ibook G4 Grey screen of DEATH??? Have searched answers, Please Help!

N

neveret3

Registered
Dear all,

14" ibook G4 OSX 10.3.3

My girlfriend owns the above machine, a short time ago (and 3 weeks out of 1-year waranty) it began to freeze at the grey apple boot-up screen, no hardware/software changes were made prior to the problem (no hardware upgrades at all to conflict). The Grey screen has the Apple logo only, (no folder, no question mark etc.)

Being relatively PC litterate but a mac novice i have researched the issue on the net and have the following to report...

Booting from the installation CD is possible, accessing Disk utility works and gives the following outcomes:

Repair Disk, End result is...
"volume Appears Okay"

Repair Permissions, Gives the following message...
"We are using special permissions for the file or directory ./System/Library/Filesystems/cd9660.fs/cd9660.util. New permissions are 33261 The privileges have been verified or repaired on the selected volume"

However re-doing the repair permissions exercise gives the same message every time.


I cannot enter single user or verbose mode!!! Therefore cannot access fsck. Bit worrying???

A Safe Boot appears to work but the spinning disc cursor-icon remains indefinately and the machine enevitably needs a forced shutdown.

I have reset the computer's Power Management Unit with no success.


All the above attempts have made no difference whatsoever. I am now at a loss as to what i can try, having read an awful lot of internet reports of logic board failures etc I'm beginning to fear that we're left with an expensive bit of stylish plastic.

If it is fatal what is the best way to salvage data on the HD???

Any advice would be very greatfully apreciated.

Nick.
 
Not that this helps you immediately but according to apple this is a harmless message. Can you boot with the install disk and see the main hard drive? If you can see the drive you might be able to copy off your files.

----
From apple

Some messages that Disk Utility reports when checking permissions can be safely ignored. For example, you may safely ignore a message that contains "permissions are 33261". This document applies to Mac OS X 10.2.2 or later.

In Disk Utility (Mac OS X 10.2.2 through 10.2.8), you see the message: "We are using special permissions for the file or directory ./System/Library/Filesystems/hfs.fs/hfs.util.
New permissions are 33261"

In Disk Utility (Mac OS X 10.3.3 through 10.3.9, and 10.4 or later), you may see the message: "We are using special permissions for the file or directory ./System/Library/Filesystems/cd9660.fs/cd9660.util.
New permissions are 33261"

This is a status message and not a cause for concern. You may safely ignore it.
 
Thanks for explaining the permissions thing, didn't seem sinister enough to cause all this hassle.

The HD seems visible in disk utilities, usage info etc all seems correct and allows scans to take place. From these tests I'm hoping data may be salvageable even if the OS or worse is faulty.

I guess that a re-install may be the next stage, however there is some rather critical data on the HD that wasn't backed up before the problem began.

I don't know how to boot from the CD and try to access files from the HD.

I've read up on connecting via firewire to another mac, booting holding T and hoping my damaged mac appears as an external drive.

Does this sound reasonable?


Does anyone know of any other way to access data before a re-install attempt.

Many Thanks.
 
Yes the firewire target mode works (assuming the target HD is working). I have used to transfer files from an old mac to a new mac. The target computer should show up as a disk on your computer desktop.
 
ello ello

yeah Cam is right, target disk mode is the way to go to get data off it. Otherwise you'll have to open it up (not fun), and get a drive bay for 2.5'' drives, which will cost ya.

try:
-get diskwarrior, and try repairing it with that. Kicks ass over apples disk util.
-reinstall via the upgrade method (you shouldn't loose any data, am i right? Panther supports this i thought)
-do a software update!! 10.3.3 is OOOOld

regarding the logic board, apple have a program that extends the warranty if your ibook isn't too old. they extend the warranty to 3 years, if your serial number is in a particular range. search their website for it.

good luck!
 
I don't think it's a motherboard issue, though. Sounds to me like either the harddrive is _so_ full that the OS can't run anymore or that there's something wrong with the system, simply.

Before deleting the harddrive with a clean-reinstall, I, too, would try to "update" with the Panther CD you have. Although it's probably a downgrade, in fact, it could make it boot again. Then update to 10.3.9 directly (the last version of Panther) and try if it works alright, rebooting a couple of times etc., making sure it has at least 1 or 2 GB free on the harddrive etc.
 
Thanks Thanks Thanks,

Following your advice (and assurance that files would remain intact etc) i decided to try a re-install of Panther (from the recovery CDs, older but stable). After a few innocuous failures, (but reassuring in that my problem was obviously software based - 1st hurrah), i regained access after the 4th attempt.

I am now in the process of sifting through my Girlfriends files to find those that she needs and backing them up. Slowly smb'ing' them to my windows network (boo - hiss I know, but i explained the reasons in my welcome post).

There is obviously still some issues as some files are inaccessible and a number are seriously corrupted but i love the logical resilliance of this mac. I said at the start I was a doubting admirer and you guys HAVE restored my faith.

(My girlfried is of the computing mentality that if it's not broke dont fix it however (even with my grudging windows familiarity), with her disregard on a PC i really dont think i'd have any chance of salvaging anything.)

Once this back-up is complete I'll give the machine a clean install and go straight to 10.3.9.

Many thanks again for everybodys help.

Happy Mac-ing
Nick.
 
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