iMac won't boot after freeze

[MikeCaine]

I’m away on holiday at the moment and won’t be back for 10 days, but I’m seeking advice about a problem that occurred just before I left.

I’m running the latest version of iTunes on my iMac and my wife docked her iPod to quickly sync it for the holiday. After about half an hour I got the impression that the system had hung, the beach ball was still spinning and the clock seemed to have stopped. I couldn’t select any other programmes and even the force quit option wouldn’t appear.

I seemed to have little option but to power it off and when I tried to restart I had the usual boing noise but during boot up as soon as the circular clock type thing appeared the system powered off. I tried several times with the same result, and then I had to leave for the airport.

I’m wondering if it’s likely to be a software fault, that maybe could be cured by an “archive and install” type repair or if it likely to be something more serious?

 

[Ric]

Hi Mike,

When you see the circular clock thingy...the Mac (in theory) is running FSCK, that's why it takes 10 minutes or so to get past that screen. Most people get impatient thinking that something is wrong and reboot again...it's a vicious cycle.

When you get home you can either let it boot in it's own time and hopefully it 'should' come up.

If it doesn't then you will need to reboot into single user mode and then run FSCK manually. (I'll post the instructions link here once I find it ;-))

Enjoy your holliday !

regards

Ric

 

[MikeCaine]

Hi Ric

I'm not too sure if it is that situation. The circular clock thing
only appears for about one second and then the iMac seems to shut down. Pressing the power on button seems to start the process all over again, the light grey screen, apple logo, circular clock, shutdown.

I'll check back later as internet access permits

Thanks

Mike

 

[Ric]

Hi Mike,

we can fix it once you're home. It may need the Install disk to help out, maybe Disk Utility etc...

Let us know once you're home...enjoy your Holiday !

You've not got your Mac with you ? have you ?

;-)

regards

Ric

 

[MikeCaine]

Hi Ric

Thanks for your re-assuring words

I won't be home for another week yet as I'm having 4 days in London when we return to the UK and I plan to visit the mother ship (the Apple store in Regent St) while I'm there

It has been a worry, wondering if it's just a simple problem or something far more worrying.

I have my Powerbook with me, although I reckon I could have fitted my iMac in my wife's huge case

Cheers

Mike

 

[MikeCaine]

Hi Ric

I'm now home. Still exactly the same symptoms as before. Not too sure where to go next. BTW, I have a wireless keyboard and the USB mighty mouse, also not too sure if there's a disc in the drive. The Mac won't run long enough for the wireless keyboard to be able to eject it.

Regards

Mike

 

[Ric]

Hi Mike,

As long as you are using 10.4.2, then the wireless keyboard will allow you to boot using the special keys...

If you think that there may be a disk in the drive, hold down the mouse button whilst booting (it does work with wireless mice, as long as you are on 10.4.2 and have the latest bluetooth software on your Mac.)

Then the next thing to do, unplug all attached devices.

Try and boot into single user mode, hold down command and s keys, let us know how you get on...then we can throw a few commands at it.

regards

Ric

 

[MikeCaine]

Hi Ric

I couldn't get anywhere with my wireless keyboard so I borrowed one from my local Bigfish franchise, who also happen to be the only IOM Mac dealer. I've managed to bood off the install DVD now and have run repair disk but I get a "Invalid sibling link / Volume check failed" error

Regards

Mike

 

[Ric]

Hi Mike,

how old is the iMac, do you have Disk Warrior or DataRescue ? DO you have Applecare ?

"Invalid Siblings.." are not a good sign, sorry.

The normal cause of action is to erase the drive and then reinstall.

Have you any backups ?

regards

Ric

 

[MikeCaine]

Hi Ric

I don't have the above mentioned software but I did have Drive Genius. I downloaded a bootable image from their site and burned it to CD. The Repair option didn't work but the Rebuild option did the trick and all seems OK now. I assume it's safe to continue to use now that it's fixed?

Thanks

Mike

 

[Ric]

Hi Mike,

glad you got it working. Drive Genius is by the same people that make DataRescue, it's another great tool to have.

I would make sure you keep an eye on your backups, just incase the drive is on it's way out. Hopefully it was just the directory that got corrupted.

Should be fine to use, as I said just keep your backups regular.

regards

Ric

 

[MikeCaine]

Hi Ric

I use Chronosync to backup to a couple of external Maxtor drives and I have some SMARTreporter running in the top bar so hopefully ll should be OK

Thanks for your help

Regards

Mike

 

[Ric]

...thats the backup policy of someone who has lost before !

;-)

regards

Ric

 

[MikeCaine]

The only really important thing that I have on my Mac these days is about 8 years worth of digital photos. Anyhting else that I lost would be a nuisance, but wouldn't upset me half as much as losing those photos.

I did lose a disk at work once, and then found that our backup media was faulty and that the last good backup was one month old. Nowdays I do online backup, network backup and memory stick backup, just to be sure...

Regards

Mike

 

[Ric]

I think thats the same for most home users, I have home backups and online backups...(just in case the house burns down !)...

And when I go to the parents house (150 miles away) I take a copy of them there !

Always best to be safe !

regards

Ric

 

[MikeCaine]

A recent Apple survey seemed to suggest that most users didn't bother with any sort of backup at all. I think it's only when you've lost some data in a crash / disk failure that you become serious about backups. I'm looking forward to seeing Apple's Time Machine and will probably buy a third external drive for it to use.

I do have some photo backups on DVD that I have taken to work, but I haven't added recent photos for a while.

Good idea about parents. Mine only live about 1 mile away and I see them about 5 times a week so I might leave some data with them as well.

I was using .Mac for online backup at home but the space soon fills up so I've stopped using it for that and now only use it for syncing my two Macs. A bit of a waste maybe?

Regards

Mike

 

[Ric]

Hi Mike,

without breaking Apples Non Disclossure Agreement...

Time Machine is very good, it'll be worth the upgrade money on its own.

...thats all I'm saying.

;-)

regards

Ric

(I had/have .mac but won't be resigning up !)