🚀 go-pugleaf

Tony <Tony@millington.demon.co.uk> wrote:

>         My daughter has a Macintosh IIcx (second hand) that now displays
> a floppy disk with a flashing question mark when it is switched on.
>         I don't have a rescue disk and I don't know what version of 
> the operating system the machine is using.
>         Please point me in the right direction.
> 
> [1] Can I restore the machine if I buy the operating system disks ?
> [2] If so, which version is best ?
> [3] How much would this cost ?
> [4] Where can disks be purchased ?  (CD-Rom not fitted to the machine)
> [5] Is there an internal battery, and could this be the cause of the
> fault ?
> 
>         Thanks for any suggestions,


Hi Tony,

I've read through a lot of the responses that your message has raised.
Most of them have concentrated on software problems with the OS
installation. Whilst this may be the cause of the problem, you may be
experiencing a hardware fault.

The flashing disk icon at startup indicates the machine cannot locate a
suitable startup device (i.e. Disc, CD of floppy). This can result from
anything from a missing startup volume (not powered up), all the way
through to damaged OS installation. Whilst a flat battery will result in
the machine not knowing what device to boot-up from, the system will
check all available devices on the SCSI chain looking for a bootable
device. If the HD is there it will find it, although there might be a
bit of a delay for the search.

How quickly does the ? icon appear? Can you hear any disk activity
during the attempted bootup. Do you get a smiling mac, disk activity and
then the ? icon.

Try the following:

Remove all external SCSI devices
Check that the HD is spinning up (you should be able to hear a steadily
growing whine/hum).
Check the heads have un-locked (you should hear a click about 5-10secs
after the disk spins up).

If you can hear the disk spin-up and unlocking then you problem is with
the HD contents, it has probably had it's boot blocks damaged. Norton of
Disk First Aid should do the trick.

If the HD does not spin up or un-lock it's heads, check the connectors
inside. To remove the case unscrew the single screw at the back, lift
the two rear catches and hinge the lid forward. The HD is located in the
front right of the case, with the power supply behind it. There should
be two connectors to the back of the HD, one to the power supply (four
thick cables), and the other to the motherboard (a flat multi-way ribbon
cable). Check both ends of the connectors are not loose or damaged.

There were some problems with early 40mb Quantum HD's in the IIcx's. The
disks were very prone to not spinning up or head sticking. Apple
recalled most of the machines, but I have come across three of four
machines (one of which I own) that show the same symptoms. The solution
is the normal brawn over brain approach. Which the machine switched off,
give the right-hand side of the case healthy whack with your hand (don't
use anything other that you hand). A sharp knock usually free's up the
stuck heads, and everything works OK.

If your problem is with the SW not the HW the suggestions already given
in other posts have covered all the options that I can think of (and a
few I wouldn't have).

-- Kate


Catherine Ferris                kate@tycho.demon.co.uk
Director                        Tycho Consultants Limited

'This above all: to thine own self be true,
 And it must follow as the night the day
 Thou canst not then be false to any man.'   -- Hamlet