Sandie Cohen

Q: iMac G5 HD Won't Boot. Please Help.

I have an iMac G5 (Power PC) which has been running OS 10.5.8 without any issues until today. 

 

When starting, I have a grey screen with the Apple logo, but the wheel beneath keeps turning and the computer will not boot up. I've tried to start it many times, and I just get the grey screen, etc.   P.S.  I do have a Time Capsule connected via Ethernet and Time Machine was active until this problem today.  The TC is disconnected at this point, as I was afraid I'd lose that back up.

 

Here is what I tried:

I disconnected everything except the keyboard and mouse (not internet/modem/Time Capsule)

I booted from the Leopard Disk, and ran Disk Utility. Message said the the HD appears to be OK

I booted from Drive Genius and ran the following:

1.  Repair-Verify:  Message was that HD appears OK

2.  Repair-Repair:  Message was that HD appears OK

3.  Repair-Rebuild:  Had a few invalid volumes.  Message was that the Volume Header and HD repaired successfully

4.  Repair-Preferences;  SAID THERE IS A CORRUPT PREFERENCE:   /bin/sh:xargs:command not found (There was no way that I saw to fix this!)

5.  Scan for Bad Blocks:  None found

 

I tried to start the computer again, but I still get the grey screen, Apple Logo, and constant spinning of the wheel WITHOUT a start.  It appears that the HD is not 'Dead' but has some issue, perhaps the corrupt preference listed.

 

So, I need help with my next step. Would any of the following work and if more than one, what order would be best?

1.  Use the Leopard Install Disk to 'Restore from Time Machine Backup'?  (Never have done this, so I'm clueless)

2.  Use the Leopard Install Disk and 'Archive and Install' the OS?  Can I do this since the HD has the updates to OS 10.5.8?

3.  Use the Leopard Install Disk to Erase and Reinstall the OS and then migrate from the Time Capsule (Never have done this either)

4.  AND, if none of this works, I'm assuming I could go get a new iMac and restore everything from the Time Capsule/Time Machine, even though there the OS in a new machine would be upgraded and also Intel Processor.  Yes?

 

In any case....PLEASE HELP if you can.....and THANKS

Mac OS X (10.5.8)

Posted on Sep 19, 2011 2:16 PM

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Q: iMac G5 HD Won't Boot. Please Help.

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  • by Elliot Jordan,

    Elliot Jordan Elliot Jordan Sep 19, 2011 2:18 PM in response to Sandie Cohen
    Level 3 (575 points)
    Sep 19, 2011 2:18 PM in response to Sandie Cohen

    Try starting while holding Command and V together.

     

    Let us know what the last couple lines of text say, and perhaps we can translate.

  • by Sandie Cohen,

    Sandie Cohen Sandie Cohen Sep 19, 2011 3:14 PM in response to Elliot Jordan
    Level 1 (15 points)
    Sep 19, 2011 3:14 PM in response to Elliot Jordan

    Thanks for trying to help with this :-).  I started as you suggested and here are the last few lines:

     

    Airport: Link down on en1

    Sept 19  17:49:16 jack-cohens-imac-g5 ReportCrash [52}: saved crashreport to /Library/logs/CrashReporter/securityd_2011-09-19-174913_jack-cohens-imac-g5.cra sh using uid: 0gid: 0, euid: 0 egid: 0

    Sept 19  17:49:18 jack-cohens-imac-g5 ntpdate [63]: can't find host time.apple.com

    Sept 19  17:49:18 jack-cohens-imac-g5 ntpdate [63]:  no servers can be used, existing

    Sept 19  17:49:18 jack-cohens-imac-g5 mds [32]: (error) server: mdsync Launch failed: (ipc/rcv) timed out

     

    Let me know what this means, please.  Also, I have the screen 'up', so I can give you more lines if that'll help.

     

    Much appreciated.

    Sandie

  • by Elliot Jordan,

    Elliot Jordan Elliot Jordan Sep 19, 2011 3:21 PM in response to Sandie Cohen
    Level 3 (575 points)
    Sep 19, 2011 3:21 PM in response to Sandie Cohen

    Wow, thanks for typing that so exactly! Sorry it must have taken so long.

     

    I see that the security daemon crashed, that's interesting. It also can't seem to connect to the internet to find the time server time.apple.com. Possibly not a big deal.

     

    Nothing along the lines of "disk1s0: I/O error" though, right? If you see that, it's bad news for the hard drive.

     

    Anybody else want to weigh in? I'm leaning towards an archive/install of Leopard.

  • by Sandie Cohen,

    Sandie Cohen Sandie Cohen Sep 19, 2011 3:31 PM in response to Elliot Jordan
    Level 1 (15 points)
    Sep 19, 2011 3:31 PM in response to Elliot Jordan

    Actually, that took a fraction of the time I've put into trying to fix this on my own!!!!!

