GaryK

OK,

A chap downstairs has G4 iBook, boots up fine but all he gets is the wallpaper, no login screen and just a magnifying glass in the top right of the screen which when you put the mouse over it, you get the spinning beach ball!

Function keys to alter volume etc work fine but just cant get any windows up!

Any ideas???

Markus

What version of the Mac OS is it? First thing I'd suggest is boot from the install CD/DVD that came with it and select "Disk Utility" from the Utilities menu, then try using the "verify disk" option, see if that throws up any errors, if so, use the Repair option, then do the same with disk permissions. Then reboot and see what happens.

Has he just upgraded the OS, or added any of the latest security updates?

He could also try rebooting and as soon as the reboot sound is heard, hold down and keep held down the left shift-key until the machine gets to the desktop. This should put it into safe mode and not load various things.
If it does come up then it's possible it's an issue with a startup item or maybe a login item, so you could go into System Preferences then Accounts, select the account and look at the "login items" section and remove an item, reboot, see if it works, and keep doing that until you find which login item was the problem.

I do recall an issue with Adobe Creative Suite 2, specifically the startup/login item for Adobe Version Cue. Would cause the login to hang. Once it was removed and the machine rebooted all was fine.

RichB

Ironincally, I've just fresh installed Tiger and the 10.4.8 combo update on an old Powerbook which has done exactly the same.

It did a couple of restarts first and is sat with exactly the asme screen, spotlight top right and just the desktop.

I'll let you know how/if I fix it!

RichB

He hasn't downloaded the 10.4.8 combo, then installed rather than allowing system update to do it has he?
Thats what I've done and I sort of remember something about a dodgy combo installer from a while ago..... <come on brain - think>

RichB

zapping the PRAM doesn't help nor does safe bootmode....

RichB

I have two indentical PB G3s, same RAM.
Swapping the disks between machines fixed the problem. Both machines now boot.
Both are 10.4.8 BUT I think the one that works has not got the latest Java stuff and Quicktime on it.... I'm not going to bring it up to date either!

Weird, I would not have expected simply swapping machines to do anything... Probably just fluke.

Nobbie

Version Cue is a good shout..
Do you have another Mac? If so boot the iBook into target mode (T-Key), then connect a FW lead to the other mac and get into the boot menu by holding down the alt key, see if it boots then. If it does manually download the 10.4.8 combo installer ppc, and see what happens.
It could also be a firmware issue, so check that too.

Nobbie

Could also be Norton if he's got it installed.

RichB

In my case these are vanilla installs so no other software at all other than OS/Apple

Nobbie

Could try firmware, cuda reset, are you 100% sure the correct speed memory is in it. We had a similar problem with PC100/133 SO DIMMS. We fitted 133's, and although it knocked them down the 100 they became unstable. Couldn't get pc100 sodimms so changed the logic board to a 133, with 133 memory and hey presto.
But it seems more like a SW issue. The annoying thing is that i've had it before, and did a full clean install using the machine in target mode, through my g4.

RichB

(seem to be taking over Garys thread here but the laptop memory has been in the machines for years. Back in the days of OS8/9 etc - Also cant do target mode as these are G3s without Firewire - I know Tiger isnt supposed to run on these but it has done in the past just fine - I used a Pismo with FW, stuck the Lombard HDD in and installed, switched back and it works... Possible the latest security or Java updates did the damage though)

GaryK

Hey np Rich, I appreciate all the posts!