Powerbook G4 A1095 will not boot (new HD)

[mraroid]

I need some help booting my Mac Powerbook G4 (A1095) laptop.  I don't know if I have the 1.3Gh model or the 1.5Gh model.
 
When I bought it on ebay it was broken.  When I tried to boot it, I heard what sounded like a bad fan or a bad hard drive spin up.  It was very noisy.  It would only boot to a screen with a flashing question mark and a file folder.
 
I stuck in a apple 10.2.3 DVD and healed down the "C" key.  It would not boot to the DVD.  I could not get the disk to eject.  After days of playing with it, it finally came out.
 
I decided to open up the powerbook and see what was making all the noise.
 
I used this guide:

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/PowerBook+G4+Aluminum+15-Inch+1-1.5+GHz+Hard+Drive+Replacement/227
 
Taking it apart went well.  Once I had the powerbook open I booted it and found out the grinding noise was coming from the hard drive.  The fans were quiet. 
 
As luck would have it, I had a OWC (Other World Computing) SSD model MLP 120  It is called a Mercury Legacy Pro.  It is a 120 GB 2.5 inch IDE/ATA solid state drive.
 
The Fixit guide was helpful.  I pulled out the original hard drive.  It was a 80GB  Toshiba 5400 RPM apple branded drive (MK8026GAX).  I installed the new SSD.  I put the computer back together, and tied to boot it.
 
It booted to the same screen with the question mark and file folder.  I stuck in a Apple DVD of 10.2.3 and healed down the "C" key.  It booted to the same question mark screen.  I tried this several times, all with the same results.  Again, I had to screw with the powerbook to get the disk to eject, but it finally came out.  I tried again with a apple branded Leopard 10.5 DVD.  Same thing.  I tried a DVD of the classic OS 9.2 and same thing.
 
I plugged in a portable USB drive, but the drive light on the USB drive never did come on with or with out a floppy.  I believe this powerbook will not take a classic OS, but needs a version of OSX.
 
Do I need to do any magic when I hold down the C key when I boot?  Do I hold down the C key and then boot the computer and keep the key depressed?  Or do I press and release, press and release, etc.  I have tried both ways, and I still boot the question mark screen.
 
I can open this puppy back up and and take a closer look at the DVD drive. When I put a DVD in the drive, I can hear the drive spin up and run.  I don't hear anything that I would call bad noise from the DVD drive when I put a DVD in it.  It runs. When I opened the powerbook up, it looked like I was the first person inside.  The yellow tape was still on everything.  I don't think anyone else has been inside.  It looked like it just came from the factory.  I could be wrong...

 If I lived someplace other then Ecuador, I would buy a replacement DVD drive from ebay and swap it out.  But mailing stuff to my country is almost impossible.

Any suggestions on what my next step could be?
 
It should boot to a Leopard 10.5 DVD right?  I just put the DVD in the drive, hold down the C key, and then turn the computer on, right???
 
What the heck am I doing wrong?? Any other magic key combos I should try? 
 
Thanks everyone.  Pic enclosed.  New SSD installed.
 
mraroid
 
Someplace in my apt I have a portable USB CD/DVD drive. If i ever found it, could I plug that into a USB port and boot to a DVD in it?  Hold down the C key?  Or will this machine even see a external USB CD/DVD drive....??

 

[mraroid]

Update....

I read this web page:

http://sonicchicken.net/blog/wordpress/20050926/boot-options-for-powerbook-g4/

So I tried the key combo of holding down the Option key on boot.  A new screen appeared.  On the left was a file folder with a 1/2 circle in it and on the right another folder.  Clicking on both took me to the clicking clock.  After going back and forth a new small screen appeard that was the Leopard 10.5 DVD. I clicked on that and YES!  It am loading Leopard as I type this!

I am not sure why it would not boot by hiolding down the "C" key, but at least it is trying to load a new OS on my SSD drive. 

I will report back after I open the champagne....

mraroid

 

[Unknown_K]

Those machines can act dead with a dead PRAM battery (stuck to the top of the optical drive). Unplug it.

 

[mraroid]

Unplug the PRAM battery?

I am ready to try anything.  The install stopped at 42% and then it would start over again.  I think this powerbook is possessed by the devil.

mraroid

 

[Unknown_K]

I have 2 Powerbook with problems (last generation G4 1.67ghz high res). One has a kernel panick every time OSX loads and the other freezes because of the GPU going bad. My third unit is 100% working and I keep the other 2 for parts and the screens. The older G4 Aluminum units I have seem to be more reliable.

 

[mraroid]

After many tries I am still unable to install Leopard (10.5) on my Powerbook. Mine is the aluminum type.  I still do not know which CPU is in it....
 
