PowerBook 3400c - How To Remove Unwanted Security

[AichEss]

I have been restoring a PowerBook 3400c. Physically it is great shape but …

A former owner apparently installed some kind of security causing MacOS 9.1 to not run well. While the OS is loading it crashes more often than not with random error messages. The ‘Book runs just fine with OSs 7.6.1 and 8.6.

The obvious sign of what is going on is a folder on the desktop in all 3 OSs which is not removeable. The folder shows empty – zero contents – but the ‘Book says it contains software in use and cannot be deleted.

After way too many hours just flailing around with this issue I have concluded that the problem source is in the firmware or whatever it was called at the time of the PB 3400 and I really, really need some guidance if I am to go there. I think I need an older equivalent to OSX’s Terminal but I don’t know anything about what it is, how to get it or how to use it.

Would someone here provide a step-by-step procedure for solving this problem on a PB 3400? I would be forever grateful and willing to pay for the service.

 

[finkmac]

A former owner apparently installed some kind of security causing MacOS 9.1 to not run well. While the OS is loading it crashes more often than not with random error messages. The ‘Book runs just fine with OSs 7.6.1 and 8.6.

you don't mention what the security looks like, or when it triggers. is this a boot message?
have you wiped the disk completely when installing other OS versions?

The obvious sign of what is going on is a folder on the desktop in all 3 OSs which is not removeable. The folder shows empty – zero contents – but the ‘Book says it contains software in use and cannot be deleted.

this is a rather vague issue and does not really prove anything. that sounds more like disk corruption to me.

After way too many hours just flailing around with this issue I have concluded that the problem source is in the firmware or whatever it was called at the time of the PB 3400 and I really, really need some guidance if I am to go there.

there are no firmware passwords on powerbook 3400s. there is a password mechanic that works with a particular control panel, but that password is wiped by yanking the pram battery or zapping the pram as far as I know. your pram battery is probably already dead so that shouldn't be the case.

I think I need an older equivalent to OSX’s Terminal but I don’t know anything about what it is, how to get it or how to use it.

you do not need that, and cannot get that because such a thing does not exist.

Would someone here provide a step-by-step procedure for solving this problem on a PB 3400? I would be forever grateful and willing to pay for the service.

hard to give you answers without more details on what exactly this problem is screenshots would help.

buuuuut....

if you're not attached to the data on the disk, I'd wipe it completely... or yank the disk and install a new one.
then reinstall MacOS of your choice.

 

[joevt]

The obvious sign of what is going on is a folder on the desktop in all 3 OSs which is not removeable. The folder shows empty – zero contents – but the ‘Book says it contains software in use and cannot be deleted.

Move it to the trash and restart? Moving folders to the trash does not affect files that are already open. When you restart, the files might not get opened (unless they are opened by file ID instead of file path).

If you install MacsBug, I think it has a command to list open files?

When dealing with old machines, it's helpful to have an extra hard drive for booting and troubleshooting.

PowerBook 3400c supports SCSI target disk mode? That means you can connect it to another Mac using a SCSI cable and use that other Mac to do troubleshooting such as using a utility to check the disk.

 

[Phipli]

You know what... I've just changed my mind and deleted what I was writing I'm not going to explain how security software does this stuff because it's basically the same as a virus.

Reformat your hard disk and then run a disk check on it to see if it is faulty (which is more likely).

If the same thing happens, this is a rare time that I'd suggest...
1. Connect the laptop to another Mac via the SCSI cable, leave it off, boot the other Mac.
2. Power on the PB into SCSI target mode. Avoid mounting the disk if possible.
3. Format it from the other computer.

This is a fairly reliable brute force way to get rid of security software.