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Freezing on startup

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We’re running a G4 with OS9, and just recently it has refused to startup. we’ve run Norton’s Disk Doctor has said the machine is OK, and starting on it’s own, the smiling mac appears and the machine freezes. Starting with shift down, to turn off theextensions, the smiling face freezes again.

This is causing a major concern, so any prompt answers would be appreciated.

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Freezing on startup

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Try either (1) resetting the PRAM by holding down “control” + “apple key” + “r” + “p” while restarting and wait to hear a second startup sound, and/or (2) try replacing the PRAM battery. You will lose some settings, like video resolution, sounds, etc.

Good luck!

Freezing on startup

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The last change of any kind was the installation of Dreamweaver 4, if it’s any help?

Freezing on startup

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The G4’s were also very picky with RAM. Not sure if you added any but that can cause freezes on start up. Just in case,
here is a link to a little app that will check the memory timing. When Apple released the lastest AGP G4 firmware it actually disabled incompatible memory! This program tells you your memory specs. http://www.mactcp.org.nz/DIMMFirstAid.sit

Freezing on startup

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Freezing on startup

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Hi Ray,

You said that, “and starting on it’s own,
the smiling Mac appears and the
machine freezes”. Not knowing your Mac
OS version and other pertinent
information I can only give general
suggestions related to your problem.

Understanding the startup sequence can
shed much light on the problem and
possible tell us WHY it’s freezing up at
startup. The following is the sequence
that occurs when a Mac starts up:

– Startup “chime” is played
– The hardware ROM is loadedinto
memory
– The hardware RAM is tested
– The ADB (keyboard/mouse) port is
queried for attached ADB devices and
“reset”
– The SCSI port is queried for attached
SCSI devices
– The Printer and Modem ports are
queried for attached devices
– The PCI expansion card slots are
queried for installed PCI cards
– The computer searches for a bootable
System Folder. It looks first to the floppy
disk drive, then the device selected in the
Startup Disk control panel, then internal
SCSI ID 0, then 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1, then
the external SCSI chain (if your Mac has
one) in the same order.
– The smiling Mac is drawn on the screen
–
YOUR COMPUTER FREEZES HERE ——

– If a System Enabler is present, it is
loaded here
– Extensions and Control Panels located
in the Extensions folder are loaded in
alphabetical order
– Extensions and Control Panels located
in the Control Panels folder are loaded in
alphabetical order
– Extensions and Control Panels located
loose in the System Folder are loaded in
alphabetical order
– The Finder is loaded/launched
– Items in the Startup Items folder are
launched
– File Sharing starts up (if selected)

SEE PART 2 –

Freezing on startup

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Freezing on startup

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PART 2 ?
Based on the aforementioned startup
sequence, prior to the appearance of the
smiling Mac face, the computer has
ALREADY checked RAM and
HARDWARE, so I don’t think it’s a RAM
related problem, but it may be.

It might be a SCSI related problem OR a
serious System software defect OR an
Extension related problem. You
mentioned that you already checked that
issue, but keep in mind, that holding
down the Shift key does NOT preclude the
possibility of there being a BAD System
Extension loading after the Mac Smiley
Face in the BASE set of extensions.

I would try 5 things to try and isolate the
problem –

1. Unplug ALL external related SCSI
devices from the computer and then try to
start the computerup. If it starts, then
there is something wrong with a SCSI
cable or SCSI device, termination or an
incorrect SCSI ID number.

2. Then try to startup from a BOOTABLE
CD or Zip disk so that the computer
bypasses the existing operating system
on the computer that may be damaged.
Try putting in the Norton Utilities CD and
hold down the “C” key to startup off of the
Norton CD. Does the computer start up?
If it does, then something is seriously
wrong with one of the components of your
Mac OS System Software (System,
Finder, Enablers, extension, ect). If a
component of the MacOS is damaged, all
you have to do to fix it is – replace the
System component with the EXACT SAME
GOOD component from another Mac ofthe same model & same Mac OS version.
I have archived all these items for all
MacOS versions in case of this exact
problem. And it happens occasionally. I’d
also throw away the following prefs –
Finder pref, Apple Menu Options pref and
ASLM Pref.

See PART 3 –

Freezing on startup

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PART 3 –

3. Remove any RAM chips that were
installed AFTER you bought the computer
that did NOT come originally from Apple.
As was mentioned, one of the RAM chips
(or other hardware component) may be
bad or has gone bad after the fact.When
the system tries to write info to the RAM
chip and can’t, it freezes up.

4. It may be a Network related problem.
Throw away the following prefs –
Appleshare pref & Appletalk pref. and
restart.

5. There are other solutions (like making
sure that the MAIN Hard Disk Drive has
been selected as the StartUp Disk in the
StartUp Disk Control Panel) that can be
tried, but this should take care of the
problem.

Freezing on startup

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Unfortunately, this answer was not able to sufficiently solve the problem, but gave some good advice for the future (which we had previously taken, but was a little lax of late). The HD needed initializing in the end, and the OS (9) was reinstalled, along with all the s/w, exts & cps. Many thanks for your consideration, and we look forward to more fruitful co-operation in future.

Ray

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