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Mac Forum / General / Hardware / December 2007Flashing Question Mark
I get the flashing question mark on starting my Powerbook G3 running OS 9. I can't boot from the original CD when holding down the C key and holding the option key on start-up still gets the flashing question mark. Any ideas? Thanks. > I get the flashing question mark on starting my Powerbook G3 running OS 9. > I can't boot from the original CD when holding down the C key and holding > the option key on start-up still gets the flashing question mark. Any > ideas? > Thanks. The Flashing question mark indicates the computer can't find an operating system to boot off of. Since holding down the "C" key with the original CD in the optical drive doesn't help, it suggests a serious hardware problem. With a computer of that age, it is not worth paying to repair. >> I get the flashing question mark on starting my Powerbook G3 running OS 9. >> I can't boot from the original CD when holding down the C key and holding [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > hardware problem. With a computer of that age, it is not worth paying to > repair. Yeah, I suspect a hardware problem, too. It's a shame because after all these years, I was still using it and I was amazed that it lasted that long. >>> I get the flashing question mark on starting my Powerbook G3 running OS 9. >>> I can't boot from the original CD when holding down the C key and holding [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > Yeah, I suspect a hardware problem, too. It's a shame because after all > these years, I was still using it and I was amazed that it lasted that long. Yes, it might be something serious. But it also only might be the small lithium backup battery inside the PB that won't work anymore. - Last year I had a similar problem with my Pismo 500mhz. No matter what I did, it wouldn't startup, - nothing helped. Sad, since the Pismo had been totally refurbished due to a crashed package during posting, so it was in fact new.... The problem occoured after not having used it for some months. After discovering that it wouldn't start, I simply forgot it and had it connected to the net for a day or two. I then would try again to see, if I could find out something more, pressed the button and it started like a dream. A brief check showed that the backup battery had been drained completely, so I went for a new one, but then forgot it for some weeks. - the Pismo started now each time I tried. So I'll recommend you to take out the large drive battery and let the PB stay connected to the mains for 48 hours or so _without_ the battery and _without_ trying to start it again. Then put in the drive battery again, let it charge to full power and then try to start it. Sometiems these small LiION backup batteries can be 're-newed' by such a treatment. HTH, cheers, Erik Richard  Signature~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Rgds. Grüße, Mvh. Erik Richard Sørensen, Member of ADC <mac-man_NOSP@M_stofanet.dk> <http://www.nisus.com> NisusWriter - The Future In Multilingual Textprocessing ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >>>> I get the flashing question mark on starting my Powerbook G3 running OS 9. >>>> I can't boot from the original CD when holding down the C key and holding [quoted text clipped - 37 lines] > > HTH, cheers, Erik Richard I know my internal battery is dead and has been or years. In fact, since the machine was never truly mobile, I never used it off of the AC power supply. Maybe a solution is just to get a new battery and then go through the cycle explained above. I just hate to part with the Powerbook if it's a simple solution like this. >> I get the flashing question mark on starting my Powerbook G3 running OS 9. >> I can't boot from the original CD when holding down the C key and holding [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > hardware problem. With a computer of that age, it is not worth paying to > repair. I got it working. I just installed the original Powerbook G3 install disk and did a system restore. It seems everything is OK now. > I get the flashing question mark on starting my Powerbook G3 running OS 9. > I can't boot from the original CD when holding down the C key and holding > the option key on start-up still gets the flashing question mark. Any > ideas? > Thanks. Check the PRAM battery. On a machine of that age, it will usually be either a 1/2AA battery or a circular, coin-sized battery. Both tend to last for 3-5 years, depending on how much use the machine has. The PRAM battery is there to provide power to the PRAM, which among other things stores info about your boot system, including your hard drive and optical drive. If the PRAM looses power, the machine doesn't know what hardware is available and can't boot because it can't find anything to boot from. The PRAM battery is used when there is no other source of power, so if the machine has been sitting unused for some time, the battery may have used up its charge. Signatureemail to oshea dot j dot j at gmail dot com. >> I get the flashing question mark on starting my Powerbook G3 running OS 9. >> I can't boot from the original CD when holding down the C key and holding [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > there is no other source of power, so if the machine has been sitting unused > for some time, the battery may have used up its charge. JJ, - DO READ the OP before answering! The OP is talking about a _PowerBook_ - not a stationery machine. All PowerBooks right from the G3 Wallstreet use a special-sized rechargable LiION battery and NOT a half-sized AA battery! These LiION batteries are rather expensive - even in the US, - and they are not so easy to replace... cheers, Erik Richard Signature~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Rgds. Grüße, Mvh. Erik Richard Sørensen, Member of ADC <mac-man_NOSP@M_stofanet.dk> <http://www.nisus.com> NisusWriter - The Future In Multilingual Textprocessing ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >>> I get the flashing question mark on starting my Powerbook G3 running OS 9. >>> I can't boot from the original CD when holding down the C key and holding [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > batteries are rather expensive - even in the US, - and they are not so > easy to replace... Incorrect. The PB G3 uses the 922-2692 battery, which is six coin-sized circular batteries in a green case. (Three stacks of two batteries.) Not rechargeable. The PB G3 (Wallstreet) uses the 922-3380 battery, which is six coin-sized circular batteries in a black case. (Six batteries in two rows of three). For further information, consult MacTracker and/or <http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=86181>. Pricing for replacement system batteries varies between US$7 and US$80, depending on the battery. The 1/2AA batteries typically cost US$7-10 at camera shops, and US$20-25 at computer shops; I bought at camera shops. The 922-2692 and the 922-3380 both used standard non-rechargeable lithium batteries, wrapped up in their special cases. It was entirely possible to replace those standard batteries with new ones, purchased from various sources down to and including Walgreens pharmacies. Getting them into the spacial cases without breaking anything was tricky, but doable. So far as I know the system batteries are _not_ rechargeable. Please cite a source showing that they are. > cheers, Erik Richard Signatureemail to oshea dot j dot j at gmail dot com. |
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