I am unable to boot my powerbook to the DVD by holding down the "C" key.  However I can boot just fine to a screen by holding down the "Option" key on boot.  I boot to a screen with two icons and if I wait for a moment or two,  I see a third icon of my Leopard install disk.  I can click on that icon and launch the install.
 
I use the Leopard Disk Utility to partition and format my SSD.  All goes well.  I start the install and the install goes well, with no errors.  At about 42 minutes into the install, the install stalls, and the computer will stay that way all night long. 

After many attempts I am now trying something different. I partitioned my SSD into two, 59GB partitions.  I am trying yet again to install the OS on partition number 1 now.
 
A suggestion was made to un plug the PRAM battery (Thank you Unknown_K).  If this install fails, I will take the powerbook part yet again and unplug that battery.
 
I will report back.
 
Any suggestions welcome.
 
Thanks everyone for the help.
 
mraroid

Update:  The install failed again.  I have been using Mac OS Extended with Journeled.  I am trying one last time with Mac OS with out Journeled to see what happens.
 
I have three choices when I partition.  I am using Apple Partition Map.  It seems clear that is my only chose.

 

[Gorgonops]

Long shot for you: The 15" Al Powerbooks are notorious for having one of the two memory slots go bad. (Usually the lower one.) If your system has both slots filled I'd say try pulling one of the two DIMMs and see if it behaves. (If it still misbehaves, change DIMMs and/or try the other slot, it's also possible you could have a bad DIMM.) Computers just wandering off into the woods like you're describing is something bad RAM can cause.

(The Powerbook, like most consumer computers, doesn't have parity/ECC error detection for catching bad RAM on the fly, and the BIOS test is basically a joke, so bad/flaky RAM can easily slip by.)

 

[mraroid]

Thank you for the good tip Gorgonps.  I have two SIMMs in the powerbook.  Both are the same.  I believe they are 1GBs simms.  They are:

Kingston KVR

AEP01660702

99R0025-003.A00

KVR333S0/1GR

P835106-1500833

740617081008

2.5V

I pulled both, and then installed one back into the lower socket.  Both apperard to be seated correctly. I will try this before I take the powerbook apart again. 

Great idea!  Thank you.

mraroid

 

[Rajel]

I have one of the bad slot Powerbooks myself, can't remember which it was.
This was a known defect by Apple, if you caught it in time they'd even repair it free of charge (of course they won't nowadays).

It does sound like a bad RAM stick though - those can cause all sorts of wackiness.

 

[mraroid]

Thanks Gorgonps and Rajel for the additional information.
 
I pulled the 2 memory SIMMs.  I tried installing with a SIMM in the back slot (twice) and then a SIMM in the front slot (twice)  Then I rotated out that SIMM and tired it all over again with the other SIMM stick. Same issue.  No error messages- I get to maybe 42 minutes or the best was about 35 minutes left, and then it just quits and reboots with no error message. It reboots to the install screen again. When I look for a drive that I can boot to, I find none.  I have my 128 GB SSD drive partitioned into two equal partitions.  I alternately try partition #1 and then partition # 2.  Same issue.
 
I can say that when both SIMMs are installed the install time is almost cut in 1/2.
 
I have now reversed the order of where I had SIMM # 1 and # 2 and trying the install with both installed.  If this fails, I will give up, and take the powerbook apart, and then unplug the PRAM battery and give it another go.
 
Thanks everyone for the many tips and advice.
This can sure get frustrating.....
 
mraroid

 

[mraroid]

Update....
 
I took the powerbook apart and un plugged the PRAM battery.  I rebooted and did not have any luck.
 
I am going to look for another hard drive - perhaps a 7200 RPM mechanical hard drive and see if that works....
 
I did learn something interesting.  If your powerbook is dead and need to know something about it, you can boot to a install disk (I have been using Leopard).  Then select Utilities, then Profile.  It was only then that I was able to learn that I had a Powerbook 5,4 - M9422LL/A, A1095. It also gave me a serial number that I could look up on the web and find additional information.  From the stamp on the back of the powerbook case, one can only find out so much.  But this software profile gave me all the information I needed.  I hope this helps someone.
 
I am giving up for the time being.....
 
Thanks for all the help folks.
 
mraroid

 

[FacnyFreddy]

I just got a G4 1.67GHz 15" running with an mSATA to IDE adapter... BUT, I have working PRAM battery.

I have NEVER been able to install Leopard onto a G4 with a dead pram ... even unplugging it was useless.

Others who have more magic pixie dust than me can tell you how this might works, but, I had to swap PRAMs.

 

[mraroid]

Thanks Facny..... I will will try to locate & buy a PRAM battery and figure out how to get it to me in Ecuador...

Appreciate the help.

mraroid