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TICKET ARCHIVE -> Login Window Starting... Not!
Mikie - Jun 14, 2005 - 3:49 pm
I have ran the latest update for Mac OS X (I believe it was 10.3.9) and after restarting, I attempted to empty the trash. I got some error that the trash can't be emptied because of some 'ICON' blah blah blah...then the black screen of death appeared and I had to "Force restart".
My computer hasn't been the same since (this was 6/12/05). It would restart and attempt to start up, except it would hang at the "Login Window starting" part of the login.
I had overlapping files according to disk utility and FSCK in single user-mode. Repaired permissions but wasn't able to fix the overlapping files till today, after having purchased Diskwarrior 3.0.3.
Ran the program, rebuilt whatever was needed to rebuild, repaired what was needed to repair and asked DW to graph the HD--everything was fine-->1% out of order. SO I restarted.
System attempted to start up, again, only to stop at the "Login Window starting" section. The same thing occurs when in safe boot mode.
I'm at wits end! I can use the laptop in firewire target mode--but that still doesn't do me much justice as the laptop is my main computer running os (I also have a beige g3 that can only run OS 9.2.2 cause of an OS X installation problem, but OS 9 just isn't cutting it). Not quite sure what else to do and am turning to you guys in cyberland for help! Thanks to all in advance.
-Migs
g4 Laptop
1.0 ghz
768 Ram
40 gig HD
My computer hasn't been the same since (this was 6/12/05). It would restart and attempt to start up, except it would hang at the "Login Window starting" part of the login.
I had overlapping files according to disk utility and FSCK in single user-mode. Repaired permissions but wasn't able to fix the overlapping files till today, after having purchased Diskwarrior 3.0.3.
Ran the program, rebuilt whatever was needed to rebuild, repaired what was needed to repair and asked DW to graph the HD--everything was fine-->1% out of order. SO I restarted.
System attempted to start up, again, only to stop at the "Login Window starting" section. The same thing occurs when in safe boot mode.
I'm at wits end! I can use the laptop in firewire target mode--but that still doesn't do me much justice as the laptop is my main computer running os (I also have a beige g3 that can only run OS 9.2.2 cause of an OS X installation problem, but OS 9 just isn't cutting it). Not quite sure what else to do and am turning to you guys in cyberland for help! Thanks to all in advance.
-Migs
g4 Laptop
1.0 ghz
768 Ram
40 gig HD
Jeremie - Jun 14, 2005 - 6:44 pm
Ok Mr. Migs
It is time for something all of us Mac people face at one time or another and that is a system reinstall
Tell me if you need instruction because I would be happy to offer it
Sorry but this is actually easier than a lot of things we could do...
--------
Jeremie Bell
It is time for something all of us Mac people face at one time or another and that is a system reinstall
Tell me if you need instruction because I would be happy to offer it
Sorry but this is actually easier than a lot of things we could do...
--------
Jeremie Bell
Mikie - Jun 14, 2005 - 9:44 pm
Hey Jeremy.
Thanks for your response, it is what I most feared at this point, but am a bit wary of whether or not it is an apple update thing--because i wouldn't want to go through this whole hassle again, after re-initializing and re-installing.
But your'e right. It is probably what I have to do. I wasjust holding off to see if someone else had discovered a work around, fix, clue, or something or other.
I'm used to reinstalling on OS 9--but this will be my f9irst time installing or Re-installing on OS X.
I believe that i'm limited to HD space now, so I'm ont sure if an archive and install would work. Either way, what's the best approach to this?
-Migs
Thanks for your response, it is what I most feared at this point, but am a bit wary of whether or not it is an apple update thing--because i wouldn't want to go through this whole hassle again, after re-initializing and re-installing.
But your'e right. It is probably what I have to do. I wasjust holding off to see if someone else had discovered a work around, fix, clue, or something or other.
I'm used to reinstalling on OS 9--but this will be my f9irst time installing or Re-installing on OS X.
I believe that i'm limited to HD space now, so I'm ont sure if an archive and install would work. Either way, what's the best approach to this?
-Migs
Jeremie - Jun 14, 2005 - 10:39 pm
Well,
If you dont have any important files to preserve in your User folder (the house icon) then you should just run an erase and install
If you have things you need to save run an archive and install, just uncheck the part that states to save your settings, just in case there is something corrupt in the settings, but your documents will be unhardmed and no excess Hard Drive space should be used...
