Attempted Server Install Leads to Unbootable Macbook

minimalex · #1 April 12th, 2009, 05:14 PM

I'm hoping someone much smarter than I can advise. Yesterday I attempted to install a MAC OS X SNOW LEOPARD SERVER build via partitioned external hd - which I had no business trying. I think I might have damaged the mach kernel or startuo volume - all I'm getting on start up is the file w/ question mark icon. Normally I would resolve pressing option upon reboot but it seems as if none of the usual start shortcuts are being acknowledged. I've gone through the list...shift, c, option, x, ....
No luck progressing past the grey screen. At frist I was getting an Apple icon, the file folder with question mark, and the international sign for NO - all three flashing very rapidly. I thik I zapped the pram down to just the startup disk notification now. Not sure if this might have any relevance to my boot difficulties but I just started using my bluetooth keyboard when I noticed that a few keys on the ibook were non longer responsive. When I would start up and my User Account prompt would show the password field automatically start filling in...(stuck key?) Very frustrating as I can't figure out how to access the OS to reinstall. Any assistance you may provide would be greatly appreciated and yes, I've learned my lesson. Thank you.

DeltaMac · #2 April 12th, 2009, 06:32 PM

As Snow Leopard Server is in developer release only, I'm sure you followed normal procedure to not install on a working system without having a full backup. And, being a developer, you would know that you would do a clean install of your beta software. And, being OS X Server beta software, you would also know that you need to erase, and reinstall if things go wrong, which they have.
So, you need to boot to your (regular) version installer DVD, and choose the option to erase the hard drive as you reinstall.

OS X Server? on an iBook? Ya got nowhere to go with this one, even with a legal version.

minimalex · #3 April 12th, 2009, 08:05 PM

Not exactly my brightest move - I'm filing it under "experimental development"...as mentioned in my plea - startup shortcuts are nonoperable. Same goes for the install disk and external backup. I have literally gone through every applicable shortcut to no avail...which is why I'm wondering if their might be a hardware angle to this? The startup volume icon eventually appears but is nonresponsive to input (and like I said my keyboard has been acting curious even before the install). My best amateur suspicion is that I perhaps changed the startup disk during my installation (reboot) and/ my option key is one of the keys no longer working. Ive disassembled and checked..all connections are solid.

DeltaMac · #4 April 12th, 2009, 08:38 PM

The first thing to try would be an external USB keyboard. That may (or may not) bypass whatever the internal keyboard is doing to affect this. If that doesn't work, you can easily disconnect the internal keyboard. The connector for that keyboard is available by opening the access cover for the memory, underneath the keyboard.

minimalex · #5 April 12th, 2009, 10:58 PM

Yep. Been there done that. Powering the computer on was the issue though...I thought I'd take a stab just in case the power button was perhaps seperate from the rest of the keys. I don't have access to another mac or I would play around with some target reboots.. I do however have access to other computers and several drives on a local network ...but they're pc and I can't take the risk of "playing developer" with anybody elses partitions. I've tried removing the HD and booting from the external and install disk as well to no avail. Option is still not an option but Im not accepting SOL just yet.
Thank you for your assistance btw.