Mac users - help requested

D-Dan · Jun 15, 2009, 19:40:06

Hi guys

A work colleague has a G5 Mac running OSX, which is dumping him at a Darwin/BSD login screen on bootup. I've had him boot to single user mode and do a file system check which has repaired errors, and running fsck again gives him the all clear. That hasn't fixed it, so I had him check the system log which never moves off the first page (using "more" to read it). "No problem" I thought - get him to delete the system log (rm /var/log/system.log) and he got a file not found error.

The log that he did find is, apparently, almost entirely dedicated to errors in the game, Civilization (sic) so I thought let's uninstall that and see how he gets on, but of course Mac don't use apt so I couldn't do that, either.

Now, I'm trying to repair this via remote control, having never seen his computer, and he's not familiar with command line stuff. Any ideas?

Steve

Rik · Jun 15, 2009, 19:43:07

Sorry, Steve, there's no Mac users here atm, but I'm sure one will be along shortly.

Sebby · Jun 15, 2009, 21:31:05

I am a Mac user, but a very new one, and that is completely beyond me at this stage. Sorry!

Steve · Jun 15, 2009, 22:30:27

Afraid its all Greek to me, can he start via the install DVD and rescue/archive the data before its too late?

D-Dan · Jun 15, 2009, 22:37:43

As a geek, I hate to admit defeat, and data salvage & re-install always seems to me to be just that. If I can rescue a system I feel like I've achieved something. I can do it with Windows, and I can do it with Linux. Now, maybe I've never so much as touched a Mac, it's based on a Linux kernel and should be salvageable. I just need to work out how.

Steve

lozcart · Jun 15, 2009, 22:39:27

I'm no expert but this is what I would try.

Try booting in safe mode by holding down the shift on start up, if the machine starts ok then open Disc Utilities and repair disc permissions. Then shut down and restart the mac.

if this doesn't help then download OnyX utility and use this to delete the log files.

Simon · Jun 15, 2009, 22:51:33

That should be deserving of a Karma, if it works.

lozcart · Jun 15, 2009, 22:59:27

My last post assumed that you can get the finder(desktop) to load, however reading you post I'm not sure that is the case.

If you can't boot to the finder and you have the System disc then start the computer with the CD inserted and hold down the "C" key, this should then start the mac off the CD. Then select disc utilities from the menu and again verify the disc and repair permissions.

If all else fails you can do a archive and install from the CD ROM which will install a new System but leave the other data intact.

D-Dan · Jun 15, 2009, 23:06:39

I'll have him give it a try - though I'm not sure he'll get past the BSD login so safe mode is probably a none starter.

The disk appears to be clean (fsck repaired it and a further check was good). I'm thinking maybe his login is corrupt - and I can help him repair that - but I need to confirm it first.

Steve

lozcart · Jun 16, 2009, 08:21:53

Steve

If the login is corrupt then can he start from a System CD Rom which will then let him reset his password and account.

I also found this on the Apple Discussions which I think is similar to his problem, it is all foreign to me though

http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=1553062

It might be worth posting on the Apple Forum as there are many experts on there that should be able to help.

RogerP · Jun 16, 2009, 09:13:42

Hi

I would put in operating system cd/dvd and restart and hold down " C " key when screen opens choose disk utilities/utilities and run disk repair. this should put everything back to normal. failing that re-install leopard or tiger or whatever OS you run.

This might be of help http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1417

Rogerp

Steve · Jun 16, 2009, 09:28:18

Quote from: lozcart on Jun 16, 2009, 08:21:53
Steve

If the login is corrupt then can he start from a System CD Rom which will then let him reset his password and account.

I also found this on the Apple Discussions which I think is similar to his problem, it is all foreign to me though

http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=1553062

It might be worth posting on the Apple Forum as there are many experts on there that should be able to help.

Good find

D-Dan · Jun 17, 2009, 07:28:42

I found that, and it was on my list of things to check, but since we can't get to the end of the log file to confirm the error it's a none starter. The procedure looks potentially destructive, and so I'm not willing to try it until I can confirm the error.

I'm starting to think of finding a Linux live distro that will boot on Mac H/W, then he can backup his personal files to CD/DVD from the live CD before re-installing the OS. Any suggestions of a suitable distro?

Steve

Steve · Jun 17, 2009, 07:48:30

Any access to another mac? Then could you use the firewire ports to get the data? Or something like Data Rescue 11

lozcart · Jun 17, 2009, 08:27:40

If you install a new System under the archive and install option then any personal data won't be wiped.

The old System will also be kept in a folder called "old system" so any items installed that may need to be kept can be removed from this folder.

Once this has been done any personal data can also be backed up and a new clean install of the OS carried out if required.

The other choice is as Stevethegas says start the Mac in Target Disc Mode by holding down "T" at start up, this will then allow you to connect the Mac by firewire to another computer and access its hard drive to remove the data before installation of the new OS.

Tacitus · Jun 17, 2009, 09:19:54

I would go with what lozcart says in the previous post but if at all possible connect to another Mac first using Target Disk mode. You can then backup all the data from the user accounts.

After that use the main install disk and do archive and install but remember to check the box that says maintain existing users (or something like that). After that it should startup normally and retain all your data with the old system stored safely.

Once this is done you will need to redo all your system updates - if you do them via system update the whole thing should be automatic. Then you can re-install any pref panes/haxies if necessary.

I've just done a couple of upgrades from Tiger to Leopard using that method. It's a bit tedious but apart from a couple of minor probs - couldn't find the spell check - I've had no trouble whatever. But I did do a couple of cloned backups first with SuperDuper.

RichR · Jun 17, 2009, 10:03:49

You might try booting in verbose mode, hold down Command-V when booting. This will give you the startup diagnostics that are going into the log file. It might give you a clue about what is going wrong.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1343

D-Dan · Jun 22, 2009, 20:05:27

Sorry I haven't come back on this guys, but thanks for the responses.

I don't think he has access to another Mac, but certainly options for booting and backing up look promising. As long as he can get to his personal files and rescue them, I think he'll be happy.

Steve

D-Dan · Jun 27, 2009, 11:11:19

OK. After remote control repair failed I went and got his Mac and brought it home. I managed an archive install and his system is back up and running. Personal files seem to be intact. Once I copy them out of the archive folder, is it safe to just delete the "Previous Systems" folder?

Steve

Sebby · Jun 27, 2009, 12:17:22

Again, my Mac knowledge is poor (I think I just need to break and repair things like I did in my early PC days!). Hopefully someone else will know.

lozcart · Jun 27, 2009, 14:31:59

Yes it is fine to delete the old System Folder. It is kept incase there is any extensions or drivers in there that you might want to salvage. I would personally reinstall from scratch any of these and then you know they are fresh and not corrupted.

D-Dan · Jun 27, 2009, 18:03:42

Thanks

Since I don't know what he needs and what he doesn't, I copied his documents to a more appropriate location, but I've left the remaining folder intact in case he wants to rescue anything more from it. I'll give him instruction on what to do. My own guess is he'll be happy enough just to have a system that boots again with personal files intact.

First instruction will be - "Backup documents to a CD/DVD" lol

Steve

lozcart · Jun 27, 2009, 21:16:51

If he is running OS 10.5 then he would be better off getting an external hard drive and setting Time Machine to carry out automatic back ups. Very simple and helped me out on more than one occasion

Glad you managed to sort out his problem.

Sebby · Jun 28, 2009, 01:27:35

Same here - Time Machine is great.