installing 10.2

[Torz]

Hey, I've got a slight problem here.

Today I tried to install 10.2 on my snow ibook which runs 10.1.5. When I open the OS X installer, it makes me restart the computer, thats good. The problem is after that.

I get a firmware screen telling me to type in "mac-boot" and push return. So I did. Then it takes me to a blueish background screen with the typical smily Mac folder icon.

After 5 seconds or so that icon starts blinking with a question mark (?).

Naturally nothing happens after that, it just keeps blinking. Obviously the cd rom drive is trying to read something as it is cranking.

When i turn the computer off and turn it on again sometimes it takes me to a screen with white background with the grey apple logo. The computer is trying to load something but nothing happens.

I need help guys, whats going on here???

 

[Torz]

I take it that no one knows what the problem is? I doubt that my firmware needs an upgrade as I'm pretty sure the snow ibook has the latest firmware available already.

Later

 

[ex2bot]

Torz,

Not sure exactly why it rebooted into open-firmware mode. The ? indicates it's looking for an operating system. CD activity -- it's looking on the cd for an OS.

I guess I would boot from the OS X 10.2 CD and reinstall. I'm sure you're right about the firmware. It's fine.

Anyone have better advice?

Doug

 

[michaelsanford]

dktrickey is right on both counts; the ? means it can't find a system and the CD spinning, well, it tends to do that when you boot even if it finds a system on the hard disk.

That open-firmware boot screen is bothersome however. Booting into open firmware, strangely, doesn't really have anything to do with updating the firmware. Updating the firmware is done with a nice graphical application. Open firmware is a special kind of (dare I say BIOS-like) environment where you can directly control the hardware (like NVRAM) but not use a regular system. OF is 'booted' from the motherboard, not a system disk.

The reason I mention all this is that I have only seen computers spontaneously boot to OF if there is an issue with the motherboard. What I would suggest you do is pop in the Apple Hardware Test CD that (hopefully) came with your iBook, boot from it, and see if it tells you anything it fishy with your hardware.

Also, when you boot to OF it's normal for it to say "Type mac-boot to continue booting", but were there any other error-like message above that?

Most importantly, don't freak out. Just because I said the only time I've seen spontaneous OF boot is when the motherboard had problems, doesn't mean that it's the only time a computer can boot to OF by itself

I don't believe the Apple Hardware Test CD is system-specific; so if you don't have one I can make a disk image of mine and you can download it (since it should have come with your system anyway).