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JMan09 · Feb 18, 2008, 01:59 PM

Hey I want to ask this here before we take it to the Certified Apple techs at a Apple reseller.
The problem is on my sisters MacBook it's the same as mine without the superdrive. and only 1gb of memory. We turn on the computer and it only gets to the grey apple screen with the apple on it. Is there anything we can try at home to fix this or should i just take it in? And also is this covered under her 1year of AppleCare?

amazing · Feb 18, 2008, 02:28 PM

If the startup problem is caused by user-installed software, then it's not covered.

Try starting up off the MacOS install disk, and reinstall the system, being sure to preserve users and network setting. That's called an archive-and-install. If that works, that's all you need.

If the startup disk can't see the HD, post back here.

JMan09 · Feb 18, 2008, 02:31 PM

It might have been caused from Limewire which she was trying to delete anyways. She said it was giving her problems before she tried deleting it.
Thanks, I'll give this a try when I get home. Are there any buttons I need to push on startup with the disk in there, or will it do it on its own with the disk in the drive.

ibook_steve · Feb 18, 2008, 02:46 PM

Hold down the C key.

Steve

JMan09 · Feb 18, 2008, 03:20 PM

Ok, thanks steve.

JMan09 · Feb 18, 2008, 07:45 PM

Ok, it saw the harddrive and had archive and install selected, but had preserve users and networks greyed out and I couldn't select it.
Does this mean if I do it without the preserve users and networks it will delete all of her saved files?

amazing · Feb 18, 2008, 08:02 PM

Just to be on the safest side, best to back it up first. Since you've also got an MB, connect the 2 via a firewire cable. Then, on your sister's MB, start up and immediately hold down the T key until the firewire symbol starts bouncing around the screen (this is called firewire target disk mode.)

At this point, her HD should show up on your desktop as a firewire drive. Copy everything in her documents folder and desktop over either to DVD/CD or your HD. Be sure you get her email user folder, and where that's located depends on what email software she uses. If she uses Entourage then it resides in the MS folder within her documents folder. If she uses Mail, then it resides in the Library folder within her user folder, listed under Mail. This is usually shown as
~user/Library/Mail.

Bizarre that the "preserve users etc" is greyed out? Just had to do 2 Leopard archive-and-installs and that option was available.

What OS version is she running? And how much empty HD space does she have? I had 12 GB of empty HD space and Leopard wouldn't let me install until I freed up more space. Of course, once I de-selected the unnecessary printer drivers, extra fonts and extra languages under "customize", I only needed 6.1 GB but it wouldn't even let me get that far until I deleted enough stuff (music) to allow Leopard to install.

JMan09 · Feb 18, 2008, 08:22 PM

She has tiger like I do, and I used my install disks since hers are in her dorm room. At first it said it couldn't use the cds because she has a different OS version than me, but then got to where I told you and I stopped there.

JMan09 · Feb 19, 2008, 07:56 PM

It says her version of OSX is newer than my install disk.
I held down the T-key and it brings up the firewire icon like you said and only brings up the install cd thats in her cd drive. and the hard drive doesn't mount.