TS1541: Solutions for troubleshooting installation, startup, and login issues in Mac OS X v10.5

Learn about Solutions for troubleshooting installation, startup, and login issues in Mac OS X v10.5
Chiefdishwasher
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: after deleting a large iPhoto directory from my MacMini/snow leopard, mac will not reboot

My mac-mini (sorry not an imac) will not restart. I just get the spinning pin wheel but no desktop. It took over 24 hours to delete the directory but no errors. The directory was about 34 gb.

Mac mini, Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Jun 8, 2012 9:31 PM

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Chiefdishwasher

Q: after deleting a large iPhoto directory from my MacMini/snow leopard, mac will not reboot

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  • by BDAqua,Helpful

    BDAqua BDAqua Jun 8, 2012 9:38 PM in response to Chiefdishwasher
    Level 10 (123,506 points)
    Jun 8, 2012 9:38 PM in response to Chiefdishwasher

    Did you delete it in iPhoto, or in the Finder?

     

    Could be many things, we should start with this...

     

    "Try Disk Utility

     

    1. Insert the Mac OS X Install disc, then restart the computer while holding the C key.

    2. When your computer finishes starting up from the disc, choose Disk Utility from the Installer menu at the top of the screen. (In Mac OS X 10.4 or later, you must select your language first.)

    Important: Do not click Continue in the first screen of the Installer. If you do, you must restart from the disc again to access Disk Utility.

    3. Click the First Aid tab.

    4. Select your Mac OS X volume.

    5. Click Repair. Disk Utility checks and repairs the disk."

     

    http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106214

     

    Then try a Safe Boot, (holding Shift key down at bootup), run Disk Utility in Applications>Utilities, then highlight your drive, click on Repair Permissions, reboot when it completes.

     

    (Safe boot may stay on the gray radian for a long time, let it go, it's trying to repair the Hard Drive.)

  • by Chiefdishwasher,

    Chiefdishwasher Chiefdishwasher Jun 8, 2012 10:18 PM in response to Chiefdishwasher
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 8, 2012 10:18 PM in response to Chiefdishwasher

    The iPhoto directory was deleted in the finder not from within the program. Emptying the trash took a very long (over 24 hours) time. I suspect that this was partly due to my hard drive being 95+ full.

    I have a backup through Carbonite of this drive.

    It seems that the next thing I did after the trash emptied was a reboot and at this point My Mac has been unable to mount the drive.

    • A cold reboot holding down 'c' for serveral minutes and the install disk in the disk drive, still results in nothing more than the initail screen with the grey radian (or spinning pinwheel.)
    • It may be that my hard drive has decided to pack it in at this particular moment? ( Probably getting back at me for running so full for all this time.)

    ~ Michael 

     

    my hard drive over runeth and now it won't even runeth

  • by BDAqua,

    BDAqua BDAqua Jun 8, 2012 10:40 PM in response to Chiefdishwasher
    Level 10 (123,506 points)
    Jun 8, 2012 10:40 PM in response to Chiefdishwasher

    iPhoto will throw a fit if you delete it's things in the Finder.

     

    Does it boot to Single User Mode, CMD+s keys at bootup, if so try...

     

    /sbin/fsck -fy

     

    Repeat until it shows no errors fixed.

     

    (Space between fsck AND -fy important).

     

    Resolve startup issues and perform disk maintenance with Disk Utility and fsck...

     

    http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106214

  • by Chiefdishwasher,

    Chiefdishwasher Chiefdishwasher Jun 8, 2012 11:24 PM in response to BDAqua
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 8, 2012 11:24 PM in response to BDAqua

    Thanks I'll give that a try this weekend...