Encore/ZIF G3 & G4
Please click the arrow next to the category to expand or collapse:
Driver (2)
Firmware (0)
Manual (2)
FAQ (13)
IDArticle TitlePost Date
72 The Crescendo/Encore installer hangs, or crashes the system; occurs most often when run from the Sonnet installer CD.May-12-09
78 Why does the Encore/ZIF (700MHz and faster) require that my Blue & White or PCI Graphics G4 bus speed be slowed to 66MHz? Doesn't that slow down my computer?May-12-09
169 May I discard my original CPU after installing Sonnet's upgrade cards? May-07-09
171 The speed indicated on the G3 or G4 chip on my Sonnet processor upgrade doesn't seem to match the speed of the upgrade I purchased. What's the story?May-07-09
175 The Crescendo/Encore installer hangs, or crashes the system; occurs most often when run from the Sonnet installer CD while using Mac OS 9.May-07-09
218 The computer's standard startup process takes noticeably longer after upgrading to any Mac OS 9.x system from Mac OS 8.6 or earlier.May-12-09
This is not a malfunction and is not related in any way to Sonnet upgrade products; this is the result of an additional Mac OS 9.x startup process that did not occur during startup in earlier Mac OS versions. There is a new "hidden" Mac OS 9.x feature called Startup Memory Tests in the Memory Control Panel, which defaults to the "On" setting. This adds time during a startup or restart, as all of the RAM installed in the computer is checked.

This issue affects any machine running OS 9.x (OS X status is unknown as of this writing), with or without upgrades installed. The more RAM installed, the longer the test. (Note that a Mac upgraded with a Sonnet G3 or G4 processor card gets through this process much faster than a "stock" machine.)

Since this is not a malfunction, no solution is required. However, since RAM seldom fails after the first few days of regular use, you may turn this test off if a faster startup cycle is desired. To access this feature you must hold down the Command key and the Option key WHILE opening the Memory Control Panel. When the control panel opens, you will see a setting at the bottom of the control panel. Click the Startup Memory Tests' Off button, then close the Memory Control Panel. Be aware that from now on, when you start up or restart your computer, the Mac OS will NOT check your RAM. If in the future you suspect a memory problem and want to check your RAM, you will need to repeat this procedure and turn the Startup Memory Tests back on.
 
238 System will not start following installation of the processor upgrade card, or may fail shortly after restart. IMPORTANT! Do not continue attempts to restart—immediately unplug your computer.May-12-09
239 Encore firmware updater must be run to allow installation of a G4 processor in these machines, but this software is not available for Mac OS X.Jun-25-09
240 During Crescendo/Encore Install 1.4.6 software installation, the system displays an error message stating "Your computer's firmware does not have the Sonnet G4-enabling patch installed."May-12-09
241 While applying the Sonnet G3 firmware patch on a Power Macintosh G3 (Blue & White) computer, the updater stops and either: a) The error message, "Assertion (modPtr) failed in firmwareUpdater.c on line 236" appears. OR b) Your system boots to the desktop and a message stating, "Your computer's firmware does not have the Sonnet G4-enabling patch installed" appears.Jul-23-09
242 After following all of the instructions in the included User's Quick Start Guide and installing the Encore/ZIF G4 upgrade card, the computer freezes at random during boot up or boots to the desktop without any issues, but crashes randomly, and/or programs unexpectedly quit.May-12-09
In many cases, older third-party PCI adapter cards using out-of-date firmware are at fault. When used with a 700 MHz or faster Encore/ZIF G4, a PCI card that does not have up-to-date firmware can cause the issues described here.

To confirm whether a PCI card is at fault, you will need to remove each PCI card from your computer, one at a time, and reboot the computer after each card is removed. When your computer boots successfully and operates without crashing while a particular card is removed, it is likely that you have isolated the card causing the problem(s). Be sure to take all precautions against static discharge during this process, or you may inflict permanent damage to part, or your entire computer. This process will also help you determine whether multiple PCI cards are at fault. If your system\u8217 s boot drive is attached to a PCI card, you will need to boot from a drive attached to the internal ATA bus or a Mac OS installation CD to check that card. When removing any video card, you will need to attach your monitor to the video port on the logic board. If your computer does not have onboard video, you will need to install a known-compatible PCI video card to complete the testing.

To solve this issue, update the firmware and use the latest software with the PCI card(s) in question. You can usually locate the latest firmware and software on the manufacturer\u8217 s web site; contact the manufacturer directly if you can\u8217 t find what you need. Remove the Encore/ZIF processor card from your computer, reinstall the original processor, and then update the firmware and install any software following the PCI card manufacturer\u8217 s instructions. Once this is done, you may reinstall the processor upgrade and your system should operate without issue. If there are no new updates and your PCI card is already running the latest version firmware, you should replace the card.
 
243 After removing and replacing my Encore/ZIF card during the course of troubleshooting, or after moving it from one machine to another, my computer has stopped booting, or started crashing shortly after booting.May-12-09
244 After following all of the instructions in the included User's Quick Start Guide and installing the Encore/ZIF G4 upgrade card, my computer crashes during boot up. The computer generates the boot chime and video is displayed, however, the boot process stops with just a cursor on screen.May-12-09