Mac purgatory!! HELP

[Scrambler]

I have a PowerPC 8500/120 that refuses to recognize any startup disk from OS 7.5 through OS 9.2. I have tried it with and without a replacement of the cpu processor to upgrade to z-force g3. Tried all possible dipswitch settings on the z-force, control-option-P-R any number of times and lots of different drive configurations. It gives me the mac startup sound, the mac happy face and then hangs up on the splash screen and either freezes there or gives me one of several system crash error/restart boxes. Tried all the usual. Any other suggestions?

 

[CanadaRAM]

Press the CUDA chip on the motherboard for 3 seconds, or remove the PRAM battery and leave it out overnight. (replace the battery while you're at it if it is more than 3 years old)

Make sure your processor cards are FULLY seated into the socket.

 

[aquajet]

What specific versions of Mac OS have you tried? The 8500 will not run 7.5 or 9.2.

Also could be a bad RAM module.

 

[Scrambler]

Press the CUDA chip on the motherboard for 3 seconds, or remove the PRAM battery and leave it out overnight. (replace the battery while you're at it if it is more than 3 years old)

Make sure your processor cards are FULLY seated into the socket.

Did both of these numerous times, CRAM. And I should replace the battery and will when I'm at my Mac store but that shouldn't affect the other problems, should it? Maybe I don't know what the PRAM battery is. I assume that's the one that's in that little case on the motherboard, right?

Aquajet, that's good info. I tried 7.5, 8.0, 9.0, 9.1 and 9.2. I thought with the upgraded g3 cpu I could run 9.2?

 

[Scrambler]

Well, I finally got it up and running last night with the old processor. And one of the DIMM chips was not properly seated. It was your admonition that I check the seating of the processor that made me check everything else CanadaRAM so thanks for that

Now I'll proceed with caution as I try to upgrade it with all the goodies I have.

Purgatory has been trancended

 

[SmurfBoxMasta]

Purgatory has been trancended

good ole purgatory
still with us after all this time
die well, be well, but
die well, old friend..........