computer will not turn on

Question

computer will not turn on

I installed goflex software that came with a seagate 500 gb drive, to be able to swap files with pc's...I was going to copy some files to the drive for others on both mac and pc to access, so i installed the goflex per the seagate instructions.

when i restarted my macpro, it chimed, and then nothing happened. screens black. drives power down. power light is on but nothing happens. unplugged all peripherals. restarted, grey screen with sinning startup circle and apple logo, then apple logo turns to a circle with a line through it, and it hangs there. all i can do is force power off.

I am paniced here, never seen this before, and can't believe installing a simple external drive utility has completely paralysed my system.

Any thoughts out there?

macpro 2x2.66 5gb ram/867 1.5gb ram/pb 1.25 2gb ram/, Mac OS X (10.6.1)

Posted on Dec 15, 2011 1:07 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

X423424X

Level 6

14,265 points

Dec 15, 2011 1:42 AM in response to marten berkman

First can you post the link to exactly what software you downloaded? It's probably a incorrect driver or something incompatible obviously from that software since you didn't have a problem before you installed it.

You will probably have to boot in safe mode to suppress that software and then delete it. But I won't make suggestions on how or what to delete until I know what you installed. Hence the request for the software's url's.

Update:

By any chance is the GoFlex FreeAgent software from this page? Downloads as User uploaded file "Paragon NTFS Install-Uninstall"? If so I downloaded that and see that stuff includes an uninstaller (Uninstall NTFS for Mac ® OS X.app). So boot in safe mode and run it.

Note if it this stuff, just looking over it, there is no driver installed (but there is a launchagent so something is launched during boot) but it is not immediately obvious why this stuff would prevent boot. However the stuff I downloaded indicates it is version 8.0.0 but the current Paragon HTFS is up to 9.5.1 so maybe you need the latest version.

Here's Paragon NTFS's Home page.

Note, I don't know what the licensing is on this stuff, i.e., if you have registration info for your stuff there is no guarantee it will work with the current stuff.

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Answer 2

Dec 15, 2011 6:23 AM in response to X423424X

Thanks so much for your thoughts.

The link to the software you indicated is correct, though what I installed came directly from a Seagate external HD I was hoping to use. The external Seagate drive that has the software may have the uninstall software, but need to get the computer running somehow to do this.

I booted in same mode with progress visibility, the last line in the onscreen text (which would repeat after several seconds) was "waiting for root volume" or something like that.

I reset PRAM without avail. All peripherals are unplugged.

I managed to get the dvd drive open and put in my Snowleopard install dvd and started up holding the c key. This disk does not seem to be a bootable disk, but it does have disk utilities. I repaired the boot drive (there were some issues which were repaired) but did not improve on restart. Repaired permissions, no success. Repaired boot drive again, no success.

I would like to uninstall the GoFlex software, but will have to have a bootable dvd (the snowleopard install dvd only seems to have the install and utilities...I cannot fully boot up from it, ie finder is not available on this disk to locate and launch things...or am I missing something?).

What is nice to see is at least the boot drive is recognised in disk utlities, seems to function fine as a drive...it just is not being recognised or engaged as the boot drive. I get the grey screen at startup, spinning spiked wheel, apple logo, and then the logo turns to a prohibitory symbol (circle with line through it) and doesn't go any further.

This is really a mystery. Could I attach an external drive, install snowleopard to it, then retsart from it, to use for uninstalling the other software?

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Answer 3

X423424X

Level 6

14,265 points

Dec 15, 2011 12:57 PM in response to marten berkman

I booted in same mode with progress visibility, the last line in the onscreen text (which would repeat after several seconds) was "waiting for root volume" or something like that.

Safe mode not "same" mode". Are you sure you really booted in safe mode )push shift key just after the boot beep)? Try again.

This is really a mystery. Could I attach an external drive, install snowleopard to it, then retsart from it, to use for uninstalling the other software?

You could create another boot drive and boot from it but I don't think you would be in any better postion then booting from your installer dvd since you still couldn't run the Paragon NTFS uninstaller.

I still curious why safe mode wouldn't get you past the boot.

FWIW, the key file that that Paragon NTFS installs (there's other files but not anything that potentially could cause problems) is:

/System/Library/LaunchAgents/com.paragon.NTFS.auth.plist

It also installs (NTFS?) file system support:

/System/Library/Filesystems/ufsd_NTFS.fs

I'm pretty sure booting in safe mode suppresses that launchagent which I think would be sufficient assuming this paragon stuff is causing your problem. If safe mode doesn't suppress it then these need to be deleted somehow. You certainly could delete it from terminal when booted on to another system. From the installed dvd I'm no so sure since someone else seemed to have problems with terminal using some of the requisite commands possibly because they aren't supplied on the installer dvd.

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Answer 4

Dec 17, 2011 4:15 PM in response to X423424X

Well, I installed snowleopard to a usb and booted from that. Found the files you mentioned and deleted them. Did find the Paragon uninstall program after that, but it advised me the program to uninstall could not be found, likely because of the files I deleted. Needless to say, when I stertad up off the original startup drive in the machine, I had exactly the same symptoms: chime , gray screen, apple logo, rotating spiked wheel, I hear the main drive power down, and the apple logo turns to a prohibitory symbol.

Very very strange.

I restarted in safe mode, and it worked this time, slow startup with progress bar, and came to life! I restarted in regular mode, and had grey screen for a long time, then for one second a file folder symbol with a question mark in it, then regular startup from the apple logo, though it took a long time. I have restarted again, same sequence, perhaps slightly faster, but still the odd momentary file with question mark, but the computer is alive. Plugged in peripherals...opened up final cut, tested network connections...I seem to be back in action. Thanks SOOO much for the help X423424X, I would not have known to check the system library files for installed items. So good to be working again!

needless to say, i will be completely erasing the drive I installed goflex from, and won't be messing with that program!

: )

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Answer 5

X423424X

Level 6

14,265 points

Dec 17, 2011 7:04 PM in response to marten berkman

FWIW, below is the complete layout of what the Paragon NTFS for Mac OS X.pkg installs. I only mention this if you decided to manually remove all that stuff as opposed to the uninstaller.

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Answer 6

keno05ab

Level 1

0 points

Dec 27, 2011 2:21 AM in response to marten berkman

A much easier way to get out of that problem is by pressing the ALT (options) key when the screen turns on... then you can decide which HD you want to use, In my case "Macintosh HD".

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