Start-Up Issues...

mikethepsych

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Recently, after my powerbook g4 had been working flawlessly for almost 8 months, it suddenly developed what i identified as a kernel panic on startup (the gray screen descending with the "please restart your computer message"). A couple of times restarting worked, but now it happens every time. I checked out some sites on the net for help, and one reccomended that if i could boot in safe mode, to remove the items from my "startup items" folder, then replace them one by one to see if it were possible to identify the issue. The thing it didn't mention is that i guess some of these are part of the mac os software (and i'm not sure if this is what is causing it but...) but now i can't even start the computer in safe mode. It boots up and i hold down shift, and the spinning gear starts, and keeps going, and going, and going. The mac support site says safe mode should take longer, but i've let it sit for nearly half an hour to no avail. It's possible to boot from disk, and i've repaired both permissions and disk and nothing has helped. If any suggestions can be offered, i am very grateful.
 
Basically at this point, I suggest you install Mac OS X from the most current media you have in Archive&Install mode, update to the newest version and then put things back in place from the archive (users etc.). Make sure that at installation you create your main user with the same name (assuming you only _have_ one important user, that is).
 
Ok, i archived and installed, but on regular boot it still brings down the please restart screen, although i can boot in safe mode now. Suggestions?
 
Maybe it's time to run DiskWarrior or Drive10 to eliminate a problem with the hard disk, perhaps the boot block. Sounds like the system software is OK.
 
Hi mikethepsych:

You might try some of the additional basic maintenance/troubleshooting procedures described here1 and here2 . If things don't improve, then I 'd do an erase and install. You also might choose to run the Apple Hardware Test and check the S.M.A.R.T status of your internal before or after the additional maintenance/troubleshooting. Note that using DiskWarrior (about $100) sounds like a great idea if you want to try to get out of doing an erase and install.
 
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