[DM-MUG] 600 MHz iBook refuses to take OS X

[Bailey Ford]

Hey there,

What a fun time you had! I had a few thoughts while reading your post.

When you say 'wiping the drive' it sounds to me like you are just=20
deleting all the files, but not reformatting the drive. I would=20
definitely reformat this drive before trying to install any version of=20=

OS X again. This would insure that all the invisible files and the boot=20=

sector were erased properly. Make sure you format it as an HFS+ drive.

If you and the Apple rep in Chicago suspect a defective logic board,=20
you might run the hardware diagnostics that come with most Macs. This=20
would test most of the hardware components to make sure they pass basic=20=

tests of functionality and should highlight seriously defective and=20
broken hardware. I did not receive this disk with my most recent mac,=20
but I have in the past. Worth a try if you have it.

Keep us updated!

-bailey

On Aug 3, 2004, at 3:19 PM, CW Smith wrote:

> Mac mystery of the week:
>
> My friend Rose called me a few weeks ago when she was trying to=20
> upgrade to
> Panther on her 600 MHz iBook.  The machine bombed in the middle of the
> install and wouldn't (of course) boot to OSX afterward.  She booted=20
> from the
> installer CD, and tried again to install OSX, but the machine told her=20=

> OSX
> was already installed.  I showed her how to change the startup folder=20=

> to
> OS9, and she's at least able to use her iBook now.
>
> A couple of weeks later, she brought her iBook to me to see whether=20
> I'd have
> any luck.  I began by removing all visible OSX system files and=20
> emptying the
> trash.  I then tried installing Panther, with exactly the same result.=20=

>  I
> wiped OSX files again and tried installing Puma (10.1).  Again, same=20=

> result.
>
> I then backed up her hard drive to my iPod, wiped her drive clean, and=20=

> tried
> installing Panther again.  Nope.  I wiped her drive clean AGAIN, then=20=

> tried
> Puma.  No way, Jos=E9.
>
> I wiped her drive once more, put her files back on from my iPod, and=20=

> gave
> her iBook back to her in the same condition in which I received it:=20
> booting
> from OS9, with no OSX.
>
> I suggested to her that Apple had a program for dealing with defective=20=

> logic
> boards on iBooks, and suggested that this may be the root cause of the
> problem.  She took it to an Apple dealer in Chicago, who agreed that=20=

> the
> logic board may be to blame.  Apple, on the other hand, says that this=20=

> is
> NOT indicative of a faulty logic board and has washed their hands of=20=

> it.
>
> What would cause these installation problems?  Are there other files,
> perhaps invisible from OS9, that are interfering with the installation
> process?  I know her processor and memory are capable of Panther (I=20
> have an
> old Blueberry iBook that runs Panther without a hiccup), but I'm at a=20=

> loss
> as to what the glitch is that's causing the installation crashes.
>
> Any help in this matter would be much appreciated.
>
> Peace,
> CW
>
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