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I have a 2001 iMAC g3 400 mghtz (slot load) that I bought a couple of years ago just so I could learn how to operate OS-X. I didn't have a need I ust wanted to learn something new and when I heard Apple users talking I couldn't connect to their references. I figured that I learned to make daily use of Linux, surely I could learn to use an OS-X machine. These days it is Windows that is alien to me. Vista finally turned me off completely...
I had been playing with this iMAC off and on but make no claim as to really knowing much about it. I can do pretty much what I want to do with it but it came from an elementary school and it still had the school ID and administrators password which I did not know. It also didn't come with an install CD (or anything else). I did pick up a copy of the OS-X manual at a thrift store and downloaded a copy of the Apple manual for the iMAC in pdf from an on-line site.
Today I found the hack on-line to change the administrator's password without the CD. You basically trick it into thinking that you are booting up for the first time after a fresh install... Really pretty simple concept but over my head without step by step instructions.
Now it is "all mine" and not part "Whitney's of Haverhill Elementary".
Not really a big deal but I had been trying to get into it for a while so I enjoyed it.

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Congratulations on conquering a way to get on. I will have to agree with you the internet is a great place to information on just about anything you want, and some you don't.

It's surprising they sold it without wiping the hard drive.

robinson46176 wrote:I have a 2001 iMAC g3 400 mghtz (slot load) that I bought a couple of years ago just so I could learn how to operate OS-X. I didn't have a need I ust wanted to learn something new and when I heard Apple users talking I couldn't connect to their references. I figured that I learned to make daily use of Linux, surely I could learn to use an OS-X machine. These days it is Windows that is alien to me. Vista finally turned me off completely...
I had been playing with this iMAC off and on but make no claim as to really knowing much about it. I can do pretty much what I want to do with it but it came from an elementary school and it still had the school ID and administrators password which I did not know. It also didn't come with an install CD (or anything else). I did pick up a copy of the OS-X manual at a thrift store and downloaded a copy of the Apple manual for the iMAC in pdf from an on-line site.
Today I found the hack on-line to change the administrator's password without the CD. You basically trick it into thinking that you are booting up for the first time after a fresh install... Really pretty simple concept but over my head without step by step instructions.
Now it is "all mine" and not part "Whitney's of Haverhill Elementary".
Not really a big deal but I had been trying to get into it for a while so I enjoyed it.

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Windows is alien to even some of us Windows users.

Microsoft is getting (or has gotten) real good at preventing non-licensed user's from utilizing the software.

I have a computer that was given to me that has XP and Microsoft Office on it. I could use it when I first got it. One day, while it was still accessible, it was operating online but when I shut down a screen shot reported that there were updates being loaded.

The next day, I turned on the machine and was asked to install the XP CD. I did but unfortunately I installed the wrong XP CD. I have three. Now I can no longer access that computer.

Since I have the OS CD that belongs on that computer, I can probably do a repair and could certainly do a clean install but would probably loose everything else that is on the machine.

Point is: Microsoft somehow locked me out because I was using the wrong OS CD (not the one with which that machine was authenticated).

dusty wrote:Windows is alien to even some of us Windows users.

Microsoft is getting (or has gotten) real good at preventing non-licensed user's from utilizing the software.

I have a computer that was given to me that has XP and Microsoft Office on it. I could use it when I first got it. One day, while it was still accessible, it was operating online but when I shut down a screen shot reported that there were updates being loaded.

The next day, I turned on the machine and was asked to install the XP CD. I did but unfortunately I installed the wrong XP CD. I have three. Now I can no longer access that computer.

Since I have the OS CD that belongs on that computer, I can probably do a repair and could certainly do a clean install but would probably loose everything else that is on the machine.

Point is: Microsoft somehow locked me out because I was using the wrong OS CD (not the one with which that machine was authenticated).

Here is probably a solution to recovering your data from it...
http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/use-ubuntu-live-cd-to-backup-files-from-your-dead-windows-computer/

You will maybe need to enter setup and change the boot device order to boot from the live CD.
Linux will normally read the windows files fine unless they are badly corrupted but trying to write directly to them can be another can of worms depending on which file system is used on your Windows (FAT32 etc.).
Any number of Linux distributions work great for this including several minimalist versions like DSL (Damn Small Linux) or Puppy or a live CD only version like Knoppix. I am just more comfortable with Ubuntu and its desktop is maybe more friendly to Windows users.


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Dusty:

Have you called Redmond and explained yer 'situation'?



P.S. The same thing can happen if you change the computer hardware too much.

I find it odd that this Windows machine won't work after the CD was inserted. For instance, you can download the "recovery disk" files from various places on the Internet, and burn those files to an ISO image that can then be used to recover an OS installation that won't boot. Point is...they have nothing whatsoever to do with a specific license or user key. I've done this more times than I want to think about unfortunately, as I seem to be destined (condemned?) to a life of Windows use due to occupational constraints. Call it an "occupational hazard," I suppose...

Having said that, you indeed should use a Linux live disk to try to recover data you don't want to lose, from that drive. While the exact error message wasn't given in the post, it sounds to me like this might be a boot error--implying that something went wrong with the boot process. Sometimes the boot record or partition table gets hosed on Windows machines, and all you need to do is to use a recovery disk to repair those. But that of course assumes that you've figured out that's where the problem lies! If not, and you're left with little to go on, then you might not have any other choice but a complete reinstallation of the OS. And if that IS the case, then you'll definitely want to try to recover some data using a method like what robinson46176 suggested.

The other thing you might also try is to remove the hard drive from the machine, and try to access it through a drive ramp (external drive cradle) via a functional Windows machine. Since the file system is known to Windows, it will most likely be able to simply open the drive and let you browse it. Then you just locate your files visually, and drag them onto the hard drive in the functional machine. It's just another hard drive to *that* functional computer, basically. The secret is that you need to have an external drive cradle to power the hard drive you're trying to access, but they are readily available at Best Buy or a variety of other computer stores. You can probably get one for $30 or less--and they are VERY handy to have around for just this reason. With Windows you just never know when you are going to run into problems of this sort, so having one around is pretty cheap insurance.

Good luck!