PowerBook STARTUP woes

[Zeal]

Here's my problem:

PowerBook G3 400mHz (FireWire/Pismo/00) - 384Ram - 6GB HD - stock standard otherwise)

I've got OSX 10.1.4 and 9.2.2 installed on my 6GB hard drive - you might have seen elsewhere on this forum that I'm replacing the HDD as soon as I get some buying advice from you all.

The HD is just one partition of 6GB - so both OS's are on the same partition. I have the 4.1.8 firmware. Apple System Profiler shows the firmware as "4.18fS" (without the commas). It's got 384 Ram - this was checked with a little utility (DIMM -something or another) and the ram passed the firmware compatibility test before I upgraded the firmware when it was first released last year. I also have an external firewire HDD.

Quite often, approximately once in every 6 restarts (only running in OSX), when restarting it hangs when the white box appears on the blue screen - I can't remember what it says but it usually shows the startup services being loaded before you get the the login screen. Maybe it's the welcome screen. However, it just hangs there with the progress bar stuck a tenth of the way from the left and doesn't show any of the startup services. I've given it an hour to do something, but now only wait 10 seconds before I end up pulling the power. The only way to make the thing startup properly is to hit the small reset button on the rear of the PowerBook between the VGA and the modem ports. The system then starts-up beautifully and all I have to do then is reset the time (aaaagh).

When I startup in 9.2.2 and then set the startup OS back to X and then either shutdown or restart (it does it irrespective which way I shutdown or restart) I end up with the same problem when X restarts - it just hangs there... no startup services flashing away - dead!

Having the external firewire HD attached, either switched on or off (but still plugged in) appears to have no adverse affect on the problematic startups.

I've reset the PRAM on numerous occassions (even done it 3 times in a row). I've used TechTool Deluxe that came with my AppleCare to reset, zap and clear PRAM. I've even entered into open firmware and done the "init-nvram" and "reset-all" on several occassions, but the same problem keeps popping up.

I hardly ever startup in 9.2.2 so it doesn't happen as often as it did when I was starting up regularly everyday between OSX to 9.2.2 (it was the only way I could print on my Epson Stylus Photo EX printer - printing wouldn't work when running Classic, but worked fine if I started up under 9.2.2 - ANYONE KNOW WHERE I CAN GET A PRINTER DRIVER FOR MY PRINTER FOR OSX?), but because I switch off my PB when I'm not using it (for security reasons) it's not uncommon for me to have the problem reoccur every 2nd day now just running X.

I think it has something to do with the firmware being corrupted, or partially, minusculey damaged, but I can't quantify, justify or rationlise this - just a hunch.

Any suggestions? Regards Zeal

 

[Zeal]

Forgot to add that 9.2.2 has problems also. Not all the time, but similar to the X scenario I described above. Except at startup 9.2.2 will get to the smiley Mac screen and then restart again - in a continuing loop of startup/restart. Almost like what happens when you hold command-option-P-R down.

I have a 21inch monitor connected to my PB and generally have the screen closed on startup. But I'm certain it has nothing to do with it (maybe some of the keys are being depressed on the PB keyboard?) as the problem occurred when I was travelling recently without an external monitor connected. Zeal

 

[Zeal]

Well, looks like I'm on my own with this one. Thought someone might be able to give me some advice, help problem solve this problem.

But since you're reading this, I've noticed one more thing: if OS X fails to start up and I then restart and press the Option key, I notice on the screen where you can select which OS to startup from that there is no volume name under the OS X on my internal hard drive, but both X and 9.2.2 which are on different partitions on my external hard drive show their correct volume names. It's like my internal hard drive isn't recognised as such, except that someonehow the system does know there is an OS X on it. After pressing the reset button on the rear of my Pismo and then restarting holding down the Option key, my internal hard drive then displays has it's name under it like it should.

Oh well, I suppose I'd better get used to the fact that this problem is not going to go away in the meantime.