G3 Powerbook and reluctant drives

[Rich]

Hi,
I recently purchased a second hand G3 Powerbook, 300mhz. Through subsequent
uhh... 'dicking about', trying to install linux, I am now in the postion
where I can boot to OS 9.2.2 but the dvd drive is now very selective in what
it will and won't read. The upshot of it all is that I cannot boot from my
install cds in order to put everything back the way it was.

The gestalt ID is 312 and it is a '98 model, originally purchased in the US.

Any suggestions gratefully recieved!

[matt neuburg]

In <0001HW.BB7823410001CBCD097579F0@news.dsl.pipex.co m> Rich wrote:

> I recently purchased a second hand G3 Powerbook, 300mhz. Through
> subsequent uhh... 'dicking about', trying to install linux, I am now
> in the postion where I can boot to OS 9.2.2 but the dvd drive is now
> very selective in what it will and won't read. The upshot of it all
> is that I cannot boot from my install cds in order to put everything
> back the way it was.

My guess is that you've screwed up Open Firmware (I did this by trying
to install Mac OS X on an original Kange G3). If so, just reset it and
you should be fine. m.

--
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[Rich]

On Sun, 31 Aug 2003 22:40:55 +0100, matt neuburg wrote
(in message <20030831144155775-0700@news.la.sbcglobal.net>):

> In <0001HW.BB7823410001CBCD097579F0@news.dsl.pipex.co m> Rich wrote:

>> I recently purchased a second hand G3 Powerbook, 300mhz. Through
>> subsequent uhh... 'dicking about', trying to install linux, I am now
>> in the postion where I can boot to OS 9.2.2 but the dvd drive is now
>> very selective in what it will and won't read. The upshot of it all
>> is that I cannot boot from my install cds in order to put everything
>> back the way it was.

>
> My guess is that you've screwed up Open Firmware (I did this by trying
> to install Mac OS X on an original Kange G3). If so, just reset it and
> you should be fine. m.
>
>

I gave that a go- reset-all in the open firmware prompt but the drive still
seems to be giving issues... any ideas for drivers that I might need to grab
in case i've screwed them up some how? The system profiler is showing that
the dvd drive has the same id as the hdd, I don't know if that might be
pertinent somehow...

[qwest]

it was.

> >
> > My guess is that you've screwed up Open Firmware (I did this by trying
> > to install Mac OS X on an original Kange G3). If so, just reset it and
> > you should be fine. m.
> >
> >

>
> I gave that a go- reset-all in the open firmware prompt but the drive

still

> seems to be giving issues... any ideas for drivers that I might need to

grab

> in case i've screwed them up some how? The system profiler is showing that
> the dvd drive has the same id as the hdd, I don't know if that might be
> pertinent somehow...
>

I had a similar issue on a Bondi Rev A iMac. It would ONLY boot from CD not
hard drive (or hard drive but only once the bootable CD had activated
Happy Mac; then manually pop the CD at which point hard drive would boot)
due to Open Firmware issues. I tried a hard reset, I tried every trick
there was but what I ended up having to do was a tedious process involving
redefining the drive in open firmware. I would STRONGLY suggest another
approach: Pull all batteries. Now I am not familiar with your 'book so I
do not know what difficulties are there in pulling the PRAM battery but this
is needed. Pull all batteries and leave it 24 hours. then put it all back
together and try try again...
I should mention that this iMac came my way as "dead" after someone
attemtped to load Linux on it ;)