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Startup problem-Apple logo shifts and then computer stalls
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Forum Regular
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Toronto
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I have a 15" Powerbook 1.67 that will not start up. When I try and turn it on, the Apple logo appears as usual and then some weird stuff happens. The logo shifts down by about 2 mm and then it just stalls. No wheel spinning at the bottom. It then hangs until I turn off the computer. Does anyone have any suggestions?
zgall1
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2004
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Reinstall your Mac OS X - from the original installation disks.
I had the same symptoms when I copied the OS from a backup. Turned out that backup was missing a few files.
Reinstall the OS and things should be back to normal.
Alternatively you can encounter similar symptoms as well when you try to install a copy of Mac OS X that came bundled with an older Mac model (older than the one you have problems with). If you try such an install, you're likely to have problems as that old OS does not know about specifics from the newer hardware.
Again the solution: re-install from a current Mac OS X DVD/CDs.
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Forum Regular
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Toronto
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After reading your reply, I realized what has probably happened. I saw a file called mach_kernel (I think) and I moved it from the root into the folder called System (even thoguh the OS warned me not to move anything in there-I know that it was stupid). I am pretty sure that is the file that is preventing me from starting up the computer. However, I am not at home at the moment so I do not have access to an OS X CD that I could start from so that I can move the file. Could anybody suggest another way for me to access the hard drive so that I can take that file out of the System folder?
zgall1
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2004
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If you boot up from an OS X install CD I don't think you can access the files on the hard drive. That option won't work IMHO.
Your best bet is to use target disk mode. This only works if you have access to another Mac. Or other computer that has a FireWire port and can read the Mac file system (if your HD uses HFS+ Journalled then that's probably only another Mac.)
To activate target disk mode shut down your PowerBook. Press the 'on' button and press 't' on the keyboard. Keep 't' pressed during startup until you see a blue screen with a yellow FireWire logo. At that point your PowerBook was 'converted' into a FireWire HD and you can plug it into any other Mac's FireWire port (via a FireWire-to-FireWire cable) and your PowerBook's HD will mount on the other Mac's desktop as an external HD.
You can then move your kernel file back to where it should be.
Once done eject the HD from the other Mac and shut down the PowerBook by pressing the 'on' key again.
Hope this helps.
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Moderator  Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: San Jose, CA
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Originally Posted by zgall1
After reading your reply, I realized what has probably happened. I saw a file called mach_kernel (I think) and I moved it from the root into the folder called System (even thoguh the OS warned me not to move anything in there-I know that it was stupid). I am pretty sure that is the file that is preventing me from starting up the computer. However, I am not at home at the moment so I do not have access to an OS X CD that I could start from so that I can move the file. Could anybody suggest another way for me to access the hard drive so that I can take that file out of the System folder?
zgall1
I'm just wondering why you moved a system file that the system even warned you not to move.
Steve
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