"Option" key startup woes

TheAppleDoctor

TheAppleDoctor

Strange, but true.
I know what holding down the option key during startup is supposed to do... what it does for me is slightly different.

The screen with the choice of drives starts to load (ie. I see two drives... not always the same ones... to choose from), but before actually letting me choose the screen vanishes only to be replaced with the firmware screen:


ALLOC-MEM request too big!
Apple PowerMac3, 5 4.2.5f1 BootROM built on 08/16/01 at 22:19:35
Copyright 1994-2001 Apple Computer, Inc.

Welcome to Open Firmware, the system time and date is 12:24:12 05/04/2002

To continue booting, type "mac-boot" and press return.
To shut down, type "shut-down" and press return.

ok
0>

Any ideas? Thanks in advance!

Mac G4 800x2 / 1.5 GB RAM / GeF3 / 40GB 7200 HD, 60GB 7200 HD, 9GB 10k SCSI, 18GB SCSI/ SuperDrive, 4800i/ 10.1.4
 
Have you tried to do a firmware upgrade on this machine? If not, you may want to make sure it's up to day. If so, then it sounds like something may have gotten corupted.
 
I believe Dricci has the right suggestion. It looks like you're using old firmware: 4.2.5

I believe the latest version is 4.2.8 or 4.2.9, but it might depend on your machine. It's entirely possible that your machine's firmware is up-to-date, but you should check.
 
Well, I checked, and as far as anything I can find on Apple's site, I am up to date. (I thought I was... I stay on top of updates) I even tried the 4.2.8 firmware update (4.2.9 is for powerbooks), and, as I expected, was told that it was not for my machine.

Valid suggestion (thanks dricci, simX, and macguy17!) to start... any other ideas? I have tried disconnecting drives in various combinations, just to see if the sheer number of drives connected was giving it problems, but that isn't it. I've tried the common tricks like resetting nvram, and the like...
 
do you have an unpacked firmware updater somewhere on a partition that gets activated?

I got a similar message when I mixed up the order and period of holding reset-button(s and other nice buttons) when updating firmware on a cube (hard to reach buttons on those).

Maybe it´s a long shot, but if you have a partition or something with a firmware-updater and hold down the option-key I guess this would be loaded!
 
Originally posted by tebemac
do you have an unpacked firmware updater somewhere on a partition that gets activated?
Click to expand...
Another good idea, but no. Not according to Sherlock, including a custom search for invisible files.

The cause almost has to be hardware related, as it doesn't matter which drive is connected or disconnected, and has been occuring since the machine was new... it was just not a high-priority issue. The warranty repair option is out, I'm afraid, as I have done some major hardware mods that I don't think Apple would approve of. ;) This little problem dates from before that, though, or I would just shrug it off as caused by my hacks.
 
I see You have a fair amount of RAM, and the message say ALLOC-MEM request too big!

You could try to remove some RAM just to check??

At least get under a Gig.

If it doesn´t help, it will help me from envy :p at least until you put it back.

And if it help You can send me the extras :D
 
Well, it looks like I won't be shipping any RAM to Norway... ;)

Booted up with one DIMM (512MB) installed... tried different DIMMS in different slots... still the same "ALLOC-MEM request too big!" message.

Looks like I will have to continue to manually remove and connect drives when I can't use the "Startup Disk" system pref pane. <<sigh>> ... and maybe try to think of it as a feature, not a bug. :rolleyes:
 
Did you ever try formatting and re-installing the OS? Cuz if you were playing around with the UNIX console at some point you may have buggered something up good!
 
Yes, the 40GB hard drive has a 'virgin' OS10.1.4 on it, installed (with BSD subsystem) from an OSX 10.1 CD, and all Apple updates. No third party apps, drivers, pref panes, etc.
This drive is the only place I play with Darwin at all, and when done playing I erase it and reinstall everything from the DVD that I made of the initial install. I am really new at CLI, so I don't play with kexts or hardware drivers at all, and always 'put it back' when done.

The problem, however, existed before I added this drive, or the two SCSIs (Adaptec 29160N card), or the second ATAPI drive.

ATA drive 0 = 60GB 7200rpm OSX 10.1.4... default boot, 'working' drive
ATA drive 1 = 40GB 7200rpm OSX 10.1.4... bone stock
PCI slot 2, ID#0 = 9GB 10Krpm SCSI 160... OS 9.2.2
PCI slot 2, ID#1 = 18GB 10Krpm SCSI 160... scratch disk
ATAPI drive 0 = Apple 4800i CDR
ATAPI drive 1 = Apple Superdrive
 
This problem has existed from the time I got the computer, well before any of the PCI cards or added drives were put in, let alone the hack. It just wasn't a big enough issue for me to ship back the QS I had waited so long for.

I tried zapping the pram early on... as well pushing the reset on the logic board, zapping nvram, removing drives, switching drives, changing master/slave jumpers, removing PCI cards, and reseating cards, DIMMs, and cables. I've run the Apple Hardware Diagnostics disk, TechTool Pro, DIMM First Aid - all with no hardware problems found. I've even run Disk Utility, DiskWarrior, Drive 10... even though I know it is not a software problem as such... in short, doing every thing that almost 14 years as an Apple trained tech has taught me.

One of the main things I have learned as a tech is to listen to other techs... so please don't think I'm trying to be a smarta**. I really appreciate the friendly input and the suggestions... every one of which has been valid. I like being the guy answering questions, not asking them, and have tried to make sure that the answer to this one doesn't leave me slapping myself and going "D'oh!".

I fear that short of Apple saying "Hey, cool hack! Don't worry about the warranty, we'd love to take a look at your computer and fix it for free." ... which will happen about the time Hell fields a bob-sled team... I will just have to live with it.

Thanks again, though.
 
Sorry about that... I thought I'd won the argument about non-members and images (I'm a mod there).

So... just for you... :D My first webpage ever, set up today.

The Apple Doctor's QuickSilver Hack

'course, you could join there, too. Can't have enough good forums. ;)


oh, almost forgot... yes, 'X' on startup works just the way it's s'posed to. Wish holding down '9' worked for booting into OS9...
 
Thanks for the heads-up on the link. Fixed it. Like I said, it's my first website. Never saw the need while I was fixing them. I figured that if someone could get to a website, their comp wasn't broken, and I was too busy anyhow.

Now I'm retired and bored, so I start messing with my own...

The graphics are simply vinyl, courtesy of a friendly local sign shop (I keep their Dell up and running) I'll try out several before I do a permanent job... or just make other panels entirely. I hope soon to be one of those other options you mentioned...

Cooling the upper drive seems to be a small issue, but one that is present. I am occasionally getting write errors, especially at higher speed... but that could also be due to cheap media (I don't get errors writing to Apple DVDs, just to audio CDs) or my habit of unmounting the SuperDrive and sticking it in an external case from time to time. :D
 
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