It sure sounds like it's software based - If worst comes to worst, you can
always perform an Archive & install, I believe you can still select this option
in the Snow Leopard installer. You can even preserve user settings, so it only
re-installs the base system.
Have you tried booting in the OSX version of Safe mode? (Hold Shift at startup)
I don't know if this will do anything - But it might...
-Elliott Price
Mac Computer Repair - Santa Barbara
Graphic Design - Artwork Setup
Websites - Low Cost Custom Websites
On Dec 7, 2009, at 3:50 PM, Jim Scott wrote:
>
> On Dec 7, 2009, at 3:36 PM, William Spencer wrote:
>
>> Hi there: The newer of the two machines listed below has decided to enter a
>> parallel universe. It will not boot to the regular login screen but instead
>> goes straight to my son's desktop after just a couple of seconds worth of a
>> grayish screen I've never seen before, with a horizontal
>> progress-bar-looking sort of thing visible at the bottom of the screen. The
>> menu across the top of the screen is no longer visible, the mouse pointer
>> moves but will not open or close anything, there is no way to command-tab
>> through apps (even if there are any open), and the only way to shut down is
>> to hold down the power button.
>>
>> I plan to dig up the original discs and see if I can boot from there, and
>> then see what happens...maybe repair permissions or something. I think I
>> have an old copy of Tech Tools floating around someplace, but I don't even
>> know what version, let alone if it will function properly on this thing.
>> Push comes to shove I can take it down to the genius bar tomorrow night, but
>> not before then.
>>
>> Any advice gratefully accepted, the sooner the better.
>>
>> ***************
>>
>> Bill Spencer in Maryland
>> IMac Core Duo 2.4 ghz/1 g RAM/Snow Leopard
>> IMac Core Duo 1.83 ghz/1 g RAM/Snow Leopard
>
> Sounds as if the directory is munged, perhaps from one or more improper
> shutdowns, and that the iMac's booting in a hybrid EFI/OS mode. Running the
> latest version of DiskWarrior for SL (4.2) should clear it up, but if you
> don't have it, try booting from the Snow Leopard install disk. Then try
> repairing the disk using Disk Utility. It's probably not a permissions issue,
> but you can run that too. If Disk Utility repairs the hard drive, keep
> running the repair function until it stops repairing. Then quit the SL
> installer and see if it will boot normally. If it doesn't, then reboot from
> the SL install disk and reinstall SL, then update. The reinstall actually
> will do an archive & install, so you won't lose anything. If that doesn't set
> things right, then by all means take it to the Genius Bar. What it's doing
> now is very unusual, and possibly could indicate a faulty hard drive or some
> other hardware problem. Let us know what transpires.
>
> Jim Scott
>
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