before you partition it the computer would have to recognize that it is a 1 terabyte drive...so that you could partition it properly into 128gig segments.

If you really need that much storage, I think that you hay have to live with multiple internal & external hard drives smaller than 128gig.

BTW...you never told us what model G4 Powermac you have...if it's a newer one...it may support larger than 128gig drives.

- Nick
 
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My "gut" reaction is I don't think so...since before you partition it the computer would have to recognize that it is a 1 terabyte drive...so that you could partition it properly into 128gig segments.

If you really need that much storage, I think that you hay have to live with multiple internal & external hard drives smaller than 128gig.

BTW...you never told us what model G4 Powermac you have...if it's a newer one...it may support larger than 128gig drives.

- Nick

alrite i'll just get an big external harddrive instead.

i was going to buy this one "http://cgi.ebay.ie/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170387977607&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT" i'm assuming this will work well only 128g of it.
 

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alrite i'll just get an big external harddrive instead.

Ok...this is the 3rd time I'm asking this question, What model G4 Powermac do you have?

Some of the Powermac G4's could address hard drives larger than 128gig...but I can't tell you for sure unless you provide the info.

Just trying to help you out,:)

- Nick
 

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The "Graphite" Power Mac G4
i don't know the specs of it as i can get it on.

If by "Graphite" you mean the color...then there is a very good chance that it may be able to address a hard drive bigger than 128gig. But knowing the processor speed would help narrow things down further.

This is why I was asking what model G4 you had...because it makes a difference! Thus we could have eliminated much of the "guessing dialog" so far in this thread.

Hope this helps,:)

- Nick
 

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The "Graphite" Power Mac G4
i don't know the specs of it as i can get it on.

By the way...I do understand that it's hard for you to know what the CPU speed is on this G4...since your hard drive is busted...and thus cannot access the system.

There usually is a label on the back or on the inside of the computer that lists the specs of the computer as it was shipped.

Hope this helps,

- Nick
 
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If by "Graphite" you mean the color...then there is a very good chance that it may be able to address a hard drive bigger than 128gig. But knowing the processor speed would help narrow things down further.

This is why I was asking what model G4 you had...because it makes a difference! Thus we could have eliminated much of the "guessing dialog" so far in this thread.

Hope this helps,:)

- Nick

ok on this page Help Me Find My Mac. it is the mac g4 call PowerMac G4
Digital Audio.
sorry don't know the speed of it or anything.
i don't think it will be able to use more that 128g of the harddrive cuz i remembered that when i had my mac g4 quicksilver Dual 800mhz working. that i was unable to use more than 128g of the harddrive i had in it. and since that model came out after this one i would asume it would be the same(correct me if i am wrong)

so will that harddrive in my earlier post work on this mac.
I think it will anyway but just want to be sure.
i don't really care if it only is able to use just 128g of it.

P.s THANKS for all the help
 

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ok on this page Help Me Find My Mac. it is the mac g4 call PowerMac G4
Digital Audio.
sorry don't know the speed of it or anything.

I thought you said it was "Graphite"...the Digital Audio G4 has a "teal" or blueish color front & accents..

If you had a 733mhz Quicksilver or faster G4...it is supposed to be able to address hard drives larger than 128gig...if you are running OS 10.2 or higher.

If it's a 733mhz Digital Audio or older/slower...than we are back to the 128gig hard drive limit.

Sorry,:(

- Nick
 
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ok but will that harddrive work in my com. i don't care if i can use all of drive or not i just want to know will i at least be able to get to use 128g of that harddrive
 
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I thought you said it was "Graphite"...the Digital Audio G4 has a "teal" or blueish color front & accents..

If you had a 733mhz Quicksilver or faster G4...it is supposed to be able to address hard drives larger than 128gig...if you are running OS 10.2 or higher.

If it's a 733mhz Digital Audio or older/slower...than we are back to the 128gig hard drive limit.

Sorry,:(

- Nick

well i was running tiger and i was still only able to use 128g of the harddrive in that quicksilver and it was def the dual 800 processor one.

ok but will that harddrive work in this Digital Audio G4. i don't care if i can use all of drive or not i just want to know will i at least be able to get to use 128g of that harddrive???????
 

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ok but will that harddrive work in my com. i don't care if i can use all of drive or not i just want to know will i at least be able to get to use 128g of that harddrive

I'm not 100% sure...I have not tried putting a hard drive larger than 128 gig into a G4 Powermac that wasn't supposed to address it. I think that if you purchased that 250gig & it did not work, you would be pretty upset.:(

Why not try & purchase a hard drive smaller than 128 gig...maybe it will cost you less than the 250 gig you were looking at.

- Nick
 
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I'm not 100% sure...I have not tried putting a hard drive larger than 128 gig into a G4 Powermac that wasn't supposed to address it. I think that if you purchased that 250gig & it did not work, you would be pretty upset.:(

Why not try & purchase a hard drive smaller than 128 gig...maybe it will cost you less than the 250 gig you were looking at.

- Nick
basicly cos its so cheap is why i'm buying it most 80gb on ebay cost more than that and in the future it would be handy to have that size cuz if i ever stop using that pc like i stopped using my quicksilver i can use that hard drive in another computer. harddrives bigger that 128gb will work in the computer as they did in my quicksilver. all i want to know is to the best of your knowlegde would that harddrive be compatible with my mac. is it the right connect write speed. etc if it doesnot work i not going to blame you i just want to know is there any other reason other than it being bigger that 128g that you can not see it working.

p.s how do i delete a post i can't find the delete button when i go to edit/delete
 

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basicly cos its so cheap is why i'm buying it most 80gb on ebay cost more than that and in the future it would be handy to have that size cuz if i ever stop using that pc like i stopped using my quicksilver i can use that hard drive in another computer. harddrives bigger that 128gb will work in the computer as they did in my quicksilver. all i want to know is to the best of your knowlegde would that harddrive be compatible with my mac. is it the right connect write speed. etc if it doesnot work i not going to blame you i just want to know is there any other reason other than it being bigger that 128g that you can not see it working.

Yes it makes sense to get the 250 for the flexibility of swapping it into another computer in the future...but what if it doesn't work in the G4?:(

It's probably safer to purchase <128gig so you are sure it will work. I know that those smaller drivers cost more (gig's/$ or £)...but sometimes ya gotta do what ya gotta do!;)

- Nick
 
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i just want to know is there any other reason other than it being bigger that 128g that you can not see it working.

its a yes no or i don't know question
 

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