PowerBook G4/500 mHz
512 megs of RAM (it came with 256, but I recently picked up another 256 meg chip)
20-gig Hard Drive
DVD-ROM
Mac OS X 10.2.1

I've run both Norton 6.x (many, many times) while booted from BeBox, my 5-gig iPod, and also fsck, from the UNIX prompt.
The really strange thing is that every time I run Norton, it reports the same problem in the same files, and then fixes them every time, only to report them again the next time it's run! The most consistant recuring problem is a 'bad backup date' error, which Norton claims to fix every time, but then reports again the next time it's run. I wouldn't be too worried, as it doesn't seem to be such a massive file problem, except that it's reported in over 3,000 files, and a lot of 'em look pretty important- system files (both X and 9) and the like.
Anyway, the symptoms are also pretty strange:
The other day, I restarted the system, and for the first time on this 'Book, I got the dreaded 'blinking-?-of-doom'- the damn thing refused to boot! I started up from my Norton CD, but the hard disk wouldn't show up in the drive list. I could hear it clicking and whiring, just like usual, but it just wouldn't appear in the list of drives that I could access. I also tried booting from BeBox (the iPod) and my OS 9.2.1 CD, but got the same results.
I had to go out, so I just shut down the system and left.
When I came back later that evening, I started by removing the new RAM chip, and booted the system, and it fired right up into OS X like usual! Of course, now I suspected that the RAM was faulty, but I've been using the system without the chip, and I'm still having some really strange issues... like today, when I started the 'Book, at the grey-on-grey-Apple-logo screen, the thing kinda 'freaked out', with half the screen showing the grey background, and the top half of the apple logo, while the lower half just had some random static-y garbage. The system was frozen, and I had to force-restart it to get it to finish booting. Also, several times today, when I hit the brigtness up-and-down keys or the volume keys (F1-F4), the keys have the intended effect (i.e. gets louder or quieter), but the little 'see-through' window that's supposed to pop up and tell you their status just doesn't show... that is, until it does show up, as if nothing had happened... yikes.
The worst thing about all this is that it seems to be totally random- I'm posting this on the 'Book right now, and it seems to be working just fine! The sad part is that, for all I know, it's going to start bugging out any moment now... sigh.
I'm not sure what to do. I'm planning to back-up my most important files at work tomorrow, and re-install 10.2, but past that, I don't know.
As far as I know, the 'Book is still under the 1-year warranty, so will Apple help me out? I didn't get the AppleCare plan with it, because I was told that I would be covered for a year... but on their support site, it says that after 90 days, you've got to cough up $45 for help! Grrrrr!
Okay, that's about everything. I'm gonna post this around the web on a few different forums, and see what kinda response I get.
Wish me luck!
SpaceBoy

Dunno, I've barely played with 10.1/9.2 yet. =8-/

My best recommendation is to download version 7.0.2 update for Norton Utilities and reinstall 10.2.1 until you can get yourself back up and running.

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Captain Z - Mobile Operations Commander
68K Macintosh Liberation Army
23 68K Macs Liberated

quote:

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So, how do I get my old settings back?! I've still got my 'old' system folder, but I don't know what goes where. I've gotten my custom desktop pics back, and my screensavers, but how do I get all my iPhoto albums? How 'bout my iTunes playlists? IE/Mozilla bookmarks? Mail.app accounts?

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However, there's one last software thing you can try.

How much space you got on the 733 at work? I'd copy over every bit of irreplacable data that you've got.

Get the PB booted, wipe the drive and do a from scratch install of 10.2. Yes, it is annoying to have to go back in and re-tweak all your settings by hand and import back all of the data.

If this still doesn't solve the problem, or you can't even get the DVD drive to spin up, call Apple pronto.

That $45 service charge is for *technical* (meaning "software") support. If you are having hardware problems, it doesn't cost a thing to talk to them and get an RMA packet.

If they try to make it sound like, oh, this is a software compatablity issue, just emphasise the fact that it's making a grinding noise and even if it's not so, say you're having a problem with getting the load tray to shut.

On the downside, if you do have to get it RMA'd, it will be about 2 weeks before you have your PB back.

quote:

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. . . you DID backup your drive before mucking around in the system folder, didn"t you?

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AppleBASIC FOREVER!
As of 4/8/02:
TiBook G4/500, "Difference Engine"
PB 1400/133, "KayPro II"
PB 180/33, "Osbourne 1"
PMac 7100/G3-266, "DEC Rainbow" and "Altair 8800"
Quadra 950, "HAL 9000"
iMac Rev.A/333mHz, "Deep Blue"
Newton 120, "PADD"

Macs Liberated: 9 - 6400/180 (main Mac), 660AV, 636CD, LCIII+, LCII (2), Classic II, Classic and SE.

Call the tech support line again, and say that the load tray on the drive keeps popping open and now it won't shut. Say it was making a horrible grinding noise and won't spin up when you can convince it to stay closed.

DO NOT mention OS X, or Norton.

If they mention the previous tech support call, say that you explained this problem but the tech seemed not to understand that you can't reformat the hard drive because the DVD drive isn't working.

This is your mantra. Stick to it no matter what.

quote:

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If they mention the previous tech support call, say that you explained this problem but the tech seemed not to understand that you can't reformat the hard drive because the DVD drive isn't working.
This is your mantra. Stick to it no matter what.

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AppleBASIC FOREVER!
As of 4/8/02:
TiBook G4/500, "Difference Engine"
PB 1400/133, "KayPro II"
PB 180/33, "Osbourne 1"
PMac 7100/G3-266, "DEC Rainbow" and "Altair 8800"
Quadra 950, "HAL 9000"
iMac Rev.A/333mHz, "Deep Blue"
Newton 120, "PADD"

Good.

(And I just got off the phone with the cc people. I'm going with the dual 867s and they -- bless them -- when they saw the big charge immediatly froze the account and made me verify that this was really me and not somebody with a stolen card going on a spree.)

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