Q: Frequent kernel panics-Who can decypher/help?
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Feb 9, 2015 1:16 PMby trebber,Continuing where I left off. Just as a matter of updating, I've only used Safari, not Firefox, since advised not to. I've reseated the RAM, and disabled Java in Safari. The only peripherals I use are an ext. HDD and an ext. Optical Drive, but they're not connected 24/7, only when I need to use them specifically. I was finally able to get AHT to run (refer to the link to that post above) with varying results, mostly says everything's okay. But Friday night, had another KP, so I ran the AHT, and it quickly reported an error (4MEM/1/40000000). Then came Saturday morning...
I'll try to make this short and sweet, so bear with me and ask for more details, if required. I powered up my MBP to the eternally spinning gear.
Safeboot worked, ran DU verify, failed, corrupt, repair.
Reset NVRAM/PRAM
Boot to SL Install Disc, ran DU, verify, got "Invalid Sibling Link", Rebuilding Catalog B-Tree, corrupt, repair.
Ran Disc Repair, could not be repaired, backup, reinstall OS.
Reboot, Safeboot, couldn't mount flash drives, backed up to ext. HDD.
Ran Rember, loop 6 reports error, saved the log.
Reboot to AHT on flash drive, error 4MEM/2/40000000
Since then I've been swapping RAM to see if I can find one that fails, one okay. Nothing super definitive, yet, but still running tests. The first thing I did was to remove the top RAM. When I rebooted, no screen at all, just black, no post chime. Then I replaced the top module and pulled the bottom, reboot, still got the spinning gear, reboot to AHT flash drive, 2 tests say okay (always running extended tests). Still swapping and testing. Ordered 2 x1GB sticks from Crucial.
So, cut to the chase. I've read a bit about the Invalid Sibling Link. Some say run variants of FSCK in single user mode, some say put startup disk on Spotlight's privacy list, then re-add it. Here's the question: Is there a good, known way to fix the Invalid Sibling Link thing, or should I proceed to a clean (re)install?
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Feb 9, 2015 7:24 PMby WZZZ,HelpfulSo, cut to the chase. I've read a bit about the Invalid Sibling Link. Some say run variants of FSCK in single user mode, some say put startup disk on Spotlight's privacy list, then re-add it. Here's the question: Is there a good, known way to fix the Invalid Sibling Link thing, or should I proceed to a clean (re)install?
Interesting that AHT found the RAM problem, where running Rember all night didn't. Don't want to be gloomy, and hope the new RAM is the fix, but just bear in mind that it might be the RAM bay, not the RAM stick itself that's giving you a hard time. You'll find out when you try the new RAM stick in that bay. As to the Sibling link error, having done abundant research you probably know more than I about what's available. But just in case you haven't come across this one, and in case you don't want to lay down the money to buy Disk Warrior:
http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20070204093925888 Remember to first unmount, then remount the drive according to the directions. And, of course, this will depend on being able to boot to the install DVD.
Since you may not be able to boot to the DVD, you can certainly try--and keep repeating until it says it's fixed--fsck in single user.
http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203176
Scroll down to Use fsck if necessary.
Also, if you have a totally trustworthy bootable clone-backup, you could reformat the drive and then move the clone back. But don't try that unless you have that clone.
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Feb 9, 2015 8:50 PMby trebber,I back up regularly the old fashioned way-manually copy important stuff to an ext. HDD, often, then archive or drag back what I need after a re-install. Yes, I can boot to the SL Install Disc via USB ext. OpDrive. Been testing RAM. Not quite sure yet, but testing 1 module at a time (1GB) in each of the two slot is not barking errors, either w/ AHT or Rember. Weird. I'll do it again tmro, just to be sure. Then I'll test it w/ both sticks installed. I may also try the fsck suggestions after reading the links in your last post tmro. Gotta sleep now.
