(no subject)

[rynne]

Okay, so last October this weird thing happened with my computer, where when I was trying to update the OS, something odd happened and I couldn't get it to load. I'd turn the computer on and it would give me a gray screen with a blinking icon of a file folder with a question mark in the middle.

It's doing that again, except this time with no discernible reason. I was trying to get my LJ profile page to load, but when it was taking upwards of ten minutes, I figured I'd just turn the computer off and on and see if that helped. I know that's not exactly good for the computer, but I've done it before, PCs and well as Macs, and this never happened.

Last time what I ended up having to do was completely reinstall the OS. I ended up losing most of my iTunes library (the stuff that wasn't purchased, but was downloaded before there was iTunes), as well as all the documents I hadn't gotten around to backing up. Which was most of them, because I constantly forget to do that.

I wouldn't lose as much this time around, because I have been better at backing things up, but there are some recent things I don't want to lose, so I don't want to reinstall the OS again. Hopefully we can find someone who knows what to do, but...gah! I have no idea why this happened!

Thank God I'd already finished my Remix and still have it in my email, as well as my beta's. If I'd had to rewrite the thing, a week before the deadline, I'd probably want to cry.

Comments

[tinnidawg.livejournal.com]

Have you tried restoring your computer to a time before the grey screen stuff started coming up.

If you are on firefox, down load an extension known as Gspace.
Upload all the files you want a backup for through this. It uses all the Gmail storage space for you and yes you can upload music and videos, provided they are 10 MB or smaller.
Don't upload your entire hard disk at one go, because Gmail may freeze your account thinking someone is trying to hack in or something. But if you do some files everytime you log on you should be able to manage.
In case you need to reload your OS, you won't have to hunt for the music etc., it's available in your mailbox.

[rynne.livejournal.com]

The difficult thing about this is, once it happens, I can't load the computer at all. I'm on my family's PC desktop at the moment, rather than my Mac laptop, because the first thing that pops up when I turn the computer on is that gray screen, and I can't get any further than that.

Besides that, I don't use Firefox, I use Opera or Safari.

[tinnidawg.livejournal.com]

I did not realise you were talking about a mac. What is the OS you use?

[rynne.livejournal.com]

OSX. Er, 10.4.6, I think.

[tinnidawg.livejournal.com]

Did you try booting in using the safe mode? (hold down the shift key during your startup)

If you have recently installed some stuff or downloaded stuff try this
After that if you have a cache cleaner use it, otherwise manually drag the following folders to the trash

com.apple.kernelcaches (a folder in /System/Library/Caches)
Extensions.kextcache (a file in /System/Library)
Extensions.mkext (a file in /System/Library/)
com.apple.ATS (a folder in /Library/Caches/)
com.apple.loginwindow.plist (a file in /Library/Preferences/)
Files that start with com.apple.LaunchServices (in /Library/Caches)

You will be prompted for the administrator password when dragging these folders to trash and you may have to reboot after trash.

If you haven't downloaded anything in the safe mode, just disconnect the network cables, or set your network in the preferences because sometimes the OS gets stuck trying to ping an inactive connection. You could unplug the ethernet cables and reconnect them once your computer has started.

Otherwise you could try a disk repair or before doing that it might be worth checking for problematic login /startup items or bad kernel extensions.

In the safe mode (hold down the shift key during startup to enter the safemode)
Go to the accounts pane of system preferences and click the startup items tab. Select all and remove, also check the following folders for third party items
/Library/StartupItems and /System/Library/StartupItems and remove the third party items and then restart your computer.

If this is not the problem
In the safe mode /System/Library/Extensions for any third-party kernel extensions (files that end in .kext). Remove the kernel extensions and check for persistence of the issue.

For disc repair since you are unable to startup your system you will have to try this method: Insert your OS CD/DVD and hold down the "C" key on startup Once the computer has booted from the installation disc, select "Utilities" from the menubar and open Disk Utility. Repair the disk, then quit Disk Utility and restart your system.
I hope this works for you.

[tinnidawg.livejournal.com]

I just found this on the apple support site, so you could try this also.


* Make sure the latest firmware for your computer is installed. Check the Apple Downloads website for the latest versions.
* Disconnect all peripheral devices, except for the Apple keyboard and mouse. This includes ADB, serial, USB, FireWire, SCSI, and PCMCIA devices. If this resolves the issue, reconnect one device at a time, restarting your computer after reconnecting each one, until you've determined which device is causing the issue.
* Remove third-party hardware upgrades such as memory (RAM), microprocessor upgrade cards, and PCI cards. If this resolves the issue, add back one item at a time, restarting after each one, to isolate the issue. Note: Apple does not provide technical support for Mac OS X when it is used with third-party microprocessor upgrade cards.
* Start up from your Mac OS X installation disc and check the hard disk with Disk Utility.

[nandamai]

Did you try this?

[rynne.livejournal.com]

That seems to be talking about a desktop, which I don't have--all the hardware apart from the power cord is inside the computer. And not even my installation disc worked when I tried it earlier today.

[velesia.livejournal.com]

I hope things are going better and that you are happy.
I will call you when I get my schedule so we can get together this weekend.