Quadra 605 not booting

[bse5150]

I bought a Quadra 605 a couple of months ago and am just getting around to playing with it now. The problem is that it doesn't seem to want to boot. I get the startup chime and a mouse pointer on a grey screen. I also get a happy Mac icon in the middle of the screen. The hard drive spins and sounds like it's booting but it doesn't boot. It goes from the Happy Mac icon to a black screen with a broken mac icon and a pair of numbers underneath. The numbers are 0000000000f 00000000001 or something like that; I didn't count the number of zeros.

Couple of questions:

1) Will a Quadra 605 boot to the desktop without a keyboard or mouse attached? I don't have either attached as I don't have any on hand. I'll bring back a keyboard and mouse the next time I visit my parents.

2) Would the broken Mac icon be caused by an incompatible version of Mac OS on the boot volume? I think I already know the answer to this question.

I have a couple of other questions too, but I'll save those for after I tinker a little more.

 

[uniserver]

sounds like bad caps to me. sorry to sound like a broken record.

 

[bse5150]

I've tried to boot with the hard drive disconnected and I got the floppy icon with the flashing question mark. That's pretty much as expected.

I tried pulling the 32MB SIMM that's in it and booting with just the 4MB onboard and the problem remained the same, just a little faster.

 

[uniserver]

yeah i have seen a similar scenario same with the LC475 and LC575 and Q605 with bad caps.

They boot then go sad mac. or don't even get video.

bad caps give you all kinds of screwy issues…

Does that happen to have a TDK PSU in it as well?

 

[bse5150]

Yes. Yes, it does have the TDK PSU.

 

[TheMacGuy]

My 605 runs fine without the keyboard or mouse, but requires I flip the switch on then back off then on again to boot (bad PRAM Battery).

Have you tried booting from a floppy with the HDD unplugged? See if it boots. Then I would try replacing the HDD (if you have a spare one) with a compatible System installed to see if it boots.

I do have to agree with uniserver, it sounds like it might be leaky caps.

PS: Be care around the wonderful Spindler Plastic.

 

[bse5150]

I just replaced the PRAM battery today. Cost me $22.59 at The Source.

I haven't tried booting from a floppy yet; all of my floppies are at my parents place. I'm going to be visiting my parents this weekend so I'll try a floppy and I'll try the hard drive from my 700.

 

[uniserver]

You should take that battery back... i will give you a new one free with a re-cap. the TDK PSU should also be recapped.

that price sounds high.

 

[TheMacGuy]

eBay 1/2 height AA 3.6V will run around $3. I'll post a link when I get home. I'm tying this on the iPhone.

 

[bse5150]

Okay, I brought back a System 7.5 Disk Tools disk from my visit with my parents. I plucked the disk into the floppy drive and started it up. It worked! It booted to the desktop and even mounted the hard drive. Now if only I had brought back a keyboard and mouse as well. I guess I was expecting failure.