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Feb 10, 2015 7:04 AMby WZZZ,Well, if you can't fix the directory error any other way, and don't want to spend a lot of $ for Disk Warrior, which is basically recovery software (and no guarantee it will be the fix), you could reformat the drive, then install Snow from scratch, then bring over all your backed up stuff and reinstall any third party applications (it doesn't look like you have a lot (Firefox, etc.). If you do this, be sure to use Software Update to get anything you need current, and as soon as you reinstall Snow apply the 10.6.8 Combo Update. Also, be sure to update again to the latest Flash player. A clone would be nicer, but this is what you've got.
http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1399
To do a reformat, open Disk Utility>select the drive (the top level listing, which will include the name of the manufacturer)>Partition tab>select 1 partition (if that's how it's currently set up) and hit Apply. Make sure it's set to GUID partition scheme, MacOSExtended (Journaled).
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Feb 10, 2015 7:49 AMby trebber,..."A clone would be nicer"...
Maybe because it would not only bring back all my crucial files, but it would probably reset all my customizations, also (like how my dock is set up, folder view options, hot corners, etc.)? Just wondering, why clone? Could it also bring back possible directory problems that may've led to the KP's or "cannot be repaired" issues?
Back to the recursive fsck thing, I suppose to re-mount the disk afterwards, I just look for the Mount button at the top of DU? What if I'm in Terminal or single-user (ie, command line) interface, do I just type " mount /dev/disk0s2 " to reverse the un-mount? That's the part the instruction in the link you sent forgot to mention. And if, for some reason, it will not mount again (as some commenters reported), I suppose I still have the option to do a clean install?
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Feb 10, 2015 7:58 AMby BobHarris,Just wondering, why clone? Could it also bring back possible directory problems that may've led to the KP's or "cannot be repaired" issues?
Not directory problems, as Carbon Copy Cloner and SuperDuper (the most commonly mentioned clone utilities) are file and attribute copies. Directories and file metadata is created new on the destination drive. Attributes are applied after that. File data is copied into new files. Directory entries are created as files are created (again all new).
Kernel Panics will either be existing hardware which didn't go anywhere, or are from software which would indeed be copied as part of the clone.
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Feb 10, 2015 8:30 AMby WZZZ,Back to the recursive fsck thing, I suppose to re-mount the disk afterwards, I just look for the Mount button at the top of DU? What if I'm in Terminal or single-user (ie, command line) interface, do I just type " mount /dev/disk0s2 " to reverse the un-mount? That's the part the instruction in the link you sent forgot to mention. And if, for some reason, it will not mount again (as some commenters reported), I suppose I still have the option to do a clean install?
Quite simple to do that. http://osxdaily.com/2013/05/13/mount-unmount-drives-from-the-command-line-in-mac -os-x/
I would also run diskutil list first in Terminal to be sure you have the correct volume, rather than relying on the instructions in the MacWorld link.
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Feb 10, 2015 1:33 PMby trebber,Status report. So, I spent the first half of the day doing the fsck_hfs thing both in single user mode and via Terminal on the Install Disc. No big help, though I repeated each procedure several times, keeps failing at rebuilding catalog B-tree (invalid sibling link, (4, 19393) as reported in single user mode). Funniest durn thing, though, I rebooted at one point and there was my log-in screen (after a long, long time) and I started to my Desktop like all was right in the world. Next time I booted, log-in, Desktop, no icons, "taking a long stare at a rolling beach ball", to re-quote Kurt V. Ran disk repair (via utilities, DU on Install disc), can't get past that sibling link thing.
I think I'm gonna re-install. Unless... I'll check this post in an hour, and if I don't see something more brilliant proposed, that's what I'll do.
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Feb 10, 2015 5:12 PMby WZZZ,>>I think I'm gonna re-install.
Remember that's a reformat and reinstall. An ordinary reinstall of Snow would preserve everything, but not this. The reformat will do a total erase, so you must be prepared to redo everything, Mail, network and regular settings, third party apps, photos, music (iTunes library), etc., the whole lot.
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Feb 10, 2015 5:27 PMby trebber,I think we're on the same page, sometimes called Erase and Install. I'm following these instructions:
How to erase and install Snow Leopard 10.6
Also, I backed up several useful things, mostly from my home folder Library (Address Book, Mail folder, bookmarks), iTunes library from my Music folder, and of course, everything else I wanted to keep for awhile. 13 more minutes of writing zeros and we'll see how a fresh start goes. Wish me luck!
