Help me get a computer; I'm looking at you Gewehr98!

[Thor]

Balog, the FIRST thing I'd recommend is that you buy some more RAM if you intend on installing any version of Windows XP. XP runs best with at least 512 Meg of RAM. It'll run on 256 Meg, but 512 is better. Then, if you want to game, a new video card would be in order.

[Balog]

I've been told a coupla times I'll need to install more memory. I've never done that; how difficult is it? Do I have to wait until the thing gets here to get new memory, or can I just get a stick right now? Can I keep the old 256 stick and just plug in a new 512 to go with it, or will I have to replace it entirely?

[Vodka7]

DDR RAM doesn't need to be installed in pairs, so you can pretty much slap anything you want next to the 256 stick.  All you've got to do is:

1) Unplug your PC and open up your case.
2) Ground yourself by touching metal or using one of those electro-static wristbands
3) Plug your new RAM in next to your old RAM.
4) Close up case, plug in PC, start computer.

That's it, nothing crazy, no drivers, no BIOS, the original plug and play

[Silver Bullet]

Gewehr98,

9.2, as I recall, was a version of 9.1 that was created to allow the user to boot up classic OS 9 on a computer that had OS X installed.  If you tried to open a document in OS X that was only associated with an OS 9 (or earlier) application, OS X would boot up Classic (9.2) and then the application.

According to this discussion, there may be issues with the type of 9.2 install; that is, some install CDs were universal and would install to any Mac, and some were specific to a particular model:

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=919396&tstart=0

Also, some were "full" installs and some were "upgrade" installs from a previous version.   If thats the issue, installing 9.0.4 first should work for you.  For example, if 9.2 is an upgrade CD, if you have any earlier version of  OS 9 installed, 9.2 upgrade should bring it up to 9.2.

[Daniel964]

Balog I've got a stick of pc2100ddr here thats 256 meg that I can't use if you want it. Just let me know where to send it.

[Gewehr98]

I've got bigger fish to fry with the G4.  OS 9.04 wouldn't even boot off the install CD. I didn manage to get 9.2 to install to another spare HD I had, but it's flaky as hell, too.  The logicboard battery reads 3.6 volts, so that leaves incompatible memory or a bad logicboard as my culprits. 

[Balog]

Wow thanks Daniel! PM sent

[Silver Bullet]

Gewehr98,

Whats the history of this Mac ?  Is it one youve had for years and ran fine with, or did you buy it recently at a garage sale ?

I think 3.6 vdc is the correct voltage for the pram battery, but I still wouldnt rule it out.  Batteries can measure good with no load, and then lose voltage when the current demand goes up.  If you havent replaced it yourself in the last few years, you can probably get a replacement at Radio Shack.  Even if they dont have one in stock, they have a huge catalog of batteries and can even have it mailed to your house (at least that was true ten years ago).

You might also try installing by booting from the CD.  Just insert the CD, force a restart, and hold the C key as the system comes up.  It should boot from the CD and then proceed with installation.

Another option is to take it into an Apple Store if one is nearby:
http://www.apple.com/buy
then Shop Retail.  Maybe the folks at the Genius Bar can help you.  If it has to be sent somewhere for repair, it might be cheaper to pick up a similar one off eBay.

Incompatible memory ?  These folks might have info on their site as to what kind you need:
http://www.crucial.com/store/listmodel.asp?cat=RAM&mfr=Apple&productline=iBook&submit=Go

[Gewehr98]

It was an e-Bay purchase, $50.00, sans hard drive and memory.  Of course, I bought it with no guarantees, but the guy is local if I want to press the issue, I guess. It was a Mac, and they don't need troubleshooting, right? 

Since I knew the PowerMac G4 systems ran regular PC-100 memory and IDE hard drives, all I had to do was reach into my spare parts shelf and pull 512Mb and an 80Gb IDE HD, or so I thought. 

It doesn't boot from the CD - at least, not reliably.  I managed to get the firmware updated, but to get it to boot from the OS 9.2 CD, I have to hold the SHIFT key down to skip loading extensions. When I can manage to install the OS onto the HD, when it reboots I'll get errors, or it'll crash while I'm maneuvering the cursor on the desktop. So far, that's happened on 3 separate hard drives. If it was a PC, I'd think I had a memory problem.  Even with my MCSE, A+, and Novell certification, I'm at loggerheads with this thing, so unless the Angel of Mac appears to me in a dream with a fix, I'm taking it downtown this weekend to the Mac repair place. With the UW campus nearby, and all the engineering and medical/pharmacy students, there is a plethora of Mac support in Madison. That'll cost me on the order of $65.00/hr. 

[Silver Bullet]

I've had monitors, a mouse, and disk drives go bad, but the only time I had an issue with the computer cpu was one of the old iMacs I bought got cranky when it didn't think the new RAM I added was "seated" well enough in the DIMM slot.  The Mac would make a series of ringy-dings (not the normal startup chord) on power up that identified the problem as memory.  I reseated the RAM and everything was fine.

