[Mellors]

I got my powerbook online tonight for the first time since Mid-january or so and updates were necessary. Just before going to bed I first updated iTunes and restarted - no problems. Then on restart software update runs with updates for Quicktime, iCal and iPod. I figure what the hey and update (still running on 10.2.8...no security updates among the updates).

Finally downloads and installation finishes and it restarts. On restart I get my familiar white screen and grey apple for a bit and then wham, funny black bar appears slap bang in the middle of the screen (obscuring the leaf). It almost seems like a screwy display problem as the black bar along the top shows a few things not altogether unlike fixed pixels. Now it's stuck like that and will not boot up further. I restarted it, same problem, tried booting it in firmware and then continue booting from there (in a desperate hope it would help) and no joy. I'm stuck as to what to do and am hoping that my somewhat old pb hasn't just died on me.

Any suggestions? Normally I'd take queries to Apple discussions but experience has told me that non-official boards often provide better suggestions. Help would be appreciated. Antiquated Windows 98 parental PC is causing me to produce salty tears of blood as I type

[ibook_steve]

Can you even boot from a system disk? Have you tried resetting PRAM? Can you run a hardware test?

Steve

[Mellors]

thanks ibook steve, your suggestions are very much appreciated. I should have thought of the obvious software CD and hardware test myself so thanks for the patience.

This is what I've tried:

Open in Verbose mode...doesn't work, same black bar problem comes along and stops startup before startup even gets underway.

boot from system disk/CD...Grey apple and swirly and then the multi language message of doom telling me I have to perform an emergency shut down and to hold down the power button.

hardware test CD...initially this came up with a firmware-esque screen mentioning some invalid memory access. After removing some 3rd party RAM (installed a long time ago and having worked perfectly for ages), hardware test runs. No problems found.

Resetting PRAM...no change to startup problem, same as above.

Would resetting the PMU help? Or to put it another way, would resetting the PMU produce any unnecessary damage or extra errors? I really don't know what to do short of taking it to an apple store and hoping they don't kill me with bills now that my warrantly is long over.

[amazing]

One last suggestion: Startup and then immediately hold down the shift key, and continue holding it, hopefully until the login screen appears (maybe 5 minutes, at most.) Amongst other things, this performs fsck and disables any startup items.

If you can't do this, then report back. What PB do you have?

Edit: it's a 12", just needed to re-read the title. Oops

Gotta say, though, sounds like it might be more serious.

[Mellors]

Originally Posted by amazing

One last suggestion: Startup and then immediately hold down the shift key, and continue holding it, hopefully until the login screen appears (maybe 5 minutes, at most.) Amongst other things, this performs fsck and disables any startup items.

If you can't do this, then report back. What PB do you have?

Edit: it's a 12", just needed to re-read the title. Oops

Gotta say, though, sounds like it might be more serious.

Thanks. I tried opening it in safe mode before but decided to take your advice to practice further patience in doing so So 5 minutes later and no joy.

Basically, any attempt to boot up in any particular mode (verbose, single-user, safe) meets with the same problem as a regular startup: The Grey Apple appears but before the swirling clock indicating startup appears, I get the black bar appearing on screen and no matter how long I leave it, there is no progress beyond that stage. I can open it in firmware but to be frank I don't know what the hell I am doing in there beyond ejecting CDs.

As I mentioned above, trying to specifically boot from the system CD meets with grey screen of death. If I startup bypassing the regular startup disk (command+option+shift+delete...I think), it tries to startup from the software CD and then meets with even weirder fuzzy lines.

I'm quite certain its a problem extending beyond the display and although the hardware tests seem to suggest everything is fine, I'm beginning to wonder if my logic board has died. Most people I've known to have logic boards go have done so after some form of knock or drop to the PB which is my only uncertainty seing as I've not harmed mine at all. The thing that seemed to push it over the edge was a software update.