Cursor becomes a question mark and prevents input

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Cursor becomes a question mark and prevents input

I first entered this in the Mini forum, then realized it had to be a software issue.

My cursor arrow changes to a question mark. Odd things are happening. In Firefox and PhotoShop, numerous "Help" windows open. If I try to shut them, I just get more. I have to Force Quit. In Mail, I can't type more than a couple of characters on the keyboard. This is true in some other apps as well.
What on earth is going on? Safari does not call up help windows on its own—just for PS, but I can only occasionally click on anything or enter a character. I can cut and paste info into boxes...a ridiculous way to work!

I have to use my laptop to ask for some real help with my Mini, as I can't type anything in "Help" either!

I don't know that the problem began with Mail, but I was sending an e-mail response when it lost half the message and did not complete the send process. That has never happened before, but I don't know if that was cause or symptom. Did I accidentally strike some weird combination of keys?

I can type in AppleWorks 6 and Word. This must mean that it isn't a faulty keyboard. The keyboard and mouse I'm using are my old wired ones from my g4 dual 500. I've never had a problem with either.

mini g4 10.4.11, iPod Touch, mbp 2.4GHz, Mac OS X (10.6)

Posted on Jun 5, 2010 5:53 PM

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Answer 1

BDAqua

Level 10

250,259 points

Jun 5, 2010 6:11 PM in response to maryiat

One way to test is to Safe Boot from the HD, (holding Shift key down at bootup), run Disk Utility in Applications>Utilities, then highlight your drive, click on Repair Permissions, Test for action in Safe Mode, does it do alright there in Safe Mode?

Reboot, test again.

If it only does it in Regular Boot, then it could be some 3rd party add-on, Check System Preferences>Accounts>Login Items window to see if it or something relevant is listed. Also look in System Preferences' Other row.

Also look in these if they exist, some are invisible...

/private/var/run/StartupItems
/Library/StartupItems
/System/Library/StartupItems
/System/Library/LaunchDaemons
/Library/LaunchDaemons

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Answer 2

maryiat Author

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Jun 5, 2010 9:24 PM in response to BDAqua

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll do everything.
I did run the Disk Utility pretty quickly and had to reset a couple of permissions that didn't mean anything to me...but, then, that's not too hard...
I'll be back.

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Answer 3

maryiat Author

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Jun 6, 2010 6:09 AM in response to BDAqua

OK, I booted up in Safe Mode. I ran Disk Utility and repaired permissions. I was able to type in Mail, use Safari and make a stickie not with the info on the permissions. Unfortunately, the "?" began appearing after a fairly short while. It first cropped up in Safari. I had closed the other apps. Stickies can't be used. Mail is non-responsive to keyboard. It sometimes responds if I click the mouse in the finder, then back in mail...for 1 action.

OK, having "looked at" all the suggested places and compared them to the same places on my powerbook, they don't seem to be set up quite the same, e.g., the mbp has considerably more items in the System Library Startup Items folder. Since I don't know what I'm looking for, this seemed a fruitless exercise. Nothing jumped out at me. Even if I did know what all the acronyms stand for, I wouldn't have the foggiest notion if they were as they were supposed to be.

I tried using Find to locate any invisible files created this week that were less than 800 KB in size, as I'd read somewhere that there was a virus that fit that description. I let it run all night. If it was working, nothing turned up.

Any other ideas?

bummer...sure would be nice if I knew what to look for...feels like snark-hunting, you know...

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Answer 4

BDAqua

Level 10

250,259 points

Jun 6, 2010 12:08 PM in response to maryiat

If the ? mark showed up again in Safe Mode after not being there, I suspect a RAM problem first of all.

Boot off your original Install Disk while holding down the *d key*, (not c key), then run the extended Apple Hardware Test. Some disks require you to use the Option key at bootup to select AHT. Some models have a separate AHT CD.

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Answer 5

maryiat Author

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Jun 10, 2010 3:42 PM in response to BDAqua

I have tried repeatedly to boot off the original install disk with no luck.
I have used the "option" key, which is required by my disk. Heck, I tried the "D" key too. I also tried to simply use the "C" key. I even set the startup disk prefs to the Install Disc.
Nada, zip, nothing...the Mini kicks the disk out.
Yes, I tried scooting it back in...after 4 times, the computer just totally ignored the presence of a CD and started up from the HD anyway.
aaauggh!

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Answer 6

BDAqua

Level 10

250,259 points

Jun 10, 2010 4:08 PM in response to maryiat

I suspect it's not Software, but the CD/DVD Drive, if you have a proper FW cable, Might need a 6 pin to 9 pin...

You can boot your MBP into a Firewire Optical Drive... put the install Disc in the MBP, boot the MBP into Target mode...

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=58583

Boot your Mini with the Option Key held down.

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