Sounds like you're more computer-trained than I am, so I'm limiting my suggestions to items specific to my Mac experience.

From what you're describing, a trip to the repair shop might be in order. 

[Gewehr98]

That's the sucky part.  I'm well-versed in PC and networking, I've got all the certificates and qualifications.  Macintosh, not so much... That's why I grabbed this one, it was my chance to learn about 'em, and boy, am I ever learning!

(Wonder what a 550gr spitzer or three will do to a Mac at 100 yards?) 

[Balog]

Update: we've got the computer, we've got the monitor, and we've got the new RAM (thanks Daniel!). All I'm waiting on is the OS to install.

Question on installing the RAM: do I need to do something to ground myself so static electricity won't bugger the thing up? When I was learning demo they taught us to always touch the ground before handling blasting caps; will that be good enough?

[Silver Bullet]

I actually wear a grounding wrist strap, because I have one.

All of the times I've installed RAM, though, the manufacturers' instructions just tell me to

1) touch the power supply case (after removing the pc cover) to discharge any static electricity, and

2) not to shuffle my feet on the carpet once I've done step (1) until the RAM is installed.  Shuffling the feet, especially on a carpet, will recharge you.

[Gewehr98]

Balog,

Just a little busy on my end, but I haven't forgotten about you, I promise.

[RevDisk]

Update: we've got the computer, we've got the monitor, and we've got the new RAM (thanks Daniel!). All I'm waiting on is the OS to install.

Question on installing the RAM: do I need to do something to ground myself so static electricity won't bugger the thing up? When I was learning demo they taught us to always touch the ground before handling blasting caps; will that be good enough?

If ya still need any random bits, let me know.  Got a pile of spare parts.

[Silver Bullet]

If ya still need any random bits, let me know.

File corruption ?  Random bits are the last thing I need !

 

[Gewehr98]

Balog, shoot me an email or PM when the package arrives.

[Thor]

Balog, ESD(electro-static discharge) can be problematic if one doesn't keep themselves grounded to the piece of equipment they're maintaining. Once I'm grounded to the equipment, I always keep some part of my skin/body touching it. (Be it hand or forearm, usually) Wrist straps are nice to have, but not absolutely necessary.

[Gewehr98]

Woo-hoo! He's operational!

Now he just needs the correct video drivers so he can see things in something other than the default 640x480 16-color resolution.   

[RevDisk]

Woo-hoo! He's operational!

Now he just needs the correct video drivers so he can see things in something other than the default 640x480 16-color resolution.   

I have an ATI FireGL wasting space in my closet, you know...

[Thor]

Those drivers SHOULD be on the ATI site, someplace.

[Gewehr98]

Balog doesn't have Internet, yet. 

Re: FireGL - This IBM workstation I bought has a FireGL4 card, and it's a monster, big footprint, AGP Pro slot plus adjacent PCI slot, and a jet engine for a cooling fan.  I understand it was the thing for graphic design, which makes sense since my machine is a leftover LotR rendering box.  So you'd think a high-dollar AGP Pro video card would play DX9 games, right?  Nope.  Designing graphics and simply playing them are two different things, evidently.

Which FireGL card do you have, RevDisk?  Balog's video is integrated into his motherboard on his NetVista/ThinkCentre.  I'll have to dig around on IBM's support site, but looking at the pictures, I *think* he's got an available AGP slot on the mobo (doesn't look like an AGP Pro slot), but for now I just wanted to clean up his display options past the 16-color stuff he's looking at under the default Windows XP Pro install.   

[Balog]

Ok, still going thru the library until Saturday.

Many thanks for all the help guys; esp to Gewehr98 for the 2-3 hours of unpaid tech support.

[RevDisk]

Which FireGL card do you have, RevDisk?  Balog's video is integrated into his motherboard on his NetVista/ThinkCentre.  I'll have to dig around on IBM's support site, but looking at the pictures, I *think* he's got an available AGP slot on the mobo (doesn't look like an AGP Pro slot), but for now I just wanted to clean up his display options past the 16-color stuff he's looking at under the default Windows XP Pro install.   

ATI FireGL v3200, I think.  But it could be a v5100 or v7100.  128 meg (I think), two DVI ports, PCI-E (not AGP).  Having trouble with identification, actually.  Ripped 'em out of two of our CAD stations, and replaced this card with a QuadroFX (3450 rings a bell).

[Gewehr98]

Darn.  Neither he nor I have a PCI-E slot to make use of that type of video card.  In other words, our systems are too old.   

He's got the proper Intel onboard video drivers now, though.  He had things set to 1920x1440 and was curious why things were so small on the screen.  I would imagine that would also make for a difficult session of WarCrack.