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Level 1

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OSX does not start

Heys guys
So a few minutes ago I started my mac and it would go up to the blue screen that shows up just before the account selector screen comes and then gets stuck there. I can hear teh hard disk make a clicking sound like its trying real hard to access something.

My 10.5 disc is not with me right now but I loaded my 10.4 disc and tried to verify permission using disc utility. It said error: no valid packages. I did a disc repair and and it says the disc is fine.

I googled the error and Apple's solution is reinstall OSX or copy a file that is missing into a specific folder. My problem is I do not want to reinstall OSX as I had to do that a month ago when the laptop would not even load up past the grey screen with the small looping gear. And I cannot find that specific file and copy it as I cannot access the system.

Please help!!

Macbook Pro, Mac OS X (10.5.5)

Posted on Oct 10, 2008 9:43 PM

26 replies

mackdhadhee Author

Level 1

0 points

Oct 12, 2008 7:42 AM in response to KJK555

Here's what I did:

1. Got into the single user mode.

2. I typed /sbin/fsck -fy (Because the mode was read only and it said in order to make changes I had to give it that instruction, it said volume HDD appears to be OK and then it said the File system was modified)

3. I typed sbin/mount -uw /

4. Then I continued on with mv /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/preferences.plist preferences.old

5. When I typed mv /System/Library/SystemConfiguration/ApplicationEnhancer.bundle bundle.old it says No such file or directory

6. Also you said I has to type this at the Localhost% command prompt. I did this in the root# as I dont know how to get into localhost

mackdhadhee Author

Level 1

0 points

Oct 12, 2008 7:43 AM in response to Graham K. Rogers

Thank You that worked like a charm

mackdhadhee Author

Level 1

0 points

Oct 12, 2008 7:45 AM in response to KJK555

Another thing, it showed me the login window, i typed my password and after 10-15 seconds it goes back to the blue screen. And then again after a while it goes back to the login window

mackdhadhee Author

Level 1

0 points

Oct 12, 2008 7:55 AM in response to Samsara

Sorry tried that but it didnt work. It keeps on switching between the login window and the blue screen.

I don't have another mac and I am away from school and my buddies that have one are gone home for thanksgiving too. I guess the only option for me is to do a reinstall.

I appreciate all you guys helping me out.

Oct 12, 2008 8:13 AM in response to mackdhadhee

Glad to have been of some small assistance in your ongoing problems.

KJK555

Level 4

2,900 points

Oct 12, 2008 1:42 PM in response to mackdhadhee

Okay mackdhadee:

Boot back into single user mode, we are going to clean and rebuild your caches:
(don't worry about the name of the prompt, whatever it is, it is)

Please boot into the single user operating mode. You can do this by holding CMD+s. Once the system is booted into single user mode and is standing by at the command prompt type the following:

/sbin/mount -uw /
(press return)

/sbin/fsck -fy
(press return)
#repeat fsck until no more errors are reported#

/bin/rm -r /Library/Caches/*
(press return)

/bin/rm -r /System/Library/Caches/*
(press return)

/bin/rm -f /private/var/vm/swapfile*
(press return)

/bin/sync
(press return)

again:
/bin/sync
(press return)

reboot
(press return)

Kj

mackdhadhee Author

Level 1

0 points

Oct 12, 2008 6:25 PM in response to KJK555

OMG it worked. Thank you so much. Thousand Internets to you sir.

Can you tell me what the problem was? A process called syslogd recently started using 70% or more my my CPU and I would have to quit it everytime I booted? is it because of that?

KJK555

Level 4

2,900 points

Oct 12, 2008 7:57 PM in response to mackdhadhee

"Sometimes I even amaze myself!"
-Duke Nukem

Glad to have helped, It was either a corrupt swap file or corrupt cache, that's what I had you clean.
What started it?, your guess is as good as mine.

Kj

Zlig

Level 4

1,340 points

Oct 13, 2008 2:31 AM in response to Samsara

It also ejects sometimes if you start up with the "Eject" button on the keyboard pressed.

Samsara

Level 4

1,321 points

Oct 13, 2008 5:47 AM in response to Zlig

Good to know, thanks Zlig. Great job to KJK555 above.

Dec 15, 2008 9:53 AM in response to KJK555

Dear KJK,

thanks for your extensive advice: it worked for me too! Exactly the same problem, screen got stuck in the blue mode. Restarted in Command-S, typed your commands, rebooted - worked!

Great help to the Apple community!

OSX does not start