I've recently been having major issues starting up my Mac. I've got a PM MDD 1.25 Ghz/2GB RAM running OS X 10.4.2, ATI Radeon 9800 Pro/128, 2 HDs, Alchemy TV DVR card, and USB 2.0 PCI card installed (just in case any of this matters).
The problems began after I downloaded and installed the Halo demo (that's what happens when you try to enjoy yourself). I clicked on the app to run the demo and a window appeared allowing settings to be changed. I kept the default settings and clicked "OK". After the preference window disappeared, the screen went black. I initially thought it was some sort of splash screen, but Halo never loaded - no sound, etc. I tried quitting, then force quitting, but to no avail. Unfortunately, I had to shut down the PM using the PM's power button. This has never occurred with any app previously. No major OS crashes recently - just general sluggishness/beachballing.
The real concerning problem began shortly after restarting. The desktop appeared, the icons appeared, my startup items started bouncing in the dock, then the screen went black the same way. The PM remains on - no spinning hard drive, noises, etc. My 20" Cinema Display seems to turn off as well, although it may be in some sort of sleep mode - I can press the power button (lights up), but the screen won't turn on. Touching the button on the left (Displays pref panel) does not light up/respond. Unplugging then replugging the monitor did not do anything. Also, the mouse does not cause the screen to reappear. I've tried restarting several times with the same result.
Basically, the only thing I can do is shut off the PM by holding down the PM's power button, then restarting the PM with a backup drive running Tiger. The backup drive works perfectly. I'm wondering if the PM was initially trying to change screen resolutions while starting up Halo and got stuck somehow in the process. The blackout is similar to the brief blackout while changing screen resolutions in UT 2004, except the blackness persists.
Any suggestions are most welcome. I've never experienced a problem this weird. Thanks in advance for any help!
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