Weird mac non-start up issue

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Level 1

4 points

Weird mac non-start up issue

My Mac Pro crashed in After Effects yesterday. SInce then it will start up in WIndows7 under Boot Camp but won't run properly in OSX. I've swapped out the hard drive for another system drive but I get the Grey Screen of Death, that also happens when I try to boot from the System DVD. I've removed all PCI cards and external devices. Even with no hard disks in at all and just booting from DVD gets the hang screen. I tried PRAM and removed the battery but no joy.

Holding Alt at start up gives me four options.
1 Current system
2 Old System
3 Install DVD
4 Windows Boot Camp

They're all on separate internal drives.

1 Current system lets me login and gets as far as displaying the desktop then either jumps back to the login screen again or crashes to a blue screen and the spinning wheel
2 Old System gives me the Grey screen of death at the apple logo
3 Install DVD gives me the Grey screen of death at the apple logo.
4 Windows boots fine

What's confusing is the that as Windows boots fine it can't be a hardware thing. But if it's a mac system software thing then surely the DVD should boot OK? And how come both system disks don't work suddenly and in different ways?

mac pro 3.1, Mac OS X (10.6.5), boot camp win7

Posted on Jan 6, 2011 3:29 AM

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Answer 1

The hatter

Level 9

60,990 points

Jan 6, 2011 4:02 AM in response to hercolo

Did you upgrade the graphic card?

Windows supports hardware differently.

Not sure why or what is happening. Guess it depends a bit on WHY it crashed and how, what it took with it.

For me, Disk Warrior along with SuperDuper has meant I've always had good bootable backups and system maintenance.

I wonder if you have a dead or dying graphic card.

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Answer 2

hercolo Author

Level 1

4 points

Jan 6, 2011 4:33 AM in response to The hatter

I upgraded to a Quadro 4000 about two weeks ago, it's been working fine until last night. I applied a Magic Bullet Looks filter to an after effects cs5 comp and the mac crashed. Will dig around for Disk Warrior.

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Answer 3

The hatter

Level 9

60,990 points

Jan 6, 2011 4:55 AM in response to hercolo

Your OS (I can't find OS minimim requirement) may not boot from DVD or any system that doesn't have drivers, and it may be it requires 10.6.5.

Did you ever boot before with this card and DVD or try with less than 10.6.4?

Still, you have another graphic card either installed or handy, so you can boot w/o the Q4000 installed.

The last SL DVD was only 10.6.3, only $25 @ Amazon if need be.

You / I never boot Disk Warrior from CD, doesn't have drivers, slow, would be an older OS build, etc. which should be v. 4.2+ also.

A couple people commented on Quadro 4000 performance in this thread:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=12758519&

CS5 5.03
Do you have ATI 5770 or 4870 alongside?
Does it work with just the Quadro?

Latest update
http://www.redgiantsoftware.com/products/all/magic-bullet-looks/updates/

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Answer 4

hercolo Author

Level 1

4 points

Jan 10, 2011 10:12 AM in response to The hatter

Thanks for your response and kinks.

So, I swapped out the 4000 for my old 285GTX and the same issues happen. I even brought home a copy of Tiger to try and boot from that but I get the Grey Screen of Death with that too.

Seems this mac will no longer boot reliably from any OSX system now, with either the Quadro 4000 or GTX285. Have a copy of Diskwarrior 4 at work, will try to boot with that tomorrow, or try to fix in Target disk mode from my laptop.

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Answer 5

hercolo Author

Level 1

4 points

Jan 10, 2011 2:54 PM in response to hercolo

apologies, meant links not kinks.

I fixed it eventually. I had an old system HD which when coupled with the older GTX285 allowed me to log in and do some Disk Utility repairs on the broken system. Seems the Mac boot disks couldn't boot with the Quadro cards installed (is that what you were referring too?).

I also reinstalled the Quadro 4000 drivers and it works fine now.

There's a cautionary tale in here somewhere, I'll hold on to my alt system HD I think.

Thanks for your help.

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