     

    Just looked...and the only thing close to what you asked me to look for is "BSD root: disk0s3, major 14, minor 1"

     

    Hoping that's not 'curtains' for the HD and that you and/or someone else will reply.

  • by Elliot Jordan,

    Elliot Jordan Elliot Jordan Sep 19, 2011 3:33 PM in response to Sandie Cohen
    Level 3 (575 points)
    Sep 19, 2011 3:33 PM in response to Sandie Cohen

    No, so far it seems like the hard drive is fine. I'm guessing it's OS-level corruption of some kind. Archive/install will sweep away the OS and any problems it contains and put a new one in its place, while preserving your files. You may need to reinstall certain apps with deep roots in the OS afterward, but it's much less labor intensive than the complete rebuild you'd be required to do after a clean install.

     

    Of course, it's good that you have a full Time Machine backup before you start, just in case.

  • by Sandie Cohen,

    Sandie Cohen Sandie Cohen Sep 19, 2011 3:44 PM in response to Elliot Jordan
    Level 1 (15 points)
    Sep 19, 2011 3:44 PM in response to Elliot Jordan

    I'll give it a whirl and let you know how it goes.  But, a couple of quick questions before that, if I might:

     

    1.  With Archive/Install....will my Desktop folders still be there?

    2.  Does it matter that the Leopard disk will Archive/Install OS 10.5....and not 10.5.8?  Do I need to 'upgrade' the OS afterwards?

    3.  Should I connect the Time Machine/Capsule immediately after the Archive/Install?

    4.  Why not just 'restore' from the Time Capsule?  Again, I'm a novice with the TC and TM, so I'm guessing  that it is not recommended, at least for now.

     

    Let me know about the above and I'm off to Archive/Install ;-)

  • by Elliot Jordan,

    Elliot Jordan Elliot Jordan Sep 19, 2011 5:05 PM in response to Sandie Cohen
    Level 3 (575 points)
    Sep 19, 2011 5:05 PM in response to Sandie Cohen

    1. Yes, your Desktop folders will still be there.

    2. No problem. After the install, choose Apple menu > Software Update to download the latest updates.

    3. No need, because your files will be intact. However, keep it handy in case something needs to be restored. Eventually you can continue backing up to it, just as before.

    4. Restoring from the Time Machine/Time Capsule is great for your "user" files, but where "system" files are involved, a reinstall is better.

     

    Good luck!

  • by Sandie Cohen,

    Sandie Cohen Sandie Cohen Sep 19, 2011 6:51 PM in response to Elliot Jordan
    Level 1 (15 points)
    Sep 19, 2011 6:51 PM in response to Elliot Jordan

    Again....thanks.  I'm in the midst of the Archive/Install (slow!) and will Update the software afterwards.  But, with regards to the Software Update and to your reply to #3, the Time Capsule is my connection to the Internet...so, if I Update the software, the TC is 'connected' and Time Machine will continue backing up....right?  I suspect there is a way to disengage the Time Machine until I know things are good with the OS and to simply use TC as a router, but I need some help with that too.  Can you assist?

  • by Elliot Jordan,

    Elliot Jordan Elliot Jordan Sep 19, 2011 7:53 PM in response to Sandie Cohen
    Level 3 (575 points)
    Sep 19, 2011 7:53 PM in response to Sandie Cohen

    Sure. You can turn Time Machine off in System Preferences, at least until you're sure everything is stable.

  • by Sandie Cohen,

    Sandie Cohen Sandie Cohen Sep 19, 2011 8:05 PM in response to Elliot Jordan
    Level 1 (15 points)
    Sep 19, 2011 8:05 PM in response to Elliot Jordan

    Looking Good ;-). Just finished the Archive/Install (the last 'minute' took nearly a half hour to install....a bit unnerving!), but everything seems to be there and working.  Whew!

     

    I'm now going to do all the Software Updates and will get back to you if I run into any glitches.  However, I'm thinking that all is terrific, and I CAN get some sleep....so THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for all of your help and staying with me on this for the last few hours.

     

    So very appreciated....

  • by Elliot Jordan,

    Elliot Jordan Elliot Jordan Sep 19, 2011 8:38 PM in response to Sandie Cohen
    Level 3 (575 points)
    Sep 19, 2011 8:38 PM in response to Sandie Cohen

    Great! Glad to hear it. :-)

  • by Sandie Cohen,

    Sandie Cohen Sandie Cohen Oct 9, 2011 1:26 PM in response to Elliot Jordan
    Level 1 (15 points)
    Oct 9, 2011 1:26 PM in response to Elliot Jordan

    Hey Elliot,

     

    Please check out this new post, a continuation of this issue, and see if you can offer some advice.

     

    Thanks again,

    Sandie

  • by Sandie Cohen,

    Sandie Cohen Sandie Cohen Oct 9, 2011 1:27 PM in response to Sandie Cohen
    Level 1 (15 points)
    Oct 9, 2011 1:27 PM in response to Sandie Cohen