Save my iMac!

Can anyone help me save my iMac G3?

It was running OSX 10.1 fine. Then we switched to 10.2... Software Update ran then froze and crashed the whole thing! Now all we can ever get is the flashing finder folder/question mark thing!

I've tried many things but although when I run Disk Utility from a full OS10 install disc it "sees" the hard drive (albeit unformatted) it will not allow it to be fixed in Disk First Aid, no available buttons to press. Attempting to erase the HD and do a clean install causes it to freeze on a progress bar saying something about partition maps.

I've tried making a startup disk, using my ipod as one etc but nothing will allow me to access the HD!

Any help would be much appreciated!

Thanks

Did an Apple hardware test CD come with your iMac? Try running that. If you don't have one, take the drive out of the machine, hook it up to a PC, and run a diagnostic from the drive manufacturers website. If the partition table is messed up, write all zero's to the disk via a low level format, then try to reinstall tiger. Since the machine boots off of a CD, you'd have to assume hard drive.

Hmm

Harryc said:

Did an Apple hardware test CD come with your iMac? Try running that. If you don't have one, take the drive out of the machine, hook it up to a PC, and run a diagnostic from the drive manufacturers website. If the partition table is messed up, write all zero's to the disk via a low level format, then try to reinstall tiger. Since the machine boots off of a CD, you'd have to assume hard drive.

Click to expand...

I can't find a hardware test CD for the iMAc, just for my iBook. Unfortunately my level of computer savvy, and lack of a spare PC is the problem with the second part of your response.
Thanks all the same though.

You don't need the Hardware Test CD per se, all you really need is an OS X install CD.
Try to boot from the CD by restarting while holding down the "C" key.
If it boots from the CD, then run Disk Utility and repair the disk.
Once you have done that, go through and try an "Archive and Install" of OS X.
You also want to make sure that you have updated the firmware for the iMac. You should have done this already if OS X 10.1 was on it, but you still might need to check.

Also, how much RAM do you have? The install takes a lot longer if the RAM is too low. I once had an iMac G3 take almost 2 hours to install OS X 10.3 with only 128MB of RAM

P.S. To run disk utility off the install disk you need to select it from a menu bar item when you see the installer screen - not quite sure which menu its under, but you'll find it.

D3v1L80Y said:

You don't need the Hardware Test CD per se, all you really need is an OS X install CD.
Try to boot from the CD by restarting while holding down the "C" key.
If it boots from the CD, then run Disk Utility and repair the disk.
Once you have done that, go through and try an "Archive and Install" of OS X.
You also want to make sure that you have updated the firmware for the iMac. You should have done this already if OS X 10.1 was on it, but you still might need to check.

Also, how much RAM do you have? The install takes a lot longer if the RAM is too low. I once had an iMac G3 take almost 2 hours to install OS X 10.3 with only 128MB of RAM

Click to expand...

I have tried this already as I said above. Although Disk Utility sees the HD it will not allow me to repair it: the option to do so in Disk First Aid is no available. Similarly, my attempts to Archive and Install have failed for the same reason.

My iMac only has 128MB but I have left it attempting to install for 2 days and it never passed the "setting up partition map" stage.

You could try repairing the drive with disk warrior, but it's not free. For the $80 it costs you could just buy a new hard drive. Not being able to work on the machine yourself is a disadvantage though.

If that is the case, it is very possible that the HD is on its way out.

You should be able to use just about any IDE HD for it, so if you really want to save it a new HD is probably in order. HD's are not horribly expensive and it will more than likely solve your issue. I would also strongly suggest maxing out the RAM as well if you plan on installing any version of OS X.

If the imac has firewire you could boot your ibook in firewire mode and then hook it up to the imac and boot off that drive and then try and get some files off the imac before you erase the drive. I had to do this with my bosses imac at one point. it worked then so maybe it will work now.
to get your ibook to boot in firewire mode hold down the T button at start up I think, then connect it via a firewire cable to the imac and then I believe the start up from external drive is to hold the option key while starting up... not sure though