PowerBook G4 kernel crashes

[Raptor]

I have an old Powerbook G4, 100 gb hard drive, 1 gig Power PC processor. When I attempt to boot it up, after the Apple screen it goes to the blue screen and has a kernel crash. This happens every time.

What I have done: (1) reset the perimeter RAM (or whatever name they call it now, No effect. (2) I can load the hard drive of the PB G4 on my tower computer using target disk mode, do all data is backed up. Then I ran disk utility and a SMART reporter, and no problems with the hard drive are reported. (3) Disk repair from Disk Utility reports no problem, as dies Tech Tool Pro, but the kernel panic does not abate. (4) Using target disk mode (the optical drive on this computer has long since died) I erased the hard drive with the zero sum method, and then using carbon copy cloner, cloned a “clean” system 10.4.11 onto the power book. No effect, still kernel crashes on the blue screen. (5) using a firewire drive that has a clean 4.11 in it, I tried booting from the firewire drive, and still get the kernel crash. (6) swept the hard drive for bugs or other nasties using Clam X AV. No problems reported. All of the above has been done more than once.

So, I am out of ideas, and wonder if anyone out there has a clue. Ideas will be appreciated.

 

[honestone]

I just did a google search of "Kernel panics with OS 10.4.11", and via various results, a somewhat common cause of kernel panics is bad/faulty RAM. Even Tech Tool Pro can't necessarily detect bad or faulty RAM. This link may help you:

http://www.cnet.com/news/tutorial-avoiding-and-eliminating-kernel-panics/

 

[Cory Cooper]

Is this a 12" or 15" PowerBook G4?

honestone is on track - RAM in these older G4s is notorious for causing startup KPs. If you have additional RAM installed, try removing it and see if the issue persists.

C