New HD installed in iBook, but cant boot off it

sidewinder · 05-01-2009, 10:24 AM

A colleague replaced the hard disk in her iBooks over the holidays, I gave her instructions and said to her to bring it up to me (i had taken an image of her old disk)

Started it up, wouldnt recognise the disk, no massive surprise, so I put in an OSX install CD, went into disk utility and partitioned it (it was recognised fine)

Restarted in target mode and put the image back onto it no problems.

But now it still wont boot, it just comes up with the folder and question mark.
Ive gone back into disk utility, its still detected, formatted as mac os extended (journaled) and the partition map scheme is Apple Partition Map, which is right isnt it?

What do I need to do to get it to boot? Even if I start with option held down, it wont come up as a bootable disk.
Do I need a firmware upgrade or something? Its an iBook G4, and its a 160GB HD thats been put into it.
I did check before she ordered the disk, and it did seem that other people had upgraded to that size with no problems

jamesb · 05-01-2009, 10:30 AM

Is it actually formatted as a bootable partition? Is the bootloader properly set up? (I'm assuming that OSX is akin to other forms of Linux in using a bootloader)

localzuk · 05-01-2009, 10:41 AM

Have you tried doing a normal OS X install from the boot media? (I am assuming not as you mention imaging).

OS X uses EFI, which I assume needs installing via a full install routine.

sidewinder · 05-01-2009, 11:01 AM

No I havent, will try that then. Was hoping to avoid it but if I have to do it, I will. Thanks

SYNACK · 05-01-2009, 12:19 PM

No need to reinstall just set the copied partition to active using the fdisk tool on the OSX DVD:

[How to] Setting Your Partition "Active" Using Fdisk in MacOSX - InsanelyMac Forum

HodgeHi · 05-01-2009, 12:40 PM

What did you use to image the drive and then re-image it back?

DMcCoy · 05-01-2009, 12:47 PM

I think it may have something to do with the spin up time on the disk. We replaced a drive in an imac here and one disk installed fine with netinstall, it just wouldn't boot. Another make of drive (same size) shows the question mark for a second or two then boots as normal.

SYNACK · 05-01-2009, 01:08 PM

As a secondary thought, does the laptop have the latest firmware on it. Perhaps it is not handling the larger drives different specs, like the spinup time as gracefully as it could.

sidewinder · 05-01-2009, 01:38 PM

Well I installed OS X, then imaged it again and it is now booting fine

Doesnt look like the spinup time was the issue in this case

HodgeHi · 05-01-2009, 10:56 PM

The partition/System folder may have needed to be blessed?

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05-01-2009, 10:24 AM	#1
sidewinder Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Near Reading Posts: 1,391 Thanks: 19 Thanked 15 Times in 14 Posts Rep Power: 10	New HD installed in iBook, but cant boot off it A colleague replaced the hard disk in her iBooks over the holidays, I gave her instructions and said to her to bring it up to me (i had taken an image of her old disk) Started it up, wouldnt recognise the disk, no massive surprise, so I put in an OSX install CD, went into disk utility and partitioned it (it was recognised fine) Restarted in target mode and put the image back onto it no problems. But now it still wont boot, it just comes up with the folder and question mark. Ive gone back into disk utility, its still detected, formatted as mac os extended (journaled) and the partition map scheme is Apple Partition Map, which is right isnt it? What do I need to do to get it to boot? Even if I start with option held down, it wont come up as a bootable disk. Do I need a firmware upgrade or something? Its an iBook G4, and its a 160GB HD thats been put into it. I did check before she ordered the disk, and it did seem that other people had upgraded to that size with no problems

05-01-2009, 12:19 PM	#5
SYNACK Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Auckland, New Zealand Posts: 2,730 Thanks: 115 Thanked 614 Times in 501 Posts Blog Entries: 4 Rep Power: 127	No need to reinstall just set the copied partition to active using the fdisk tool on the OSX DVD: [How to] Setting Your Partition "Active" Using Fdisk in MacOSX - InsanelyMac Forum Last edited by SYNACK; 05-01-2009 at 12:29 PM..

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New HD installed in iBook, but cant boot off it

05-01-2009, 10:30 AM	#2
jamesb Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Bedford Posts: 862 Thanks: 13 Thanked 105 Times in 93 Posts Rep Power: 24	Is it actually formatted as a bootable partition? Is the bootloader properly set up? (I'm assuming that OSX is akin to other forms of Linux in using a bootloader)

05-01-2009, 10:41 AM	#3
localzuk Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Minehead, Somerset Posts: 5,119 Thanks: 100 Thanked 228 Times in 199 Posts Blog Entries: 14 Rep Power: 64	Have you tried doing a normal OS X install from the boot media? (I am assuming not as you mention imaging). OS X uses EFI, which I assume needs installing via a full install routine.

05-01-2009, 11:01 AM	#4
sidewinder Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Near Reading Posts: 1,391 Thanks: 19 Thanked 15 Times in 14 Posts Rep Power: 10	No I havent, will try that then. Was hoping to avoid it but if I have to do it, I will. Thanks

05-01-2009, 12:40 PM	#6
HodgeHi Join Date: May 2006 Location: West Brom Posts: 1,245 Thanks: 111 Thanked 49 Times in 42 Posts Rep Power: 16	What did you use to image the drive and then re-image it back?

05-01-2009, 12:47 PM	#7
DMcCoy Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Isle of Wight Posts: 2,187 Thanks: 3 Thanked 170 Times in 153 Posts Rep Power: 42	I think it may have something to do with the spin up time on the disk. We replaced a drive in an imac here and one disk installed fine with netinstall, it just wouldn't boot. Another make of drive (same size) shows the question mark for a second or two then boots as normal.

05-01-2009, 01:08 PM	#8
SYNACK Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Auckland, New Zealand Posts: 2,730 Thanks: 115 Thanked 614 Times in 501 Posts Blog Entries: 4 Rep Power: 127	As a secondary thought, does the laptop have the latest firmware on it. Perhaps it is not handling the larger drives different specs, like the spinup time as gracefully as it could.

05-01-2009, 01:38 PM	#9
sidewinder Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Near Reading Posts: 1,391 Thanks: 19 Thanked 15 Times in 14 Posts Rep Power: 10	Well I installed OS X, then imaged it again and it is now booting fine Doesnt look like the spinup time was the issue in this case

05-01-2009, 10:56 PM	#10
HodgeHi Join Date: May 2006 Location: West Brom Posts: 1,245 Thanks: 111 Thanked 49 Times in 42 Posts Rep Power: 16	The partition/System folder may have needed to be blessed?

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New HD installed in iBook, but cant boot off it