[G4] Gifted with a G4/500

[C D T]

Once you verify that it has a good battery, and you have a monitor 
connected, it may help to do the "OF Fix" (Open Firmware resets).  It 
certainly won't hurt and it can solve a host of inexplicable problems - 
including the excessively loud startup chime some of these machines 
seem to get periodically.  Boot into Open Firmware like this:  
Immediately upon hearing the startup chime (or in your case, 
immediately after pressing the start button), press and hold the 
"option", "command" (the one with the apple on it), AND the letters "O" 
and "F".  That's four (4) different keys held down simultaneously.  The 
machine will enter a command line entry mode, similar to the Terminal.  
You may just get a command prompt, or a message that tells you to 
release the keys to continue.  At the command prompt, carefully type 
the following three lines, one at a time, including the dash, and press 
return after each one.  Type exactly what is in the first line and hit 
the return key.  The machine will return an "OK" and the command 
prompt.   Type the second line and hit return.  Type the third line and 
hit return.  A message will flash and the computer will reboot.  Let it 
boot normally, then check to see if you have any repeat of the problem.

reset-nvram
set-defaults
reset-all

I would also suggest downloading MacJanitor, if you don't already have 
it, and run it at least weekly.  It performs the same tasks as Chron 
which is supposed to run overnight.  Since most machines are off or 
asleep in the middle of the night, Chron (the daily, weekly, and 
monthly cleanup tasks) often doesn't get run.  Running them keeps OSX 
running more smoothly.

Good luck getting your "new" old mac off the ground.  I have four (4) 
machines of this era plus a G3 in the same format.  They all run well 
and have given me minimal problems.  I have a G4 "gigabit ethernet 450 
Mhz, a G4 Dual 500 Mhz, a G4 Dual 1 Ghz Quicksilver, and a G4 Dual 1Ghz 
MDD.   The Open Firmware resets have solved some really crazy things, 
including the gigabit ethernet being intermittent about sounding the 
chime on startup.  Sometimes it would, other times it wouldn't.  It 
would start and run even when the chime didn't sound, but it wasn't 
right.  It would do oddball things - refusing to save documents, apps 
quitting for no apparent reason, apps refusing to start, no internet 
connection, etc.  The OF resets cured it all.  I do them regularly - at 
lease once a week - on all my macs - even my rev B imac from 1998 - 
which still runs OS 8.6.

Dan

On Apr 27, 2008, at 11:21 PM, Christina Samuels wrote:

> Thanks so much for all the tips!
>
> It's definitely not "bonging." Uh oh!