Shut down on start up

Thanks but think I’ve been through most of this. I’m assuming i now have a bootable drive but unsure as it wont boot from it. Is it the drive or the mac? ... could I test it on the imac running snow leopard?
Going back to the non-starting (no screen) mac pro. I have had slightly different scenarios using different key options. If I use command/shift/R the computer keeps running with some more hard disk activity then all goes quiet except the fans and i have to shut down manually, also if i soft depress the button it goes into sleep so I am getting some reaction, unfortunately no screen/video. Could it be the video card, I do have the original, would that suddenly go kaput? For all I know it could be getting to the log in page. Maybe the screens gone bad although I do get a no video message if I play with the on/off button (on the screen) so probably not.
 
Internet recovery (using that Shift-Command-R) first appeared on Macs in 2011, and was extended to some 2010 models - but your 2007 MacPro2,1 is too old for that feature.

Yes, you should try that bootable USB on a iMac that boots from Snow Leopard (unless it also is too old to boot natively from Lion, of course)
Which iMac do you have? An iMac4,1 or iMac4,2 will not boot to Lion natively, but an iMac5,1 or newer (up to iMac12,2) will boot Lion. That support starts with a Core2Duo, so maybe that will help you.
 
Internet recovery (using that Shift-Command-R) first appeared on Macs in 2011, and was extended to some 2010 models - but your 2007 MacPro2,1 is too old for that feature.

Yes, you should try that bootable USB on a iMac that boots from Snow Leopard (unless it also is too old to boot natively from Lion, of course)
Which iMac do you have? An iMac4,1 or iMac4,2 will not boot to Lion natively, but an iMac5,1 or newer (up to iMac12,2) will boot Lion. That support starts with a Core2Duo, so maybe that will help you.
I think did realise this but in desperation tried it regardless and it did behave differently.
The imac is a 7.1 so I should be able to go to Mountain Lion if required. I’ll sort a few things before trying. At least this will prove or not if the stick is bootable
 
Installed Tiger on the Imac from the stick, so it would appear it’s bootable, so back to square one!
Any more thoughts ideas??
Thanks everyone for your help
 
Have you tried a different internal drive for the OS X install?
(Be sure to remove the internal boot drive, not just add another drive - the existing drive could have failed, and sometimes will interfere with installs, even to a different drive.
 
Have you tried a different internal drive for the OS X install?
No I haven’t but it’s an avenue I’ll maybe try, currently there is only one. I don’t suppose the one from my G5 ppc would be compatible? Thing is I’m now into the realms of buying something, which is fine if i’m sure that it’s the failed bit of hardware that i’m buying and evaluating the costs against another mac pro 2.1, which may be available for around £100-£150, maybe this is the best option. My main issue is whats on the hard disk, which of course I didn’t have backed up. It was loaded with good software that I use, all ready installed upon purchase which replicated my old ppc so it was perfect. Regardless I know i’m a knob for not backing up but it is what it is. Can anyone recommend a replacement hard disk, say 250gb capacity and what about solid state HDisks, are they better/longer lasting and more expensive?

When booting on the imac I had to physically choose the stick as an option once it had booted up, on the screen. On the mac pro i’m not getting any screen so maybe it is in fact there but I can’t choose it, is there a keystroke to choose it?
 
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Have you tried starting it using Target Mode using your wife's computer? If the hard drive is working you will be able to get your files.
  1. Connect the two computers with a USB, USB-C, or Thunderbolt cable.
  2. On the Mac you want to use as the external disk in target disk mode, do one of the following:
    • If the computer is off, start it up while pressing and holding the T key. (your wife's computer is already on)
      When the computer has started up, a disk icon appears on the desktop of the other computer.
  3. Transfer files by dragging them to and from the disk.
  4. Eject the disk by dragging its icon to the Trash.
    While you drag, the Trash icon changes to an Eject icon.
  5. On the Mac you used as a disk (your Mac), push the power button to shut it down, then disconnect the cable.
 
