Chosen Solution
If I’ve updated software etc, I click on the apple and choose restart, it seems to be heading that way and goes black etc, then I just hear the clicking noise from the tower expected with a restart, but continually, about every 5 seconds, and the screen stays black. I eventually give up and hold down the power button until it turns off then I switch it on again and it runs like normal.
Clicking noises can be an indication of a failing hard drive. It’s the reader head going back and forth. It can also be a very fragmented drive and the system data may be all over the drive and it’s having a hard time finding it. How full is the drive? Does it boot from the original system installation DVD? Have you backed up your data to another internal or external drive, if not do so ASAP. Run Disk Utilities on the drive from the installation DVD.
Actually the clicking noise the poster refers to (as I have the exact same problem) is the optical drive resetting… and since that power cycle goes in a loop, you hear that again and again and again along with the fans blowing and calming down, then blowing again, then calming down again… typical restart stuck at some point then starts over….
I got rid of the problem. My Mac Pro is restarting correctly 100% of the time now. Please, Sue, if you’re reading. Confirm using System Profiler, that you have ROM version MP11.005D.B00 If so, I assume you have a CTO (customized-to-order) Mac Pro 1,1. Let me know.
Hi all, thorwing my hat in here with a “me too” on the clicky-no-rebooty. I tried updating to the new firmware as per Gabriel’s posts and it wasn’t sucessful. System profiler says I’m at version MP11.005C.B08, SMC 1.7f10. I’m getting the same symptoms as Peter, diag LEDs 2&3 blinking and then a never-ending clicking coming from the optical drive or the power supply while the poor thing tries to reboot.
