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Andrew Stephens · Nov 12, 2007, 07:12 AM

Upgrading our server mac to take advantage of Time machine.

Backed up to second drive and waway we go.

Upgrade fails halfway. Try archive and install. Fails halfway. Reboot mac. Can't run updater because no copy of Tiger found.
Can't reboot to either drive as no copy od OS found for startup disc utility.

Force shut down, extract Leopard DVD, insert Tiger DVD. Reboot. kernel panic. Reboot kernel panic.

Hold c key down to force boot from DVD - kernel panic.

Try external drive - kernel panic.

Apparently the panic is due to being unable to find drivers for platform "Powermac"

I'm thinking the failed install has hosed the MAc down to firmware level as it won't boot to any external source.

oops! (oh and potential ways forward would be nice)

ta

Horsepoo!!! · Nov 12, 2007, 08:16 AM

Zap the PRAM and reinstall from the original DVD that came with your Mac and work your way up from there.

If that doesn't work, perhaps something's wrong with your hardware that is unrelated to the install. I'd be willing to bet that, by coincidence, some hardware in your Mac went kablooie in the middle of your install. Software can't destroy firmware. Not during an OS install at least.

Originally Posted by Andrew Stephens

Upgrading our server mac to take advantage of Time machine.

Backed up to second drive and waway we go.

Upgrade fails halfway. Try archive and install. Fails halfway. Reboot mac. Can't run updater because no copy of Tiger found.
Can't reboot to either drive as no copy od OS found for startup disc utility.

Force shut down, extract Leopard DVD, insert Tiger DVD. Reboot. kernel panic. Reboot kernel panic.

Hold c key down to force boot from DVD - kernel panic.

Try external drive - kernel panic.

Apparently the panic is due to being unable to find drivers for platform "Powermac"

I'm thinking the failed install has hosed the MAc down to firmware level as it won't boot to any external source.

oops! (oh and potential ways forward would be nice)

ta

Kevin · Nov 12, 2007, 08:18 AM

See my sig. I wouldn't have gotten mad if Apple would have taken a bit more time with 10.5.

mdc · Nov 12, 2007, 09:10 AM

Originally Posted by Andrew Stephens

I'm thinking the failed install has hosed the MAc down to firmware level as it won't boot to any external source.

It's MAC, no wait...

I also think by some coincidence some hardware has failed. Maybe memory? Try removing memory and booting up to see if you get any further.

Andrew Stephens · Nov 12, 2007, 09:53 AM

No joy. Nothings happy. Whatever I try it just kernel panics straight away. It seems to be so damaged that it's lacking the basic instructions on how to boot from an external drive or an internal optical device.

I don't buy the coincidental argument one bit. No way a Mac that has behaved flawlessly for years will blow at the very same time I run an OS update.

Horsepoo!!! · Nov 12, 2007, 10:00 AM

Originally Posted by Andrew Stephens

No joy. Nothings happy. Whatever I try it just kernel panics straight away. It seems to be so damaged that it's lacking the basic instructions on how to boot from an external drive or an internal optical device.

I don't buy the coincidental argument one bit. No way a Mac that has behaved flawlessly for years will blow at the very same time I run an OS update.

How do you propose that the installer damaged the firmware? The firmware can't be tampered during a normal software install. The computer needs to be started up by special means (holding the power button down until you hear some special tone). If it was possible to tamper with the firmware in a normal software install, a lot of malware would be developed to cripple people's computers. Unless you're doing a very specific firmware installation and the power cut out in the middle of the installation...it's pretty much impossible that the Mac OS X installer crippled your Mac.

You say your Mac has behaved flawlessly for years. How many years? That may be the problem. If you've had your Mac for 3+ years, and you've never upgraded or touched any components within the computer there's bound to be something that is beginning to fail.

Andrew Stephens · Nov 12, 2007, 10:10 AM

The machine itself is pretty old (it's a G4 tower) but it's had new drives throughout the years, new DVD drives, memory upgrades, graphic card upgrades. It's still the old motherboard and CPU obviously. So it is old, but there's no way that it chose this very moment to die of it's own accord. I know it will go at some point but the chances of it picking this very moment are infinitesimally slim.

