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User profile for user: tzeigle
tzeigle Author
User level: Level 1
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Mac won't boot after updating to OSX 10.6.4

I am on my 3rd Mac that won't boot after updating to OSX 10.6.4. One MacBook Pro and two iMacs. I fixed one but the last two are getting the better of me. HD is not fried. Have tried every keyboard shortcut on startup, Disk Warrior via. Target Disk, repairing permissions in single user mode. The machines will not boot off of a CD or DVD and it will not boot up in safe mode. Something in the startup files is preventing startup. I am suspecting Sophos antivirus. I tried to uninstall it and trash it but I think it's still blocking something. Any help would be appreciated.

iMac 27" i5, Mac OS X (10.6.4), 8GB RAM/ i5/ 1TB HD

Posted on Nov 24, 2010 5:36 PM

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12 replies
User profile for user: tzeigle
tzeigle Author
User level: Level 1
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Nov 24, 2010 7:01 PM in response to baltwo

Zapped the PRAM several times. Machine will not boot from CD or DVD.
This process started before 10.6.5 came out. If machine won't boot I won't be able to install 10.6.5 anyway.
There was no previous 10.6.4 install. We were going from 10.6.2 when this happened.

I think we need to look at and edit something in the startup files. I believe it's related to Sophos antivirus jacking w/the startup. I've never had this problem until our techs put Sophos on our machines.
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User profile for user: baltwo
baltwo
User level: Level 9
62,362 points

Nov 24, 2010 7:25 PM in response to tzeigle

Then, I take it you don't have a backup, in which, case you'll need to have your techs provide you with an ext HD containing a bootable OS so you or they can delete that stuff and allow you to boot with the install discs. One other thing, if they set a firmware password (see http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1352 for details), then that would explain why you can't boot with the install disc.
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User profile for user: tzeigle
tzeigle Author
User level: Level 1
0 points

Nov 24, 2010 8:26 PM in response to baltwo

Our techs are PC people. I know more about Macs than they do. Just to keep a leg up on them I changed the root pw on the machines before they were cloned. After all of the machines were cloned they installed Sophos on them. I still believe this could be part of the problem.

Anyway, I have some external hds. I can install a bootable OS on one.

You mentioned a firmware password. Is that the same as the root password? If so, I changed that myself. If this is the cause what can I do to fix that?
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User profile for user: baltwo
baltwo
User level: Level 9
62,362 points

Nov 24, 2010 11:18 PM in response to tzeigle

Sorry, no the firmware password is not the same. Read the article I linked to. In the eight years I've run OS X, I've never enabled the root account, since I don't use FileVault and can solve most any other issue without it. As for your techs, you'll have to deal with them. There's no reason for the Sophos SW AFAICT. Thanksgiving's on the horizon. I'll be back Friday. Good luck.
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User profile for user: tzeigle
tzeigle Author
User level: Level 1
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Nov 25, 2010 7:44 AM in response to PaulKemp

When trying to boot normally you get the grey screen w/ the apple and the spinning gear. It stops there.
When holding down the option key you get the choice of booting off of the disk or HD. When you select the OS disk you get the grey screen w/apple and you can hear the disk drive work but nothing else.
Also, when trying safe mode the progress bar gets about 1/3 of the way then disappears and nothing else happens.
Thank you
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User profile for user: tzeigle
tzeigle Author
User level: Level 1
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Nov 28, 2010 6:12 PM in response to PaulKemp

Got it! Not sure if removing Sophos had anything to do with it but here's what I did.
1) boot dead machine in Target Disk Mode (iMac)
2) boot good machine off Snow Leopard disk (MacBook)
3) install OS to dead machine- I found this next part very curious. When the install was complete the MacBook restarted as the iMac.
4) ran software updates
5) shut down MacBook then shut down iMac
6) rebooted iMac- all was good
I actually did this twice because a co-worker had the exact same problem on her MacBook Pro. Got both fixed today. 🙂

Thanks everyone for your help!
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Mac won't boot after updating to OSX 10.6.4

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