I keep missing this bit from your post #21
Could it be the video card, I do have the original, would that suddenly go kaput? ...
What video card do you have now? Did you try the original graphics card since this all started?
(some graphics cards need specific drivers, and if a non-original card, then you erase to re-install, then you can't see anything, no boot selection screen, the screen stays black until you successfully boot the new system, and you often need work-arounds to do anything else during boot, otherwise the screen simply remains black.
Kinda sounds like what is happening to you now
 
Have you tried starting it using Target Mode using your wife's computer?
Right, i‘ll maybe try this tomorrow, think I only have a basic usb to usb cable but this should work I hope?
What video card do you have now? Did you try the original graphics card since this all started?
Yes, when I picked up/purchased the mac pro there was, what I assume the original video card a nVIDIA P345 (GeForce 7300 GT), with some old RAM. I’m going to see what the replacement card is and then have a go at swapping them, hopefully tomorrow. I certainly didn’t erase any drivers, not to my knowledge anyway and its been working fine for 7/8 months. Or do you mean if I was booting from the Lion stick that maybe wouldn’t have the drivers for the replacement card and so wouldn’t show on the screen?
Thankyou both for sticking with it, bit like War & Peace, just a slightly shorter version
 
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"...bit like War & Peace, just a slightly shorter version". Maybe not. It ain't over 'til the fat lady sings. :oops:
 
When the computer has started up, a disk icon appears on the desktop of the other computer.
Is it possible to repair the disk, if required using this method?

You can give it a try but since you don't know for sure what the problem is, it maybe fruitless. And if your machine is long gone, you may not be able to get your files off that drive.
 
Some sort of progress is being made at last. I replaced the fitted video card, a nVIDIA QUADRO FX 4600 with the stock 7300 GT. Started from the button, got a screen almost immediately, a grey screen with an apple and a progress bar unlike I've seen before, the machine shut down as original symptom before progress bar had made a lot. Delta Mac correct, driver issue I would think. Also tried a soft start, same result.
On booting from the system stick I got a screen again, (screen 1 attached). I‘ll take this screen by screen. Question, what is the recovery disk and what does it do and where is it?
I chose the Lion install and opened disk utility and ran verify/repair on the HD. Wouldn’t/couldn’t repair. Invaild record count seemed to be the problem noted. Advised back up as many of your files as possible and reformat

(screen 2, attached) and questions ...
Why/what are the secondary/indented images, we appear to have the disk description and then what it’s named. In the case of the two HD images they have different parameters noted at the bottom of the Disk Utility window (screens 3 & 4 attached). Is the HD partitioned? I can verify the 1st HD ST3750640N .. image, see verification screen, (screen 5 attached). Updating Windows boot, what?? and it appears ok
The Macintosh HD and the SuperDrive are both greyed out which I assume they both are busted or in the case of the HD need repairing.
Underneath the line, what is disk2 and mac OSX base system, they seem to have capacity albeit small, and again where is it?
Await your thoughts folks
One more thing which probably isn’t relevant it would appear my mac pro is a 1.1 upgraded to a 2.1 judging by the serial no.s
Cheryl: didn't have a male to male usb so I’ll have to get one pronto
screen1.JPGscreen2.JPGscreen3.JPGscreen4.JPGscreen5.JPG
 
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Recovery HD is the recovery partition. It is a hidden partition on your boot drive.

The "Primary/secondary" indented images show your various drives.
For example: 750.16 GB ST3750640 is the hard drive - the device.
Macintosh HD is the name of the volume on that drive. It's the result of partitioning that drive.
The 8.02GB Lexar is your 8GB usb flash drive, and "OS X Lion Install Disk" is the name of the volume on that drive, and also the result of making a partition for the bootable installer on your flash drive.
(note: It's possible to have multiple partitions on a single drive)

Yes, the HD is partitioned, which is why the volumes are there!

The "disk2" "Mac OS X Base System" is a virtual disk, part of the mounted installer disk system. It's not something that you have any control over, and does not appear after the OS X install is complete.

All I can say is that the "Verification and Repair" process might do some "housecleaning" on the disk, so you sometimes see actions that might seem unrelated to use on a Mac - probably just a part of how the First Aid is coded.

