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iBook Clamshell Boot Problem

Submitted by astro_rob on April 20, 2008 - 2:55pm. PowerPC Macs

Okay, this one is just plain odd...
I have an iBook Clamshell (original 300MHz, identical to my Tangerine), and it simply refuses to boot from CD, either with the internal drive or with an external USB unit. The unit was just upgraded to 9.2.2 and the latest firmware but desperately needs OS X (I own a copy of 10.2, with all the necessary upgrades to 10.2.Cool. It has 544MB ram, so that can't be the problem (factory fresh RAM, no less, with that new RAM smell and no wear on the tires).
I've tried the PRAM reset option, no dice. Restarting, no good. Setting Startup Disk, nada.
...help...

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cwsmith's picture

What's changed since it last booted to CD?

Submitted by cwsmith on April 20, 2008 - 3:28pm.

Have you tried removing the new RAM and trying to boot to CD? (If you have a 128 or 256 MB stick you might consider dropping that in -- it'll take forever, if at all, with just 32MB)

It's certainly possible to have brand-new, factory sealed, bad RAM. We see it at the shop once or twice a month. Most RAM manufacturers (at least the reputable ones) guarantee their RAM for life. If it turns out yours is bad, contact the manufacturer.

» 24 Macs running System 6 thru Leopard
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astro_rob's picture

Taken it back down to 64MB (h

Submitted by astro_rob on April 20, 2008 - 4:23pm.

Taken it back down to 64MB (had the original memory stick about). Still no dice (this is just plain weird). I got the RAM from a fairly reputable dealer, however the iBook was purchased via the Bay (having a surreal moment here as well... listening to ELO's "Out of the Blue", an album I listened to when I was a young man in the 1970's and early 80's, imagining what the future would be like. I wonder what the 15 through 18 year old deep inside would have made of me working on two computers simultaneously? Boggles...).
Doing a startup disk restart, selecting the 10.2 CD, and.... (drum roll)...
sounds like the CD is trying to load... got the gray Apple of love...
uhm...
oh...
it, uh, booted into 10.2...
I wonder if the problem isn't that the RAM is bad necessarily but that the original factory RAM limit on the iBook was like 192MB (someone check me on that?).
CW, you rock dude!

Rob

» Tinker Ergo Sum!
PB540c "Excalibur", Centris 660AV "Atalanta", PB5300cs "Gwynneffar", 5260/120 "Sophia", iBook Clamshell "Tang", Portable "Galatea", eMate 300 "eLaine", Tandy Model 102 "Tandy", Apple //c "Eve", B&W "Maia"

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cwsmith's picture

[quote=astro_rob]CW, you rock

Submitted by cwsmith on April 20, 2008 - 4:42pm.
astro_rob wrote:
CW, you rock dude!

Glad I could help. You know I only do this for a purely selfish reason: in the hope that when I've got a stumper, someone will be there to help me out too.

Eye-wink

» 24 Macs running System 6 thru Leopard
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doug-doug the mighty's picture

Some RAM limiting may occur...

Submitted by doug-doug the mighty on May 8, 2008 - 9:09pm.

...but I have a 256MB stick in my 300MHz blueberry iBook...

» --DDTM ('Fritter Critter' since Apr 26 2004 - 18:16)

'If it ain't broke, take it apart anyways. If you can't take it apart, break it so that you can fix it.'

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