Imac G5 will not start up correctly? invalid directory count 52 instead of 53

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Imac G5 will not start up correctly? invalid directory count 52 instead of 53

Hi, i have a Imac G5. it had been working fine for many years untill a year or 2 ago when it stopped all of a sudden and just would not start up as it should. instead, it went to this grey screen with horizontal lines. eventually after trying just about every combination of keys held down on startup, the only way i could get the mac to restart was by starting it in safe mode. (at this point i rescued all my photos and music and moved them onto my macbook pro) i thought it was working fine in safe mode untill i realised that it could not connect to the internet, the sound would not work at all, and when i went to preferances it could not find any output device for the sound. it also keeps coming up with a message saying that my internet communication device does not exist. allot of the programs worked fine, such as word, or photoshop, whereas others would not. i verified the disk, and discored that it would not let me repair it.

Invalid directory count

it should be 53 instead of 52)

checking attributes file

checking volume bitmap

checking volume information

repaired.",1)

macintosh hd

error: the underlying task reported failure on exit

HSF volume checked

volume needs repair

it then came up with a message saying that he disk utility stopped verifying the macintosh hd because of it reporting the failure on exit.

i have tried doing this a few times but the exact same result is gained

i tryed using disk repair whilst starting up from the original install disk, but this also did not fix the problem. eventually, i decided to reinstall the os x 10.4.11. this had absolutely no effect, and i am at the same point. i would be very gratefull if anybody would be able to come up with any ideas of how i could fix this problem?

additional details: i have tried using the proxy reset

i have also tried running a apple hardware test

i have tried repairing the macintosh hd disk using the original install disks

also: all of the sockets at the back work fine, e.g. usb, but the microphone and headphone sockets do not work.

it will read disks fine

iMac, Mac OS X (10.4.11), macintosh HD g5 problems

Posted on Jul 28, 2013 9:51 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

rccharles

Level 6

12,957 points

Jul 29, 2013 8:50 AM in response to ButterKangaroo

I'd say you have a bad hd that needs replacing. This is only a guess.

Robert

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Answer 2

Jul 29, 2013 8:54 AM in response to ButterKangaroo

Since it will start in safe mode that indicates that some third party software is causin the boot problems.

The disk errors can be fixed two ways, either DiskWarrior or a reformat of the disk.

Either way back up first.

The reformat will destory all data for sure and DiskWarrior may.

Allan

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Answer 3

Jul 29, 2013 11:15 AM in response to Allan Eckert

hi, thanks for the idea, i have all the important stuff i need backed up, how would i go about reformating the disk?

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Answer 4

rccharles

Level 6

12,957 points

Jul 29, 2013 12:18 PM in response to ButterKangaroo

but this also did not fix the problem. eventually, i decided to reinstall the os x 10.4.11. this had absolutely no effect,

I'd have guess you reformated at that time. 😟 The file system is messed up. You need to reformat.

Format a disk using the installation DVD

To format the startup drive, you will need to run disk utility from your installation DVD.

This article will tell you how to get to disk utility. Once in a disk utility, you can go and format the disk.

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1417

To format your startup drive, you will need to run disk utility from your startup DVD.
Mac OS X 10.4: About the utilities available on the Mac OS X 10.4 Install DVD

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2055

How to run disk utility from your startup DVD.

Insert your startup DVD into your reader. Power down your machine. Hold down to the c key. Power on your machine. This will bootup your startup DVD. ( Alternatively, you may hold down the control key, this brings up the startup manager. Click on the desired volume. Click on the right arrow. )
This will bring you to a panel asking you for your language. Pick your language.
You you come to the Install Mac OS panel. Do not install.
Click on Utilities menu item. This will give you a pulldown list of utilities.
Click on the disk utility.
Start up disk utility.
On the left pane view, you will see a list of all your disks. Click on the external disk.
Click on the partition tab.
You will now see how your external disk is currently set up. Fill in the information as appropriate. You should pick Mac OS Extended (Journaled).

More details on formatting.
http://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/partitioning_tiger.html

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Answer 5

Aug 3, 2013 4:20 AM in response to rccharles

thanks for the help, i have followed these instuctions and used 64 gb external disk which should be plents of space, not that i have partitioned it and all that, what do i do with it? i mean, do i try to install the mac os x from the disk onto it, as when i try this, it is telling me that it requires 11.9 gb of space. despite having this space, it still tells me that i "cannot install mac os x on this volume. mac os x cannot start up from this volume" it might just be that i am not supposed to use it to install the os x, but if not, how do i use it?

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Answer 6

Aug 3, 2013 4:54 AM in response to ButterKangaroo

**now that i have partitioned** i meant to say

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Answer 7

rccharles

Level 6

12,957 points

Aug 3, 2013 10:02 AM in response to ButterKangaroo

I didn't realize you were going to run from an external drive.

1) You need a firewire drive to boot from a PPC -- g5.

2) You should partition as

3) Partition as APM -- Apple Partition Map. This is under option and should be default if you partition on PPC.

The startup manager will list all of your bootable partitions then give you a choice of which to boot.

Try holding down the option key then power on. This brings up the startup manager. Click on your hd. Click on right arrow key.

Robert

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Answer 8

Aug 4, 2013 6:28 AM in response to rccharles

thanks, i have tried this now, and it did not work, it is at exactly the same state it was before. it will start only in safe mode, and will not access the internet, produce any sound, etc. im guessing there isnt much more i can do and that i should just get rid of it?

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Answer 9

rccharles

Level 6

12,957 points

Aug 4, 2013 11:03 AM in response to ButterKangaroo

You may have a problem with the video chip.

Here is how to tell...

Shutdown your machine. Hold down the shift key. Poweron. Bootup will be longer.

Wait awhile while you harddrive is being checked.

An article on how to boot into safe mode.

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1455

Runs OK in safe mode...

Running in Safe mode leaves out some video drivers. Which results in your machine not using advanced video hardware. As luck would have it, you can run the safe mode video drivers in normal mode.

Here is how:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3263472?answerId=16057567022#16057567022

Look through the above thread. See the second page. You don't have to read through the first page. Just go to the part where I try a solution that works.

Using the safe mode video driver results in these limitiations:

-- OpenGL acceleration is not supported on this mac

-- Your mac lacks quartz extreme acceleration

Summary of G5 problems. Includes instructions on a hardware fix for the brave at heart:

See -Rotten Apple- articles in both of these threads.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4023152?tstart=0

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4043819?answerId=18700825022#18700825022

Robert

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Answer 10

Aug 5, 2013 4:02 AM in response to rccharles

Thankyou so much!!!! this has made me so happy! had just about given up hope with the thing untill now. it now works completely fine as it did before, connected it to the wifi, launched itunes and played some acdc 🙂 all works as it did before 🙂 thanks allot!! 😀

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Answer 11

rccharles

Level 6

12,957 points

Aug 5, 2013 9:16 AM in response to ButterKangaroo

Thanks for your kind comments.

Robert

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