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TICKET ARCHIVE -> Ibook G4 Startup
blair - Jun 8, 2005 - 8:43 pm
I downloaded a program so I can watch DVDs on my laptop from www.downloads.com and now my computer won't start. When I turn it on, the screen goes gray with an apple in the middle of it. A small grey wheel spins below the apple several times and then just freezes. I've tried restarting it, shutting it down, and several other things, but it goes back to the same screen. Sometimes a screen that is in several different languages comes up that tells me to restart my computer, I do, but the same things keep happening. Why won't it restart and how can I get it to start up again? Thanks,
Blair
p.s. I'm not sure if the category I put this problem into is appropriate for what the problem is.
Blair
p.s. I'm not sure if the category I put this problem into is appropriate for what the problem is.
baldprof - Jun 8, 2005 - 9:24 pm
1. The Mac OS comes with a program which can play DVDs; this program is in the Applications folder and it is called DVD player. Another program isn't necessary.
2. Try starting up from the Mac OS CD (or DVD) that came with your iBook. You might have to try starting it up the normal way before it will accept the disk. Once you get the disk in, force a restart and hold down the "C" key to force it to boot from the CD. Don't run the install program just yet. Click on "Options" I think it is, and run the Disk Utility program and tell it to Repair the hard drive. If the repair fails, then you'll have to reformat and reinstall the OS.
3. If you cannot get the CD into the drive, then turn it off. Connect it to another another Mac with a firewire cable. Start up the iBook, and hold down the 'T' key. Eventually the firewire symbol will appear on the screen of your iBook. You have put it in what is called Target Disk mode. The other Mac will treat it like another hard drive. You will now have the opportunity to copy over crucial files to the other Mac.
Now try running the Disk Utility from the other computer; it is in the Utilities folder, which is under the main Applcations folder. Select your iBooks drive, and tell the program to repair the disk. If that fails, tthen you are back to having to reinstall the OS. Put the OS disk for your iBook into the drive in the other Mac. When it mounts on the desktop, double click it. Then click on the icon which is for installing OS X. Tell it to use the drive on your iBook as the destination drive. Be sure to have it do a clean install. Then after that is done, be sure to "eject" the iBook drive. Then, after you have reinstalled your programs, except that one you downloaded, everything should be fine.
4. Let's say that Disk Utility was able to repair the disk. You restart your iMac and you still have problems. Then it's back to a reinstallation of the OS.
5. I don't know exactly what went wrong. The installation procedure for the program you downloaded must have failed for some reason.
In the future, before you install a downloaded program, and I have done that myself, be sure to read any included readme files. After you install the program, and if your computer is working properly, the very next thing you should do is run that Disk Utility and ask it to repair permissions. When that is done, then restart and everything should be fine.
2. Try starting up from the Mac OS CD (or DVD) that came with your iBook. You might have to try starting it up the normal way before it will accept the disk. Once you get the disk in, force a restart and hold down the "C" key to force it to boot from the CD. Don't run the install program just yet. Click on "Options" I think it is, and run the Disk Utility program and tell it to Repair the hard drive. If the repair fails, then you'll have to reformat and reinstall the OS.
3. If you cannot get the CD into the drive, then turn it off. Connect it to another another Mac with a firewire cable. Start up the iBook, and hold down the 'T' key. Eventually the firewire symbol will appear on the screen of your iBook. You have put it in what is called Target Disk mode. The other Mac will treat it like another hard drive. You will now have the opportunity to copy over crucial files to the other Mac.
Now try running the Disk Utility from the other computer; it is in the Utilities folder, which is under the main Applcations folder. Select your iBooks drive, and tell the program to repair the disk. If that fails, tthen you are back to having to reinstall the OS. Put the OS disk for your iBook into the drive in the other Mac. When it mounts on the desktop, double click it. Then click on the icon which is for installing OS X. Tell it to use the drive on your iBook as the destination drive. Be sure to have it do a clean install. Then after that is done, be sure to "eject" the iBook drive. Then, after you have reinstalled your programs, except that one you downloaded, everything should be fine.
4. Let's say that Disk Utility was able to repair the disk. You restart your iMac and you still have problems. Then it's back to a reinstallation of the OS.
5. I don't know exactly what went wrong. The installation procedure for the program you downloaded must have failed for some reason.
In the future, before you install a downloaded program, and I have done that myself, be sure to read any included readme files. After you install the program, and if your computer is working properly, the very next thing you should do is run that Disk Utility and ask it to repair permissions. When that is done, then restart and everything should be fine.
blair - Jun 8, 2005 - 10:18 pm
thanks for your help--I unfortunatly don't have the CD that came with my ibook anymore and i have no other mac computer near by. tough luck. Anyway, I was restarting it again and my screen went black, so I pressed the powerbutton-command-S button and my computer made a really high pitch beep noise that held for a couple of seconds. Then, the light on the front of the computer that flashes when the computer is asleep started blinking really quickly and then my computer shut off. I tried restarting my computer and nothing happened. Then, I restarted my computer again and it went back to the same old grey apple screen. Do you have any idea what just happened and if my hard drive is seriously messed if?? Thanks,
Blair
Blair
baldprof - Jun 8, 2005 - 10:37 pm
Here's one thing to try. Disconnect the IBook from the AC adapter. Then remove the battery and let it set for a few minutes, like ten minutes. Then reinstall the battery, and reconnect the AC adapter.
Sometimes that fixes problems, but maybe not in your case. I think the directory on your hard drive has been seriously scrambled. I don't believe you have physically damaged your hard drive. I have even had a utility called Disk Warrior that normally is very effective respond that one drive was so badly damaged it couldn't be repaired (not in a physical sense). But I was able to reinstall OS X by starting up from the OS CD.
All you need is an OS X CD. It doesn't have to be the disk(s) that came with your iBook. If you don't have one of those, you need to find someone who does, Otherwise there isn't anything you can do except have a repair person fix it for you.
Sometimes that fixes problems, but maybe not in your case. I think the directory on your hard drive has been seriously scrambled. I don't believe you have physically damaged your hard drive. I have even had a utility called Disk Warrior that normally is very effective respond that one drive was so badly damaged it couldn't be repaired (not in a physical sense). But I was able to reinstall OS X by starting up from the OS CD.
All you need is an OS X CD. It doesn't have to be the disk(s) that came with your iBook. If you don't have one of those, you need to find someone who does, Otherwise there isn't anything you can do except have a repair person fix it for you.
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