iMac DV SE (500) gives questionmark error

[popsandthefamily]

Hey, i have a brand new donated imac dv se (500mhz), i got it today and put memory in it (around 76 or so) to test it and get into os9, when i turned it on i get a question mark and blinking finder icon. so i think hmmm lemme try to boot from the restore cd, so i put it in and restart and hold c and wait and i still get the question mark!! my hopes are to get panther on it, and i need os9 so i can get the firmware to install panther.

can anyone help?

thanks,

Pops

[Southern Patriot]

Try holding the option key instead of the "c" key when booting. I am not positive, but that model should give you a boot menu when you do that. Some older drives take too long to spin up the CD, and don't work well when just holding the "c" key.

[popsandthefamily]

Well now i have tried to do all of the system startup key strokes to get it running, even the pram ones. i even removed the dvd drive and replaced it with a slot loading cd drive. less noise from the drive but same question mark. I know this machine works, i just have to get past this problem.

Could it be the Hard drive?

Could it be the PRAM Battery?

Is it possible to replace the Hard drive with my own WD400 40gb?

thanks

[Slacker]

I don't think that it's the hard disk... you would still be able to get past the question mark sign by booting to a CD... If the computer is not detecting any startup key sequences it could be that the keyboard isn't functioning properly... Here are some more to try...

boot with option key to get boot up menu

boot with Apple + Option + P + R to reset the PRAM

Fi you can't get it to reset the PRAM, I'm thinking that it's not reading key strokes. Test the keyboard on another computer, even a PC and see if you can get it to work.

Plug the mouse directly into the computer where the keyboard is now, put a CD into the drive and bood while holding the mouse button. Booting with the mouse button held should eject the CD.

If the keyboard works on the PC, but you still can't get it to work on the Mac, maybe a USB issue?

It sounds like the computer is working, but just not responding to your commands...

[Coolme]

Not that this will help your problem, but I do remember the first-gen iMacs (You know the iMacs that only came in Green) do that for like 30 seconds (Question mark) before it boots up.

BTW, who donated it to you?

[TogaForComfort]

Having repaired macs for the last 4 years I would say it is your HD. A dodgy HD seems to knock out the whole IDE bus and stop it booting from both drives. If you can get hold of a firewire drive with OS9 on it then you might be able to boot from that and erase the drive. that normaly does the trick, unless of course the drive is knackered :)