BIG issues with 10.4x software update today - someone please help !!

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Level 1

4 points

BIG issues with 10.4x software update today - someone please help !!

Hello,

I have a 17" MacBook Pro, running 10.4 and the beta of Boot Camp (I bought the machine ~ 9/1/2006).

Today, while working normally, I was "pinged" by Software Update that there were updates ready to install. I said "go ahead".

Halfway through, I received a message similar to "Software Update has encountered an unexpected issue, you must restart".

I selected restart. My machine will no longer boot (on the mac side), getting to the final (~100%) "blue line" on start up screen and than hanging.

I have tried many times (and also let it "think" for many hours) to no avail.

I just returned from the local Apple Store "Genius Bar" (a whole other story - not pleasant) where they tried to boot from CD, but the only option is to erase the entire drive and all data to do so. Since I have not backed up my device, I said to not do that. The cause is apparently a known issue with the latest software update of 10.4 with the beta of Boot Camp. (as a "known" issue, I for the life of me will never understand why that was not made clear to the user BEFOREHAND).

Unfortunately, that option is not good for me (shame on me for not backing up my device) as I have years worth of email, all of my music and videos (thousands of songs) and pictures as well as 100% of my cycling training data (which is downloaded via a device whenever I ride) for the last two years.

Apparently, they claim there is no other option (they also do not see any issues at all with having a update that can cause this type of catastrophic failure without some sort of indication of the risks thereof - i.e, "please back up all of your data before installing this upgrade)

I need to find a way to restore my device to working order and recover my data. Apple claims (both in-store and on the phone) that they do not do data recovery nor do they know who does or how to do it.

Does anybody have any ideas/options for me?

1. Advice on how I can work around this (preferably without a erase)
2. If I do have to erase, how can I recover my data?
3. What happens to all of my purchased music/video from iTunes if I cannot recover?
4. How I could find all of my software licenses (which are all in my email, which I can't access) for downloaded applications?
5. How to feel less stupid and borderline sucicidal?....:-)

Thanks in advance for any help or advice....

Geoff

Macbook Pro 17", Mac OS X (10.4.10)

Posted on Nov 24, 2007 5:24 PM

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Answer 1

sig

Level 8

35,862 points

Nov 24, 2007 5:47 PM in response to ggalat

Let's try to get your data off the hard drive and then deal with the other issues. if you have access to another Mac with firewire then you can boot your Mac in target disk mode and hopefully your hard drive will show up on their desktop. Then at least you can try to recover as much of your files as possible. If not then commercial recovery may be your other option. Should one or the other of the above be successful then an Erase & Install gets you back to where you want to be. If not, I don't know what to tell you.

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Answer 2

ggalat Author

Level 1

4 points

Nov 24, 2007 5:49 PM in response to sig

I do have access to my "old" G3 Powerbook. How do I boot in Target disk mode?

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Answer 3

Nov 24, 2007 5:51 PM in response to ggalat

I have had this same issue. The only way for me to get back on the Mac side was to reinstall from the start up disk. All of my info is still the but I used a massive chunk of my hard drive to do this and am still having problems. I no longer have a dock and cant figure out how to get it back. I am going to save my pics and music externaly and delet every thing and reinstall.

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Answer 4

sig

Level 8

35,862 points

Nov 24, 2007 5:55 PM in response to ggalat

The G3 is booted up. Connect the two Macs with a firewire cable and then boot your MBP while holding down the 'T' key. Hopefully you will see the firewire symbol on your MBP screen and your hard drive on the desk top of the G3. Then you can get your data off the MBP.

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Answer 5

ggalat Author

Level 1

4 points

Nov 24, 2007 5:55 PM in response to hum dizzle

How did you reinstall from the start-up disk? When I try I am told I can only continue if I erase all data before hand. i have no (well, little) issue with reinstalling (other than the hassle) as long as I can get my data first.

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Answer 6

sig

Level 8

35,862 points

Nov 24, 2007 5:59 PM in response to hum dizzle

hum dizzle,

We are trying to avoid just the problems you encountered because after this the way out will then be an Erase & Install. So, we will then have a fresh OS with a new directory and no issues.

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Answer 7

ggalat Author

Level 1

4 points

Nov 24, 2007 6:00 PM in response to sig

Sig,

Great..thanks !!

I'll try right now. Any guidelines to getting the data off? Should I just move everything (How do I move Entourage's data, etc?)

Geoff

Message was edited by: ggalat

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Answer 8

Nov 24, 2007 6:06 PM in response to sig

I shouldnt have done that huh? This stinks.

Message was edited by: hum dizzle

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Answer 9

ggalat Author

Level 1

4 points

Nov 24, 2007 6:23 PM in response to ggalat

Sig (et al),

OK, I can see the disk......

Unfortunately, the old G3 has a 30GB drive (and only 13.5 available, although i could get more by flushing data...) but the MBP is showing only about 1GB of space available on a 120 GB drive (30 GB of which is partitioned for Windows.....I think the OS update did something, I can't image having 79GB of data files....) so the G3 doesn't have anywhere near enough disk to hold my files. Should I buy a cheap external Firewire disk?

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Answer 10

ggalat Author

Level 1

4 points

Nov 24, 2007 6:51 PM in response to ggalat

So,

First brilliant idea I have had all day.....I can use my old 20GB iPod as a disk........correct?

I could move data in chunks, correct?

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Answer 11

ggalat Author

Level 1

4 points

Nov 24, 2007 7:47 PM in response to ggalat

So, it turns out I have 48GB of music, so this idea will not work. My options seem to be buy a disk, or use my current 80GB iPod. My concern is how to erase/restore that iPod to use as a disk, when i do not have the current iTunes on the G3.

Anybody have a suggestion? I have never had to move my music before.

Message was edited by: ggalat

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Answer 12

sig

Level 8

35,862 points

Nov 25, 2007 4:38 AM in response to ggalat

You should purchase an external hard drive. You could always use it afterwards for BACKING UP your files. Get a combo firewire/usb so you can connect it to the G3 now via usb and the MBP afterwards via firewire. You posted that you had 1 gig free on your MBP hard drive. That is probably why your hard drive is going south. You need to maintain a minimum 15% free space for the OS to function properly. So on a 120 gig hd that becomes 18 gigs. Be informed for the next go around.

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Answer 13

ggalat Author

Level 1

4 points

Nov 25, 2007 7:42 AM in response to sig

I just bought a Maxtor 300GB external USB 2.0/Firewire.

I will try that.

Thanks for your help/advice...very much appreciated !!!

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Answer 14

briken

Level 1

0 points

Nov 25, 2007 7:49 AM in response to ggalat

HELP!! The software update came up and as always I allowed it to update... It gave me an error message and couldn't update... I decided not to continue persuing the update due to the error and after restarting (thinking it would be a good idea), it won't come back. The apple on the gray screen comes up and the icon below keeps spinning, and spinning! I have tried disk utility, it says everything is fine.. I tried the VRAM suggestion and it remains the same!! HELP. I haven't done a recent enough back up !!! HELPPPPP!!

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Answer 15

ggalat Author

Level 1

4 points

Nov 25, 2007 8:57 AM in response to sig

Sig (et al),

Should i just move all the files manually (file by file) or do a backup? Seems like a file-by-file makes more sense, as the OS is corrupt.

Also, is there a way to find my printers (they were a bear to set up originally to run on my home LAN) and all of my favorites (both Safari and Firefox)?

If I do a "backup" would all of my applications restore to the new OS instance after I reinstall, or will I have to do a full manual reinstall of everything?

Thanks for all of your help....

Message was edited by: ggalat

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