urgent help needed

and123and123
Posted:
in Genius Bar edited January 2014
when i turn on my G4, i get the usall chime then the screen goes grey and i get the flashing question mark over the system folder, it then stays like that. i'm aware from apple that a startup disc can't be found,Â* i have tried putting in the restore disc and selecting a disc from there but the hard drive won't mount. i have also tried re-setting the PRAM, it doesnt work (it doesnt chimne twice) any ideas antone?Â* i'm in serious sh*t if i cant get this thing working, i need 2 get work off this machine.

thanks in advance,

andy.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 4
    arnearne Posts: 29member
    try to hold down d for "harddisc"

    it'll force your machine to try starting

    from the hd. if it doesn't, insert the

    restore cd and hold down c for "cd"

    and it'll start form that.



    you'll hopefully see your harddrive

    after booting from that cd.



    don't use restore, as it'll delete all

    your files.
  • Reply 2 of 4
    the pie manthe pie man Posts: 425member
    One option I have had to use before:



    You can use a full install CD and check the "archive and install" and "keep users" tabs.



    That will put a fresh OS X install on there, while keeping your users and preferences (and in theory all docs depending on where you have them located).



    This saved my arse on a totally screwed install.
  • Reply 3 of 4
    overhopeoverhope Posts: 1,123member
    Um, looks like that's not an option...



    If there's a spare Mac handy, it might be worth trying to put the dead one into Firewire Target Disk Mode by holding down T as it boots, having plugged the two together with a Firewire cable, then dragging the files you need.



    It does sound rather like a totally fried hard drive, I'm afriad, but sometimes Firewire is less fussy than the OS. Just as another thought, if you've got an OS 9 boot disc kicking around, it might recognise the drive.



    Best of luck!
  • Reply 4 of 4
    der kopfder kopf Posts: 2,275member
    I'm afraid the other replies are not really on the bat: his drive will not even mount: meaning, even if he restarts from the restore disc, or the install disc or whatever, there'll be 'no' drive to install to (it'll probably ask if you want to initialize the drive).



    So: I guess there's two things you should look into.

    1) Is the drive still alive? I mean, evidently it has become badly mangled and is unreadable at this time. So, maybe if you boot into OS9 (from a boot-cd), you have an app called 'drive setup'. In that app, you should find something called show unmounted drives and it should reveal you harddrive (even though its name may be mangled too). Don't initialize though, this is just step one.

    2) The only thing that MIGHT save you is a full blown disk utility like Norton Systemworks (that allows you to boot and has elicit disk repair software on it). I know this for a fact, as I had a drive error prone Pismo for a while, and I got into the situation you are in now three times (of which I was saved by systemworks two times).



    If you have a systemworks (or diskwarrior, or drive) cd lying around, just use it (and don't bother with this #1 step). If you don't, and if your data is really important, I suggest you go buy one. It'll set you back for 100 - 200 $ (I don't really know), but the glee of seeing you drive mount right back to your desktop, unscathed, that's priceless.
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