Start-Up problems with TiBook -

[Michael Cucka]

Hello -

I've been having an irresolvable problem with my TiBook - early 400 MHz
model - that started after upgrading to 10.3.3.

It first began as random lock-ups that only a restart would escape from.
These became more frequent, and I then began having crashes after waking the
PB from sleep. But now I can rarely get the PB to boot off the HD.

Either, after the restart chime, it remains at a black screen (although it
does seem that the HD makes noise as if it is booting) or it locks-up at the
"grey Apple" screen, although the "wheel of fortune" never appears. I
frequently have to go thru several restart attempts to get up and running -
and sometimes nothing works. Occasionally when this happens, if I boot
holding the "opt" key and select the OS, it will continue to boot normally.
When it won't boot, it won't even boot in "safe mode".

I've tried several things to fix this:
- first, the PB will boot from a CD, like a utility disc or the Apple
Panther installer, so it seems as if it is alive to an extent...
- ran various repair utilities, incl. Disk Utility, Nortons DD, Drive 10,
Disk Warrior - all will boot the PB and report no problems.
- reformatted the HD and reinstalled Panther *several* times - installation
proceeds fine and I will boot at least once thereafter, but then the
problems return.
- tried remaining at 10.3 vs. updating to 10.3.3 with no difference
- been thru various attempts at zapping PRAM, resetting the PMU - no help.
- based on some posts on the Apple Boards, I've opened the PB and checked
for wire problems and see nothing obvious (my TiBook does not have the
orange ribbon noted on the Boards).

Not sure where to go with this next - it doesn't seem to be SW-related since
reinstalls didn't work - and not HW-related since the PB will boot and run
from a CD.

Any further thoughts?

Luckily, I purchased a 3-yr Apple Care when I bought the TiBook since it was
used!

TIA -
--

Michael

<brucknerdoc at snet.net>