Archive and Install/Disc Utility issues -

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Archive and Install/Disc Utility issues -

I'm currently spending a summer abroad in South America, and have had issues with my Macbook Pro (early 2011 version) no longer starting up after some virus experiences last week. The computer hangs itself during loading on the white screen w/ grey apple and the spinning dial. In contacts with Apple Care as well as some Mac-saavy friends, the following situations have been tried:

Opening in safe mode - The loading bar (added at the bottom of the grey apple screen) loads about 1/4 of the way, disappears, and the computer hangs itself.

Opening in single user mode - I run the recommended sbin/fsck -fy command to clean up the hard drive. It comes back after having checked 6-7 parts, saying that the MacHD is in good shape, with a message following saying that something had been "modified" (forgive me for not remembering the correct verbage at present). I then run the same command again, resulting in a message that the HD is clean and without error. I then "reboot" and remain hung on the white screen w/ grey apple.

Opening in verbose mode - I reach the following lines of text, and then there is no further progress:

"

enable
IONetworkController::enable
createMediumTables
enable end
MacAuthEvent en0 Auth result for: 00:23:cd:1e:f2:c4 No Ack
same line as above saying "Auth timed out" at the end

Command+option+r+p - shock two or three times, (three startup chimes) and computer continues to hang itself in the normal spot.

- So, at this point I took the advice of Apple Care and a few other friends, and tracked down a "retail copy" of Mac OSX (10.6.3) in order to try to do an Archive and Install or any sort of Disc Utility via the startup disc.

Inserting the disc and holding "c" at startup results in the cd drive whirring the disc for a few moments, and then remaining hung at the same white loading screen.

Holding "option" during the startup gives me the option of loading from the HD, or the disc. Selecting the disc proceeds to whirr the cd drive, take me to the white loading screen with the grey apple, and... you guessed it... leaves the CPU hung.

- - - - -

My question is then, is my Macbook Pro unable to read this disc and execute Archive and Install/Disc Utility for hardware reasons as per the virus attack, or is the disc not compatible with my version of OSX (which I have since confirmed through my wife to be 10.6.6)?

Different sources have told me different things. The local AASP in Uruguay sold me what they professed to be the "latest" version of OSX - the 10.6.3, what's more for $55 dollars instead of the lower cost as available in the states (between $15-$30), so I am reluctant to go back to them for advice when they seem more inclined to cash in on my inexperience (Mac owner of less than a month) than actually fixing my issue. Apple Care told me that a standard "retail disc" should work, but I am assuming now that they believe I can snag the same version as initially came with my Macbook Pro. Should I be looking to have my wife mail my original OSX install DVDs down here to resolve this problem? Should 10.6.3-retail be working and is not for reasons I haven't identified? I have since done some online research and found mentions that doing any sort of HD partitioning or OSX reinstalls can only be accomplished by utilizing a disc of an equal or more recent version of the OSX (examples that 10.4 can't work on a notebook preinstalled with 10.5, etc). Does this translate to 10.6.3 not being able to function for my 10.6.6 MBP?

Any insight or thoughts would be much appreciated, as essentially all of my schoolwork and assignments are now trapped on an inaccessible HD. Thank you for your time.

- Joseph

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.6), Early 2011

Posted on May 22, 2011 4:49 PM

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Answer 1

tjk

Level 9

51,192 points

May 22, 2011 4:59 PM in response to theprophet3

Hi Joseph,

You are correct that Macs normally need to boot from an OS at least as new as the one they shipped with. I have not tried with the hardware/software setup that you are attempting, but unless things have changed . . . .

That said, it's interesting that it stops loading at exactly the same place when using the install disc.

Do you have the Apple-supplied RAM installed or something else?

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Answer 2

theprophet3 Author

Level 1

0 points

May 22, 2011 5:11 PM in response to tjk

The computer is in exactly the condition as when I first took it out of its box, a week before leaving on my internship down here. This is the most frustrating part - I purposely switched over to Mac for all the hype I'd heard of such security and infallibility, and now this happens while I'm isolated from my local Genius Bar.

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Answer 3

tjk

Level 9

51,192 points

May 22, 2011 6:33 PM in response to theprophet3

No machine is infallible, not even a Mac. 😉

What happened with the virus situation?

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Answer 4

theprophet3 Author

Level 1

0 points

May 22, 2011 6:44 PM in response to tjk

Because I work a lot with other windows based stuff, I decided to download some basic anti-virus like avast! to do periodic scans of my own stuff. What's more, my dad had been ragging on me for a while that any computer can get infected, so it was safer to have it than not.

Doing a scan two days ago, it found a few compression bombs and other corrupted files which I tried to delete through avast!. The program wouldn't allow them to be fixed/deleted, and so I ended up finding the files manually through the finder and sent them to the trash.