I hope this helps
--------
Jeremie Bell
If you dont have any important files to preserve in your User folder (the house icon) then you should just run an erase and install
If you have things you need to save run an archive and install, just uncheck the part that states to save your settings, just in case there is something corrupt in the settings, but your documents will be unhardmed and no excess Hard Drive space should be used...
I hope this helps
--------
Jeremie Bell
Mikie - Jun 15, 2005 - 4:02 pm
Thanks, Jeremy, for your help.
i've done the reinstall and all seems to be working fine. i've even managed to save some of my information in away that was almost as if i'd done an archive and install. (I just saved some data files for Entourage, etc...)
However, I'm not quite sure what the problem was from the beginning. I've been able to update, successfully, to 10.3.9, but still have a slew of security updates from 2004 through 2005. I'm afraid to update them however, because of fear of getting into the same position i was in before.
Any suggestions on that? Is there a way to "reverse" install an update so, in the event that this update kills my machine, i can just revert back? ... or something of that sort?
-Migs
i've done the reinstall and all seems to be working fine. i've even managed to save some of my information in away that was almost as if i'd done an archive and install. (I just saved some data files for Entourage, etc...)
However, I'm not quite sure what the problem was from the beginning. I've been able to update, successfully, to 10.3.9, but still have a slew of security updates from 2004 through 2005. I'm afraid to update them however, because of fear of getting into the same position i was in before.
Any suggestions on that? Is there a way to "reverse" install an update so, in the event that this update kills my machine, i can just revert back? ... or something of that sort?
-Migs
Jeremie - Jun 15, 2005 - 4:19 pm
Well,
If I find a downgrade (revert) solution I shall tell you,
However, I would suggest that you select all the security updates and just download the updates, install them and preserve them if something goes wrong by performing a reinstall of that update (please be aware that it is best to start the update and leave the Mac to itself until it completes (this is of course unless you have a Powerbook like mine with 128MB of Vram and 1 Gig of Ram and 100 Gigs of Hard Dirve space hehe not to impose jealousy or anything). Open up software update, go to the "Update" menu and select "Install and Keep Package" click this so when the updates finish, should something go wrong you can always come back to it and run a reinstall of the update, although this shouldn't happen now...
You will find the updates stored in "your hard drive" (what ever you may have named it, mine is Xana (please don't use this name, it took me a while to find the perfct one), then go to the main "Library" folder and look in Packages, this has all of your updates and other little installs that were installed with OS X) Please note you need to look in the MAIN library folder, not the one in your HOME folder that is the wrong one... and just execute the file and re-run the install, but if you leave your little Powerbook to itself when it is updating then you shouldn't have this problem
I hope this helps and if it seems like I am demanding you do this or that please let me know and ill correct myself unless you feel I make a good point...
I am a Proud Powerbook Parent,
--------
Jeremie Bell
If I find a downgrade (revert) solution I shall tell you,
However, I would suggest that you select all the security updates and just download the updates, install them and preserve them if something goes wrong by performing a reinstall of that update (please be aware that it is best to start the update and leave the Mac to itself until it completes (this is of course unless you have a Powerbook like mine with 128MB of Vram and 1 Gig of Ram and 100 Gigs of Hard Dirve space hehe not to impose jealousy or anything). Open up software update, go to the "Update" menu and select "Install and Keep Package" click this so when the updates finish, should something go wrong you can always come back to it and run a reinstall of the update, although this shouldn't happen now...
You will find the updates stored in "your hard drive" (what ever you may have named it, mine is Xana (please don't use this name, it took me a while to find the perfct one), then go to the main "Library" folder and look in Packages, this has all of your updates and other little installs that were installed with OS X) Please note you need to look in the MAIN library folder, not the one in your HOME folder that is the wrong one... and just execute the file and re-run the install, but if you leave your little Powerbook to itself when it is updating then you shouldn't have this problem
I hope this helps and if it seems like I am demanding you do this or that please let me know and ill correct myself unless you feel I make a good point...
I am a Proud Powerbook Parent,
--------
Jeremie Bell
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