Entering "mac-boot" required. 1

[Niggle]

My older G4 Desktop Mac, (running OSX 3.9), when starting up, displays a message in the top left-hand corner. It mentions Open Firmware and asks me to enter "mac-boot" and press return to continue.

I've replaced the small battery, added an additional internal hard drive of 20GB, also put in extra 1024 of memory, (so it's near its capacity for this). I've also run disk first aid and Disk Warrior.

I've followed this advice from the internet:

"If the message still appears after you reset PRAM, reset the Open Firmware settings:

1. Instead of typing "mac-boot" at the Open Firmware prompt, type: reset-nvram
2. Press Return.
3. At the Open Firmware prompt, type: reset-all
4. Press Return.

Example
0 > reset-nvram
Press Return
0 > reset-all
Press Return"

I've done this a few times, but on restarting, I still get the Open Firmware prompt.

Can anyone advise me. Thanks.

 

[jmgalvin]

Has this just begun or did it start after you added or changed something? If the latter, you might try undoing what you did and see what happens.

You might also try starting up in safe mode - hold shift key down right after chime until spinning indicator shows on screen - and see if the problem occurs. If the problem disappears see what you have in your startup items folder and try disabling them. It the problem is still there, check Apple's site for any firmware updates to your machine.

Using OSX 10.3.9 on a G4

 

[Niggle]

Thanks JMGalvin. Thinking back, what actually happened was that the Mac suddenly wouldn't start up. It sounded the restart noise, then sort of hung, just showing the white apple. I tried over and over to get it to start up again, but it would begin, then hang every time. I wildly guessed that the drive had failed, and went to order the new 20GB drive. However, before that had arrived, and several days later, I casually tried starting the Mac up again, and to my amazement, found that everything booted up normally. Since then, I have the necessity of typing "mac-boot" during the start-up process.

I have purchased Leopard, but am not installing it yet as the drivers for my lexmark printer are still to be developed.

I have just restarted holding down shift, as you suggested, and the machine started up then hung at the appearance of the white apple again! I have subsequently restarted, and it starts up, but with the request to type "mac-boot". In the start-up items folder, I seemed to have a lot of Norton related stuff, which I've binned.

 

[Niggle]

I meant, of course, a new 200GB drive.

Anyway, I updated the firmware, as you suggested, from the Apple site. Then shut the machine down overnight.

I have switched it on this morning, and it has started up perfectly! Many thanks for the advice