My iMac will not boot, it trys but....

[RayLee]

Its a g4 with OS 10.4, was working fine and them froze up, I turned it off and tried to fire it up again and it looks good even shows the loading OS status bar then I get this.

I tried putting a CD in an external drive and using C during start up but I get the same thing.

Thanks
Ray

 

[bryphotoguy]

Can you insert the original discs and boot from those? Hold down option during start up and choose the OS X disc and not the HD. Try using the tools to check for error in the OS and HD.
I've never seen this problem so I don't know if this helps or not but it won't hurt anything.
Bryan

 

[RayLee]

I do have the original disks but holding the C during boot doesn't seem to work with the OS disk in an external drive.

How can I get the disk into a brain dead iMac drive?

thank you
Ray

Can you insert the original discs and boot from those? Hold down option during start up and choose the OS X disc and not the HD. Try using the tools to check for error in the OS and HD.
I've never seen this problem so I don't know if this helps or not but it won't hurt anything.
Bryan

 

[powermacj7]

You can try to boot the computer holding down:
X key when booting

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106388

To force your Mac to boot from CD, Hold down: Option-Command-Shift-Delete during start-up.

 

[RayLee]

Thank you, what will the X key do that the C key will not? my trouble this time was I didnt even know how to get the OS disk in the drive (I have it all fixed now)

thank you for the help

Ray

You can try to boot the computer holding down:
X key when booting

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106388

To force your Mac to boot from CD, Hold down: Option-Command-Shift-Delete during start-up.