iBook G4 "strange" boot.. Need advice

Ok, a friend of mine owns a iBook (G4), and when he fires it up it doesn't show a login or similar, but a box/window about e-mail. I'm rather unfamiliar with MAC's, have only managed to reset password on one once via tutorial..

Can this be bypassed? Why does it show a box for e-mail?

Shouldn't it boot to a normal desktop or similar?
Could the HDD be damaged somehow??

Thankful for replies given

[TheMailMan78]

Originally Posted by TechnicalFreak

Ok, a friend of mine owns a iBook (G4), and when he fires it up it doesn't show a login or similar, but a box/window about e-mail. I'm rather unfamiliar with MAC's, have only managed to reset password on one once via tutorial..

Can this be bypassed? Why does it show a box for e-mail?

Shouldn't it boot to a normal desktop or similar?
Could the HDD be damaged somehow??

Thankful for replies given

What OS is he running? OS9 or OSX?

Originally Posted by TheMailMan78

What OS is he running? OS9 or OSX?

I have no idéa, I guess he doesn't either. However, it has been in a damp place, I suspected that it was the HDD all the time, since it takes too long time for it to boot into "anything", compared to his newer iMac he bought last year.

[TheMailMan78]

Originally Posted by TechnicalFreak

I have no idéa, I guess he doesn't either. However, it has been in a damp place, I suspected that it was the HDD all the time, since it takes too long time for it to boot into "anything", compared to his newer iMac he bought last year.

Well I might be able to help you if I knew the OS. Have you zapped the p-ram?

[timta2]

Could it be possible that rather than it being a "mail" login, it's actually a netboot login?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NetBoot

You could always take a picture and post it, that might help.

If your Mac is capable of it, try selecting the startup disk at boot by holding down the option key...
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1310

If that doesn't work, try starting up from a Mac OS X Installer disc (or the one that came with the computer) and using the Startup Disk control panel to change the startup disk.

It's possible that if the internal HD has died or is having problems it is moving on to the next startup device.

I'm pretty sure that even the first iBook G4 shipped with Mac OS X. Someone would have had to purchase OS 9 and install it, so it's not likely to be running OS 9. I don't think the iBook G4s can even run OS 9 nativly, only in the "Classic Environment" in OS X. aka Emulation.
http://lowendmac.com/ibooks/12in-ibook-g4-800-mhz.html

I can't find out what OS it is running, it just can't finish the boot. It just stands there with the Apple logo, mouse marker and that "loading" ring, almost like it's missing something - searching/trying to load. The mail thing is gone.
If I go into text/verbose mode, can I find out what OS it's running??

NOTE: The battery in it is also almost empty, can that have anything to do with it?

[temp02]

Originally Posted by TechnicalFreak

If I go into text/verbose mode, can I find out what OS it's running??

Yes, type in:

uname -a

[timta2]

If you boot into verbose mode you might be able to see what the problem is. Usually the text hangs or slows down at a point and it can be informative, especially if you know what you are looking at.

If you can boot into single user mode you can run the "FSCK -FY" command to check and repair the disk.

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1417

If that doesn't solve your problem you are probably looking at a reinstallation and/or hard drive replacement.