iMac G4 suddenly slow.

M

MikeMTL

Registered
I know this is long but please read. I really need help.

I have had my iMac G4 since April of 2004 and have had few problems with it. Well now I have a big one. About two months ago, the modem suddenly stopped working. Every time I'd try to connect, I'd get an error saying "Could not connect with the communication device" or something like that. I called my ISP and they said my modem is probably dead. I just figured "Crap, that sucks" and have been using my old G3 iMac for internet purposes. The G4 worked fine for anything else. I still used it for my Photoshop uses and Terragen renderings. I updated the system to 10.4.4 and Quicktime to whatever the latest version is about a week or so ago but have used the computer rarely in that time. My mom started it up the other day and just tried to use the modem and, what do you know, it worked. So I figured there was some software problem.

Well now the computer takes litterally about 20 minutes to startup. I didn't do any system level changes or anything that would affect its performance. On startup, it makes the usual startup sound but when the Apple logo appears and the spinning wheel starts, the hard drive starts clicking in a very predictable patern. I clicks four times, pauses for a second, and does it again over and over. after about 10 minutes it goes to a flat blue screen while still making the sound and sits there for another 10 minutes and then finally goes to the login screen. This clicking sound continues every time I issue a command to the computer.

So basically, why is my Mac running at like 10MHz? All of the sudden it is super slow and I don't know why. Can anyone help me? I thought this would be a firmware problem since it starts with the error before the system starts up and it thought maybe the dying modem had something to do with the firmware. Also, the screen still goes dim after a few minutes and then shuts off as if I were just not using the computer. Can anyone help me?

Thanks if you read all of that.
 
Hard drive clicking, not a good sign.

Open Disk Utility in your Utility folder and see it S.M.A.R.T. Status is available for your drive and see what it says.

Boot off the OS disc by holding the C key down and run Disk Utility.

Once booted off the disc, choose your language. and in the next window stop, go up to the Utility Menu to Disk Utility.
 
Okay update.

Once logged into the computer under the admin account, the computer seemed to opperate fine. I went in to verify the permissions and at about 90% through the process, the computer stops and does the clicking sound again. Is it perhaps a part of my disk that is corrupted or disfunctional?
 
Okay well I will do that as soon as it finishes clicking itself to death. It's still sitting at the 90% or 95% mark on the verification process.
 
The clicking sound can indicate a mechanical failure of the drive. In any case, backup anything important right away if you haven't already.
 
Mmmm. Well it doesn't sound like abnormal clicking. Perhaps "clicking" isn't the proper sound. It is the sound that the hard drive makes when it is working but in short, predictable bursts. It is a repeating patern so it seems to be like it's a software error, not a random hardware malfunction. It's difficult to describe but I'm pretty sure it is a software/firmware problem.
 
Try to reset the firmware

hold down the Apple key and press the power button
you should hear the startup chime - keep the buttons pressed until you see the open firmware interface
type reset-nvram and press enter
type reset-all and press enter
6) your Mac should now boot normally
 
Just a thought - after following BobW's advice - how full is the hard drive. I trashed my iBook by having less than a gig free on the hd for about 10 minutes. I tossed all the stuff I had just copied onto the iBook but things weren't right. I couldn't repair permissions or get DiskWarrior to work, I finally just re-installed.

You need lots of free-space to run OS X and not having it can really crap-up the works.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top