[irreality]

Hi,

I sure hope someone out there has a clue whats going on with my computer because I dont.

OK im running a flatpanel G4 700 on Tiger

My problem is After a recent power failure in my place. or maybe i changed a setting or something I dont know. But the computer is starting, goest to grey apple with swirly as usual goes to Starting up OSX, ok cool, but even before its finished the booting sequence it brings me to a black darwin screen which states

Darwin/BSD (name.local)

Login:
Password:

OK heres the deal. I typed in my keychain password. er the one i use to login as admin for aqua. and it goes through the motions. Goes to blue screen w/ twirlly black spinner, then brings me back to the exact same DARWIN screen.

I need some emergency mac 911 from all you gurus out there

Oh and BTW

Startup from install disk - NO GO - will not read disk from boot - could not even eject cd normally, I had to eject the CD tray using Open Firm
I have also completed the The fsck thingy and still no dice - it actually told me that everything is functioning normally.

SO anyone out there have any ideas.

Help NEEDED

[CharlesS]

I recognize your problem, because I was having that same exact problem with BootCD. It happens when either NetInfo, securityd, or something else needed by the authentication system goes south, causing the loginwindow process not to be able to authenticate you. It is definitely something wrong with your system, and not a setting you changed.

I'd try running DiskWarrior if you have it. It could be a disk issue that fsck missed. If it's not a disk problem, you'll probably have to Archive and Install the OS.

If it's not booting from a CD, I'd try these two things:

- Zapping the PRAM. You can do this with Command-Option-P-R at startup, or you could boot into Open Firmware and type the following commands:

reset-nvram
set-defaults
reset-all

- Trying to boot from the CD by holding down the Option key instead of the C key.

[irreality]

Ok im in the process of getting diskwarrior, anyone know a thread where i can figure out how to mount diskwarrior to my ipod and boot from there. Im figgerin just use disk utility and mount it that way from the diswarrior image. and then jack my ipod into the effected computer and boot into firewire target mode ?? is this correct ?

OH btw, when the puter is on i can access the files over the network using the laptop. does this change anything ??

Help needed

[larkost]

DiskWarrior is very unlikely to fix this issue, but CharlesS is correct in that this is most likely a NetInfo or AuthServices issue. And they can be really nasty problems to solve without killing the user accounts.

However, most people can simply do an archive and install while keeping the user accounts, and they will just have to reset the main user (since that is the only one usually). Usually the only thing that gets lost is the keychain file... and moving it to the desktop before you recreate that login can be part of saving it.

For those of you who know NetInfo, you can sometimes just wipe the DB and move a known good on into place, but I usually like to take the opportunity to get everything clean.

[irreality]

OK i used diskwarrior, it didnt work... it found some small minor fixes, for things, but did not correct my problem. I NEED HELP HELP HELP

Im freaking out over here.

[CharlesS]

I'd probably Archive and Install the OS. Just boot from the OS X install CD, and when you see the Options button, click it and choose "Archive and Install".

I suppose you could try zapping the netinfo database also, but I know by experience that if the system is messed up, it can cause this problem to occur even if the netinfo database is fine. But if you want to try this, this is what you'd do:

1. Boot into Single-User mode (command-S at startup)

2. fsck

3. mount -uw /

4. cd /var/db

5. mv netinfo netinfo.bak

6. mv shadow shadow.bak

7. rm .AppleSetupDone (note the dot in the front of the filename)

8. reboot

[irreality]

Will doing this effect anything else.

I guess what im trying to say is if I flash that, will I still have no problems doing archive and install.

The reason I havent done archive/install is that I installed it off of a freinds disk, which i no longer have access too this means either purchasing it - which i dont nessecarily have the dough for right now - or finding a warez copy of the stuff. But it looks like im going to actually have to go out and purchase it. Does anyone know how i can get the student discount on 10.4 ? or of any places that sell NEW copies of the soft for cheap ?

:-(

SO i just want to reiterate. I can Flash the netinfo stuff - and still have no problem with archive/install ?

[steve626]

Originally Posted by irreality

Will doing this effect anything else.

I guess what im trying to say is if I flash that, will I still have no problems doing archive and install.

The reason I havent done archive/install is that I installed it off of a freinds disk, which i no longer have access too this means either purchasing it - which i dont nessecarily have the dough for right now - or finding a warez copy of the stuff. But it looks like im going to actually have to go out and purchase it. Does anyone know how i can get the student discount on 10.4 ? or of any places that sell NEW copies of the soft for cheap ?

:-(

SO i just want to reiterate. I can Flash the netinfo stuff - and still have no problem with archive/install ?

I think you should simply buy the software. You need to have original install disks for situations like this. Besides, it's not right to copy software like that -- sure you can do it easily enough, and no one will come put you in prison, but it's still wrong. By the way, the install disk you borrowed, was it appropriate for your specific model of Macintosh? If not, that might (or might not) explain some of the problems you are having. Some install disks do not install a complete operating system on other types of Macs, although I would expect you would have an install failure there, not a boot failure.

You can get some small (like 20%) discounts on the Mac OS at some mail order places.

[irreality]

Thanks but i wasnt asking for a lecture on downloading software,

i was actually steering away from it, bad installations aside.
Anyways no it wasnt an install failure, and yes it was an actual factory DVD which i installed from previously not the os and software that comes say from a new computer purchase. But the from the actual TIGER box purchased at the apple store. And I do not have access to it anymore because my coworker who did purchase it no longer works with me and we no longer have any communication

And like i said I was asking for a good place to purchase at a discount.

jeeeze. just wanna support my position here... I wasnt looking for a battle, just some discounts

[irreality]

I just "zapped the netinfo database" and what do i get. Now its even worse... Or so i think... It booted me into the startup thing for tiger. Welkomen and such. Now im seeing mac setup assistant, "transfer your information from another mac" etc. etc. anything i pick doesnt seem to work.

it just freezes up

Now any suggestions ??

[irreality]

THe only one i get something outta .... is transfer from partion - but it seems like the wheel just keeps on spinning

HELP PLEASE

[CharlesS]

You need to archive and install the OS. This means you need to buy Tiger. Sorry...

[steve626]

If you want to find a real discount, you should search on ebay. I did that just now and saw Mac OS X Tiger Install DVDs ranging from $33 to $65 ... you have to be careful to see exactly what you are getting, though (upgrade versus full install, machine-specific install disks, etc.) and keep in mind that generally speaking, you get what you pay for .... (maybe you already found that out).

Commercial buys are more like $89 (megamacs.com for instance) but I saw a complaint posted there by a recent customer that an upgrade-only disk was received when a full install disk was expected. Some of these disks do not permit erase & install, or archive & install, and it sounds like you need one of those options.

Apple does not seem to offer a student discount on its 10.4 operating system.

[CharlesS]

Originally Posted by steve626

Apple does not seem to offer a student discount on its 10.4 operating system.

Uh, yes they do. It's $69.00 at the Apple Store for Education.

[teacherhendrix]

I had the same problems you are having. I set about reinstalling the system and discovered the harddrive was hosed. Good Luck!

[Person Man]

Originally Posted by irreality

Thanks but i wasnt asking for a lecture on downloading software,

We don't support pirated software installs.