I've had problems with a replacement CDRW drive that works perfectly after the powerbook starts but disappears after a burn and refuses to open or mount CDs placed in it. I have had a recommendation to Zap the PRAM, but when I hold down the Cmd-Opt-P-R keys and startup, the Pismo goes directly to the drive without repeating the startup chord.
I tried resetting the Logic board by removing the main battery and PSU cable and detatching what I think is the backup battery cable plug in the triangular gap approximately below the letter M on the keyboard. It had no effect on the time/date, but I only left everything disconnected for maybe 2 hours, is overnight more likely to be needed to drain various capacitors? Certainly the pram zapping has not been restored.
Resetting the Power Manager by pressing the button at the back beside the video out socket (hold 10 sec then press power button) also made no difference.
Cuda chip resetting might help but I don't think that Pismos have one.
If I do have to sacrifice a young she-goat, which God should I sanctify it to?
Anyone struck this problem before?
~IRO My ambition in Life is to build something that will REALLY last....at least until I've finished building it.
IRO irotemp@redacted.invalid wrote:
I've had problems with a replacement CDRW drive that works perfectly after the powerbook starts but disappears after a burn and refuses to open or mount CDs placed in it. I have had a recommendation to Zap the PRAM, but when I hold down the Cmd-Opt-P-R keys and startup, the Pismo goes directly to the drive without repeating the startup chord.
I tried resetting the Logic board by removing the main battery and PSU cable and detatching what I think is the backup battery cable plug in the triangular gap approximately below the letter M on the keyboard. It had no effect on the time/date, but I only left everything disconnected for maybe 2 hours, is overnight more likely to be needed to drain various capacitors? Certainly the pram zapping has not been restored.
Resetting the Power Manager by pressing the button at the back beside the video out socket (hold 10 sec then press power button) also made no difference.
Cuda chip resetting might help but I don't think that Pismos have one.
If I do have to sacrifice a young she-goat, which God should I sanctify it to?
Anyone struck this problem before?
I've never heard of not being able to zap PRAM, but hey, I don't get out much. But you can have much the same effect as zapping PRAM by resetting Open Firmware - can you do that? Hold Command-Option-O-F thru startup until you see the Open Firmware screen, and then...
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=42642
m.
In article 1gdn11s.17geovi1aj9ty0N%matt@redacted.invalid, matt@redacted.invalid (matt neuburg) wrote:
IRO irotemp@redacted.invalid wrote:
I've had problems with a replacement CDRW drive that works perfectly after the powerbook starts but disappears after a burn and refuses to open or mount CDs placed in it. I have had a recommendation to Zap the PRAM, but when I hold down the Cmd-Opt-P-R keys and startup, the Pismo goes directly to the drive without repeating the startup chord.
[beep]
I've never heard of not being able to zap PRAM, but hey, I don't get out much. But you can have much the same effect as zapping PRAM by resetting Open Firmware - can you do that? Hold Command-Option-O-F thru startup until you see the Open Firmware screen, and then...
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=42642
Sounds like a good idea. Except that after I pressed Return the first time, it demanded a password. My admin password was rejected and as far as I know there are no deeper passwords in use on this PowerBook.
~IRO My ambition in Life is to build something that will REALLY last....at least until I've finished building it.
In article irotemp-CD03B6.17305512052004@redacted.invalid, IRO irotemp@redacted.invalid wrote:
I've never heard of not being able to zap PRAM, but hey, I don't get out much. But you can have much the same effect as zapping PRAM by resetting Open Firmware - can you do that? Hold Command-Option-O-F thru startup until you see the Open Firmware screen, and then...
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=42642
Sounds like a good idea. Except that after I pressed Return the first time, it demanded a password. My admin password was rejected and as far as I know there are no deeper passwords in use on this PowerBook.
Problem solved!
Turned out that the Open Firmware Password Protection had been toggled on. Which was a mystery since I had never heard of it and didn't have the application needed to activate it. Possibly had been installed by the previous owner of the Pismo and had hidden in the PRAM, surviving several HD initialisations and OS upgrades.
Some of the parameters (like zapping the PRAM) that were blocked by password protection have been used in the past so somehow the protection must have been accidentally activated recently.
Go to Apple article 106482 for details.
~IRO My ambition in Life is to build something that will REALLY last....at least until I've finished building it.