The "Superdrive" is greyed out, because there is no CD or DVD disk in the drive. That drive would become "visible" when you insert a disk (assuming that the drive works! )
 
So are we saying the actual disc is ok but the partition with the system/software and various files is corrupt/needs repairing whatever?
Still don’t quite get it, firstly I don’t recognise any of the operations executions on the verification of the disc, previous image (or is it that partition?)
screen6.JPG
So the Macintosh HD partition is within the disc and has a total capacity of 749.3Gb (see attached image, used + available) so the disc has a total capacity of 750.3Gb so the 1Gb remaining is outside the HD partition and that’s whats being verified as ok? or is it just a generic/basic verification of the disc not including any system, files etc. So is the disc ok and the system and files broken? Do I need a new disc or just re-format and re-install?
Think I’m crawling up my own backside here, and besides I get the drift.

Anyway more questions
The Recovery HD you say is on the system boot stick, what does this do if anything?
As the Macintosh HD is an option on the first screen (image 1) after booting from the stick, could I then boot from that, probably not as that is the problem, so how do I see my files and ultimately transfer them if indeed I can, I have another stick drive. Do I use the target mode Cheryl described or is there another way?
Also is there any other repair/recovery software that may work as I‘d love to try and retain the apps I have/had maybe by cloning. Probably too late for all that?
Again as an aside. I do/did have Onyx and ran it a week or so before the machine crashed
 
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I wonder why your Disk Utility picture shows an information area that looks really jumbled (squeezed together)? Probably could fix that by quitting Disk Utility, then re-open.

The hard drive (could be original to your Mac Pro) is around 15 years old.
I suggest replacing that drive with new (an SSD would be even better), then installing Lion on that new drive. When your Mac Pro restarts to begin the setup of the new system, you will be asked if you want to transfer files and apps from another drive or another Mac. You can have the old hard drive available at that point, by inserting that old drive in another bay (if you have an open bay. If no open bays, connect the old drive externally by installing in an external enclosure, connecting through either USB, or Firewire (whatever you might have). Firewire is your best choice, I think -- but if you don't have an external Firewire enclosure, (those are challenging to find now) then USB will work fine, just slower than Firewire.
When it asks for transferring/migrating from another drive, choose your old hard drive as that source. 50 or 60GB might take about an hour to transfer, but you will then have the same setup that you have been using, but on a new drive (again, an SSD will be faster.
If your old hard drive is starting to die, that data transfer could take a long time, or could even stop with file errors of some kind. Hopefully, you will be successful.

Your question about the Recovery HD: That is a system partition that you can boot from for a variety of reasons. It gives you access to a few utilities, such as Disk Utility and Terminal. And, also supports reinstalling the OS X system that is your normal boot system. The recovery system connects to Apple's remote servers to download the system files, and reinstall the system. You don't lose anything, it simply reinstalls the system on top of the existing system - doesn't affect YOUR files and apps.
But, you can also erase the current system volume, if you so choose to do that. The Recovery system is on another volume on your drive, and can't erase the device completely (you are booted to one of the partitions/volumes on the same drive, Disk Utility won't erase a system that it is currently booted to. But it can erase everything else, should you choose to do that. The recovery system also does not have a finder/desktop, so it's not simple to get at files and apps, but that's not really its purpose -- just a few utilities and a method to easily reinstall your system...
Hope that helps answer your questions!
 
Thanks DeltaMac, just a few more questions. I intend to get a new hard disk, don’t need a huge capacity, and I think (without looking at costs) I’ll go for an SSD. SSD means Solid State Disc I presume which has no moving parts and therefore should have greater longevity ... am I correct?
Do you need an sled adapter to fit them to a mac pro?
So i remove the current malfunctioning disc and put it into bay 2, 3 or 4 and put the new disc into bay 1. Does the machine automatically boot from bay 1 or do you choose it?, presume it will have to be formatted first, which I assume disc utility does before installation disc. Well I’ll be booting from the stick so this is all fairly obvious ... apologies. I have under 100Gb to transfer, assuming it works, so not a lot. So apps transferred will work without re-installation, that’s great if it happens, don’t i need cloning software?
I’ll post after giving this a try, thanks again
 
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