A few days ago step_andy was kind enough to part with a G4 Sawtooth he was about to junk. I needed an outer case screw and he kindly dropped the unit into my lap.
Being curious I gave it a look and a start up. First screen was the flashing query over the folder (OS9 and earlier icon).
Tried Command C with OS 9.1 generic install cd. Will not recognise. Throws a blank grey screen.
Checked the RAM and reseated. It's OK... PC 100 256mb.
Checked the AGP card. It's OK.
Removed the drive (10gb) put it in a different machine and installed OS9.1
Reinstalled in the difficult Sawtooth, with the same result.
After a few restarts and resetting the PRAM (waited for the 3 bongs), checked the voltage of the battery, still no progress, but on a couple of occasions got an Open Firmware window

tried a couple of commands including mac-boot, boot and exit but nothing worked.
I do not know the first thing of tinkering with Firmware.
I tried many times, so many I cannot remember if shut-down worked. I doubt it.
As you can see, the version of firmware is 1.2.6
nowhere near good enough to run OSX.
I have the upgrade to 4.2.8 on the hdd I setup but without this bugger recognising a system, I know of no way of fixing this.
Any thoughts, anyone?
No Applecare here. Let's face it. The machine is not worth taking to an Apple Centre (if there was one within spitting distance of me.
I would like to resuscitate it if poss and pass it over to a friend in need of a better unit.
So, suggest away, if you have any ideas.

you need to install the OS on that machine. I found that my sawtooth would only boot when the OS was installed on the machine itself.

I would suggest a firmware upgrade but you need os 9 installed for that to happen (bit of a catch 22 there)

I can only suggest that you source the earliest version of os 9 that you can and try installing that although 9.1 'should' work.

Might want to also check that the ATA bus is still functioning ok...my memory is hazy but I seem to recall a problem with the ATA on the sawtooths in that they could die. A PCI ATA or SATA card would fix that.

The reason I installed on another machine was that it refuses to recognise the OS9.2 universal CD. That's holding down the Command C combo until passing out. Also within 1 second of the bong.
I have a friend who has a G4 Digital Audio and it will not boot from a CD either.
It's a mystery.
I have a strong feeling you are right of course, but know of no way to get the thing to see the CD.
It just occurred to me that I haven't swapped the CD/DVD ROM. I will give that a go.

Hi,

IIRC, those Sawtooths come with Firewire .... you could try to do the install from another PPC with Firewire, using Target Disc Mode.

Yes bartron, I agree about the firmware upgrade and am caught royally on that catch22.
How can I check the ATA bus?
I note that the firmware pictured above displays the path to the ata 10gb drive, but indicates it cannot connect, so perhaps you are correct.
I will look into the costs etc of a PCI ATA card.

Meaning connect both and startup the good one,
have the install cd in the good one's drive/on desktop
then start failing machine with Command T held down
do I have it right?
Currently I am one keyboard solo, so don't think it possible for a while, but if I have the steps right, I will give it a go when I can.

you will soon know if the ATA bus is borked as the firewire bus will have to talk to the drive while the machine is in target disk mode. If that works but the machine still doesn't boot then I'd say something is wrong with the mobo somewhere.

Yes, that's the correct procedure .... when you hold down the "T" key you will see a firewire icon floating around the failed macs screen. I would run Disc Utility too and repair the failed macs startup disc ... if you can't install an OS from the "Host" Mac then it might point to a failed logicboard.

Will Target Mode work, when only OS9.1 is available on the invisible drive?
Won't know till I try, I guess.
Or is OSX required?

TDM will work as long as the two Macs have Firewire and meet the requirements:


TDM Mac-specs

The only thing I can think of is that if you're installing OS X on a mac that has OS 9, you need the applicable Firmware Update installed.

the problem with installing even over firewire is that it needs to bless the files and configure the openfirmware.

If the CD doesn't work, try another disk and possibly another drive.

does the keyboard work...

I spent a good hour trying to make a machine of that spec boot from the OS X cd, only to find that it wouldn't respond to any key sequences....

eventually i worked it out, then felt like a complete tard.

I read the specs and realise that I do not have (because I cannot) >OS8.6
And no, I am not trying to install OSX, as I cannot even install OS9.1.
I will try starting up from a CD without the HD connected (just to prove that it or is not a faulty HDD)
Just another thought... I will check my archived disks and see if I can find an OS 8.6 install disk. You never know. I was astonished to see such an early firmware version (1.2.8)
I am aware that when the bios looks for a startup on the first HDD it finds and that HDD is faulty, it can be running around in circles and so cannot start up from the next on the bus (the cd).
Frankly, I do not hold out much hope for this, because when I installed in a different machine, problems were found and corrected.
Also it would appear that TDM will not work, so I won't run around borrowing another keyboard.
It is difficult for me, as the nearest source is 35kms away.

If you find an OS disc you can try booting up with the disc in and hold Option after you hear the chime. Then you will see the boot options, should be the HD & the OS disc.

Another key combo to boot off OS disc is Command + Option + Shift + Delete.

Wasn't OS8.6 an update from 8.5 as in .... you need 8.5 installed before you can upgrade to 8.6?