Mac OS 9 killed my PowerBook...

[MrMacintosh]

In a way. Here's an issue I've seen with iBooks running OS 9 before: as soon as the desktop loads, the powerbook falls asleep. Wake it up, it falls back asleep. No amount of PRAM resetting or restarting, etc, will fix it. Only reinstalling the OS.

Well, I am about 6 hours from home. I get to my destination and pull out my recently-restored 2400c. Well, it stars doing this. I messed with it and messed with it, but didnt do much because I done have OS 9 disks or SCSI adapters with me. Well, I tried again today, and now the internal hard drive is dead from all the spinup and spindown action.

Has anyone ever seen that issue with OS 9? For the most part, I'm just pissed that my Powerbook broke already, so I apologize for the rant.

 

[Temetka]

Sorry to hear about your problems.

In all the years I have been using OS 7, 8 and 9 I have never heard of the problem you describe.

Hope you get it sorted out soon.

 

[Bunsen]

That is really, really weird.

 

[Temetka]

Wait a sec...

Isn't there a PMU reset button?

I also thought that the lappies have a CUDA somewhere, no?

Pull the battery and run it off AC. Does the problem happen? How about on batt with no AC? Or with AC and batt?

Just some thoughts.

 

[tomlee59]

You might also consider an open-firmware reset dance. Can't hurt, might help.

 

[MrMacintosh]

Thanks for the suggestions. I've tried all of them - different batteries (although they only last about 30 sec each), no battery, PRAM reset and PMU resets. Plugged in overnight, cold boot, etc.

I'm positive its an OS 9 issue. Its happened before - I installed OS 8.6 onto a USB drive via an iMac and used it to boot an iBook and got the same problems.... also had that problem with an iBook clamshell... Both times, reinstalling from OS 9 solved it.

 

[register]

I've tried all of them - different batteries (although they only last about 30 sec each), no battery, PRAM reset and PMU resets. Plugged in overnight, cold boot, etc.
I'm positive its an OS 9 issue. Its happened before - I installed OS 8.6 onto a USB drive via an iMac and used it to boot an iBook and got the same problems.... also had that problem with an iBook clamshell... Both times, reinstalling from OS 9 solved it.

Did you consider to start with extensions disabled? Some very old PBs are also known not to boot with dead or w/o batterie. Probably an internal backup batterie has to be replaced. The reinstallation might have fixed batterie issues because of the charge duration that comes with a System installation.

 

[dbraverman88]

I have seen that behavior ... I can't remember where. /wracking brain

--David

 

[MrMacintosh]

Just wanted to provide some closure.... I pulled the 1GB HD out of my 1400c/117MHz and installed it in the 2400, and all is well. For now.

Re-celling the battery will be my next project.

**Forgot to mention - I scored a 64MB RAM module for $10 shipped for the second 2400! Now to find a suitable HD...

Kyle-

 

[equill]

One fact about PowerBooks that one may ignore only at one's peril is that they are PowerBooks. If an OS or System is installed as a clone or a copy of an installation on a desktop, the extra software needed by a PB will not have been installed by Installer, which installs what it believes the immediate target Mac needs. The same happens if you make an installation onto a PB from a desktop off which hangs the PowerBook in SCSI Disk or Target Disk mode. Both of the foregoing installation methods can be used if you afterwards add the missing software manually (using, say, TomeViewer).

Carefully check your installation, and look for the specific PB software in the Extensions Folder. The extensions manage system power use, sleep mode, HDD spindown, battery management, SCSI Disk Mode, video mirroring and so on. Do those names ring any bells for you in the light of your problem and its cure by using a drive from another PB?

de

 

[sircabulon]

I would say as soon as you get it going make sure that energy saver doesn't put it to sleep. That might keep the problem from coming back.

 

[equill]

Well thought. If Energy Saver is doing the dirty in this case, the most certain salvation is going to be to get hold of the PB's HDD in SCSI Disk Mode (or Target Disk Mode in this case) from a desktop Mac, and to trash Energy Saver's preferences from the PB drive's System Folder. That done, it may be possible to keep the PB awake long enough for it to be able to do other tasks.

de

 

[Dennis Nedry]

You should be able to temporarily disable Energy Saver by holding shift at startup, though. Have you tried this yet?

If it works fine with out extensions, you can do a split-half search to find the exact culprit.

 

[Franklinstein]

As for the random terminal sleep issues, some machines can be pretty bad, particularly if they use the magnetic sleep switches.

For the Wallstreet, if some hard drives are installed, the computer will go into terminal sleep because the armature magnets in the drive interfere with the reed switch (which is mounted directly above the hard drive bay), causing the machine to sleep as soon as the desktop loads. The only real fix is to get a different hard drive. Fujitsu is always a safe bet for those 'Books.

All modern 'Books use magnetic reed switch sleep, and sometimes the switch goes bad or, in iceBooks, the little magnet next to the optical drive is knocked loose during a disassembly session.

For older, mechanically-engaged sleep mechanisms on pre-Wallstreet models, the switches can get stuck or go bad, especially if the machine is open and closed very frequently.

So, if your PowerBook has a terminal sleep (or refusal to sleep) issue incurable through other methods, check the sleep switches.