disk utility versions

[ckp]

Hi there,
My old Power Mac dual G5 (os 10.4.11) needs a disk repair and won't startup off the original install CD.

I've managed to startup in terminal mode and hooked it up via firewire to an old MacBook Pro (os 10.6.8). So I'm currently backing up some folders that way to an external drive.

The MacBook Pro won't run disk utility from the Power Mac install disk.

Is the disk utility 'repair disk' function from the MacBook Pro os 10.6.8 system safe to run on my Power Mac os 10.4.11 startup disk?? If not, what other options to I have?

 

[Cory Cooper]

Hello and welcome.

Yes, you should be able to run the Disk Utility app on the MBP, and use it to verify/repair the HD of the G5 connected via FireWire Target Disk Mode. It is a smart idea to backup the data onto your external HD as you are doing first.

-Is the HD on the G5 giving any sort of error messages other than not being able to startup?
-How much free space is left on the G5 HD?

C

 

[ckp]

Thanks. Here's where I'm at:

I backed up the startup HD onto an external drive.

I ran Disk Utility from the MBP. At first it showed that the my G5 startup HD needed repair. But I ran repair and it showed no fixes were needed .

I managed, after multiple attempts, to use the Alt Key to startup the G5 from the install CD and ran the Apple HW Test. Everything showed normal.

I removed the startup HD and swapped in a new blank HD, and once again couldn't startup past the Apple screen, even after using the Alt key.

I put the original startup HD back in, and actually manged to startup briefly. So I took that opportunity to run 'repair disk permissions' off the CD that was still in the machine; no repairs needed.

And then the computer froze. And keeps freezing now on startup.

So.... I've been reading forums and finding problems could be : leak in the cooling system, an issue with capacitors, or an issue with memory. (Memory seems unlikely to be the culprit since the Apple HW Test showed no issues.)

Any thoughts on where to go from here? The only thing I know of and haven't tried is blowing the dust out of the machine.