Encore/ZIF G3 & G4
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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
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
Apple's ROM for Blue & White G3s includes code that blocks the machine from booting with a G4 processor. This block is easily removed with the firmware patcher provided on the CD-ROM included with your Sonnet Encore/ZIF G4 upgrade.

If an Encore G4 was successfully installed prior to acquiring Mac OS X, no further action is required; the Apple ROM is already updated.

If an Encore/ZIF G4 is being added to a system that already has Mac OS X installed, it is necessary to boot the computer using Mac OS 9.2.2 (or earlier) to run the Sonnet firmware updater provided with the Encore product. No new Sonnet software is required; the version included in the package is fully effective. Follow these simple steps:

1) Boot the computer using OS 9.2.2. Apple's instructions for this are found on page 30 of the "Welcome to Mac OS X" guide included with the OS X package. You may select the startup OS with the "Startup Disk" control panel.

2) Insert the Sonnet Software CD-ROM (included with the Encore product) into the CD-ROM drive and follow the installation steps as described in the Encore/ZIF manual.

Once this process is complete, there will be no need to update the ROM again. The Blue and White will now deliver G4 speed and performance under OS X and all earlier Mac OS releases.
 
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
Note: Prior to performing any of the solutions provided, confirm if you are using Crescendo/Encore software later than version 1.4.6.

Issue 1: The firmware patch updater's timing may be affected by the presence of a SCSI card and hard drive in the computer, and causes the update to fail.

Issue 2: The firmware patch updater may fail if you do not hold down the programmer's button on the computer long enough while your system boots.

Solution for Issue 1: If there is a SCSI card and drive(s) installed in your computer, you must disconnect them, and boot the computer from the internal ATA drive. After the firmware has been updated, you may reconnect the SCSI card and drive(s).

Note: Implementing the Solution for Issue 1 does rule out the need to follow the Solution for Issue 2.

Solution for Issue 2: Shut down your computer. Then, while holding down the programmer's button, press and release the power button on the computer. Continue holding down the programmer's button until you hear the long single tone, then release it. (Please note, holding the programmer's key for too long will result in failure to update the firmware.)

If the firmware updater fails again, you must zap your computer's PRAM to clear the partial firmware patch code installation. To do this, first shut down your computer. Then, while holding down the Command + Option + P + R keys together, power up the computer. Continue holding down all four keys until you hear the boot chime four times; after the fourth chime, release the keys and the computer will boot to the desktop normally. Rerun the Sonnet Installer, and carefully follow each instruction as it appears on screen.
 
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