Atavacron
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Q: Boot drive failed the very time I have no backup image...

I have an earty 2008 3,1 3Ghz MacPro Octo.

 

10.6.8 is installed.

 

It no longer boots. It gets to grey screen + apple + rotating wait.

 

Hard drive makes a quiet ticking.

 

I can single user boot.

 

fsck and fsck_hfs report no errors.

 

I do not have the original restore disks and I am a bit stuffed thanks to Apples INSANE policy of no longer selling physical media for OSX!

 

Is there any other ways to get this system back up and alive? I am happy to buy Mountain Lion but unless I have a living machine to download it onto...

 

 

 

 

 

As a side question, is Mountain Lion ok for a 3,1 early 2008?

 

It is most galling, as I have just got my new SSD to put in...what timing. Not.

Mac Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.8), 3.0GHz Octo, 16GB

Posted on Jan 14, 2013 8:55 AM

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Q: Boot drive failed the very time I have no backup image...

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  • Helpful answers

  • by Grant Bennet-Alder,

    Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder Jan 14, 2013 9:23 AM in response to Atavacron
    Level 9 (60,931 points)
    Desktops
    Jan 14, 2013 9:23 AM in response to Atavacron

    If you can boot up in Safe Mode, and fsck passes, your conclusion that the DRIVE has died is without merit.

     

    The "simple" graphics driver is used throughout Safe Mode, and for everything on the Installer/Utilities DVD. Regular Startup uses the "simple" driver... until you get to the end of the regular spinner time. At that instant, control passes to the loaded graphics Driver, and the card switches to "automatic" mode. Faiure to show a new screen at that point strongly implicates the graphics card.

     

    --------

     

    FIRST, boot up in Safe Mode and make backups of anything that is not backed up.

     

    Then, think about how to finish debugging a graphics card failure. Options include:

     

    • Running Apple Hardware Test (but false negatives for graphics problems are common).

     

    • Making an Appointment at the genius Bar, FREE for an evaluation, in warranty or out. They are supposed to have "known good" parts they can use for debugging, but smaller store may not have any Mac Pro parts on hand.

     

    • Know that the currently-available Apple-firmware 5770 works in ALL models of Mac Pro. Apple lists it for the 2010 and later, only because they have not regression-tested it in the models that were already discontinued when it came out. It works. Drivers are in 10.6.5 and later.

  • by Atavacron,

    Atavacron Atavacron Jan 14, 2013 9:31 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 14, 2013 9:31 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

    FYI I started up the system from a restore disk for an iMac I borrowed and got into the install mode, but it asked me to restore, as the iMac disk is not suitable.

     

    I used the terminal to try and "ditto" my User account tree to another volume (for obvious reasons). It just sat there with the slow ticking and never completed.

     

    Disk Utility keeps hanging when anything related to the boot volume is performed. It failed to restore the boot volume to another drive or to a USB stick.

  • by Grant Bennet-Alder,Helpful

    Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder Jan 14, 2013 9:39 AM in response to Atavacron
    Level 9 (60,931 points)
    Desktops
    Jan 14, 2013 9:39 AM in response to Atavacron

    Apples INSANE policy of no longer selling physical media for OSX!

    You can get a copy of the original release discs for your Mac Pro for a nominal fee (about US$25) by contacting AppleCare and asking to purchase Replacement discs for the original software that shipped on your Mac Pro. Have your serial number ready, as they do everything by serial number. Also know that "first responders" are sometimes not properly trained that these discs are available, and you may have to request a Product Specialist.

     

     

     

    Mac Pro

    Date introduced

    Original Mac OS X included
    (see Tips 1 and 3)

    Later Mac OS X included
    (see Tip 1)

    Mac OS X Build(s)
    (see Tip 2)

    Mac Pro (Mid 2012)Jun 201210.7.310.8 11D2001, 12A269
    Mac Pro (Mid 2010)Aug 201010.6.410.7, 10.7.2, 10.7.310F2521, 10F2554, 11A511a, 11C74, 11D2001
    Mac Pro with Mac OS X Server (Mid 2010)Aug 201010.6.410.7, 10.7.2, 10.7.3 (Server)10F2522, 11A511a, 11C74, 11D2001 (Server)
    Mac Pro (Early 2009)Mar 200910.5.610.69G3553, 10A432
    Mac Pro (Early 2008)

    Jan 2008

    10.5.1

    10.5.2, 10.5.4

    		9B2117, 9C2031, 9E25
    Mac Pro

    Aug 2006

    10.4.7

    10.4.8, 10.4.9, 10.4.10, 10.5

    		8K1079, 8N1430, 8N1250, 8K1124, 8P4037, 8R3032, 8R3041, 9A581, 9A3129

     

     

    You can also use the "Full Retail" Snow Leopard DVD, which appears to contain 10.6.3 build 10D575. It is still available for sale, but you generally have to call the Online store support number, as the item is "put away" so users will not buy it in error.

     

    .

  • by Grant Bennet-Alder,Helpful

    Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder Jan 14, 2013 9:58 AM in response to Atavacron
    Level 9 (60,931 points)
    Desktops
    Jan 14, 2013 9:58 AM in response to Atavacron

    The DVD for an iMac may not contain all the Drivers you need to run a Mac Pro.

     

    If you can boot into "Safe Mode" (hold down Shift as you start up, and be ready to enter your username and password, even if you normally auto-login), then most of Mac OS X on your Hard Drive is working fine. Safe Mode loads only a minimal set of Kernel extensions, and no third-party ones.

     

    You should also have a "full Retail" 10.6 around, if you are now running 10.6 and your machine was issued with 10.5.1

     

    The amount of stuff for just 10.6.8 is over 10GB, not including any User files or large third-party Applications. Is your destination Volume large enough to accept that much?

  • by Atavacron,

    Atavacron Atavacron Jan 14, 2013 10:08 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 14, 2013 10:08 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

    Safe mode did produce the bar below the Apple, but after 2/5ths full it stopped then disappeared. All the time the ticking came and went and continued after the bar disappeared.

     

    Space is not a problem. Lets hope Singapore Apple Care are happy to send me the Restore disk!

  • by Grant Bennet-Alder,

    Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder Jan 14, 2013 11:00 AM in response to Atavacron
    Level 9 (60,931 points)
    Desktops
    Jan 14, 2013 11:00 AM in response to Atavacron

    I have seen the bar in Safe Mode. I have never seen it progress more that 2/5 across the screen before it disappears. That much I consider "normal".

     

    That it did not then give you a login screen is not normal, and indicative of software problems on your drive.

     

    If your Mac Pro was shipped with 10.5, how did you get to 10.6? Where is that disc now?

  • by Atavacron,

    Atavacron Atavacron Jan 16, 2013 10:16 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 16, 2013 10:16 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

    I have acquired a 10.6 DVD and will first get Snow Leopard up, back THAT up, rescue what I can then moving to buy Moutain Lion.

     

    By the time that is sorted, my SSD SATA3 sorted, my external eSATAs hooked up, the new MacPro might be out.

     

    I am tempting fate for you guys and gals, I hope you realise that.