My Cube won't boot properly any longer!

Linder · #1 June 29th, 2009, 09:36 AM

I have encountered something that I have *never* seen before. My Cube does not boot completely with Tiger: not from HD; not from install CD. The grey dots on the startup screen just stops rotating half-way thru.

But I *can* log into the Cube from another mac, see all files etc. So the cube is in fact working, but the desktop doesn't show up. I have tried reseting pram.

I would like to have my trusty ol' Cube up and running again, so any help is really appreciated.

Rgds from Johan in Sweden

Linder · #2 June 29th, 2009, 10:18 AM

Just an update: This didn't work either. Froze after "AirPortDriver: etc etc

Linder · #3 June 29th, 2009, 10:42 AM

Took out the airport card, and the generic 256Mb ram (compaq...), so only "mac-safe" ram is left. Could this be a problem with the RAM battery?

The verbose start up showed loads of lines concerning: "USBF: XX.XXX [0x16f3XXX] The IOUSBFamily is having trouble to ennumerate a device..." etc. Strange, the only USB-devices that is plugged in are speakers, keybord and mouse. All Apple-made btw.

ElDiabloConCaca · #4 June 29th, 2009, 02:21 PM

While you may only have those USB peripherals connected to the computer, that doesn't mean that those are the sole devices on the USB bus. Various internal components are also attached to the motherboard via USB in various Mac computers: wireless networking (AirPort), bluetooth, built-in iSight cameras, etc. They're just not standard, external USB devices with the rectangular plug that most people think of when they hear, "USB."

It sounds as though the AirPort components may be connected via USB in the Cube (I don't know) -- and if the AirPort card/components have failed, that could be what the error message is alluding to.

Linder · #5 June 30th, 2009, 03:50 AM

Thanks Jeff! But why did not the problem stop when I took out the AirPort card?

I will dig out some old OS9 discs to try to boot from. Anything so I can re-install. Any last advise?

Linder · #6 June 30th, 2009, 10:20 AM

Another forum (99mac.se) suggested me to press the Cuda-button. So I pulled the graphics card and found the button, pressed it, and the "USBF"-lines in verbose startup were gone.

But still no complete boot.

Since I can access it from outside, perhaps there are some prefs that need to be trashed?

Linder · #7 June 30th, 2009, 12:02 PM

Another guy at 99mac.se had an idea that he thought could solve the problem.

I disconnected both mouse and keybord from the display's USB and connected them into the cube's USB-port instead. I got it to boot, the desktop was visible, but after a while I got: "You need to restart your computer". Next startup didn't work at all, i.e same as before.

But I am not the one who quits that easily.

Rgds,
Johan

Linder · #8 June 30th, 2009, 04:04 PM

Update: Found an 9.2.1 CD. Re-initiated the harddrive with DriveSetup, and DistFirstAid told me it was ok. Installed 9.2.1 and inserted the Panther cd, and tried to install. Same problem as before, spinning wheel freezes...

Think Johan needs a brew right now... Just to ease the pain.