iMac G3

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LeoTheLion89

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i am resurrecting my old iMac Tray Load 333MHz G3 i have read that 512MB is the max you can unofficially install into this machine however i also read this only works SOME of the time i have 256MB in it using RAM from a old laptop is that enough? also sitting unusable since late 2009 i have lost and found meny parts except the plastic case cover over the logic board, looking online i can buy the entire case however all i need is the logic board cover which i cannot find seperatly any idea where i can find one?
 
Oh, for Pete's sake. You don't have to "also read" anything. Download the free MacTracker application. It includes complete rundown on every Mac model ever made along just about every software title and peripheral Apple ever sold. The MacTracker application is immeasurably faster than the MacOSX.com fan forum.
 
for awhile now i was planning on converting all my desktops to Solid State drives by using a IDE to CF adaptor well i decided to do this on both my iMac G3 and my eMac Rev. C with the 8GB limit for OS install my iMac is simple a 8GB CF card and a 16GB card is enough for the eMac with Leo what i am asking is has anyone installed OS X on a SSD? hows it preform? just trying to see if this SSD conversion will improve OS X preformance.
 
looking online to find out how well Tiger preforms on a original iMac i came across this
I've learned a lot from Bill. For instance, some tray-loading iMacs think they have 32 MB memory modules installed when running Mac OS 9, but when booted into any version of OS X, the recognize them for what they are: 64 MB modules. So any time he sees a Rev. A-D iMac reporting 32 MB modules, he boots into OS X to see if they're real 32 MB cards or misreported 64 MB ones.

He's also the only person I've ever heard from who has managed to get 512 MB RAM cards working in tray-loading iMacs. He writes, "We have found two of these early iMacs, likely 333s, that would accept and report a 512 MB card. We don't hold our breath looking for these rarities. We have no idea if these two iMacs will accept two 512s." Bill isn't 100% certain, but he's pretty sure that the successful 512 MB modules were "CL2" memory; when he tried with "CL3" RAM, it didn't work. He says, "Being marked as PC-100 vs PC-133, or 222, 322, or 333 was no issue. CL2 or CL3 was."

Bill also reports almost universal success with 256 MB modules in tray-loading iMacs. I've been one-for-two with a pair of 333 MHz iMacs, and many others have less luck than Bill. He says it may be due to memory issues, such as the 256 MB CL3 module that every iMac sees as having only 128 MB. But if the memory is marked CL2, it will work. If you've installed the latest firmware update, you may have as much luck as he does. If not, you should be able to get 256 MB working in the larger RAM slot, 128 MB in the smaller one for a total of 384 MB. Bill reports 100% success with 256 MB CL2 memory.
Click to expand...
so does this mean i can unreportably install 1GB RAM?
 
That article does not try to represent that 2x512MB chips will work.
The only impression is that ONE might work, in some 333MHz iMacs - so you would have a max of 512MB, which is what that model will recognize.
The article says "...the only person I've ever heard from who has managed to get 512 MB RAM cards working in tray-loading iMacs..."
What I get from that short article is: SOME 333 MHz iMac will recognize SOME 512 MB chips as 512MB of memory.
Mr "Bill" in this article "reports 100% success with 256 MB CL2 memory.", so I assume that 512MB is a much lower success rate (that might be an invalid assumption, but it's just a conclusion that I think can be backed up with actual experience.)


I don't think you can imply from that article that you can successfully use 2 x 512MB chips but possible one could work (if you can find one that works)
It's also probably a function of the processor card in use - there's several different revisions that came with the iMac when new, and that article doesn't seem to mention that at all....
 
ok techs i have hit a bit of a snag i put a DVD drive into my iMac Tray Load burned and insearted a Mac OS 9.2.2 install disc i press C nothing got onto open firmware to type in boot cd i get a can't OPEN: cd error it takes awhile for the drive to read the CD by that time a ? is blinking on the screen i need help!!!
 
Burned and inserted a MacOS 9.2.2 disc? Exactly how did you do that? BTW, it is a violation of the rules of this forum to discuss pirated software or to help other pirate software.
 
i had a copy of OS 9 as a backup on my computer now are you gonna help me or not i didnt break any forum rules because i never specified if it was pirated nor did i meantion how to pirate it
 
I have not heard of a DVD drive that will work in a tray-loading iMac, so you may have an incompatible DVD drive. The first iMacs were quite sensitive to firmware on the optical drive. You may need to do more research to find a drive that actually will work in an old iMac.
OS 9 installer is a CD, not a DVD
An OS 9 installer burned to a DVD (and not a CD) may or may not boot a Mac, (never tried that)
A 9.2.2 install may simply be the 9.2.2 updater, which is not bootable anyway.
You would need to have 9.1 already installed on the iMac hard drive to run that updater, if it's the updater, and not a bootable installer.
You will need to do more research to get that to work.
 
guys something strange is wrong with my iMac i press the power button the light turns orange not start up chime runs for 10 seconds shuts off not sure what this means
 
LeoTheLion89 said:
i have determined my motherboard is gone can i fit a logic board from a slot load iMac g3 into my tray load g3?
Click to expand...

No, the only parts that could be used in both is the PRAM battery and the hard drive! The logic board, and the video/power supply boards are completely different, and not even close to interchangeable.
 
The tray-CD iMacs often had multiple part failures. Your issue sounds more like a video board failure. I remember many times replacing both the video board, and the power supply board. Sometimes the logic board would also have to be replaced. The reason for that is that a failure in one board would load the system down, and cause other failures, so replacing the video board, by itself, would leave you with the same failure, because the power supply would have extra load, nearly to failure, and would often take the other part, (the new video board that you just installed) which would fail almost immediately.
So, Apple's support for repair techs would usually recommend that the two major parts be replaced at the same time, sometimes all 3...
Easiest for you is to find another complete, working G3 iMac.
 
Maybe. I already guessed about this a few days ago, and not much has changed, eh?
Try a logic board reset: pull the logic board assembly out, and remove the battery. Let it sit with the battery out for at least 10 minutes. You should test the battery for 3.6 volts, or if you have a good replacement battery (be sure to test it with a voltmeter, so you are sure it's good) put the battery back in. Press the reset button on the logic board. Put everything back together, and check for power. If you get nothing, then probably a PSU. If you get the amber light, but not much else, then the video board likely has failed - or could be the PSU, or the logic board. The logic board reset is something that you can try - and might get you going again....
 
which reset button would i push? theres on on the IO Sheild with the USB ports and there is a inaccessable Reset button on the logic board that can be pushed only by pulling the board
 
The Cuda reset button is located on the back edge of the logic board between the modem port and the processor module. That's the one that you need to press. You would have the board completely out anyway to remove the battery, so you can remove (and test) the battery, and reset CUDA. Two steps for the price of one! :D
There's not any great mystery to the CUDA reset - all you need to do is press it before you put everything back together. The side reset button does NOT do the same reset.
 
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