AboutEd Dyer Expertise Current Tech: Mac OS X 10.0 - 10.5, Some shell scripting, cron, launchd, Mac OS X Server 10.2-10.4, AD-OD Integration, Automator, Movable Type Blogging, All current Mac models, iLife '06 and previous, iWork '08 and previous, Apple Remote Desktop, Now Up to Date & Contact, Quark 6.x & 7.x, NetRestore/NetInstall, Font Management, WiFi, BASIC Cisco
Devices: iPhone, AppleTV, Airport Express
Old Skool: Mac OS Environment 7.5.3-OS 9 (please upgrade for pete's sake! I will only answer basic questions in this area, as my expertise here is fading), PowerBook G3/G4(all models), Mac/Windows Networking, PowerPC 604-G4 desktop models, Outlook 2001, Photoshop 7 and previous, Flash MX, Dreamweaver MX
Dabbler: Newton 2100 w/ WiFi and NSync, Yellow Dog Linux, Suse Linux (PPC), Ubuntu Linux, Vista Business
Experience I'm employed as a Systems Engineering Manager at All Covered with a specialty in Macintosh technologies. I'm an Apple Certified System Administrator (ACSA) through 10.4 and have the lower certs as well (ACTC for 10.1 - 10.5), an Apple Certified Help Desk Specialist for 10.3 (ACHDS) and a member of the Apple Consultants Network, as well as an Apple Product Professional for 2002-2007. I have an MCP cert. from MS as well... I've worked with the Macintosh Operating system and various machines since my first PowerMac 8500 running Mac OS 7.5.3 in 1996. I support my friends and family in keeping their Macs healthy and upgraded. Now I use a MacBook Pro for work and have a Flat Screen iMac (intel 20" core 2 duo) for home use. I went to school for multimedia and design, but this knowledge-base is fading, though I primarily geek out with workstation deployment and server management. I'm sort of a "Mac of all trades" :)
Most important: I've also worked on PCs for a number of years with various flavors of Windows(95,98,NT4,2000,2000Server,2K3Server,SBS 2K3Server,Mil,XPHome,XPPro, Vista Business), but I've always used the Mac as my platform of preference. Publications http://www.macwindows.com : VPNs and Outlook
Get IT for your business: http://www.allcovered.com
Expert: Ed Dyer Date: 6/10/2008 Subject: ibook G4 won't start nothing zip nadda
Question QUESTION: My G4 iBook won't start at all, not on battery or on plug-in power. For the past two days it was suddenly shutting down with no warning so I have been trying to export all the data off of the hard drive. Today it won't start at all. Not if I try to reset the PRAM, not if I try single user mode, not if I stand on my head! Nothing! I would like to transfer the rest of my files off of my computer and I have a rented DVD in the disk drive that I would like to eject. Any suggestions? Oh yes. I currently live in India and there is no Apple Care center in my city...
Thanks for any suggestion.
ANSWER: Justine,
If it won't even boot, you won't be able to copy data off. Your best best is to yank the drive, transfer it to an external enclosure and then mount the drive on another workstation.
I apologize I don't have better advice. Good luck!
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Thanks for the help. Yesterday it shut down without warning but then I was able to get it to start a few times afterwards- though unexpectedly. Is there anyway to get it to turn on so I can get the DVD out. This iBook G4 doesn't have a manual eject on the DC player. Is there any way to eject the CD without the computer being on?
Thanks
Answer Justine,
Hold down the trackpad button (or a connected mouse's button) on restart to eject any optical media.
To copy data to a new machine, start in Target Disk Mode .
TARGET DISK MODE
Restart and press the "T" key on the keyboard as soon as you do. You should see a firewire symbol bounce around the screen as soon as you've booted. At no time should you see the Apple symbol, or the boot process. Connect a firewire cable to this mac and the mac to which you are attempting to move the data.
