cmd-s fails at one page, no boot 10.1.5

[gypsyrover]

I have no additions to the iMac hardware in recent times; 5 months running I have a Lexmark z43 attached, but Off, 256 MB add-in ram and a Motorola Surfboard cable modem. All has run smoothly after the first day home when the HD went screwy and local Apple tech replaced it.

A few days ago I tried for the first time to burn a CD with iTunes in 10.1.5. I repeatedly got the msg that there was no burner or software—both erroneous. After two long nights futilely searching Apple Support for answers, I decided to try the burn in 9.2.2. I had not been to 9.2.2 since getting the iMac, altho' I did enable Classic a few times. This did not avail. I then checked Extensions Mgr and loaded many needed ext's. The iTunes burn came on! (It burned well). Then I went back to X.

I never got there! iMac hung up in the gray screen. Using OS9 install CD I got back to usability. After much searching and reading I can report:

1> rebooting with Option I get a blue screen. The change button (on Left) does not change anything, altho' I do hear a significant HD excursion. The cursor takes about 20 seconds to change from wristwatch to arrow, which must occur to execute the button, and then changes back to the ww and after 20 sec's back to an arrow. The proceed button takes me to the grey screen which hangs as before.

2> the above process occurs with sucess IF the start up disk CP was set to OS9. That is, the system boots in OS9 ( it will not switch to OS X).

3> setting the start up disk in the CP also is a very slow process but perhaps only a wait of 18 sec's is required after clicking the arrow next the iMac folder to open to the alternate OS's. The selection does not stick: upon reopening this CP the prior start up disk still obtains. Only by restarting does this change hold.

4> rebooting into single user (cmd-s) the iMac proceeds to the bottom of the screen where it stops! The last lines read:

> load of /sbin/mach_init, errno2
>load of /etc/mach_init failed, errno2

5> examining the above directories reveals /sbin/m* but no /etc/m*

6> rebooting into O-F looks ok, but please corroborate
boot-device /pci@f2000000/mac-io@1f000/@0:9,\\:tbxi hd:,\\thxi
ram size 30783138 30303030 3030
ASVP 30313130 3f3f3030 33353030
AAPL,PCI pci@f0000000/@10: SIME 00350000 00821000

7> reset-nvram and reset-all availed not

8 > There has been no lightning nor any other evidence of power surge

I'm coming to the conclusion that I need to reinstall 10.1.5. I'd like to delete just enough of that OS so that I could get the installer to run. However, I cannot mount .dmg's in OS9! I can open up the installer Essentials.pkg to extract files with Pacifier, but, again, I need OS X to do so. I do have the 10.1 full install CD. And there is a terminal cmd sequence, agaian needing *ni

[twister]

Did you try starting off the OS X cd? Of course that could be a problem if you don't have an OS X cd to match the os version (ie 10.1.5). But if you do, and you can, try running disk first aid.

I really don't have a clue. There are also other disk aid programs but this is my 2cents.

Twister

[genghiscohen]

If you boot up in OS 9 and delete the OS X System directory, that should enable you to install from the 10.1 CD.