Hi Terry,
One thing you might try is what Apple called 'blessing the system'.
Assuming you can get it rebooted from another volume, like a CD, and the HD is mounted on the desktop, double click the HD to open it, doing the same working your way through to the actual system file in the system folder.
Once done, try rebooting from the HD to see if that works.
Apparently this procedure allows the machine, the finder in this case I guess, to locate the actual system file needed to startup properly.
When zapping the P-RAM, make sure to allow it to chime at least three times before releasing the keys to allow the startup to continue.
Just some ideas, but it could work in this situation.
All the best with it
Bill
At 12:51 PM -0700 28/10/2004, Terry Graham wrote:
Hi Folks,
I've loaned my Starmax 3000 to a friend. It is his first Mac after being a very amateur PC operator.
Explorer froze him out and so he started pushing various
F Keys along with Command, Option and Control in various meaningless combinations as though he was still on his old PC, and now he can't get past the flashing
Question mark.
I think his random F-Key attempts at hard restart are the root cause of the computer not being to locate its operating system. You think?
I got him to boot from a TechTool Pro 3 CD, over the phone, but even TechTool after scanning for missing volumes, and selecting his hard Drive. . . won't rebuild either the Desktop or the Directory or defrag.
Zapped the Pram, tried starting with extensions off. . . no go.
I suspect a corrupt Finder and prefs .
I still use the old non-F-Key keyboard and know the three-finger salute (hard restart) on this board (Command-Ctrl-power) but what is it on the Extended board with the F keys, which he is using?
The Starmax has dual ports and he is still using his PC mouse.
Thanks, Terry
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