Unique Boot Problem - Cancel sign moments after Apple logo || Can't Boot!

[maxmcl]

Ok, so I turned my computer off to log onto windows for some AutoCAD work, then when I shut windows down and go to start back up in Leopard, the apple logo appears as usual, with the rotating spinny thing below, and then the apple sign turns into a Cancel sign (circle with diagonal line through it). I have tried booting with leopard DVD, and when I go to Disk Utility, it says my usual apple HD can't unmount for repairs. This leads me to believe that somehow it didn't shut down properly or that it thinks its still running and is causing startup problems. Can anyone offer me alternate methods to try? I have tried disconnecting power source and booting up several different ways, but I don't know anything about the special boot methods such as safe mode or the rest.

An interesting note is that Windows still boots and works completely fine.. except without sound... but it's always been like that and that's a different subject entirely (very annoying too!)

Thanks in advance to helpful replies!



***One more thing, I verified my HD using the startup DVD disk utility and it said that the disk appears to be OK.

 

[maxmcl]

Well, since noone responded, I will respond hoping to help out anyone viewing this looking for a helpful reply if they ever get into the same boat I was in....


After hours of laboriously trying every possible way to get my computer to boot, it turns out the fastest (and amazingly easy) way to fix it was to simply reinstall Mac OS X Leopard. After booting from the OS cd, I went to install options and chose to put everything in a "previous system" folder. This option (after about a 45 minute install period that was originally calculated to take 2+ hours) brought my computer back to its exact prior state. Every last detail was kept down to my backgrounds, internet history, dock items, even the exact location of all randomly placed icons. I only had to update itunes and a few other things with software update that took no time at all and seamlessly got everything back to normal. I am thoroughly impressed with how well this worked out.

After everything was put back to normal, the "previous systems" folder is pretty much useless, and takes up 12 some odd Gb, so I backed it up on an external and deleted it from the HD. It seems this folder is entirely useless after it has been implemented back into the new OS.


I hope that if anyone runs into this, or a similar boot problem where the OS can't get started but you can still manage to boot from the OS CD, this is an excellent, fast, and well-engineered way to avoid the $60 fee Apple tried to charge me on the phone to tell me exactly how to do what I figured out on my own in about 4 minutes. All you are paying for is them telling you how to select the option that saves and restores your previous settings, but its entirely obvious which one is correct compared to the "upgrade" and "ERASE EVERYTHING" options


Best of luck to those with struggles... Hope this helps


TAGS: can't boot, startup, won't start, grey screen of death, cancel sign, can't start, OS failure, Booting from OS DVD, Mac OSX Reinstall, safe mode, format, reinstall osx