Mac startup freeze

[SanchoP]

.

 

[AirWolf]

I've been using a friend's mac and now I've run into a problem. It's a PowerPC based mac of some sort, running OSX 10.4.6

I ran mac update to update it to 10.4.11 but it failed. It left the .pkg of the update in the trash, so I tried to run it again manually. It failed again so I left it. Then my brother came along and unplugged the power after it froze trying to play chess. Now when I turn it on it freezes just before the login screen, as the blue loading bar is about to start.

I tried booting in safe mode, as well booting to a command line and running a disk check, which found and fixed an error, but it still freezes in the exact same place...

Help please, this is quite urgent.

Att mods: i didn't put this in the mac forum because I wanted it to get quicker attention, but please move it if you think it better.

So much for: It just works.

Sorry, I couldn't help myself.

Check out this thread at the Mac Forums:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=5950947

 

[bwana]

Boot from the cd and run the disk tools. Otherwise, as you have the disks handy after trying that just do a restore. You wont lose your data.

If you have a second mac you can also put the damaged one in target disk mode and pull everything off to another drive and then do a complete reinstall then migrate your data back from the drive.

Or take this as a sign to get 10.5 if the hardware will support it

 

[AirWolf]

Thank, I checked that link and am now trying some of that.

Unfortunately I don't have the install disc, as it isn't my computer. Could I not access the disk tools from the command line in single user mode? Would I use the diskutil command mentioned in Saule's link? Sorry, I'm quite a notice when it comes to mac...

Novice?

 

[bwana]

Thank, I checked that link and am now trying some of that.

Unfortunately I don't have the install disc, as it isn't my computer. Could I not access the disk tools from the command line in single user mode? Would I use the diskutil command mentioned in Saule's link? Sorry, I'm quite a notice when it comes to mac...

Unfortunately you need to run the disk utility from a disk different to your startup disk. If you've tried booting in safe mode (holding the shift key down until you see the apple logo) and if you tried starting in SUM and fdsk'ing then I'm not sure what else I can suggest.

 

[bwana]

Ya, I meant *novice*. I'm writing from a phone...

Ok, I'm getting hold of the owner to try and get the discs. Otherwise I'll just have to get a computer guy in to fix it, something which it pains me to do...

Is there a computer guy there?

 

[StbA]

the options:
1. CMD + S to boot into single user mode and run "fsck -fy"
2. CMD+ALT+P+R to reset the PRAM
3. Unplug the MAC Mini from power source and hold down the power button for 30 sec (this reset's the Power Management Unit)
4. Get a techie in.
5. Get the installation CD's and run the disk util.