I'm willing to bet now that some piece of the startup files was deleted in that cleaning house. CPU continued normally for about 4 hours. Later tried to open Iphoto, Photobooth, and something else and would recieve a pop-up box that these programs were no longer compatible with my installed version of OSX. It suggested I update, which I tried to do through the top grey bar. Every time I tried to click the "system update" tab, Mail would begin to bounce out of the dock saying that no action could be taken until it was closed. This happened 3 more times before I just decided to shut down and hope things worked themselves out. In trying to hit "shut down" through the bar up top, Mail would continue to try to open, saying in a similar box that I couldn't shut down while apps were still open and being used. I'd close it and try again with the same result. This happened 3-4 more times before I did a manual shutdown, holding down power until the unit went black.

From there, no way of starting it back up.

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Answer 5

tjk

Level 9

51,192 points

May 22, 2011 7:03 PM in response to theprophet3

"I'm willing to bet now that some piece of the startup files was deleted in that cleaning house."

I suspect you are correct. If that's the case, you'll need to reinstall, meaning you'll need either your original discs that shipped with your Mac, or a newer retail version (I do not know if Apple has made one available yet). It sounds like you do not have a bootable backup, but I'll ask anyway . . . .

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Answer 6

prbsparx

Level 1

30 points

May 24, 2011 10:01 AM in response to theprophet3

10.6.3 is incompatible with the model MacBook Pro you are using. You must install the version that came with your computer or newer.

As for the virus: Did you download Avast! for Mac?

Avast! for Mac will scan for Windows Viruses as well, Windows viruses though are unable to infect a Mac system, due to the fact that they cannot execute.

If you tried removing stuff manually, you may have accidentally removed a necessary system component by accident.

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Answer 7

theprophet3 Author

Level 1

0 points

May 24, 2011 1:11 PM in response to prbsparx

This is what I've come to conclude as well. Yes, it was avast! for Mac.

Thanks so much for all the help guys. Now it just comes down to hoping my discs make it through customs here.

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Answer 8

prbsparx

Level 1

30 points

May 24, 2011 1:37 PM in response to theprophet3

I tried adding in a bunch of information about what your troubleshooting steps meant, but the server went into maintenance while I did. So, here it is again:

"Opening in safe mode - The loading bar (added at the bottom of the grey apple screen) loads about 1/4 of the way, disappears, and the computer hangs itself."

This is FSCK running, and gives you an indication of it's progress.

"MacAuthEvent en0 Auth result for: 00:23:cd:1e:f2:c4 No Ack"

This is either a failed DHCP request or ARP request.

"Command+option+r+p"

Command+Option+P+R - Resets PRAM. That's why p+r.

"Inserting the disc and holding "c" at startup results in the cd drive whirring the disc for a few moments, and then remaining hung at the same white loading screen."

This problem indicates that the disc is too old to boot your system. The reason for why this disc cannot boot is because it doesn't contain the necessary drivers for your model MacBook Pro. My mom and brother have similar models, and my brother had similar issues while in Japan. He went and got an install disc as well, which failed, I ended up stepping him through so that it would boot in Safe Mode, and then got it working in Normal Mode remotely.

FYI: Sophos has a free Mac Antivirus program, that is very processing friendly, and will scan in the background. You may wish to consider it as an alternative to Avast! if it continues giving you problems. Though I suspect it may be coincidence that your computer had problems shortly after Avast! cleaned up files. Let me know how it goes. You may wish to open up Disk Utility and check your S.M.A.R.T. Status. You want to make sure it says "Verified" If it doesn't say "Verified" then you have a problem.

-Phill

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Answer 9

prbsparx

Level 1

30 points

May 24, 2011 4:39 PM in response to theprophet3

For any future readers:

There is another way to do this that I just remembered when one of my co-workers asked me if I had a 10.6.6 disc.

You need two macs: NEW and OLDER.

Connect NEW and OLDER via firewire cable. (NEWER is probably firewire 800, so you may need a firewire 400-800 adapter or cable)

Boot NEW into "Target Disk Mode" by holding down 'T' at boot until the Firewire logo (looks like a Y) appears.

Boot to Install Disc in OLDER.

Once you have booted to the install disc, it is the same process as installing it onto the internal drive, except you need to choose the Drive in the other computer as the target drive. The drive that you want to install to will look like it's a firewire drive (so it will look like a mounted usb drive but with that 'Y' symbol on it.)

MAKE SURE NOT TO INSTALL OVER THE GOOD DRIVE!!!!!

Go ahead and install Mac OS X.

Once it finishes installing and OLDER shuts down hold down the 'Option' key right after the chime. Select the drive that you just installed Mac OS X on. It should appear just as it did in the Installer.

Once it has booted and you have logged in: run software update and update to the latest version of the OS. Once you have finished updating, shutdown the computer. Unplug the firewire cable. Turn off NEW, then turn it back on. It should work properly.

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