I put tech people that say "there's now way this can do that..." into the same box as people that claim email never goes astray (it does) or that broadband line problems have to be the fault of the user as it's impossible the line can be faulty. (it always is, yes that's YOU BT Broadband)

TETENAL · Nov 12, 2007, 10:15 AM

Originally Posted by Andrew Stephens

So it is old, but there's no way that it chose this very moment to die of it's own accord. I know it will go at some point but the chances of it picking this very moment are infinitesimally slim.

Is there no way that an old car would "choose" to break down the very moment you drive into the garage for inspection?

Apple sold millions of copies of Leopard. You are the only known case of a bricked Mac. That is infinitesimally slim.

Andrew Stephens · Nov 12, 2007, 10:46 AM

That is another way of looking at it I suppose. I always mistrust mechanics that use that as an excuse when they charge you for several other items as well as the one they were fixing. It normally means they broke something fixing something else but know that they can get you to pay for it.

Anyway a couple of hours faffing around with target disc mode has brought it back to life. I now have a new copy of Tiger installed on another internal HDD I've installed. Now I need to clean off the wrecked disc, put Tiger on THAT and then try the Leopard upgrade again.

Hey ho.

Andrew Stephens · Nov 12, 2007, 11:30 AM

Interestingly now I've got the Mac back up again and can see the target Leopard drive there are fiels all ocver the place. Thousands of random files (obviously mis placed system files just strewn all over the root level of the disc. Wastebasket is currently emptying over 27, 000 files!!

Seems the installer must have gone mad.

mpancha · Nov 12, 2007, 12:11 PM

I can understand how the coincidental argument is hard to buy, but it is what it is. Like you said, "I put tech people that say "there's now way this can do that..." into the same box as people that claim email never goes astray (it does) or that broadband line problems have to be the fault of the user as it's impossible the line can be faulty. (it always is, yes that's YOU BT Broadband)"... that's basically what you are saying when you dismiss that it could be coincidence.

With your last post, it seems that when you put in a "new" hard drive you were able to install Tiger at least. Is it possible that it was just time for the previous drive to be retired, maybe had a bad sector or two? Just a few things you might want to check.

Also, now that you've got your computer working, have you tried the Apple Hardware Test CD? You can rule out any hardware that may be on its way to retirement by running that.

I'm curious as to wether or not Leopard will now install on the new drive, dont know if you're game to try again given history though. Good luck.!

Andrew Stephens · 03:16 AM

Originally Posted by mpancha

I can understand how the coincidental argument is hard to buy, but it is what it is. Like you said, "I put tech people that say "there's now way this can do that..." into the same box as people that claim email never goes astray (it does) or that broadband line problems have to be the fault of the user as it's impossible the line can be faulty. (it always is, yes that's YOU BT Broadband)"... that's basically what you are saying when you dismiss that it could be coincidence.

With your last post, it seems that when you put in a "new" hard drive you were able to install Tiger at least. Is it possible that it was just time for the previous drive to be retired, maybe had a bad sector or two? Just a few things you might want to check.

Also, now that you've got your computer working, have you tried the Apple Hardware Test CD? You can rule out any hardware that may be on its way to retirement by running that.

I'm curious as to wether or not Leopard will now install on the new drive, dont know if you're game to try again given history though. Good luck.!

I guess coincidences do happen. Seems strange that the drive failure happened at the same time the installer decided to spl;urge the files all over the drive, but maybe the two are indeed connected, maybe some obscure bad sector thing tripped the installer up and it went on a file writing rampage.

I've left the machine installing Leopard overnight, I'll see in the morning if it's worked. If not it's off to ebay for a new server Mac. I fancy a G5 or something.

(update)

oops! Came in. All working. Filled in registration. Software updat kicks in. Run update. Restart. Blue screen. Reboot, grey screen, spinning wheel. Will only boot from DVD now

onwards and sideways