[djdigy]

I have a problem with my powerbook. It boots up, until it gets to the desktop and I have a message---You need to restart you computer. Hold down the Power button for serveral seconds or press the Restart button. So I did that and still get the same message. Is there any help for this without my restore cds, or if I need them where could I purchase them. I don't really want to buy them new.
Thanks,
djdigy

[Dr. Smoke]

If you are seeing this message, that indicates a kernel panic.

See my Resolving Kernel Panics FAQ. This FAQ includes step-by-step instructions for identifying and resolving some of the most common causes of kernel panics.

You're going to have a hard time resolving the Kernel Panic without your Software Restore and Install Disc: the Apple Hardware Test is more than likely distributed as a volume on that disc with your PB G4 (depends on the model PB G4 you have, e.g. AlBook or TiBook). You'd need to contact Apple concerning obtaining a replacement disc.

If you don't have the Mac OS X Install Discs for the version of Mac OS X you are using, in addition to not having the Software Restore and Install Discs, you're also going to have a lot of problems troubleshooting this.

Without the CDs, you can check your hard drive using you can startup in Single User Mode and run fsck -fy (file system consistency check). See: "Using Disk Utility and fsck for file system maintenance in Mac OS X".

To check permissions, you can use a third-party utiility like Cocktail or, in Terminal, the command

diskutil repairPermissions /

You can run a variety of hardware tests using Micromat TechTool Pro version 4 (TTP4).

Bottom line: You should contact Apple to order a replacement Software Restore and Install Disc(s) for your PB G4.