Starting up a Powerbook 3400C

Posted:
in Genius Bar edited January 2014
I just bought my first Mac, a powerbook 3400c, just to learn about them. But i'm having problems even starting up. All it does is show me a picture of a floppy with a question mark on it. I know it probably means a missing floppy or something. Is there any way I can bypass that or what I can do to get it to just start up.



Any help will be appreciated.



Thank You,

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 2
    knight26knight26 Posts: 12member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by nohardwork

    I just bought my first Mac, a powerbook 3400c, just to learn about them. But i'm having problems even starting up. All it does is show me a picture of a floppy with a question mark on it. I know it probably means a missing floppy or something. Is there any way I can bypass that or what I can do to get it to just start up.



    Any help will be appreciated.



    Thank You,




    The picture of a floppy with a question mark means there is no system software on the computer or there is a problem with the system that makes it unreconizable to the computer.



    What you need is a Mac OS system CD or at least a emergency system floppy disk.

    If you have a CD just insert it into the CD tray and restart the computer while holding down the "c" key on the keyboard.

    Then you can see if you need to install the OS or if you can fix whatever the problem might be.



    My thinking is that whomever or where ever you purchased this PB 3400c formatted the hard drive before giving it to you and did not reinstall the OS.



    Good Luck
  • Reply 2 of 2
    1. Get out your gas lantern for light.

    2. Find some rope with it.

    3. Find a 3.5 inch floppy disk.

    4. Tie rope around PB3400.

    5. Insert 3.5 floppy for ballast.

    6. Tie other end of rope to boat.

    7. Drop PB3400 anchor off to side.

    8. There is no step 8!



    (Don't listen to me. I still have a PB1400 lying around.)



    er.. listen to what knight said. That should have come with a System disk, that had the original OS for the computer. Try to boot off that. Or try to find a OS 9.1 install CD.
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