agent2020 Posted September 10, 2004 Report Share Posted September 10, 2004 Hi, My question is very simple, last night while I was playing some music, I hit a small button under the power button on my g3 powermac. It shut off immediately, and now when I try to turn the thing on, I get an error message and it does nothing. It does not even load into OSX! I am very confused in what I should do.... any ideas?Thanks!This is what the error message says:System Failure: cpu=0; code=00000001 (Corrupt Stack)Latest crashinfo for CPU 0:Exception state (sv=0x15A38A00)PC = 0x (the numbers go accross the screen, and then, it says in brackets (System Failure))backtrace terminated - frame not mapped or invalid: 0xFFFFFF20proceding back via exception chainException state (sv=0x15A38A00)(whole bunch of code again) (System Failure)backtrace terminated - frame not mapped or invalid: 0x00000040Exception state (sv=0x15A38A00)Kernel version:Darwin Kernel Version 7.0.0:Wed Sep 24 15:48:39 PDT 2003; root:xnu/xnu-517.obj~1/RELEASE_PPC----------------------------------And this screen just stays there... I have OS 9.2.2 on the mac's HD somewhere, if only I could get that OS going.... any ideas? Think the mac is shot? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
macmarauder Posted September 10, 2004 Report Share Posted September 10, 2004 What version OS X do you have? When you try to boot how far do you get before the message comes up? Hmmm is it a black screen with white text? What model G3 is it? A B&W or a beige and what model # ?Ahh Haa I think I know what it is. I think the button that you hit is the very little one that was originally meant to bring up the mac command line. Which would normally called up by the firmware in the MOBO. Yes old macs do have a very simple hidden command line. It was only used by testers and programmers with too much time on their hands. Since you are now running a version of OS X the OS X Kernel it is getting conflicting messages. Your probably running Jaguar. It had problems with most of theses buttons. Hmmm (scratches head and then strokes chin) seriously exactly how far does it boot before you get the error message? I'll assume that you don't have an OS X boot disc since you didn't say that you haven't tried to use it. If you do boot off the disc and try repairing the disc permissions. Just let me know if you do not know how to do this. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
agent2020 Posted September 10, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 10, 2004 Wow, your good! I just bought this G3 and the previous owner did not give me any OSX CDs. As far as what OSX it is, no ideas there . When I boot up the machine it freezes on a grey screen with an apple in the backround. I have an external floppy drive, can I make a floppy that can reboot it?I have no idea what the model number is, where could I find it? I see the ethernet # and the serieal #. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
WiredMonkey Posted September 10, 2004 Report Share Posted September 10, 2004 The main thing to find out would be to tell if it were a beige G3 Powermac or a Blue G3 Tower...that will tell volumes alone. I'm gonna let macmarauder run with this, because he sounds like he knows more about this area than I do for sure! I didn't know that button did that! lol...haven't ever run into a problem such as this...glad he has. Hang in there agent2020...help is on the way. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
agent2020 Posted September 10, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 10, 2004 Thanks WiredMonkey. The tower is a green and white tower, it looks identical to this blue and white one:http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...5719151195&rd=1See those two little buttons under the power one? Well, one of them is the one I hit. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
WiredMonkey Posted September 10, 2004 Report Share Posted September 10, 2004 Okay, thanks for the clarification agent2020. That's what they refer to as a "Blue G3 Tower". I know it's kind of a greenish blue, but that's the one I figured it might be. I know exactly what button you pressed now, but I didn't know it did this on OS X - definitely follow macmarauder's advice, cause I think it should help fix it...he may not be on again for a few hours, but when he's back you'll be in good hands.Is there any way you can get your hands on an OS X cd? Did you buy it off of eBay or do you know the guy who sold it do you? Having a cd would be extremely helpful in this situation, and I can't pass you one through the monitor no matter how hard I try. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
macmarauder Posted September 10, 2004 Report Share Posted September 10, 2004 I'm gonna let macmarauder run with this, because he sounds like he knows more about this area than I do for sure! Naa. I just happen to have G3 processor for a brain and I'm always rebooting the darn thing. So I picked up a trick or two. That and I did stay at a Holiday Inn a year ago. Yep after sleeping on it what you need my friend is a Install CD for OS X. Even if you booted off of a floppy you still can't repair the Kernel. Well you can but it would involve far too much time, effort, and some very tricky stuff. Because what happened was that the firmware in the MOBO tried to run a script that is usually apart of OS 9 but since OS X that was that part is gone and supposedly disabled when OS X installed those extra files that it needed to run. This might have been done before you got to the computer but on a computer that has OS X on it. When you put OS 9 on there or you already had OS 9 and you are putting OS X on, when you first run Classic mode it tells you that it needs to install some files it needs in order to run classic. Well those files normally disable some things such as that firmware code. But if your not running classic on some computers this will happen or with some non stack apple processors this will happen. I don't know why it would do it with non apple processors though. It's only on cretin G3. OK here's my recommendations: You need to go get a copy of of and OS X install CDs. Preferably Panther. Boot under the CD and first try repairing the Disc Permissions. I know it's a little bit of a long shot but I do remember something about it also reseting part of the Kernel. If that doesn't work do a reinstall of OS X. You are given the option to only install the OS and not over write your saved files. That way you keep your data and replace the current Kernel. Sorry I don't have a quickie fix for this one.Here's a little tip: Remember when they said that OS X Panther was optimized for the G5. In Jaguar they also optimized it for the G4. A G4 400mhz for example and lets the best stock G3 you can get, a G3 500mhz. I pick those because they are almost the same computer but with different processors. The G4 has a little bit of an advantage but less processor speed to even it out. Under Panther my G400 I've been getting about a 12% better performance on average than my G3500. They both have 100mhz bus, the same video card, I bought the same ram for both, I even put the same HD in both. The only reason that I even bother with G3's anymore is that I happen to have a very special one that I built with some very special Processors. I'll put some tips in the Mac tip section for ya. Sorry for all the reading. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
agent2020 Posted September 11, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2004 Thanks very much for all your help and no, that was not too much reading, it was very interesting. I bought this G3 from a friend... I'll see what I can do about the CDS, I hope he did not lose them. This is my first mac, I found it very entertaining that I could crash it by a push of a button.... but I also know that macs have the "reputation" of being much more stable than PCs... so I'll give it a second shot . Thanks so much once again! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
agent2020 Posted September 11, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2004 How much should I be spending if I buy OSX Panther 10.3? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
agent2020 Posted September 11, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2004 Oh, one other crazy question, If I buy a CDRW/DVD drive for this mac, can I just buy one that is good for all computers.... or does it have to be specifically for a mac? I was thinking about buying this one:http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...5122053955&rd=1Would it work? In only says windows OSs. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
macmarauder Posted September 12, 2004 Report Share Posted September 12, 2004 This is my first mac, I found it very entertaining that I could crash it by a push of a button....Yah one of the problems with swithching to a totally new OS and a lack of support for 8 year old computers.How much should I be spending if I buy OSX Panther 10.3I suggest eBay, they are selling for around $50 +Oh, one other crazy question, If I buy a CDRW/DVD drive for this mac, can I just buy one that is good for all computers.... or does it have to be specifically for a mac? I was thinking about buying this one:http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...5122053955&rd=1Would it work? In only says windows OSs.Yes you do need to find one that says it's Mac compatable. I'd suggest looking on eBay in the Mac section or I use a company called LG. They usually have some pretty good prices and I like their quality for Mac stuff. LG ProductsYour welcome for the help. Any time. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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